On July 29th I'm moving from Florida to New York state. I have to make that long drive and am kind of dreading it. I had severe agoraphobia when I was 17 and didn't leave the house for an entire year. We were moving to Florida when I was 18 and while freaking out in the airport bathroom I finally got on that plane thanks to my mom. I'm 27 now and am doing OKAY. I can go certain places as long as they are around my home...I don't like going far or to places where I know I will have to stay & I can't leave..I don't drive so I ALWAYS have to have someone with me that drives...so I can leave incase I feel an attack coming on. I don't like to be dropped off at places. Now next week I am moving back to NY and have to take that loooong drive. My mother is driving and I know I WILL get through this but just dread the first moments when we are pulling away from my comfort zone (house/my bedroom) and I have my anxiety attacks.
I guess I am just looking for some advice to calm myself when my anxiety flares up and it will. When I have my anxiety at home I usually pace the whole house and do a routine of tapping on the front & back door while counting. Now with me in a car for 1200 miles I can't pace. I do take Lexapro and Seroquel...so I know that will kick in eventually and help me to sleep...but until then...can anyone tell me something I can do to calm myself ? ANY ADVICE would be so appreciated!
I'm rambling now but I hope you can help...heck mention anything, I am willing to try it!
I think you should really use the gas and food breaks to stretch and talk a short walk. Part of the anxiety comes from your muscles tensing up. I know it won't do much, but it will relieve some of the anxiety. And maybe also enjoy the scenery. The US can actually be quite a beautiful place that hardly gets attention since most people focus on the appealing and busy places.
Lots of deep breaths, keep yourself distracted from your anxiety/panic. Take a book with you and read it, ignore other people and cars while driving. You will be ok trust me.
Once you move find a room that you can make as close to possible as a room you had in Florida. This has helped me move from place to place in the past.
Hello everyone!! Its been a while but I thought I'd come on and say Hello! The long drive for my move, I think, went pretty damn well! I didn't have to drive so 15mins before we left I took some seroquel, but oh my goodness ,those minutes when we were pulling away from the house I had been living in for 10yrs I thought I was going to lose it!! I hate that feeling! MY mother was just as stressed as I was but luckily she was driving so it took her mind off of it. I on the other hand at the beginning was counting, eyes closed with the window down...so I could feel the wind on my face...the seroquel did kick in and I fell asleep for a little bit and ended up getting sunburn on my one arm that was holding up my head! hehe After I woke up it had only been a couple hours...so we still had a whole 20 hrs of driving! I think what helped me the most was 1. all the animals I had in the small KIA with me...1 big dog and 4 cats!! I had to tend to them and keep them calm so that gave me something to do. and 2. I was text messaging with a long distance friend so that also gave me something to do.
We got to NY safe and sound and then I had to deal with seeing family I hadn't seen in years and then sleeping in a place that was unfamiliar! I got anxious ALOT but would just remember to breathe and also I did pace a bit. At the end of the second day and then into the third I had already stopped taking the extra seroquel I was to calm myself down.
Right now I am just dealing with what alot of us are...Lots of family around us during the holidays...wanting us to do things..etc. I always get nervous when I have to answer the job, love life questions and then I get down on myself because I'm not supposed to be where I am at 28yrs old. I then do remind myself of what I do have and that it could be ALOT worse!
So to anyone else that will be going through something similar...YOU WILL GET THROUGH THIS! IT WILL BE OKAY!! I didn't know what I was going to do when I had to move...thank goodness I got through it and when I look back...it wasn't half as bad as I thought it was going to be!!
Counting and knocking on doors is Obsessive Compulsive Disorder type ritual behavior. There's a better and more constructive way.
Focus on your internal state. Meditate and get used to calming and centering yourself. Then create a silent trigger for yourself to do so in public when anxiety comes on. Live in the moment and open your heart to positive possibilities. Work on your self-image.
Something that helps me in these type situations is simply remembering that NO MATTER how bad the anxiety/panic gets...it will not kill me..I will live from it...and life will go on....just like it always has. I've never had to do it..but I keep in mind that I could always lay in the back seat..deep breathe and take a nap. Happy Travels..you'll be fine. We ALWAYS are. 🙂
