Originally Posted by Lara

I've dealt with anxiety at different times in my life but I became much worse after a bad fall and subsequent concussion. That was a number of years ago now but it really hit me like a ton of bricks. Sitting at the lights was the worst for me. I don't know why really. Maybe it's the feeling of being trapped and of course, once you've experienced that first panic attack there's the fear of another happening when in a vunerable situation. That is the problem with them because they become somewhat self-perpetuating.

I can drive almost anywhere now. I just shared a 2000K drive just under a month ago. I've even driven the M1 a lot the past couple of years because someone depended on my doing that.

Learning about the physical signs of the fight or flight response/hyperarousal helped me a lot because understanding exactly how my own body was dealing with stressful situations demystified the whole process and, rather than just being thrown into chaos at random moments, I was able to work more on not allowing myself to get to that level of anxiety by being aware of cues that my body was sending in advance.

You'll be alright. Just take care of yourself right now, as you're still in the early weeks of recovery really. Try to keep living your life, even if it's at a much slower pace for a little while.

I'm glad I'm not driving that Brissie traffic anymore. I need a quiet life.