Sarah never suffered panic attacks while driving before the accident. She chooses to walk to work which is 2 miles from her home. For Sarah, merely getting into her car creates feelings of apprehension and anxiety.

Daily life has changed for Sarah. Even when crossing a road by foot, Sarah will feel her heart race and palms get sweaty. For three years Sarah was a cautious and safe driver but now she has lost all confidence to drive. She fears that another accident may occur.

She starts having panic attacks even when she’s not in the car. Sarah finds life difficult and frustrating to cope with since the incident. Thoughts of worry plague her even though she realizes how irrational her worries are. Her work and relationships become affected as a result.

Post traumatic stress disorder or PTSD for short can develop after a traumatic experience. This can be a situational experience or an emotional one such as losing a loved one. It’s common for flashbacks to occur in sufferers which can be extremely terrifying.

A loved one of PTSD sufferer may see their partner’s personality change completely. Often the family of the sufferer experiences immense strain and are at a loss. Sufferers may even avoid social interaction. This may further develop becoming and anxiety disorder itself known as social anxiety disorder.

Insomnia affects a high proportion of people with anxiety disorders. They are likely to feel stressed and anxious and overly cautious. In the case of Sarah’s, she doesn’t travel in any vehicle if she can and pays particular attention when crossing the road.

But panic attacks while driving doesn’t have to because of an accident or traumatic experience. Fear of driving can develop for a number of reasons and be enough to cause anxiety and panic attacks. Our minds can create images and thoughts that create negative feelings such as fear and anxiety. Negative associations become reinforced when we excessively worry and focus on something that we fear.

Loss of confidence can happen gradually and feelings of fear can develop. Our minds constantly produce thoughts and imagery that further shape our behaviors. A driver might experience panic attacks for a number of reasons. These include;

* Driving on the expressway.
* Driving at a busy time on the road.
* Having a close call with a driver cutting in front.
* Being at the receiving end of road rage.
* Driving for long periods.
* Driving in the dark.

Experiences like these can cause negative associations of fear that can develop. It’s possible however to regain confidence and change beliefs and patterns of behavior. For more information on how you can overcome fear and panic, click on: anxiety and depression.

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