# dp/dr, panic attack, driving.



## Sa-lB (Jul 16, 2013)

Does anybody get extreme dp/dr when driving? it's not just the normal 'i don't feel here' it is extreme. I know where i am and who i am but i don't, or i'm confused about it? I feel like absolutely nothing makes sense, not even my own name or other people or even trees? it makes the world feel like one big practical joke.

To call it extreme might be a bit off but it feels extreme, extreme enough for me to slap myself around the head and start crying, people must think i am a complete weirdo having some emotional breakdown in a layby, it's embarrassing!.

At the minute i am sat in my car at the side of the road, i've been sat here for 20 minutes because i can't drive, i'm too scared to. As soon as i start driving i get this feeling that i am nothing like i don't exist and everything around me doesn't exist and it makes me want to jump out of my skin.

This doesn't always happen, most of the time i am OK driving but i have had a bad week. When I am stressed it always effects my driving, it feels like I am in some super fast forwarded movie.

I know this has probably already been made a topic but i need someone to talk to!


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## Sa-lB (Jul 16, 2013)

Thank you for the replies, i made it without losing my mind or dying!

I agree with both of you and I can to some degree relate to what you're saying Fearless. I just don't know how to go about changing how i think. At the time it is happening the main concern i have is that i am going to lose my mind. And i know that you cannot go crazy with dp/dr but it still doesn't stop me from believing that this time must be it, i'm definitely going to lose my mind this time.

I did try to read through your blogs ect but i have a hard time understanding it, it's not that i can't relate to it or think it's incorrect i just think you need to make a dumbed down version for people like me lol but thank you!


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## AlexFromPT (Jun 26, 2011)

I never drove a car without DP. I managed to get my license with the disorder.

But now that I think of this, It happens to me too. When I'm driving alone my vision sometimes gets extremely foggy.

As for panic attacks I only felt panic (not actually a full blown PA) once or twice, on a 3 hour trip. My thoughts caused it.

I was thinking something like: "I'm on the highway now, *I can't escape/get out of the car when I want*. I'll make a complete idiot of myself if I pull over. I need to drive for 2 more hours. Jesus I'm so tired, I'm so week, I wish i was normal. Shit my foot is numb, I can't feel the pedals properly" And as I'm writing this I am like lololololololololol wtf

The *I can't escape when I want *part really fucks me up, because whenever I'm not in control, I tend to panic. ie. While surfing (I need to swim a lot to get to the sand) or in a mosh pit (I usually can't get out of there when I want too).


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## Sa-lB (Jul 16, 2013)

AlexFromPT said:


> I never drove a car without DP. I managed to get my license with the disorder.
> 
> But now that I think of this, It happens to me too. When I'm driving alone my vision sometimes gets extremely foggy.
> 
> ...


This is what it is, i'm worried that i can't escape or i'm worried i will lose control of myself somehow? the whole situation just feels dangerous all together and obviously because it feels dangerous i will do anything to try and get myself out of the situation, i know that is the wrong thing to do but it feels so 'extreme' that it's all i want to do.

It is sheer panic and i know it but it's so hard to tell myself this is just a panic attack, calm down!


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## oguscake (Jul 28, 2013)

i have literally been through this exact problem... Its a fucking VICIOUS cycle, and it stopped me leaving the house for 2 months. For me, it was the fact that i would start getting nervous before i jump in the car, this caused the DP to get baad and by the time i've reversed out the driveway, i didnt feel real. The way i got rid of it was to "relax" and try to "forget about it" which is an EXTREMELY hard thing to do, i know. One i day i decided fuck it, im sick of this shit, jumped in my car, turned the music up, started driving, singing along to the music, trying everything to keep my mind off that shit. It worked (kinda, still felt strange but not as bad as usual), and i thought to myself "ah that wasnt so bad" and it made the next time easier. I've taken this kind of approach toward everything in life, DP definately relapses a lot when your recovering as you've made it into a habit, you sub-consciously think and worry about it, then at certain periods of the day you worry about it consciously. When you remove the concious thoughts and fears, the sub-conscious slowly follows. I recently met a girl, and im now dating her, this has been keeping my mind on her, rather than DP, and guess what, im at like 95% recovered. Give it a month max and il be fully "healed", just goes to show it really is you, beating yourself up about it, that keeps it there.

Hope this helps guys.


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