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Questions & Answers:
Panic while driving and EMDR
Q: Could you please steer me in the
direction of articles/information dealing with people who have
experienced panic while driving on the highway (no pun intended) and
subsequent avoidance behavior? Also, I am working with a certified
EMDR therapist. Any info on that approach? Thank you so very much.
A: There are various reasons why people panic while
driving. The most common are.
- 1. They are frightened of driving ie being in control of the
car and/or the traffic
2. They are frightened of having an accident
3. They have had an accident and may have Post Traumatic Stress
Disorder
4. They have the ability to dissociate and can enter a trance
state very easily.
Point 4 is the major reason people with Panic Disorder have
problems driving. Most people with Panic Disorder have the ability
to dissociate ie enter trance states. Driving, especially on the
highway or freeway, means we are usually staring straight ahead at
the road. Our gaze becomes fixed and without realising it we can go
into a deep trance state very easily. People without an anxiety
disorder can also go into a trance state while driving and this is
known as 'highway hypnosis' eg they may get to their destination and
not know how they got there. For people with panic disorder the
trance state can be a lot deeper. It can also happen while waiting
for a red traffic light to change. People can experience a range of
symptoms: 'nothing seems real', 'they don't feel real', they seem to
be looking through a white or gray mist, stationary objects appear
to move up or down, back and forth etc, they may have an 'out of
body experience' and of course they panic, If this happens to you,
it is a matter of learning how you dissociate and by learning to
stop it as you begin to dissociate. Bronwyn Fox's book 'Power over
Panic' is the first book about Panic Disorder which discuss
dissociation and teaches people how to manage it.
Re EMDR. It isn't being used a lot in Australia and it is
difficult to comment about it. We are seeing people through our
organization who have used EMDR, but it hasn't been successful. This
may not be indicative of EMDR, but of some of the therapists who are
using it. From comments made by our clients it appears as if the
therapists have not had a great deal of training in its use.
Clinical trials of EMDR for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder have
just commenced here in South Australia at one of our Anxiety
Disorder Clinics. The Clinicians involved in the trials are
appropriately trained so it will be interesting to see the results.
As far as Panic Disorder is concerned we do agree with the
international literature which demonstrates Cognitive Behavioral
Therapy, with the emphasis on 'Cognitive' is the most successful
therapy which gives long term results.
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