New Success!

[ecpdba]

All,

Just wanted to drop a quick note about my current success. Back when all of this started for me, it started on trip to California. Well I have avoided any trips to CA due to my fear of driving and the horrible thoughts I used to have regarding making the drive to Ca. Well, I am happy to say that that was then and this is now! I drove from Phoenix to Indio this morning! This is a trip of about 250 miles! Now to be clear, I stopped in Quartzsite and at several rest stops. I took a breather and stretched etc.. I did struggle a few times for no reason except that I had had wierd racing thoughts that bugged me from the past. I used the Red Sock method and the ROAD method successfully every time and my problems eventually stopped. I also wanted to mention that I drove on a Sat. which means less traffic, but I am taking baby steps and it is working!

So now for the next challenge.. My wife drove from Indio to L.A. and let me take a break. I felt like I wanted to do more, but took the break. Meanwhile I watched the drive she finished and made mental notes to use in my visualization later. And you know what? The "fears" I had were all in my head. Even on a Sat. the drive through Riverside had heavy traffic, but I felt I could do it. So, NOW when we return to Phoenix on Weds. I am going to try and drive ALL the way home! I amy not make it, but any distance I can do is progress and a step towards my total win against this!

I feel great and just wanted to encourage others...

Thanks,
Frank

[teaser]

Way to go Frank!!! I'm glad to see an encouraging story - maybe one of these days I will have one... ;)

Let us know how it goes Wednesday!!!

teaser

[Rich-Admin]

Awesome job Frank!

You're really proving it CAN be overcome!

Rich

[ecpdba]

Thanks so much for your support everyone !

I drove back yesterday due to a family emergency that is unrelated. Due to the urgency I had to leave @ 6:00a in the morning in the dark. Now in order to properly explain this to you I need to point out a few things:

1. My driving problems are worse at night, but I still manage.
2. I was worried about driving back (300+ miles). Especially through Riverside CA. their is a rough stretch of normal LA traffic with 5 lanes at some points, hills bridges..you get the idea.
3. Thanks to the Driving Fear program, I made a decision about fear in general. I am no longer going to let fear rule my life. I may be afraid, I may worry, but I am not going to stop doing what I want to do, no matter what.

So, with those things in mind, here is how my "day" went. I rode EVERY RIDE they had at Disneyland. I know that this is a little off-topic, but I have had a fear since I was young of roller coasters. I rode them anyway and it was fun! I loved it. I even rode the Tower of Terror which drops you down 5 stories! It was fun as well. Was I scared? You bet, but the experience was worth it and I did not give in to fear.

Now back the to driving. Even though I was nervous during the drive and I even told my wife that she was going to have to take over, I never stopped. I drove ALL the way back from Ca. to Az. by myself. I drove through Riverside in the dark, I drove in the open desert and then all the way into Phoenix @ 1:30p (not rush hour but still busy). Every time I felt the fear I used the techniques from the program and did not give in. I am happy to say that while it was still hard for me, I made it and some parts were even fun and relaxing. So for me battling fear in general I have accomplished the following over the last 4 weeks:
1 - Flying (thanks Rich for the timely link!) on small and large airplanes across the country.
2 - Driving to and from CA by myself(even some at night).
3 - Riding every ride at Disneyland.
Phew..

I have more work to do, but I see a light at the end of the tunnel. I will continue to press forward and not give in.

I hope that this encourages others to write about their experiences and keep fighting and working !

Thanks,
Frank

[teaser]

Holy crap FRANK! That's GREAT! Rollercoasters, driving and You FLEW? I so want to do that! I used to - but not for years. My daughters both wanted me to go on a little bitty plane - I had my brother go instead. EEK!!!

You must be REALLY proud of yourself! And it sounds like you had a great time! Woop Wooping! for ya'

teaser

[ecpdba]

Thanks Teaser. You can do it too! Keep striving!

[elderwanda]

Thanks to the Driving Fear program, I made a decision about fear in general. I am no longer going to let fear rule my life. I may be afraid, I may worry, but I am not going to stop doing what I want to do, no matter what.



Awesome! Me, too. I made a personal mission statement about it, too. This past year, I've been really aware of how fear has limited my life--in a lot of ways that I never even realized before. Also, I've started to see that my kids are avoiding things that make them nervous. When I was a kid, I was nervous about all kinds of things, and I missed out on a lot of things because of it. I never told anyone how I felt, because it embarrassed me, and I didn't have the words to describe it anyway. I did not have anyone to show me that it's okay to feel the fear, and that you get past it by facing it. So, today, I took my kids on my drive, and told them all about the R.O.A.D. thing. They seemed a little annoyed, and I think they were trying to tune me out as I said, "Hmm, interesting: I'm feeling a tightness in my chest, my hands are starting to feel shaky, and I've got a lump in my throat." But I wanted them to hear it, and internalize it. I wanted them to see that their mom faces her fears in order to get past them.

[stevo2265]

congrats Frank!!!!
this week i'm goin to move on to my next driving obstacle. i'll admit that i am a bit nervous, but i know i gotta push forward or i won't progress.

[123driving]

That's really fantastic. Congrats!!!!!:)