Question about ROAD

[sun01]

Hi everyone. I was wondering if Rich or anyone else can help me. I am starting to do the program and it has been helping me. I understand my anxiety more now. I think I just need to put what I am reading to use by actually driving on the highway, which has been my biggest fear. My biggest fear is that I will pass out when driving on the highway. I am afraid that if I focus so much on that feeling, as the ROAD technique says, that I actually will pass out.
I listened to the interviews on the blog, which I thought are all great and very helpful, esp. the one with Dr. Forsyth. My question is that all I keep hearing from those interviews is that in order for your anixety to go away, you need to forget about it and not focus on it so much. I am wondering how to incorporate this concept with the ROAD technique since with ROAD, it seems like you have to focus on your fears. Thanks Rich for all of your help!

[Rich-Admin]

Well you have to do both if that makes sense. Once you're in a panic state, then use the ROAD, but if you can ignore it beforehand it may not even get to that point.

Why would thinking about passing out make you actually pass out? If you think of a baloney sandwich, does one appear? What if you think of having a bloody nose....do you get one of those too?

Thoughts aren't things. They don't matter or cause things to occur like that...it just doesn't make sense, right? That's why it's perfectly fine to ignore them.

[sun01]

That makes a lot of sense. It's amazing how ridiculous thoughts seem when you really think about them. Thanks so much Rich!

[jaggyjake]

That's what I call an "AHA" moment.
Thanks Rich!