Had a great day today and looking forward to tomorrow

[Lupe]

I'm looking forward to my 3 hour drive tomorrow. I really want to do this and I know it will be fine. I'm afraid of being afraid. I have been suffering from driving anxiety for about 9 years, however it didn't happen overnight. It just kinda grew.

After reading and completing the exercises in this program - finding my "safe place" was tough and it took weeks, I finally found it. It's the cheek of my 6 year old daughter, the hug of my 7 year old son and the kiss of my 14 yr. old big boy. I thought it interesting that it wasn't my adoring husband. He's so good to me, but with him I feel safe but weak. I want to be independent.

Now, when my mind goes to driving, I smile because my children's scents, touches and loving eyes fill my heart. I know this journey is going to be a challenge, but I'm ready. I want to face this anxiety and move on.

Have a good day tomorrow and send me those good vibrations...

Lupe

[Rich Presta]

Awesome images, see how great that works?
Be sure to stop back and let us know how great you do on your drive.

Congrats on being the first post, you should win a cup of soup or something!

Rich

[Lupe]

I drove 3 hours round trip with my two young children. I did GREAT! I could have just kept going. It felt sooo good. I put a movie on for the kids, I made sure not to drink more than a half a cup of coffee. I had water to drink and easy listening music to enjoy. My hands would get cold, but I would take a slow, deep breath. My heart would race a bit and I would take a slow deep breath. My body would begin to tingle and I would take a slow, deep breath and and quote Mark Train " Courage is resistance to fear, master of fear, not absence of fear. I love that!!! I've never thought about fear like that. Then the symptoms went AWAY!!

It's been about 2 years since I've driven this route on my own. It's a simple highway with short river and overpass bridges. Because I can't avoid the drive in its entirety, I always ask someone to come with me (they never know why). I used to drive it all the time but when I decided to look at my bridge phobia (of at least 9 years), I realized it had spread to highways, especially unknown highways and driving at night (the fear spread like cancer) and that was 2 years ago. This is when I actively started working on it and it scared the heck out of me. I just couldn't understand it. But today, I'm better and I know this will grow, just as the cancer of fear grew over the years. I will drive over that bridge some day, I will help my husband on our long drives up to Washington State someday and I will drive in the dark, too.

I am turning the light on and looking at the boogie man (who I know is not there), BUT - I need to turn that light on in each room, one by one - the last one will be the Golden Gate Bridge and the Oakland Bridge. I have a ways to go, but today is the beginning.

Thank you..