Busker
11-11-2008, 06:28 AM
Hello & Greetings from New Zealand. I'm Kevin, I'm a minister & High School Truancy officer. I'm also a keen Motorcycle rider who has a couple of Harley's.
I'm 54, I've experienced anxiety attacks on and off over the years (since my teens) but just recently I was doing a 300 mile round trip and began to feel very tense and dizzy...I new it was anxiety as I've had a similar experience whilst driving a few years back but THOUGHT I had totally recovered from that because it just seemed to go away. ( I hadn't been bothered by it for a couple of years)
I must tell you I was kinda freaked out to begin with...not nice at all. ("what is wrong with me" !!! - was my thought)
From that moment on, every time I rode the bike and drove the car it would happen and yet in every thing else I did I could function fairly normal.
Anyway I got in to lotsa reading about panic attacks and decided to "Practice" at riding small distances and returning home when the feelings became too distressfull. Trouble is every time I'd stop for a breather I'd light up a cigarette (not a good idea & not to mention all the coffee I'd drink before setting out) anxiety and of course dizziness just increased!
Over the last month I've got out riding on the Hog every day, not trying to pay any attention to the nasty feelings (it ain't easy) but it's definitely improving. I took my wife out on the back today and rode 50 miles. YEEHAH!
Like others here, I have things that make me nervous and tense: cars behind me, long bridges etc. etc.
I'd become very tense and rigid you could say almost frozen with eyes looking straight ahead, too afraid to look anywhere else.
With me it generally begins with starting to feel tense, breathing gets a bit erratic very soon slight dizziness. More tense , more dizzy. I have become very observant of the onset of various symptoms that used to cause the DANGER reaction (fight or flight response) whereas I'm now able to recognise what's happening and NOT REACT accordingly (some days better than others). I try to distract myself now in order not to focus on the feelings, I've certainly given up fighting them ...only makes it much worse. Sometimes I sing, laugh or "throttle on" when I feel I should be slowing down... crazy, but very effective anything really that distracts from the moments of uneasyness that soon pass if one dosn't REACT.
I'm glad for the advice I've found through this program I've only read a bit of the free mini Series Rich sends me but I've read other books with similar content.
We certainly are a strange lot! I sympathize with any who go through these awfull and sometimes debilitating anxiety issues.
This forum is a great idea I appreciate the chance to get to know others who experience similar feelings of anxiety.
All the best
Kev
I'm 54, I've experienced anxiety attacks on and off over the years (since my teens) but just recently I was doing a 300 mile round trip and began to feel very tense and dizzy...I new it was anxiety as I've had a similar experience whilst driving a few years back but THOUGHT I had totally recovered from that because it just seemed to go away. ( I hadn't been bothered by it for a couple of years)
I must tell you I was kinda freaked out to begin with...not nice at all. ("what is wrong with me" !!! - was my thought)
From that moment on, every time I rode the bike and drove the car it would happen and yet in every thing else I did I could function fairly normal.
Anyway I got in to lotsa reading about panic attacks and decided to "Practice" at riding small distances and returning home when the feelings became too distressfull. Trouble is every time I'd stop for a breather I'd light up a cigarette (not a good idea & not to mention all the coffee I'd drink before setting out) anxiety and of course dizziness just increased!
Over the last month I've got out riding on the Hog every day, not trying to pay any attention to the nasty feelings (it ain't easy) but it's definitely improving. I took my wife out on the back today and rode 50 miles. YEEHAH!
Like others here, I have things that make me nervous and tense: cars behind me, long bridges etc. etc.
I'd become very tense and rigid you could say almost frozen with eyes looking straight ahead, too afraid to look anywhere else.
With me it generally begins with starting to feel tense, breathing gets a bit erratic very soon slight dizziness. More tense , more dizzy. I have become very observant of the onset of various symptoms that used to cause the DANGER reaction (fight or flight response) whereas I'm now able to recognise what's happening and NOT REACT accordingly (some days better than others). I try to distract myself now in order not to focus on the feelings, I've certainly given up fighting them ...only makes it much worse. Sometimes I sing, laugh or "throttle on" when I feel I should be slowing down... crazy, but very effective anything really that distracts from the moments of uneasyness that soon pass if one dosn't REACT.
I'm glad for the advice I've found through this program I've only read a bit of the free mini Series Rich sends me but I've read other books with similar content.
We certainly are a strange lot! I sympathize with any who go through these awfull and sometimes debilitating anxiety issues.
This forum is a great idea I appreciate the chance to get to know others who experience similar feelings of anxiety.
All the best
Kev