Anxiety Disorder And Trucking

You just ask yourself questions about your troubling thoughts, such as:
"Is this a valid thought?"
"Is it reasonable to believe that ___?"
"What is the likelihood that (whatever I'm worrying about) will actually take place?"

For me, it is when worry about things I can't control, or when the memory of my ex-wife's abusive words comes creeping back.

One thing I have learned is that borrowing trouble from the future does not diminish the supply.

 

I gotta call Kaiser and get a refill soon

 

Get your pills, and don't say anything to DOT doc or your job. I did my first time, and all it does is require a tiny bit more paperwork. Not really worth it to mention it. If you start out, make sure you are aware how you react to the meds though.

 

My boss already knows. He doesn't care.
When I did my physical I had to call after I took the drug test to clarify I had taken those pills. I thought I was going to be positive for something but it was all G

 

When I was 23 I suffered from the worst panic attacks known to man. The first time I ever had a full-blown panic attack I called 9-1-1. I went to the emergency room. I thought I was having a heart attack. I was diagnosed with agoraphobia. I spent so many nights secluded from my friends and family that I thought I was never going to recover. It seemed like every day was a struggle to avoid my own mind.

The first time I ever went OTR, I was delivering somewhere in Georgia. It might have been near Atlanta, I don't remember exactly where it was. I had a few days advance notice that I was going. I listened to Ray Charles "Georgia on My Mind" more times than I care to image. Anything just to calm me down and get me in the right frame of mind.

Fast forward a couple of years later: I'm managing 50 drivers, I'm responsible for budgeting, fleet maintenance, routing, client care, reporting and a whole wack of other responsibilities. And guess what? My anxiety levels are almost non-existent right now. I was originally prescribed a benzo (ativan) and an SSRI (citalopram) and while not recommended, I just did what I felt was best. I stopped taking them altogether. I felt my best medicine was a strong mentality and a realization that I could overcome my own mind. You'll be okay - and so will others reading this.

I remember I was having anxiety on a long trip when I saw an ambulance passing in the opposite direction on the highway. "Gee, I hope that person is okay" I thought. "I guess my anxiety isn't so bad after all", was the only thing I could think of. Be strong, know your strengths and don't let your own mind trap you. It'll be okay, I promise. Just keep thinking positive thoughts. You'd be surprised how quickly your mind forgets all the negatives.

 

So r you trucking rocks ? Or did anxiety not Let you? I have anxiety as well .. I'm about to go on my first trip this week to Georgia and I am super nervous because I've never been out of state specially with such big monster .. it's scary literally

 

You, Sir, are an inspiration for people dealing with anxiety and anxiety related disorders I would also like to take the time to thank the above posters for sharing their thoughts and stories about this issue. I have it as well. Usually it is at it's worst in the AM. It has been described to me as 'anticipatory anxiety', and I have a ton of it. I refuse to take any SSRI/SSDI or any other pill for it. I tried the pill prescription before and all that happened was I gained weight . But I chock it up to morning wake up, or just not awake yet, not knowing what the day might bring, or the weather, the road conditions, etc, etc. For us, not only dealing with idiot customers at times, reckless drivers, traffic out the gazoo, we also are in a battle with out very own thoughts and emotions as well. So, it can be doubly hard for the person dealing with an anxiety disorder. Yes, winter driving used to make me anxious in my old bus driving job as well, so I get you on that. The anxiety is like the snow sometimes - that we have to just keep pushing through.

 

If you are anxiety, nervous or shaky iffy in your mind, nervous system etc don't be a trucker. You will learn that to be a safe trucker you need your mind to be sharp and your nerves very ... strong with very little that can cause you to get shook or scared or freeze when life is about to be taken from yourself or someone else in the next few seconds with a developing wreck pending in front of your eyes in live real time.

Generally medicines like Xanax is a scheduled drug because it messes with your mind and body. Having one inside of your system while driving is enough to trigger a good strong DUI, DWI type sitaution in a car or truck. You will be arrested and taken off the road as soon you fail the Nygastigma eye test which will show that you definately have something inside of you that is given do your anxiety etc.

I took xanax twice in my life, once for 9 months and a second period for 18. I broke that cold turkey because it was interfering with my driving a regular car enough to make police look me real hard to maybe pull me over. Also... having that kind of medicine loose without a prescription bottle in your car or on your person is grounds for arrest. And there you are in the system.

It took a period of time for my body to readjust to the hard cold sober reality without that xanax. You can never be free once on it. .25 mg 4x day becomes 10 g 4 x a day with a risk of your heart stopping out of time if you missed a dose and being unable to function. You turn into a zombie. Eventuatlly you are sent to a group home or assisted living because with that powerful medicine in your body on large doses you are unable to do simple things in life like balance a checkbook.

Don't take your medicated self on the big road with 18 wheeler. Don't do it. Stay home and save a life, possibly yours possibly someone else.