I listened to your opening about anxiety. I used to be very anxious driving over bridges. I had a major panic attack going over one bridge and avoided it afterward choosing another route to connect to the Ohio turnpike. Recently I was visiting Charleston, S.C. and I saw this suspension bridge that I knew I would never be able to drive over. My two kids wanted to go to a beach which, of course, required me to drive over the bridge.
I tried to "psych" myself up, but it wasn't working. I found a Youtube video of someone driving over that bridge and imagined that I was the driver traveling along the bridge. I held my hands up as if I was driving and kept saying aloud in a sing song voice, "I'm driving over the bridge, I'm driving over the bridge". I also burst out laughing of how absurd my fear was. All you can see is the pavement while you're driving!
I drove my kids to that beach with only slightly sweaty palms. The return trip? No sweat. That video cured me!
Pamela
