Page 754 - Total War on PTSD

“To be anxious wasn't shameful, it was a high calling. It was to be...more receptive to the true nature of things than everyone else. It was to be the person who saw with sharper eyes and felt with more active skin.” – Daniel Smith
Courtenay: One thing that has taken me a while to be comfortable with after my Afghanistan deployment is driving. It is still something I do not do much of. What I mean is that I haven’t been comfortable with driving since after I got back and, if I am driving with my spouse in the care, his anxiety — totally unfounded from my point-of-view, just makes things worse.
I do understand that my anxiety with driving combines with hyper-awareness and adrenaline... and levels of dopamine...a mixture that’s probably not the greatest for driving in general...nor for me personally.
I will admit that I have developed a bit of a lead foot...but I think that is connected to my not realizing that I let the stress of others driving recklessly around me translate into my brain as my being threatened, which then activates my flight or flight response and then the lead foot.
Of course there are also lots of times when my hubby’s driving causes me more stress than necessary too. Way more times than I like to admit actually. I have never gotten a speeding ticket while him...another story altogether!
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