This attack only happens when I am driving and not as a passenger

My problem is driving through a long tunnel road or over the James river bridge (5 miles) were there is no place to pull over in the event my panic attack starts. Some family and friends offer to go along with me to help overcome this problem but I can�t help but feel if I loose control of my vehicle I would do harm to them as well. I am a prisoner on this side of the water unless somebody else is driving. any suggestions other than waiting untill the next 15 weeks of this program?

Dear Sgt_DevilDog:
It's no fun being a prisoner of your fears. Maybe some of the techniques I have found useful will help you, so here goes.
First, can you think of an incentive that will attract you to the other side of the tunnel? What I mean is, is there a cafe, park, bookstore, donut shop or somewhere you will reward yourself to going to when you get to the other side? Now, sit in the comfort of your own home and visualize yourself driving through the tunnel and arriving there without incident and perhaps even enjoying it? Next, consider doing this same visualization seated in your car. Repeat this until you feel you have it clearly imprinted in your brain. You are replacing negative expectations with positive ones. Now, consider what race car drivers do. They never focus on hitting the wall. They focus on where they want to go. You want to focus on arriving at your favorite destination at the end of the tunnel. When you start your car and head toward the river, focus on where you want to go. Whenever you start to be distracted, bring yourself back to focusing on your destination and the road ahead that will lead you there. Should you decide to turn around before you get to the tunnel, congratulate yourself on your progress and keep practicing. You will make it to the other side. It took Edison hundreds of tries before he finally developed the lightbulb. Hopefully, this will help you see some light at the end of the tunnel.
Starfish

If this only happens when you are a driver and not passenger, it may have to do with you feeling responsible. Fear is based in expectation. If you thought that you could drive through the tunnel with no problem, then there would be no reason to fear it, right?

The walls are not going to cave in simply because you are driving versus somebody else. You need to tell yourself this over and over while you go through this tunnel. How many times have you gone through this tunnel either as a passenger or a driver with nothing happening?

There is NO difference between when you pass through as a passanger and a driver except your state of mind. Good news is that you have the potential to control what is in your mind. This will allow you to overcome this

Thank you for your replies Phoenix. Yes, I asked myself time and time again, why am I feeling this way. Both as passenger and driver. I know that I am causing this to happen but the longer I put off going through that tunnel or crossing the James River bridge, the harder it is for me to make that decision to try again. It's not the fact that I am underwater or that the walls will cave in on me, it's just that in the tunnel, it's so busy and hard to focus because I am watching the moving tiles and some drivers who thinks just because I'm going above the speed limit 55 or 60 miles an hour that I am not moving fast enough for them so they ride your bumper etc. on the contrary if traffic was slower even to a crawl, I have no problem being in the tunnel. If I could just stop the "What If" questions that keep running through my head, I think I could lick this problem. I am told by some people it is best to look at the center line while driving through the tunnel would make driving easier than just glancing around which I will take in to consideration the next time I try.

Dear Starfish369
Yes, there are so many things, places to go on the other side of the James and on the other side of the tunnel that would give me the incentive to drive but my mind is cluttered with the what ifs. Thank you for your suggestions and I will consider using them the next time I drive through the tunnel.