I'm very sorry to hear this, man... you make it sound like it's in your head/mind but, just a thought, have you ruled out that it could be something physical? Loss of balance, vision issues, or the like?

 

Panic attacks ONLY when riding, or do you have symptoms also at other times?
I was diagnosed with Atrial fibrillation (irregular heartbeat) back in April which scared the sh.t out of me.

http://www.everydayhealth.com/atria...om/atrial-fibrillation/symptoms/anxiety-depression-mask-heart-disease-symptoms/

 

A buddy of mine is a carpenter, has been for years. A couple weeks ago he was on top of a 4 story roof putting down sheathing. He had a panic attack and had to be coaxed off the roof. They say once that happens, that you have a panic attack about something, that you're done with it. Your mind is a powerful thing, I think if it has gotten to the point that you are panic stricken when riding, then you're a danger to yourself and others. Maybe go see a shrink and see if they can help? Otherwise, sadly, it may be time to move onto another hobby..... just my .02$....

 

One other thing. I used to fly small planes, I was working towards getting my license. One day, while out flying building up solo time, I crossed thru a mountain pass approaching a small cloud. At this point, I was not supposed to fly thru clouds, but I knew what to do and had the appropriate training, and I didn't have a lot of option but to fly thru it. As I went thru it the plane shuttered slightly and the motor began to studded, I applied carb heat and made it thru no propblem. BUT, I was suddenly very aware of the height above the earth that I was. And I'm fairly certain I pinched off a small portion of the pilot seat between my cheeks. I kept myself together long enough to get the plane back on the ground, and I have never flown since. Just the way it goes sometimes....

 

First . see your family doctor... make sure its not "JUST" a health issue.

after that... break it down into parts... you and wife.. get ready for a ride.. analyze yourself. is it you getting ready or knowing She is getting ready...

short ride and STOP... again.. is it you... or you focusing to much on HER riding ..

could be You not Riding your bike but trying to remotely controlling her and her riding (keeping her safe)...
and NOT doing what you need to control you and your bike.

sometimes.. It will pass as you gain Trust in Her ability to ride Her bike,.

if you can not FIX yourself.. seek professional help.. before you Crash. ((( There is NO shame in this )))

Ride Safe, Ride Often... Kiss your wife and both of you ride.
mine rode on back of mine for 30 years.. never would learn to ride.

 

Wow, Dr. Chuck, lol. THAT was amazingly insightful. You do know you can be arrested for practicing w/o a license. But seriously, great advice!

 

Yep, once it happens......

I was never afraid of heights when I was younger, and can't really put my finger on when it happened, but I have some major Acrophobia now. Can't even watch TV shows/movies with "height scenes" without getting shudders ( i.e the movie "Cliffhanger' or movies that have tall buildings/looking over the edge etc etc ). Yet I have no problem staring out the window of an airplane @ 15,000 feet. Weird.

 

Those cute flight attendants and their various little bottles def. help.

 

I think SilverF might be right and you are having anxiety over the wife riding. Worrying over things you can't control is classic anxiety. Like Chicken Little. It's often a temporary condition but sometimes meds needed. No shame in that.

 

So true. 25 yrs. ago, w/o going into boring details, combined stresses of work and family issues really worked me over. I couldn't 'control' the family dynamic, but I could control the J-O-B by quitting. I did so, went back to school, and with help from a few Lorazepam, everything worked itself out, at least for a number of more years. I had a mental blanked-out episode on a shopping mall rooftop some years later that led to me changing that job too.

 

Wife was riding on the back of my bike. She's had hers apart most of the summer fixing hers... and I haven't had any desire to go riding without her along and I'm pretty sure i haven't ridden alone all summer...

 

Hope you can make it through this and keep the bike

 

These bikes aren't losing much in depreciation beyond where they've been for awhile.
I encourage you to take your time with this. Don't react and sell the bike yet. As many have said, a comfortably paced self evaluation and possibly a discussion with someone in person will help figure out the best path forward for your individual needs.

Don't feel bad about a parked bike in your garage. You wouldn't be the first or the only. It's better to let it just sit and look pretty than to push yourself to overcome something you're not ready to deal with. No one wants you to get out there and have a problem that makes this decision for you.

You're in our thoughts! And you'll always be part of our group even if the bike heads on to a new owner.

 

Lots of advice here. And, considering the average age of this group, a lot of experience to go with it.

Since you asked, I'll add mine:

In your description, it seemed that the wife riding was the big variable that changed. For whatever reason, that might have been the trigger. At this point, I would side with the Silver F contingent, and examine if that's what might have triggered things.

Again, as some have said, no need to make a hasty decision. Add a little SeaFoam, fill the tank, put it on a tender, and let it sit for a little while. See if anything else causes you a problem when the bike is out of the equation.

Really hope you can find out what's going on. Whatever you decide, it's got to be right for you. Us? We'll be pulling for you no matter what.

Take care, take it easy, and let us know how you're doing.

Vaughn

 

Fishing I agree with you, had about 500 hrs of flight time logged, all of a sudden i had this impending fear that i was going to fall out of the plane. it took a few more flights before it subsided, but it did, my heart attack stopped the flying just under 1000 hrs. and ExHarley, I am afraid of heights, but was able to do acrobatics no problem. Chuck gives good advice. keep save and good luck

 

panic attacks affect all of us to a degree.....we all have done things we would never do again.....you have to weigh the experience of riding with the reason you no longer want to ride. that's what a professional would have you do......don't dwell on it....write it down and look at it.....and decide what you want to do.....those of us here love to ride and want everyone else to ride...however, if it's not for you, stop......do something else.....it's really very simple...life is too short to dwell on things.....

 

I have to agree with Vaughn....there is some seriously awesome advice here offered by guys with an incredible amount of life experience. Gotta love the Cafe!:mosh: I think the 'take home' here is that you are not alone, Ibified. I, too, have had the pleasure of experiencing anxiety attacks.(to the point of having my wife drive me to the hospital at 3:00am, thought I was having a heart attack) That summer I did experience some mild anxiety while riding the bike as well, although I chose to ride it out. I didn't talk to anyone about it, as I'm a fairly private kinda guy, but I now know that I might have had an easier time shaking it off if I had some professional guidance. I always thought life would get easier the older I got. Now I know it just gets harder...more complicated...more challenging. I think the best way to combat that is to remain young at heart. F@€# growing old!:swear: I'm gonna stay 18 until the day I die!:glee:

Keep the bike, man. This, too, shall pass.:cheers:

 

All I can say is drink heavily before riding.

 

What I said about fantastic advice.....scratch that. Lol

 

Thanks for the advice, all. I think that It's gonna get parked for the rest of the year. If I still feel the same in the spring, I'll probably just sell it and find another interest.

 

Rent a Can Am Spyder to see if that works for you. 6 years ago when I had my motorcycle accident going through all the therapy I was 50/50. A year was a long time to think about it. I knew I would stay off if after the first ride if I was apprehensive. You can't ride in that mode. I applaud you for getting off for a while. When I was able to ride again I took the exact same route to face it head on. I was fine but during that year I had my doubts.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

 

Good for you in recognizing the issue and going with your gut !!!
At almost 73 I have days I just dont feel right getting on mine, weird.
But I listen to my gut (Subconscious)....
When I feel right, I have as much fun as ever....
AND, Thats what my bike is supposed to be, FUN! !!!
When it isnt fun anymore, I wont have one.
I Know that day is coming in the not to distant future....



.

 

great advice given here. sometimes, we just have to go to a professional...but panic attacks are a quite normal ocurrance in different walks and aspects of life.
i had open heart surgery almost 2 years ago, i was having some fear of getting back on bike due to the fact that my chest even after 6 months, still rattled as if it hadn't healed properly. so i waited almost a year to get back on.
my surgeon told me that some people take longer to heal, but that when i thought i was ready, i was the one to decide. a psychologist buddy told me, that if i kept on thinking about it, perhaps for me to find something else to do. He even suggested maybe a, wait for it, a TRIKE :nono: that got me thinking. well, eventually, the crackling stopped, i chose to get back on and still riding...but again, it may help to talk it out with someone, qualified at this, not just qualified at riding moto...just saying....it may have nothing to do with bike at all, imagine that...of course, there's no charge for these suggestions, and they are suggestions only...atriot::16::shrug:

 

Monte I will tell you that when I started riding, at the ripe age of 53, I had major issues. I am an Orthopaedic surgeon and spent most of the time picturing myself on the side of the road in various nasty positions with some really bad injuries......I let myself do that for about a month and a half, then I forced myself to stop........I decided to enjoy the event instead of not. I believe that many "panic attacks" are due to our anticipation of what might happen, instead of what's really going on. I have seen patients freak out about an injection only to not know they have gotten it......I have seen kids freak out with their parents present only to be very calm with them absent while I did a procedure on them.....I have seen many people with untoward reactions towards something only to admit that whatever they went thru was nothing. life is short, enjoy it and do whatever gives you pleasure! epi

 

During my last ride of 2015 before putting my motorcycle away for the winter, i was in a very near-miss situation. Put the bike away for the winter. Spring of 2016 i brought the bike out, could not shake that feeling and only put 10 miles on in total all of last year. I dont know if it was trading that motorcycle to my new one(got a hell of a deal) or if it has become a coping method to deal with other stressers that have hit me hard this past couple months, but i cannot keep off the bike. Hopefully you get your business figured out. If not, no shame in hanging up the helmet. Take care of #1!

 

Finally made a decision - I am selling the bike. thanks for everything, all.

 

Hate that for you.... good luck though and of course you can still hang out here!

 

Yes, ibified, please come back from time to time and share with us any wisdom you have. I don't know you personally, but I'm sure you have experience that you can share for those that need it. Who knows, maybe you will ride again someday? Time will sort that out, if it's to happen. Best of luck to you in whatever you do, friend!

 

Good for you making a decision. That alone probably eliminated some stress. We each are unique individuals and you have to look out for yourself. Find another hobby and dive right in.