The Bobby Bones Show took a call from Sherry, who lives in Florida. She called to comment on Lunchbox’s recent car accident. Sherry said that although she often disagrees with Lunchbox, she believed him and felt he was being genuine when sharing his recent anxiety with driving post-accident.
Sherry explained that she was in a serious car accident about five years ago. She was completely stopped when she was rear-ended by an F-150 pickup truck traveling around 55 miles per hour. Her car was badly damaged and described as being crushed like an accordion. She said that five years later, she still experiences anxiety, especially when driving on the interstate. She described situations where traffic is moving at high speeds and suddenly comes to a complete stop. During those moments, she holds her breath, looks in her rearview mirror, and worries about being hit again. Sherry shared that just the previous weekend she drove four hours north to visit her family for her father’s birthday and experienced the same anxiety both on the way there and on the way back. Each time traffic slowed or stopped, she tensed up and checked her rearview mirror.
Lunchbox hated that she went through that and added that he also began to feel anxiety when seeing highways. He admitted he did not previously know how to describe the feeling but now understood it as anxiety. The anxiety caused him to tense up internally and feel uncomfortable, and he questioned whether the feeling would ever go away. He did not want to still be dealing with that years later and mentioned possibly needing to see someone to help unlearn the response. Bobby jokingly asked how much money it would take to make the anxiety go away. Lunchbox suggested amounts ranging from $40,000 to $100,000, saying that a higher amount would help him sleep better at night. He then admitted he was waking up during the night due to dreams about the accident.
Sherry said she wakes up thinking she is in another wreck and described the dreams as nightmares. She said she wakes up suddenly about twice a night. She explained that she did not retain an attorney after her accident, though the person who hit her did have insurance. Her car was totaled and covered by insurance, but she still went through over six months of physical therapy for back and neck issues. Sherry clarified that her anxiety mostly occurs on the interstate and not while driving through town. She described a stretch of highway near Sarasota, Florida where traffic often slows suddenly without construction or accidents. Every time she reaches that area, she feels anxiety, struggles to breathe, and becomes tense.
Lunchbox admitted he has been avoiding visiting friends who live near the area where the accident occurred because he associates the location with the crash. He also admitted hearing Sherry speak helped him understand how to explain his own feelings. He hated that she went through physical therapy for so long and worried about needing treatment himself.
