Do you hate red lights? Can't stand the feeling of cars backed up behind you? Do you dread traffic jams? Are you afraid others are judging you when you drive? Do you hate city driving but love going on road trips? It's easy to assume it's all due to driving phobia. But if you answered "yes" to more than one of these questions, it's possible the cause is actually social anxiety.Use the lists below to find out if it's really driving that's getting under your skin. You may be surprised to learn it's not driving, it's your fellow drivers.
A Few Problems with Just Assuming You Have Driving Phobia.You HATE having cars back up behind you at red lights: Having a bunch of vehicles behind you is very stressful. Who wouldn't feel stressed out? You dread traffic jams: Any normal person dislikes driving in heavy traffic. Having to deal with all those cars in close proximity makes you crazy! You think other drivers judge your driving skills: Look, we live in a very competitive society where we're judged on performance. It's natural that the skills we display behind the wheel will also be judged.
Tell yourself.I trust that life supports me. I am safe. The truth is, you are safe. Driving is an everyday activity that untold millions engage in without incident. The thing that makes you feel anxious is the belief you're in danger. You're really, really not.I am solutions oriented. Driving anxiety disorder is solvable. One of the main reasons people become more and more afraid of driving is because they see it as an intractable problem with no real solution. This is false. This disorder is very treatable - IF you're willing to change your belief that it's not. That's the starting point for all therapies: the belief that change really is possible. I take charge of my emotions, my desires and my abilities. You've gotten in the habit of letting fear take charge of you instead of the other way around. I know the fear feels big and unmanageable. That's perfectly OK. It's still just a feeling, YOUR feeling. It's a feeling that belongs to you. You don't belong to it.I'm confident. I know I will solve my problems successfully. Confidence is simply the belief you can do something. The more you believe you can do it, the more likely you are to do just that. Confidence starts with belief. Beliefs are just thoughts, and affirmations are an effective way to start changing them.
So You Have Driving Phobia. Now What? Whether your driving phobia is gradual or is a result of PTSD, I'm sorry. I sympathize, because I've also suffered with this phobia. It can be a tough thing to live with.The good news is that phobias respond well to treatment. Treatment options for driving phobia (or any other) include: Cognative Behavioral Therapy (CBT),Hypnosis,Gradual Exposure Therapy,Meditation,Self Help.Which Solution is Right for You? In a way, it doesn't matter how you choose to treat your phobia... as long as you take action and are serious about wanting to change. If you approach it sincerely and with a real desire to change, chances are that you will see significant improvement. And of course the opposite is also true.If you're brand-new to phobia and have no experience with anxiety treatment, I recommend you choose a good anxiety treatment therapist. You may need guidance early on in your anxiety recovery.
If you like driving when other people aren't around and hate it when they are, don't automatically assume you have driving phobia. You may actually feel very comfortable driving - as long as nobody's watching you do it. You may need treatment for social anxiety instead of driving phobia. Accurately assessing your real problem will lead to better treatment outcomes and a stronger, more confident you. Make sure you're getting the kind of help you really need.Many people who suffer from panic disorder and general anxiety may also suffer from driving anxiety.
Driving anxiety is an example of a specific anxiety disorder. A specific anxiety disorder is one in which an individual may not feel anxious in general, such as generalized anxiety disorder, but will become anxious and panic in specific situations. Many times, people with a specific anxiety disorder will feel anxious effects when socializing with others, but this does not hold true for all cases. In other situations, such as driving your car, people are still able to experience severe anxiety based on their surroundings.
For someone who suffers from driving anxiety, driving their automobile can be one of the worst regular occurring experiences in their lives. Traffic can be too congested, others may be driving too erratic, or it could be too dark out; whatever the reason is for your driving anxiety, it is nothing to take lightly.Driving anxiety should be addressed the moment it is discovered. People who become anxious while driving will often experience an increased heart beat, sweaty palms, and difficulty breathing. These symptoms will force your mind to think even more irrationally than it was before, forcing you into a state of panic, and possibly, a state of unconsciousness. What will happen to someone who loses unconsciousness behind the wheel on an expressway? This is why driving anxiety tends to be one of the most feared forms of panic and anxiety people can experience.
One option, of course, is to just avoid freeways altogether. But what if you live in a densely populated area? Many people live in places where freeway driving is a fact of life. Some have reported driving an extra 2 hours a day to avoid them, but this is not a viable solution for most people.So what can you do to overcome or reduce your fear of driving on freeways? Are there viable options out there? 5 Effective Treatment Options Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Generally considered the most effective for phobia, CBT helps you identify factors which contribute to your anxiety. It shows how your thoughts contribute to the problem, and how to change destructive thinking. It also helps reduce or stop unwanted, anxious behavior patterns.
Driver Training / Coaching. Perhaps your fear is due to feeling that you lack good driving skills. Whether you need to learn how to drive, or just want to brush up your abilities, a good defensive driving course can make you more confident behind the wheel. Hypnotherapy. Common misconceptions about hypnosis are that you're under someone's "spell" and might be manipulated. This is mostly due to stage hypnosis that's used for entertainment. A qualified hypnotherapist treats anxiety by inducing a relaxed state where you learn to change your internal reactions to fear triggers.This also helps you control the physical reactions of anxiety like dizziness and hyperventilation by stimulating the parasympathetic response - your body's built in stress reduction mechanism.
Instead of flooding your mind with irrational, negative thinking, focus on thoughts that will calm you in a state of possible anxiety. Instead of panicking because there is not enough room for you to merge lanes, turn on your signal and be patient for other drivers to move. If before you "freaked out" whenever a police officer began to follow your car, know that if you follow traffic laws you cannot be at fault for anything. Do not become engulfed in your situation. So what if you get nervous when merging onto highway #1 or when you pass through intersection ABC, the key is not to focus on what makes you nervous. You most focus on what calms you in order to reach your goal.
A Few Problems with Just Assuming You Have Driving Phobia.You HATE having cars back up behind you at red lights: Having a bunch of vehicles behind you is very stressful. Who wouldn't feel stressed out? You dread traffic jams: Any normal person dislikes driving in heavy traffic. Having to deal with all those cars in close proximity makes you crazy! You think other drivers judge your driving skills: Look, we live in a very competitive society where we're judged on performance. It's natural that the skills we display behind the wheel will also be judged.
Tell yourself.I trust that life supports me. I am safe. The truth is, you are safe. Driving is an everyday activity that untold millions engage in without incident. The thing that makes you feel anxious is the belief you're in danger. You're really, really not.I am solutions oriented. Driving anxiety disorder is solvable. One of the main reasons people become more and more afraid of driving is because they see it as an intractable problem with no real solution. This is false. This disorder is very treatable - IF you're willing to change your belief that it's not. That's the starting point for all therapies: the belief that change really is possible. I take charge of my emotions, my desires and my abilities. You've gotten in the habit of letting fear take charge of you instead of the other way around. I know the fear feels big and unmanageable. That's perfectly OK. It's still just a feeling, YOUR feeling. It's a feeling that belongs to you. You don't belong to it.I'm confident. I know I will solve my problems successfully. Confidence is simply the belief you can do something. The more you believe you can do it, the more likely you are to do just that. Confidence starts with belief. Beliefs are just thoughts, and affirmations are an effective way to start changing them.
So You Have Driving Phobia. Now What? Whether your driving phobia is gradual or is a result of PTSD, I'm sorry. I sympathize, because I've also suffered with this phobia. It can be a tough thing to live with.The good news is that phobias respond well to treatment. Treatment options for driving phobia (or any other) include: Cognative Behavioral Therapy (CBT),Hypnosis,Gradual Exposure Therapy,Meditation,Self Help.Which Solution is Right for You? In a way, it doesn't matter how you choose to treat your phobia... as long as you take action and are serious about wanting to change. If you approach it sincerely and with a real desire to change, chances are that you will see significant improvement. And of course the opposite is also true.If you're brand-new to phobia and have no experience with anxiety treatment, I recommend you choose a good anxiety treatment therapist. You may need guidance early on in your anxiety recovery.
If you like driving when other people aren't around and hate it when they are, don't automatically assume you have driving phobia. You may actually feel very comfortable driving - as long as nobody's watching you do it. You may need treatment for social anxiety instead of driving phobia. Accurately assessing your real problem will lead to better treatment outcomes and a stronger, more confident you. Make sure you're getting the kind of help you really need.Many people who suffer from panic disorder and general anxiety may also suffer from driving anxiety.
Driving anxiety is an example of a specific anxiety disorder. A specific anxiety disorder is one in which an individual may not feel anxious in general, such as generalized anxiety disorder, but will become anxious and panic in specific situations. Many times, people with a specific anxiety disorder will feel anxious effects when socializing with others, but this does not hold true for all cases. In other situations, such as driving your car, people are still able to experience severe anxiety based on their surroundings.
For someone who suffers from driving anxiety, driving their automobile can be one of the worst regular occurring experiences in their lives. Traffic can be too congested, others may be driving too erratic, or it could be too dark out; whatever the reason is for your driving anxiety, it is nothing to take lightly.Driving anxiety should be addressed the moment it is discovered. People who become anxious while driving will often experience an increased heart beat, sweaty palms, and difficulty breathing. These symptoms will force your mind to think even more irrationally than it was before, forcing you into a state of panic, and possibly, a state of unconsciousness. What will happen to someone who loses unconsciousness behind the wheel on an expressway? This is why driving anxiety tends to be one of the most feared forms of panic and anxiety people can experience.
One option, of course, is to just avoid freeways altogether. But what if you live in a densely populated area? Many people live in places where freeway driving is a fact of life. Some have reported driving an extra 2 hours a day to avoid them, but this is not a viable solution for most people.So what can you do to overcome or reduce your fear of driving on freeways? Are there viable options out there? 5 Effective Treatment Options Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Generally considered the most effective for phobia, CBT helps you identify factors which contribute to your anxiety. It shows how your thoughts contribute to the problem, and how to change destructive thinking. It also helps reduce or stop unwanted, anxious behavior patterns.
Driver Training / Coaching. Perhaps your fear is due to feeling that you lack good driving skills. Whether you need to learn how to drive, or just want to brush up your abilities, a good defensive driving course can make you more confident behind the wheel. Hypnotherapy. Common misconceptions about hypnosis are that you're under someone's "spell" and might be manipulated. This is mostly due to stage hypnosis that's used for entertainment. A qualified hypnotherapist treats anxiety by inducing a relaxed state where you learn to change your internal reactions to fear triggers.This also helps you control the physical reactions of anxiety like dizziness and hyperventilation by stimulating the parasympathetic response - your body's built in stress reduction mechanism.
Instead of flooding your mind with irrational, negative thinking, focus on thoughts that will calm you in a state of possible anxiety. Instead of panicking because there is not enough room for you to merge lanes, turn on your signal and be patient for other drivers to move. If before you "freaked out" whenever a police officer began to follow your car, know that if you follow traffic laws you cannot be at fault for anything. Do not become engulfed in your situation. So what if you get nervous when merging onto highway #1 or when you pass through intersection ABC, the key is not to focus on what makes you nervous. You most focus on what calms you in order to reach your goal.
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