Has anyone cured severe driving anxiety?
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Anonymous
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I am terrified of driving, to the point that it’s hard to imagine I could ever *not* be a danger to others. I’m scared of the motion, the feeling of vulnerability and the risk of injuring someone. Even as a passenger I am constantly assessing risk. I also don’t have great spatial sense and a tendency to be jumpy. I am no daredevil but not nearly this skittish in the rest of my life…
It’s starting to affect and limit my family life and I need to at least try my hardest to get past it. Has anyone been here, done that?? What sort of therapy and meds worked? Any amazing instructor to recommend? Thank you. |
Anonymous
| No advice - just wanted to say that I have the exact same problem. You are not alone! |
Anonymous
| I hear you! I drive but not on the highway. My son is learning to drive now and I don’t want him to absorb my anxiety. |
Anonymous
| I live in the city next to public transport for this very reason. I drive maybe 2-3x a year max. Otherwise I walk or take Uber/bus/metro. |
Anonymous
Do you really need to fix this? It could be that you are genuinely a hazard when on the road, and you shouldn’t be driving. There are lots of ways to adjust. Have you tried looking at non-driving options? |
Anonymous
| I haven’t solved mine completely but yoga and meditation have helped. Also avoiding caffeine and other stimulants before driving. I used to have severe panic attacks on the highway. I am fine on normal roads. I can now drive on the highway for a limited amount of time on highways that are 55 miles per hour. Anything faster is too much. I can get places, but I usually have to take a circuitous route so it takes me a long time. |
Anonymous
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Do you have ADHD or on the autism spectrum? I only ask because my half-brother won't drive, despite lots of money spent on those student driver schools. He said the movement was too distracting and he couldn't stay in one lane.
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Anonymous
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I realized I needed help when I was so anxious I felt sick taking a left on a left turn arrow. It was an epiphany. I’m on a low dose ssri. Yes, I gained weight (10 pounds), but going through life without crippling anxiety is so worth it.
Best wishes, op. One pill a day has changed my life completely around. Also, I now recognize anxiety in one of my kids and am so better equipped to help them. |
Anonymous
| Exposure and response prevention therapy. |
Anonymous
| Anxiety medication and then lots of routine, regular practice. Don’t go long stretches without driving. Good luck. It’s really possible to get to the other side of this and it’s a huge quality of life improvement when you do. |
Anonymous
| I used to be that way after an accident on the highway. Eventually I just had to drive to get to places I wanted to go. Now I don’t mind driving, except certain places like the beltway, Massachusetts, etc. I like to listen to music as I drive. |
Anonymous
| I have a weird variation on this. I don’t feel anxious while driving but later at night, I start to ruminate about all of the driving I did during the day. Sometimes I wake up in the middle of night obsessed with the thought that I almost hit a person or a car that day. Real scenarios that I was in earlier in the day. And I already on celesta for another reason…. |
Anonymous
| I mean celexa. |
Anonymous
| No advice either but I have developed incredible anxiety driving on highways. I’m sort of ok if someone else is in the cad with me but when I’m alone and the trip is more than 20 minutes and in an unfamiliar location - no way! And I used to drive 10 hour trips on my own stopping once for gas and bathroom break when I was younger. I feel like this anxiety came on after I had my twins. I seriously think pregnancy and hormones changed my brain chemistry! Does anyone have a recommendation for a therapist in Maryland who can help with this? |