Driving Anxiety - Can anyone help?

[Dan_Cooper]

I appreciate the replies. Anyone actually overcome their driving anxiety? Any tips? I find the tips to work through a generic panic attach to be difficult to do in a driving situation. Most want you to stop, get quiet, do breathing exercises, close your eyes and go to a happy place, etc. which are rather difficult to do while driving down the road.

I'd really appreciate any advice. This has become a major obstacle in my life.

BTW, anyone have any experience or thoughts on hypnotism for driving anxiety?

Thanks,

[Dan_Cooper]

Thanks for the encouragement Kevin,

That's the weird thing with this anxiety/phobia ...... I've actually made myself do some driving and it doesn't get easier. It is unlike any "normal" fear I've ever had where repeated exposure caused me to become more an more comfortable. I can drive on surface streets all day but interstates or long distances make me want to run and hide. I've got to get up in the morning and drive about 86 miles then 86 miles back. I've selected a route without interstates, just mainly two lane country roads, and I actually drove it with my wife this last weekend. Tomorrow I've got to drive it by myself and I'm scared to death.

I hate living in this kind of fear. It's killing me, slowly.

When do I get to the easy part of life?

God help me.

[Dan_Cooper]

You're exactly right that a major portion of the problem is the conversation going on inside my head about what's going to happen when I get on the road. I've tried to shut up the dumbass that is doing the talking, but he doesn't seem to listen. The weird thing is I am a pretty logical guy in most other areas of my life. I work in a technical profession and rely on logic there, but it fails me in this portion of my life. I know that my perception of reality is distorted in this area, but I can't seem to get my rational side to take control from the emotional side.

Thanks for the encouragement. You've done at least one good deed today

When you get some time tell me more about how you got over your driving anxiety. I would love to hear it.

Thanks again.

[dazza]

The only time I've had driving anxiety was after quite a bad crash some 12 years back... this is obviously quite normal for anyone.

It took some weeks to get over the shock of the accident, but eventually I got back in the car and started driving around VERY CAREFULLY, lol
Time was the healer for this incident.

I don't tend to think about breaking down in the middle of nowhere for a few reasons:

1/ I don't drive out into the middle of nowhere for starters. My driving patterns are pretty fixed.

2/ If I do wander... then I'll always have my phone, or there'll be help near by, like a phone box, house or whatever.

Funny isn't it... I fear having a heart attack, but I don't give a hoot about driving. Driving is as natural as walking, to me.