Driving anxiety

[Loshvi]

Hi I have learned driving 5years ago and got the license...but till now I'm so afraid of driving alone ... it's a huge hindrance for my lifestyle..how to get rid of this driving anxiety ..... I feel so shameful that im not driving but at the same time so much afraid of traffics

[BlessedLady]

Many people have this anxiety now days. You Are Not Alone. The more you drive. The easier it will get. If you avoid something due to anxiety. Your anxiety in that situation continues to get worse.

[STEM_Dad]

I can relate. I'm sure that of lot of people can relate to having driving anxiety at some point in their life, especially when a new driver.

Are there specific aspects of driving which make you feel anxious?You mentioned being "afraid of driving alone" and "afraid of traffics".

Let's start with the anxiety itself. If you are prone to anxiety and/or experience phobias (fear of specific things or situations), then consider getting help from a mental health professional. (There are a number of different treatments which might help, including talk therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, EMDR, and possibly even medication.)

The best way to become more comfortable with driving is to drive. Time behind the wheel is necessary to develop muscle memory for operating the vehicle, familiarity with various driving situations, and to learn driving routes.

It takes time and practice to develop the coordination to drive. If you still have to consciously think about things like when to put on your turn signal, or how much pressure to put on the accelerator or brake pedals, then you definitely need to practice more.

Also, each car has it's own particulars. When you are driving an unfamiliar vehicle, then you might need to do extra practice to become more comfortable with it.

Practice your regular routes at times when you are not rushed. Get to know the cues that help you to know your route. (Some people like to use visual information, like landmarks. Others like to use street names as their cues.

Also, practice alternative routes. (In places where I would normally take the freeway, I also occasionally would take an alternate route off the freeway as much as possible using city streets. I have to allow for an extra 20% of time to do so.)

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Even though I've been driving for about 30 years, there are still some situations that cause me some anxiety:

* The first couple of weeks driving an unfamiliar vehicle;

* Driving in a new area, or driving a new route;

* Heavy traffic; (especially when the flow is fast, and other drivers aren't leaving adequate braking distance, i.e. they are "tailgating")

* Driving by a place where I had an accident;**

* Driving in slick conditions, such as snow, ice, or heavy rain.

**[I've had very few car accidents, but had one last winter, and I've had to drive past the site of the accident over a hundred times before the anxiety went away; I have developed a "ritual" for when I approach and drive past that point, including:

• controlled breathing,

• slowing down to a specific speed BEFORE that particular curve,

• consciously scanning the road ahead and to either side with my eyes,

• NOT looking directly at the spot where the collision happened

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When running late, just accept that you will be late. Do not speed! It's better to be late than not to make it at all because of all accident. (I tell myself, "it's better to get the 5 minutes late, than not at all.")

Many of us with ADHD experience "time-blindness".

* We live in the present moment, and find it difficult to plan future time [Dr. Edward Hallowell characterizes this as, "there's only NOW, and NOT NOW."]

* It helps to develop routines. (I don't have any good advice about this. At 48 years old, I'm still working on this. I still get up late way too often, and then have to rush through my morning routine.)

[Hominid711]

keep driving. Choose a familiar route to start with or your commute. Drive every day. It will come

[Wasted71years]

Hi Loshvi

Untreated ADHD can being distractibility while driving, it can bring impulsive risky behavior and often as STEM_dad said, rushing somewhere while late increases both stress and poor decisions.

As Loshvi said, driving as much as you can in lower stress situations when there isn't that much traffic and the conditions are good will be very helpful.

First, doing something many times desensitizes you to the sensations and situations that can drive the panic.

Second, doing something a lot builds skill and makes part of the task become more automatic, freeing your brain from some of the load; you no longer have to consciously think about how to maintain speed or steering in the lane because that becomes a subconscious skill. You then have more brain left to think about navigation or about assessing what other drivers and pedestrians might do.

Third, it makes you more capable of reacting well if something does arise. The early astronauts were put through thousands of hours of training that tried to recreate exactly what they would experience during flights. Every kind of disruption or problem would be created for them. The purpose was not just to be sure they knew the right steps to take. It was to help them react quicker because their brains recognized and understood what they were seeing/feeling. We may not be flying to the moon but we benefit from getting accustomed, require less effort to drive and can respond better to the unexpected.