Car crash fears leading to big anxiety

[ocds]

About a year or so ago I got into a minor car crash with my friend, but it didn't really scare me at the time. Now, every car I get into scares me. I can't sit in a car without being completely alert the whole time, my chest tightens at every turn because I'm scared I will get into a life ending accident. My dad spiked my fears recently by inquiring in a worried manner about my seatbelt wearing (I always always wear it). The way he asked made me feel like he had a bad feeling as I did, and that scared me. I asked him if he had a dream or some sort of premonition but he said he was just making conversation. I know even if he did have a dream like that, it doesn't mean I'm actually going to get into a car crash dreams can be symbolic and I usually take them at face value, like a few months ago my dead aunt came into my dream telling me I'm dying but, I had been thinking a lot about anxiety and death before I went to bed. A lot of times people in my dreams will tell me I'm too hard on myself and that I should relax. But every time I get on a car, or in a plane, or in a bus, or am sitting in class I have this fear that something bad is about to happen to me, and then the moment passes and I feel silly for even thinking about that kind of stuff, I hate that I think about it because I feel like it wastes my life, always worrying about the bad and I've written journals and journals of writing about it, and I feel like if I were my positive maybe my life would work out better instead of being on edge all the time.

Are there ways that you make yourself think more positively?

Do you think I should worry about this?

[Agora1]

Hi ocds, Sometimes it's hard to erase an event in our life. Two separate car crashes happened to me years ago. I was the passenger in both, and the drivers were different people. It left such an impact on my mind, that I no longer could drive with anyone without my blood pressure rising, my breathing going crazy and my heart beating fast. I solved it at the time by only trusting in myself to drive. I drive on the defensive and am an excellent driver. The thing is that I didn't solve the problem but created one by not addressing the fear issue from the accidents. So now, in the last 30 years, I refused to drive with anyone, won't take a cab or bus etc. I just recently found out that there are therapists who do help patients by going with them in the car and working out the fear and anxiety. I wish I had done it sooner. It has really limited my possibilities should I be unable to drive one day. I would suggest getting it under control now since it's only been a year for you. It doesn't get better it just gets more comfortable going around it. Therapy is the way to go.