ADHD and driving anxiety
 

I am currently in a drivers ed class and am VERY nervous about driving. I got a booklet today to study for the test to get my permit on Friday. The problem is it is very long and probably the most boring thing I have ever read. I cant concentrate on it while reading because other things are going through my mind. I also have this feeling that im going to learn the info, but then forget it when I get behind the wheel because ill be so anxious and nervous.Next is my really bad anxiety about driving,I have a fear about crossing busy intersections. Can anyone give me some advice please?

Re: ADHD and driving anxiety
 

i was nervous too. see if your driver's ed thing does driving with the instructor in the car (preferably he has a car with a special shotgun seat so he has a break pedal for when a student messes up).

im fine with driving local. but i hate having to go on the highway, go under tunnels where the 2 sides of road arent walled from each other.

also, if you think youre bad, you cant be as bad as me. i got in 2 accidents within 20 minutes of each other once.

Re: ADHD and driving anxiety
 

Also those ADHD statistics don't make me feel any better.

Re: ADHD and driving anxiety
 

what statistics

Re: ADHD and driving anxiety
 

Re: ADHD and driving anxiety
 

yeah well that's statistics. people are different. not everybody's life is determined by statistics that can pertain to them

Re: ADHD and driving anxiety
 

God im still as stressed as ever about this. I hope there is like some kind of driving sim or something so i can feel more relaxed. I also still need to get to that booklet but it is the most boring thing I have ever read, I know I need to do it but I just cant stop procrastinating.

Re: ADHD and driving anxiety
 

I have add and had a lot of driving anxiety and these are my suggestions:

1) Find someone who is very calm and encouraging (might not be your parents) to spend a lot of time patiently driveing with you.
you might also watch them drive through busy intersections, do left turns, parallel park etc and verbally describe what they are doing
2) do some google searches to find some online driving practice tests and do some - even if you can only find ones for a different state
3) By the time you do drive and do practice tests for a while it will give you a reason to look at the drivers guide and the information will seem less meaningless. try reading it out loud to a pet
4) if you dont pass the written or driving test the first 4-5 times - dont sweat it- you are just practicing and learning to take a test while controlling your nerves, even if you already know how to drive
5) after finally passing my test, I would get very nervous and stiff armed driving onto the highway- I would sing to myself to try to control my anxiety. Eventually it all got much easier and now I find driving relaxing...

Re: ADHD and driving anxiety
 

I passed my permit test and I now have a permit:). Today was the first day behind the wheel and I already feel like im going to be a bad driver, here's why:

1. Would have missed a stop sign if my drivers ed teacher didn't say anything.
2. I am to over focused on the road and not signs,pedestrians etc. I think that is a total ADHD thing.
3. Really bad at making turns.
4. I made more mistakes than the other two students.

Re: ADHD and driving anxiety
 

Congrats on getting your permit. :) You're still a beginner, and those problems don't sound too too serious to me - I think practice will help, but definitely don't go out on like a busy road if you feel like you're dangerous to other people. And you don't need to compare yourself to other people, just focus on you, go at your own pace. It make take you longer to feel comfortable driving than it would for another person, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that.

Re: ADHD and driving anxiety
 

i just got my license. driving with my mother was terrible. ended up doing it with my step dad who is much calmer. granted i stalled for a extremely long time to avoid the issues i knew id have with adhd+driving

Re: ADHD and driving anxiety
 

# 2 on the list is a huge concern for me.It's like I "half zone out" but I pay attention to the road and much less attention to the signs etc., it's kinda scary that I do that, I can't really help it though. Like I said above I would have ran the stop sign if my drivers ed teacher didn't tell me to stop.

Re: ADHD and driving anxiety
 

Honestly, as a non Illinoisan, living in the western burbs... I can say that half of your state is overly cautious behind the wheel. It doesn't surprise me at all that someone with ADHD would make more mistakes than the average student driver out there. You'd probably fit right in where I grew up in PA. LOL

Just keep practicing, it will get easier with more time behind the wheel. You aren't missing turns and lights and signs because of ADHD at the moment, you are missing them because you are nervous.