Driving and Anxiety

[Lotus_blossom]

I have been terrified of driving since I first got behind the wheel at 16. I am 23 now and still no license. I have had a learner's permit on and off but never could work up the nerve to take the road skills test.... driving with someone who is evaluating my performance just sounds terrible. No matter how much practice I get, I never feel comfortable while driving.

[resa]

wow i thought i was the only one with anxiety and driving!!! im not sure if i have posted in this thread or not but im 27 and just learned to drive. bc of anxiety. i recently bought a car in feb 2010. taught myself to drive. although i dont go furthur than about 5-7 miles from my house bc im not familar with driving in this big cityand of course it makes me nervous to drive anywhere. i ammmmmmm soooooo nervous sometimes just thinking about driving somewhere. its getting better slowly. i havent even gotton my license yet bc i already know i would probably fail the driving part of the test bc i'd be so nervous and thats another thing if i know someone is going to be in the passenger seat observing me its not going to work well until i get th eanxiety under control i cant believe i dont have a license yet i know i will pass the written part not gonna much of a problem except maybe a few things i might forget. i took that 6 hour driving class and past with a 100 i was so proud of that but the actual driving and being 'evaluated' makes me nervous thinking about it..........

[QuantumIguana]

I have some driving anxiety as well. I stay in the right lane as much as possible. I leave a good sized gap between my car and the vehicle ahead of me - I hate tailgaters. I'm eager to let cars pass me. I'll even pull over when possible to let cars pass.

Establishing priorities is important. I ask that passengers understand that driving is my only priority. I can't look at something, and if I am stressed, I can't even make a decision. At such times, driving is all I can do.

I want passengers not to raise their voices. I interpret raised voices as meaning "Look out! Danger!". For example, I was in a parking lot, and some morons were illegally parked in the street talking right in front of the intersection. So I had to go around. Apparently, they began to inch forward just as I was making my turn, and they weren't watching.

So, my mom stats yelling. I have no idea what in the world she's responding to, so I quickly pull over to the shoulder on the far side of the road - whatever the danger was, that got me out of it. Then she starts yelling why I am pulling over.

I control the radio. I'm driving, the radio has what I want it to have. If I'm stressed, the radio goes off.

[excel]

Hypnosis works great for people with driving anxiety. It worked for along with medication. Bridges dn't bother me anymore

[livingpharaoh]

I have no anxiety WHILE driving. Im actually the typical super speeding add'er. But at stop signs and stop lights I get a little bit of anxiety. Like social anxiety, like I dont wanna turn to see if people are looking at me but I do. It freakin sux

[den4]

Omg yes! I feel almost a lot of what others do on this post.
I tried cognitive behavioral therapy with one doctor & that did not work out so I'm out to find another!

People in my city drive INSANE! It really doesn't help me out!

[argie]

I hate driving. I hate driving people I don't really know well and I hate driving to places I don't really know last minute. I used to drive to and from work 2 hours per day. It really drained me out!

I got my learner's permit at age 16 and got my license at age 18. I had to get 2-3 new learner's permit before I could pass my license test. I've learned how to advocate for myself by saying to people who I'm starting to be comfortable with to ride with me: "I have driving anxiety. People who I've driven say that I drive really safe, but my perception is that I don't drive that well. I just have a need to make sure I drive safely, so that I don't hurt the people I drive."

Using a GPS helps me a lot since I can anticipate what to do next. Looking at a map before I go anywhere is pretty helpful too. My anxiety gets less over time if I know the area well enough. I like to know what I can anticipate, i.e. bumps in the road, potholes, lanes that seem to awkwardly merge with another.

[excel]

My anxiety is coming back in a big way when it comes to driving. I wonder if my slow processing speed could be the reason

[ReedtheStrange]

I swear to god everyone is a cop on the road sometimes.