[Silent_tsol]

Over the past year or so I've been getting progressively more anxious when I'm driving. The part that gets me is when I have to change lanes. Im always afraid that someone will decide to change into then lane im merging into at the same time and we will crash. (ie. I would be changing into the middle lane from the first lane and at the same time, someone else in the third lane changes into the middle lane). I won't change lanes unless there is no one in any of the lanes beside me.

So the new dilemma. They're doing construction on my route to work. I think they're adding lanes but I'm not sure. There is a large gap between the far lanes on either side of the highway (that is the middle of it). The rails on each side are very low but I can't see the ground in the middle of the two sides of the highway. For done reason, I'm terrified that there is no ground (that it's an open space) and that I will accidentally drive through the rail and fall through. The stretch they're writing onis a bridge over water and is currently 3 lanes on each side. Back in August when I was having a really bad tine with my anxiety (I'm diagnosed with gad), I considered driving off the bridge a few times. Since then I haven't been able to drive in the outside lane odd the bridge because our reminds me how awful I felt and. I'm afraid that I mightfeel like doing it again

Now I know I'm not going to fall through the rail on the middle side of the highway, theres even a construction vehicle sitting in the middle of the "gap" so obviously it is sitting on concrete. And you would think that would be enough to make me stop the anxiety but I Derek crazier that im so anxious despite having evidence that it's not necessary. I can now only drive across the bridge in the middle lane.

can anyone relate or try to convince me I'm not losing my mind

[Piraeus]

My situation is similar. I fear driving at night though. Bright lights hurt my eyes. I am afraid of those concrete dividers too. Even if somebody else is
driving, I still have trouble.

I think what bothers me the most is tailgaters. I get so mad with road rage,
I scream at them, and I slow down on purpose. I flip the bird, and point at the ones behind me. It's not very nice, but I can't help myself.

I suppose it would be best not to drive. Sometimes I have to though.

[missbelle]

I have GAD as well. Bridges used to scare me. I am better now but do remember how it feels. Some ideas...can you take another way?.....Can someone go with you? Can you see about a change in meds? Can you take something with you that gives you a lot of comfort...e.g. a necklace; teddy bear, a pic etc

You certainly are not losing your mind its simple anxiety...Although certainly not simple!!!

Also you might try driving the route with a friend on a non-busy time until you become de-sensitized. Again you can also try it with a comfort object during a non-busy time to see if that will help. Then do it again until you see there is no danger. Personally I love teddy bears for comfort...not a small one either but a bear that can ride in the passenger side.....

Have been there...I definately know how it feels!!

[pandarama123456789]

I can relate. Driving scares me horribly, I always think I'm going to get into a crash or, like when I'm going over steep hills and cant see anymore road, I really think there isn't anymore road and I'm going to drive myself over a cliff or something. I also sometimes get a feeling that the road under me will start crumbling away because me car is to heavy and that I'll fall into the earth
What scares me most about driving is the OTHER drivers, they can be so reckless. It drvies me bonkers! I always think someone is going to merge into my lane while they're next to me and drive me off the road. It's actually almost happened to me, it was a very scary expirience, so I think that's one of the reasons driving makes me nervous

[Silent_tsol]

Originally Posted by pandarama123456789

I can relate. Driving scares me horribly, I always think I'm going to get into a crash or, like when I'm going over steep hills and cant see anymore road, I really think there isn't anymore road and I'm going to drive myself over a cliff or something. I also sometimes get a feeling that the road under me will start crumbling away because me car is to heavy and that I'll fall into the earth
What scares me most about driving is the OTHER drivers, they can be so reckless. It drvies me bonkers! I always think someone is going to merge into my lane while they're next to me and drive me off the road. It's actually almost happened to me, it was a very scary expirience, so I think that's one of the reasons driving makes me nervous

Yes, I'm afraid the road will disappear too if I can't see it. And now that you mentioned it, I actually was almost driven off the road...maybe around the time I started to dislike driving. My friend who was in the car had to call the police because this guy wouldn't calm down. I pulled over at one point and he pulled over and started to get out of his car (I'm a fairly small female in her 20s, this was a larger man who actually had a young kid in the car with him ). So once he got out of the car (it wasn't a nice "let's talk" manner) I started driving away and he followed me and kept cutting me off. I hadn't even thought of that connection. I did see a connection between one time I got pulled over and got my first and only ticket. I was balling over something completely unrelated but the officer thought I was trying to cry my way out of the ticket - um clue, I could barely breathe I was 30 seconds away from my house. But since then I don't like turning left (the ticket was for an improper left turn)