[GypsyRosalie]

Let me start by saying, please do not read this if you are easily triggered. I will be talking about my fears of driving.





I just need to get this out of my head a bit. It's been fermenting in my brain and getting stronger over the years.

I am 22 years old. I got my drivers license at 16 because my parents required it. As long as I can remember, though, being on the road makes me terrified. I'm not so much scared for my life, as I am scared of being horribly maimed or disfigured and becoming a burden to my family. Every time I am in a vehicle, driving or otherwise, I get horrifying images playing over and over in my mind. I see images of the road in front of me busting up like the earth has shifted and created a new mountain, causing me to wreck and be devastatingly injured. It's the worst when I drive behind semis (18 wheelers). I see an almost cartoon-like image of an entire chunk of road flying into the air and catapulting the truck on top of my car. I just can't get past it. I drive despite these fears because I have no other choice, but I feel like my heart is going to explode out of my chest when I do....

I was going to talk about more, but it's too hard to talk about right now...

Hello GypsyRosalie: I have read several posts recently, here on PC, written by members who experience significant levels of fear driving & / or riding. The thing you probably need to check into is a program or company that provides systematic desensitization (graduated exposure therapy.) This is a type of therapy where a person is gradually exposed to whatever it is they fear. It is done slowly & carefully so as not to create additional stress. Beyond that, individual therapy & / or medications may be helpful By the way, driving behind, or beside, a semi is a bad idea. So, in this case, your fears are not unfounded.

[GypsyRosalie]

Thank you, The Skeezyks. I will look in to that.