[MixolydianGray]

I'm here to ask for advice concerning a problem I have.

I suffer from anxiety. This is exacerbated in a few certain situations. One of those situations is driving a motorized vehicle. It's a huge part of the reason why, despite being nearly 25 years old, I don't have a valid driver's license.

I do have a permit, however, and in recent months, I had been doing much better as far as my anxiety. By that, I mean I had little to no anxiety at all. I was able to drive my sister-in-law's van into town and park perfectly in a parking spot. It seemed like my anxiety had subsided...or so I thought.

Today, I drove my mother's truck, and despite doing really well, that feeling of anxiety came back again. My chest hurt, and I felt like I was going to throw up. I know that feeling from when I first started trying to learn to drive several years ago.

What tips, advice, or encouragement can you give me as far as handling/managing my driving anxiety? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance.

I used to drive quite a bit as a part of my job. (I haven't been employed though for 15+ years.) Since then, for a variety of reasons, I have not had occasion to drive much at all. In fact, I probably haven't been behind the wheel at all for a couple of years. So I'm quite certain I would have plenty of anxiety if I started again. So, from my perspective, it's mostly a matter of doing it as much as possible. The more you drive, the more comfortable you become with it.

[growlycat]

I have a driving phobia that I still fight at age 42. I got my permit at 16, my license in my 20's, but not being able to afford a car for so long really made things worse. I also lived in a couple of cities with robust public transportation.

But now I'm in southern CA and I have no other choice--I must drive. I have a car and I drive to work and errands, but all local streets. I avoid highways.

But this is what is working:

I see a cbt therapist to help me get over my phobia
I have a fantastic driving instructor who understands I have a phobia
I have a gps and I bought a dash compass and I look at google maps all the time to get over the sub-fear of getting lost
I have a AAA membership to get over the fear of being stranded
I keep emergency supplies in my trunk
I keep a phone charger with me and my cell phone on me AND a usb/cigarette lighter charger in the car itself
I keep my car well maintained

My cbt t is great in breaking down driving into manageable steps. A year ago I couldn't name what it was about driving that freaked me out. Now I know it is a bundle of other fears, fear of hurting someone, getting lost or stranded, freezing and panicking while driving etc.

The driving instructor can in a similar way break down what it is about driving that you need to improve. I need to improve merging onto highways, understanding how to use my mirrors etc.

Avoiding driving makes the phobia worse. Sometimes having a calm trusted person with you can help you manage the anxiety short term.

If you have any tips I could always use more!

Wish you the best with this frustrating issue!

[growlycat]

this how-to is pretty good, but I do recommend getting help for this

How to Overcome a Driving Phobia: 9 Steps (with Pictures)

[pnw1]

my extreme panic and anxiety don't let me drive or take the bus, too much going on for me to process.

Originally Posted by pnw1

my extreme panic and anxiety don't let me drive or take the bus, too much going on for me to process.

I consider the metro bus service to be even more dangerous than the streets!

[MixolydianGray]

I live in the boondocks (outside of the city limits), so public transportation isn't an option for me. I NEED to learn how to drive, and I can. I just don't want to feel like I'm going to explode while I do it.