Car Fear

Hi

Late last year I was crossing the road when it was clear, as I was crossing the road the lights at the top of the rise must have gone green and all these cars started coming towards me so I had to move pretty quick to get to the other side.
I find now when I am crossing the road I get a bit scared sometimes , wondering if I have crossed at the right time or wondering if the car had come soon or later then it would have hit me. I have these thoughts often going through my head. How can I stop these thoughts?

Thanks

Hi, Andrew, welcome to PsychCentral.

Were I you with those thoughts, I'd find a trusted friend to cross that street with a few times while discussing your incident. Telling someone else how scary it was and including them in the scenario might help keep the thoughts from breaking out and occurring other than when you are crossing that road alone.

I had a similar situation; my car stalled and I had to leave it at the stoplight and walk to the gas station which was within sight. However, when I was through calling my husband and the tow truck, etc. someone said "they" were looking for the owner of a car, etc. that I recognized as mine; I walked back to it, over a little slope and there were 2-3 fire trucks, ambulances, police, and lots of activity. Someone had driven into my car and pushed it through the intersection even though it had been stopped and in park with flashers on during a summer's evening before dark (totalled the car). There were pieces of my car in the curb for many months and each time I drove by there I was anxious everytime I had to stop at that light, less my new car stall or something happen.

It took many months to get over that feeling. I had been coming from my therapy appointment so could talk about the incident with my therapist for several weeks and she explained to me how, during a crisis, we function well, with heightened senses, etc. and things aren't so bad but afterwards, when it's safe to, our body reacts. Takes a while for one to get back in sync but I know talking to other people who know the intersection (or who can imagine it) and sharing your fears and the close call with them, helps.

hi andrew.. i have alot of car fear too. a couple of years ago i was in a one-car accident (my only one ever, only me involved). i had fishtailed 374 ft (skids were measured by hp) and flipped front end over back end twice, landing upside down, cradled in a ditch. the car was totalled and i was unmarked. not a scratch, amazingly. even though i was the driver and i didn't get hurt and didn't hurt anyone else for MONTHS i refused to be a passenger in a car. it took awhile for me to drive myself again but riding was NEVER an option for me. this accident was 7 years ago and even just this weekend, while riding with my brother, i sat sat rigid with fingers crossed and praying repeatedly. sometimes it's worse than other times. i think that because i had control of the car and i didn't get injured i saw it for what it was.. a very close call and my fear that if i wasn't in control of the vehicle i wouldn;t be so lucky next time. i get a lot of flack from those around me...calling my fear irrational and because of that..i comply and ride along anyway. it's definately a difficult thing to face those fears but as you talk them out- whether with a friend or with yourself..and you 'practice' - time usually will prove to you that you aren't necessarily the target of harm's way.

trust your instinct....trust yourself. i believe that MY fear keeps me safe, but i know my fear to handicap me also.

if at first you don't succeed, try try try try try try again. and let people know your position..let them know you are working through those fears...people can be very generous with support.

I had an experience where I was driving and to go west when travelling north you have to take the curve through the divided median (which takes you NW). Hard to describe kinda. Well i had a yeild sign and traffic heading S. looked like they were stopped at the light (or far enough away) so I headed across and then they seemed way closer and i kind of froze as i saw them coming at me. Instead of accelerating I took my feet away from my petels. Luckily they seen me (who knows what they were thinking) and I snapped out of it and got the heck outta dodge. Everytime I go through that crossover, I am ultra precautious.

I feel for you there...

Two and a half years ago, I got hit by a car while crossing the street. Other than being scared shitless and spraining my ankle quite badly, I was fine...But I still haven't gotten over it.

I don't drive. I'm afraid of an accident.

And I don't cross streets unless I have to, and crossing with other people in front of me is much better.

Sorry I don't have any advice.

Paul McKenna cures people of phobias. He has a download on this page:
http://www.mckenna.com/default.aspx?pid=5

He says that the incident programs your brain a certain way, so he helps you reprogram it.

If you're interested, you can go to youtube and enter his name to see how he works.

Best wishes

thanks Doh!