The fear of driving is considered an anxiety disorder with physiological symptoms ranging from extreme sweating, fast heartbeat and a shortness of breath.
Fear is a normal part everyone’s lives. With a phobia such as the fear of driving, the fear a person feels is out of place and irrational. The fear is considered irrational because it occurs even though the person is not in danger.
The onset of anxiety and the avoidance of driving can greatly reduce a person’s quality of life and can affect a person’s daily routine. With a phobia such as the fear of driving, a sufferer may feel as if they have no control over their lives. However, a person doesn’t have to live with this type of disorder and can enjoy the independence that driving can provide.
What you can do about your fear of driving
After someone’s fear of driving has been diagnosed as a phobia, a treatment can be planned with the guidance of a psychological or medical professional. There are a variety of treatments available to help reduce and eliminate the onset of driving anxiety. For people who have a mild fear of driving the length and type of treatment is going to differ than someone who has a severe form of the disorder.
A phobia and the fear of driving can develop for a variety of reasons and can sometimes take a while to arise. It is very important to understand that pinpointing and understanding the reasons and causes behind a phobia are not important in order to treat it. Some forms of treatment are listed below that can be discussed with a medical provider.
Techniques for the fear of driving
Self help treatment can be used for those with mild forms of phobia. There are a variety of books regarding this topic that provide advice on a variety of techniques that help ease and eliminate symptoms of anxiety.
- Exposure: This type of treatment is effective and is better used with the guidance of a professional. If someone is willing to try this kind of treatment on their own, they can start by easily and comfortably exposing themselves to driving or even sitting inside a car by gradually exposing themselves.
With exposure therapy, a person will learn to work through the anxiety until it grows then dies down. A person wouldn’t necessarily have to drive throughout the experience they can merely sit in the driver’s seat until the anxiety subsides.
- Relaxation and deep breathing: During an anxiety attack, a person’s breathing becomes shallow which in actuality causes the anxiety to worsen. To reverse this affect, a person can consciously begin taking deep breaths focusing on taking them deep, slow and steady from their abdomen. You can begin this exercise by inhaling for a count of four, holding your breath for five seconds and exhaling for a count of six. This is called the 4-5-6 breathing exercise.
- Exercise: In addition to weight management, exercise provides a lot of benefits. There are a lot of studies that suggest that exercising helps ease the symptoms of anxiety. A person doesn’t have to wait until the onset of anxiety either; exercise is best used as a preventative method for the fear of driving.
Exercise releases many chemicals in the brain that help promote a feeling of well being. The effects of exercise also happen to last well beyond a workout. How does this help anxiety? It is hard to stress and worry when your mood is upbeat and positive.
Exercise doesn’t have to be strenuous either; someone can begin an exercise routine by starting off slowly. Walking for 30 minutes a day is low impact and can provide positive benefits that help curb anxiety.
These remedies are a good start to controlling your anxiety and fear of driving. In addition, you can visit a licensed medical provider that can prescribe medication such as Prozac or Celexa that are formulated to not only help with depression, but are commonly prescribed to treat anxiety.
Your fear of driving doesn’t have to limit and affect your quality of life. Practicing the aforementioned techniques will help you overcome your fear of driving so that you can get to wherever your destination is.