I'm fine being a passenger in a car but just the thought of driving gives me anxiety.Im 26 years old and do not drive, I believe I may have ';Driving Phobia', I want to get over it, any advice
The most common cause of fear of driving comes from starting to do so at an old age.
So first, you should consider wether driving is or will be necessary for you, or not.
Then, since in our frenetic world the answer will most likely be YES, you have to take in consideration that, the longer you take to start driving, the harder it will be for you. This is caused by human mind's natural development and maturing process, in wich risk-taking capacity decreases exponentially when you grow up. A person that, at 26 hasn't started driving, will have problems doing so. But the same person -with no exceptional circumstances like traffic accidents, for example-, at 36, will definitely never start learning how to drive if he hasn't yet done so.
Thus, driving is not but an ability that you will have to develop gradually but consistently, and trying to minimise your fear of it as much as possible. This means you should never start driving on a monday morning's rush hour. Instead, try driving your car, with an experienced -yet patient!- driver by your side, for not more that one hour (to prevent getting tired) on a festive or weekend day. Try to make it in the best possible physical and mental conditions as possible: i.e. get a good sleep, do not drink stimulants (NO COFFEE!), and try to be as stress-free as your lifestyle allows you.
If, still, your anxiety doesn't let you cope with the idea of driving, try practising some relaxation techniques by yourself, or with an expert aide.
Consider that driving, per se, is not a difficult task at all. The problem (and the accidents) comes with dealing with heavy traffic driving around you. So start driving only as a leisure activity, on fluent-traffic roads, never during rush hour, and eventually you'll be able to start driving in harder driving conditions -wich, truth be told, are the common conditions found when you really need to drive your car.
But, remember always, that driving never deserves imposing a risk on your life. So, if none of the above work for you, then just stick to your bike or the public transportation system.
Good luck with it!Im 26 years old and do not drive, I believe I may have ';Driving Phobia', I want to get over it, any advice
First of all, you are not the only one. I didn't get my license until I moved away and absolutely had to. I have always been afraid of cars especially because they are such a huge responsibility with the potential for destruction. Now that I have experience driving, I feel much more comfortable in the driver's seat than the passengers. I have so much more control over the situation. If you are competent, calm and patient, you should have no troubles once you have some time behind the wheel.
Kitty, I was the same way I never drove untill I was 18 and my friend who was driving me home pulled over and said, drive yourself home. Once you actually drive on the road, you learn it's not hard, it's like riding a bike, it takes a min to get a fell for it, then it's like second nature.
P.S. we have the same last name.
try having a trusted friend take you out to an unpopulated Rual area and let you drive a little. the more you drive the easier it will be for you. you can take Adult drivers education once you have become a bit more comfortable behind the wheel. be honest and open with others like your driving instructor about this phobia they can better help you if you communicate how you are feeling andwhat your specific anxieties are. this is no terribly uncommon. the best way to concur a fear is to face it and just do it. then it's behind you and you'll see it really wasn't as bad as you thought it would be. if all this doesn't work you might think about therapy to help you dispell some of your anxieties. Good Luck !
I know exactly what I'd do right now in the same circumstances. I would search for ';auto racing training schools'; on Yahoo, and find a good local racing track where I could attend a course in learning how to maneuver a car around a racing track. The practice you'll receive there will be invaluable for any future driving you do, whether you surmount your phobia or not, which I predict you will.
The advantage of being out on a racing track practicing driving skills is that you won't have to worry about city traffic and causing an accident. Your instructor will probably be in the car or communicating over a headset to you, just like the professional racecar drivers use. The car will have special safety restraints and crash protection so that even if you run into a barricade at 50 mph, you won't be hurt, and emergency vehicles will be standing by to help you out of the car if you have any problem whatsoever during your training.
stop over psychologizing yourself and START DRIVING regardless of whether your scared or what. Just make sure that you are not sleepy and that you first try driving in a place with very few cars.
After I was in my blazer crash it was really hard for me to get behind the wheele again. But worth it in the long run. I would go sit in my car, behind the wheele and just get the feel of it... Sometimes I would start the car up and let it run for a few, when I was sitting at the wheele. Gettin the feel of it running. Looking out the windows, trying to see what I would see if i was really drivng.. The sterio off, and no other person around me.,.,. This really helped me a lot.. After you are ok with just getting in the car and sitting at the wheele, and starting it.. Next try to back the car up about a foot or two.. Then put it back and park it... Try this a few times.. See how it goes..
Have you tried going to a Go-Kart track? If you can get used to driving there, you can drive anywhere. It's pretty much the same... step on pedal, turn, stop, watch out for stupid people. Run into the walls a few times at top speed, bump a few people (not too hard or you might start a fight), but get used to hitting things and get used to having things hit you. Are you afraid to die or are you afraid to get hurt? Maybe you're afraid of hurting someone else? You are going to die someday, one way or another. If you are afraid of killing someone, don't worry too much, once you get used to driving it's actually hard to do unless you're impaired somehow. Unless you're rich, just the thought of the high cost of insurance will keep you alert and safe. If the worst should come to the worst, you'll be healthier with a bicycle.
Have someone you know, who is patient, take you to a big parking lot, like a mall or walmart. Go after business hours. Take your time and just navigate the parking lot for a while then do it again during business hours. Also, don't think about the fact you might have a phobia. 90% of all phobias can be overcome by the power of positive thinking. Godd luck!
Why do you want to drive? Driving causes pollution, global warming and you consume petroleum. The money you spend on gasoline goes to unstable parts of the world. Why not move to a large city with good public transportation and walk, ride a bike, take the bus or take the train. Loving to drive is a curse. You are lucky!
smily's right. I was the same way. Didn't get my license til I was 22 and that was only because I had a baby on the way and the fear of not being able to drive to hospital in emergency situations was greater than my fear of driving. Parking lot, parking lot, parking lot! You can go really slow, nobody's watching you, hardly any obstacles, no traffic lights, no other cars, etc. Just like coloring, try to stay in the lines, that's it. Move on slowly from there. Good luck, doll.
First of all you need to ask your self what about driving scares you, and then go from there.
I work for a charity here called No panic, check out sites in your area that deal with phobias such as yours. good luck
No comments:
Post a Comment