Has a car accident made you afraid to get back behind the wheel? Maybe you’re just anxious about everything, and pushing around a giant metal box around other giant metal boxes isn’t something you can get comfortable with. You’re not alone if this is you, and if you want to, you can overcome your driving anxiety.
Identify Why You Have Driving Anxiety
The first thing you need to do is recognize why you have this anxiety. Is it because of a car accident you had ten years ago that you still, to this day, don’t know how you survived? Do you fear that you’ll have a panic attack and be trapped in the car? Are you scared of a car accident even though you’ve never been in one? Finding out why you have this fear is one of the best ways to conquer it. Once you have it figured out, the next logical step is to get in touch with a counselor.
Therapy For Driving Anxiety
What a counselor can give you that the internet can’t is a “tailored to you” therapy session. While of course there is online therapy where you talk to a real person from the comfort of your home, but that falls into this category as well.
What your counselor might advise is cognitive behavioral therapy. It is one of the most effective treatments for people with anxieties. It isn’t the only one, so you may be playing a game of hot and cold until you find what works best for you. Before you dive in, here are some things to expect to practice while conquering your fear of driving.
Tips On Overcoming Driving Anxiety
Face Your Fear
This means your counselor is going to suggest getting into that driver seat and get the ball rolling. This doesn’t mean you should be hitting the interstate going 80 miles an hour, but getting used to being behind the wheel is a form of exposure therapy. Feeling comfortable behind the wheel again may give you a feeling of control which can help with the anxiety.
Don’t Add To The Anxiety
If you are just getting back in the car, don’t go places you aren’t comfortable going. If you’ve never been somewhere before, this could cause your anxiety to get worse. If you aren’t comfortable going at fast speeds, stay in areas where the speed limit is lower. If playing music is a distraction that makes you anxious, turn it off so you can better focus.
Find A Way To Relax On And Off The Road
This doesn’t mean closing your eyes and doing breathing exercises while going down the high way, that would be dangerous. But you can do those breathing exercises when you get into the car to settle down. While driving, use coping statements to help keep your anxiety at bay. Remind yourself how awesome you are for getting back out on the road and what a great job you’re doing.
Try CBD
Before you use CBD to help with your driving anxiety, make sure that it doesn’t make you drowsy off the road, first. Though it is rare, some people have found that CBD can make them tired. Taking a small amount should keep you alert and your anxiety low. Studies have shown that CBD has anti-anxiety effects that may benefit you through this time of retraining your brain to no longer fear driving.
Have you conquered your fears of driving? Did you used to suffer from driving anxiety but something just clicked for you and helped you work it out? We would love to hear about it in the comment section! Your tips might be able to help someone conquer their fears as well!
