What is driving anxiety?
Experiencing driving anxiety means feeling anxious or nervous while driving any type of vehicle. Typically, these emotions are strong and overwhelming, occasionally leading to panic attacks. If you’re grappling with driving anxiety, it might feel as though it’s gaining control over your life. You discover yourself creating reasons for why you can’t go out, choosing longer routes to steer clear of busy roads and highways, and consistently fretting about causing an accident every time you take the driver’s seat.
Driving anxiety, also known as vehophobia or fear of driving, is fairly common. Someone who is generally a nervous person may experience anxiety while driving. The severity can range from slight nervousness or discomfort to an overwhelming fear, creating difficulties for you when it comes to taking control of a vehicle. Fear or anxiety around driving can also stem from a recent accident or concerns about the possibility of a fatal one.
A personalised approach is crucial to address your unique driving anxiety triggers so you can regain your confidence on the road.
What causes it?
Various factors can contribute to driving anxiety.
Negative experiences
Recalling previous distressing experiences like getting lost, having a panic attack, driving in bad weather, experiencing road rage or being involved in an accident can lead to concerns about them happening again.
Driving alone in an unfamiliar place
Even if you haven’t experienced them before, concerns about getting lost, breaking down, or running out of gas can create fear. Driving alone at night can bring on greater feelings of insecurity.
Fear of being trapped, losing control or dying in an accident
Fears of being trapped or experiencing a panic attack, especially in traffic, can induce anxiety. Physical symptoms like a racing heartbeat may convince someone they’ll lose control, causing stress about others’ perceptions. Anxiety may lead you to catastrophize and imagine worst-case scenarios about accidents. This leads to increased fear, eroding trust in your own driving abilities.
Specific fears and phobias
Specific phobias linked to driving could be influencing your anxiety. These could range from a fear of highways or navigating heavy traffic to fears of bridges or tunnels.
Existing medical conditions and anxiety disorders
Certain medical conditions, like panic disorder or post-traumatic stress disorder, may contribute to the development of your driving anxiety. Anxiety disorders can impact driving, with conditions like Generalised Anxiety Disorder causing concentration issues. If you experience heightened anxiety in various situations, this may include when you’re behind the wheel of a vehicle too. Your driving anxiety may be intertwined with social anxiety, such as concerns about judgment from other drivers or passengers. Significant stress or life changes can also heighten someone’s susceptibility to driving anxiety.
What are the symptoms & effects?
Many of the symptoms of driving anxiety mirror those of a panic attack. If you struggle with driving anxiety, you could experience:
- A sudden and profound sense of fear
- Perspiration, a rapidly beating heart, and trembling
- Nausea
- Dryness in the mouth
- Breathing difficulties
- Feeling lightheaded or on the verge of fainting
You might find yourself making a conscious effort to avoid driving or being in a vehicle. This can profoundly affect your life, including things like your ability to go food shopping, how you get to work or how often you see friends and family.
How can it be managed?
Consistent practice
Regular driving practice is important. It enables you to take things at your own pace and can give you more control over your route and timings. It will help you gradually feel more relaxed and confident in various driving situations.
Before driving
Before heading out, you can reduce concerns about getting lost by planning your route, opting for familiar roads where possible and saving the correct address in your satnav. Try to avoid rush hour traffic and reschedule your journey if driving conditions are unfavourable. You can minimise distractions by turning off your phone and also remind any passengers not to distract you unnecessarily. Give yourself plenty of time before setting off so you don’t end up rushing.
During driving
During the trip, allocate time for breaks to divide your driving into shorter chunks. Stay focused to avoid external worries affecting your concentration and remember that you can address any anxiety by pulling over if needed.
After driving
After a drive, take a few minutes to relax and focus on your breathing. Ensure the car is secure before leaving.
Lifestyle
The right lifestyle is also essential for overcoming anxiety. You should maintain a balanced diet, stay physically active and avoid skipping meals as these will all help to reduce stress. Try to refrain from consuming caffeine, particularly just before driving, as it can trigger symptoms of anxiety.
Get support from others
You should discuss your anxiety with a partner or friend. Support from loved ones will make it easier to overcome your driving anxiety and they may be able to help you identify triggers. If you are learning to drive, you should make sure your instructor is aware of your driving anxiety. You may also choose to speak to a doctor. Treating driving anxiety often involves a combination of medications and talk therapy, like hypnotherapy, to address negative thought patterns, especially for severe cases.
Hypnotherapy for driving anxiety effectively addresses your anxiety by directly engaging with your subconscious, turning negative feelings about driving into positive ones. Alongside positive suggestions, your therapist may use visualisation to guide you in imagining a calm and controlled driving scenario, boosting your self-confidence and enabling fearless driving. Solution-focused hypnotherapy, a focused blend of talking therapy and hypnosis, facilitates freedom from driving anxiety, emphasising your capability to navigate any road confidently.
Our Driving Anxiety Specialists
Benn Baker-Pollard
Sittingbourne
Carmen Harrington
Market Harborough
Caroline Prout
Thrapston
Chris Johannes
Spalding
Claire Noyelle
Maidstone East
Dawn Ibbetson
Chelmsford
Gary Johannes
Peterborough
Jill Whitehouse
Newcastle upon Tyne
Keeley Smith
Southend-on-Sea
Kerry Seymour
Weston-super-Mare
Peter Ely
Islington
Victoria Anderson
Sunderland
Why Choose Inspired To Change
Our solution focused hypnotherapists empower you to better understand your brain, helping to guide you towards solutions and achieve the outcomes you want. We have a team of fully trained hypnotherapists, giving you the choice of who to work with and how you want to work with them. Solution focused hypnotherapy is just as effective in-person or online in the comfort of your own home, so you can find the ideal therapist to help you reach your goals.
Every one of our hypnotherapists is recognised by governing bodies like the National Council for Hypnotherapy, the UK’s leading not-for-profit hypnotherapy professional association. They have all trained with Clifton Practice Hypnotherapy Training, one of the leading hypnotherapy schools in the UK.
