45 on Roads through Town/Can't Accelerate past 35 Highway

[christytaylor.msw]

I'm fearfult that my driving anxiety is so different from others that I can't be helped. Over the past 6 years, I've eliminated driving on 2-lane highways, divided highways, and interstates altogether. If my husband or father doesn't drive me, I don't go! I hate it and I feel so trapped. I used to drive anywhere that I wanted at any time. At least, I can drive around town but, it takes me twice as long to get from place to place because I have to take routes through town to avoid interstates and highways.

My anxiety began coming on slowly after a car accident in 1996. That seems unreal. I can't believe that my problem has gotten so out of hand and carried on for so long. I think back to when I commuted 45 minutes to attend graduate school. Thank God I went then. If that were before me today, I would not be able to attend.

[Rich-Admin]

That's actually very common, it's sometimes accompanied by hitting the brakes when you don't need to. It's actually been relatively easy to treat with the DFP, as compared to many other fear, so I'm sure if you commit to it, you can conquer it as well.

Rich

[christytaylor.msw]

Wow...you have my attention! Yes, I do hit the brakes when I don't need too. The last time I remember doing that, it made my 15-year-old son quite nervous. He really doesn't feel safe riding with me and I am always afraid that my children actually aren't safe riding with me either. My breaking and inability to accelerate are true hazards that I am creating from my irrational fears. I do realize that I have to do something about this. My world feels so small. One therapist that I went to told me that he could help me, guaranteed but, I would have to see him every week for 3 weeks and then twice a month afterward. Truly, I didn't have the money for the co-pays so, I never went back. I really do want my life back. I hate the driver that I've become.

[OH red hat lady]

Hi,
I am new to this forum. I have sent for the program, and it will arrive soon.
I can totally identify with fear of driving, especially on freeways. It really
shrinks my world to not feel safe driving on highways. I have been dealing with
this less than a year, so I am feeling very hopeful that this program will help me
overcome my fear of driving. Good luck to everyone!

[OH red hat lady]

[b]Hi, I can definitely sympathize with the tendency to brake unnecessarily and the
inabilility to drive up to speed on the freeway. I feel like such an idiot. I have been
driving for 40 years and have never had any real problems until this last year. I know
I have developed some bad habits. I am anxiously awaiting the program so I can start
working on this.

[christytaylor.msw]

I have high hopes with the program as, it is my only hope! To date, no therapist has been able to help me.

[jwright]

I would just like to offer you some encouragement and hope and let you know that you are not alone. I am a professional woman that has to travel for work and also have been fighting the exact same problem you have described for the past 7 years. The frustration of being escorted to different locations because you are unable to drive yourself on highways actually intensifies the anxiety that you already feel. I am unable to drive on highways and actually have anxiety attacks about an hour before leaving the house just anticipating getting on the on-ramp. I can only drive a couple of exits before I have to get off because I start feeling dizzy, my eyes start to blur and do crazy things and I feel like I can't breathe or swallow. I truly have a physical reaction to the stress! I have learned to drive the back roads and can accelerate to about 50 mph but it takes me about double the time to get where I need to be. I am so frustrated by the time I reach my destination that I just park the car and cry. I was driving 7 years ago with my daughter in the car and I felt so dizzy that I feared we were going to crash. This was my trigger - it scared me so much that I have never been able to drive the same since that time. I used to commute long distances to work and I have a hard time today understanding why I just can't pull myself together. I am taking baby steps and celebrating each small victory! I just want to let you know that there are many people who understand and support your situation - you are not crazy and you can overcome it!

[stevo2265]

I've been having the same problems. over the past 3 weeks i've been taking baby steps with going a little faster and forcing myself to drive some of the roads i fear. i even tried to cut down on hitting the breaks for no reason. its very difficult but just keep trying. there is hope and you are not alone. personally it was a relief knowing that there were other people who know and understand the situation.

[OH red hat lady]

I know we can do this! It will take courage and determination, but it is definitely something we can accomplish. I think my fear of driving started about 2 years ago. I had a new
car that I had only had about a week and wasn't really accustomed to driving yet.
I went out in the evening and was coming home on the freeway after dark. A semi came up from
behind me and laid on the horn. I think it was because I was driving slow. That
really scared me. I had to pull over because my legs were shaking terribly. So now, whenever I try to drive on the freeway that fear comes
right back. I have to find a way to overcome that fear.

[christytaylor.msw]

I love you guys for sharing your experiences. Really, I thought that I had a truly RARE disorder.

I used to have to commute for an hour to lead a self-help group (of all things). I couldn't drive on the highway so, my husband would have to drive me. It didn't work for so many reasons. The biggest reason was that the people that were assigned to my group of course, knew that I had to be driven there. He had to wait in the parking lot for the hour and a half group to be over. The location where we met was not open except for the one room that we used.

I'm jealous that someone is actually practicing driving. I'm still too scared to drive on the highway. I of course, take twice as long getting anywhere by driving through town.