J2010
02-18-2010, 06:19 PM
Hi, I'm new to the forum. I'm so glad that there's a place for those us who have a fear of driving because it seems like such a rare problem.
I have an extreme fear of driving, and it has affected my life in so many ways and is extremely embarassing. I'm now 25 and don't drive at all. When I was a teenager, I was able to get my license, but I was terrified of driving and eventually avoided it completely. Since getting my license, I have only driven a handful of times before selling my car and completely giving up on it. Except for recently, I haven't gotten behind the wheel in 5 years. I somehow always managed to get rides from people or made excuses (such as "Well, I can't afford a car right now" or "It would be much more practical if you drove and we could all go together."). My mom also fed the problem because she knew how scared I was and would always offer to take me anywhere I needed to go. I think she was afraid I would get into an accident, and this would just make me feel even less capable.
Now the problem has gotten even worse because I recently got married and moved to a new state. We only have a manual, and we can't get an auto for the time being. I HAVE to learn to drive now, but I am so scared of trying again. I feel so guilty having to ask my husband or others for a ride somewhere. I hate not being able to run errands for him during the day or going to the store or to see friends on my own. I feel like a burden to everyone. Despite this, I still can't get over my fear. A few months ago, I pushed myself to ask my husband to teach me to drive that manual. After a few days, I managed to make it around our neighborhood (away from all other cars) and figure out how to make the manual go when it's on a hill. I hated the experience because of the anxiety and nervousness I felt. Sometimes I just froze because the anxiety made me forget what I was supposed to do. I need to start practicing again because it's vital that I drive now. There's just no way I can get around it. I don't know how to begin deal with my fear of this manual considering how scared I am of just an auto! I am so afraid I'm going to crash and ruin the car, kill someone else, or kill myself. I get so terrified whenever I see another car on the road. I feel so trapped and don't know what to do.
I have an extreme fear of driving, and it has affected my life in so many ways and is extremely embarassing. I'm now 25 and don't drive at all. When I was a teenager, I was able to get my license, but I was terrified of driving and eventually avoided it completely. Since getting my license, I have only driven a handful of times before selling my car and completely giving up on it. Except for recently, I haven't gotten behind the wheel in 5 years. I somehow always managed to get rides from people or made excuses (such as "Well, I can't afford a car right now" or "It would be much more practical if you drove and we could all go together."). My mom also fed the problem because she knew how scared I was and would always offer to take me anywhere I needed to go. I think she was afraid I would get into an accident, and this would just make me feel even less capable.
Now the problem has gotten even worse because I recently got married and moved to a new state. We only have a manual, and we can't get an auto for the time being. I HAVE to learn to drive now, but I am so scared of trying again. I feel so guilty having to ask my husband or others for a ride somewhere. I hate not being able to run errands for him during the day or going to the store or to see friends on my own. I feel like a burden to everyone. Despite this, I still can't get over my fear. A few months ago, I pushed myself to ask my husband to teach me to drive that manual. After a few days, I managed to make it around our neighborhood (away from all other cars) and figure out how to make the manual go when it's on a hill. I hated the experience because of the anxiety and nervousness I felt. Sometimes I just froze because the anxiety made me forget what I was supposed to do. I need to start practicing again because it's vital that I drive now. There's just no way I can get around it. I don't know how to begin deal with my fear of this manual considering how scared I am of just an auto! I am so afraid I'm going to crash and ruin the car, kill someone else, or kill myself. I get so terrified whenever I see another car on the road. I feel so trapped and don't know what to do.