Ordered the Program today

[Lms526]

Hi everyone,
I could really use some encouragement. I finally broke down and purchased the Driving Fear program this morning. I'm having very mixed feelings right now. I am excited to think that maybe I have FINALLY found a real solution to overcoming my intense fear of driving. Driving will give me so much more freedom and not having to rely on other people so much. It will take much less time to do things like go shopping and get to and from work. I would also not be limited to jobs on the bus route, like I am now. I won't have to keep dealing with the embarassment and shame of explaining to people why I don't drive.

But I also have to admit that I am extremely apprehensive about starting the program. There is a part of me that thinks it won't work for me. I feel like my fear is too strong and too engrained. Sometimes, I think that I am beyond help and beyond hope. There is a part of me that is skeptical that it will really work. But I have read and listened to some testimonials, and I have to at least give it a try. I am basically desperate. I don't know what else to do. I've tried to overcome my fear through sheer willpower and stubbornness alone, but have found that my fear is more stubborn than I am. :D I have read other books, which have been helpful, but not enough to help me overcome my fear. I fully intend to give this course my all. I intend to read it carefully and do all the exercises. Are these types of mixed feelings/skepticism normal?

Lms526

[Rich Presta]

I'm sure you'll hear from others, but I just wanted to jump in and say congrats for having the courage to start the program, it's a big step and you should be very proud of yourself.
I think some apprehension is normal, just be patient and remember that it took time to train yourself to be afraid, it will take time to train yourself to NOT be afraid too.
I can say with confidence that no matter how bad you think it is now, you're not the worst that has gone through the program and benefited. It may take longer the more severe your fear or the longer you've had it, but there's no reason you can't make fantastic progress and put it behind you just like many others before you.
The people here are great and I think sharing your successes with the group is very therapeutic, so keep coming around!
There's a lot of people supporting you.

Rich

[deanstnt]

If you do it , it will help. I am only a few weeks in myself but I can tell you that I am already a lot better. I am driving more than I have in years and with very little anxiety. My mind actually wanders sometimes now while driving instead of thinking "Oh crap I can't go on, oh no I think I'm going to jerk the wheel and kill us all, oh no there's a bridge way ahead."
My overall anxiety has gotten better too because of the program apparently. I wasn't expecting that but I have noticed I don't get "uncomfortable" in other places so much anymore either. Breathe. Take baby steps. It will work. You've got to WANT to drive. Remember when driving was fun? I sure do. 8-)

[Amazonian]

Listen to me...you CAN do this...You will NOT get over your anxiety in one day, and it truly will be "take one step forward and then two steps back" (at least it has been for me). Each day that I make a "hurdle", i think it won't bother me the next day, and sometimes it doesn't, but sometimes it DOES. But with Rich in the car w/you (listening on CD), you will realize that there are so many others that have anxiety JUST LIKE US, but maybe over a different issue. As rich says, "r they better than us..heck NO, different...heck yeah". I loveeeeeee chapter 33 on that CD. I don't know how or why, but i was a little late for work today and KNEW that traffic would be much worse on the highway, so i took the "back way". ;) For some crazy reason, I swear to you, listening to Rich my turn my car at the next stop light and BACK TRACK to the highway ramp. :o (Is that wild or what...I did fine btw.) :D I am still learning daily that Ie have to face this fear crap head on with my mind constantly fighting those negative thoughts. Satan WANTS us to be fearful and fail. Some days I feel like i'm afraid of EVERYTHING..Why???? :shock: :( Don't ask me, but God is bigger than Satan and he will NOT win, even the days that I take two steps back. I have to change my negativity. )Its sure does exhaust and drain me of energy and i WANT so bad to give up, but isn't that what Satan wants. That twisted piece of crap!!! :twisted: To me..Rich is the icing on my cake next to God, because he gives me the courage, strength and support to lets me know that I am NOT crazy or alone. Again, facing your fears will be harder than anything you have ever done in your life. ANYTHING..because fear paralyzes us, but plz don't give up. Listen to Rich's CD's and do the paperwork over and over. I've been on it for approx. a month and i'm doing the bookwork for the 3rd time and you don't even want to know how many times Rich "goes" with me everywhere. :lol: and I thank him for his understanding. Mon

[Rich Presta]

Wow, after reading all those compliments it makes me wonder why my wife still makes me pick up the dog poop!

Seriously though, thank you for the kind words, it's a lot to live up to, but I'll do my best. It's my pleasure and honor to "go with" you all in spirit whenever you need me.

Rich

[Fiore]

Welcome LMS,

I'm sorry I haven't greeted you sooner, or been a little more present on the forum of late, but something bigger than Ben Hurr has been happening in my life for the last couple of weeks. That was pulling off a birthday party for my 18 year old ... It was a resounding success but boy was I glad to see the last one leave!!! Now it's time for me to shift back to giving my driving a bit more focus.

As others before me have said, you have a lot of courage to have taken the step to start working with the program. I think we will all have different measures of success in using the program, but I think one thing is certain is that we will all have success with it. Try to shift away from the negative. By investing in the program, you show that you want to beat this problem ... somewhere in your mind you believe you can do it and you can indeed. Don't look for miracles, but, as said before, take baby steps. It's easy to believe that you are not moving forward, but when I look back (over 12 years), I have gone from not being able to drive down my own street to being pretty damn functional.

Please use the forum often to let us know how you are going.

Good Luck
Fiore

[Reina]

Hi LMS,

I bought the program at my absolute breaking point. I had nowhere to turn and was so fed up with all these feelings and thinking why can't I just drive like anyone else? I started to read the fear program and it makes sense. You now have some tools you can start using, and you can use them in your own time. I used to panic excessively and I was so hard on myself for being this way, but the fear program makes you realise you are NOT alone in this. My panicky feelings have reduced remarkably and most of it is due to the way I think about driving.
I think Martin Luther King said don't focus on the whole staircase, start with one step at a time (something like that). You are on the right road! or staircase should I say ;)