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Driving Phobias and Anxiety

A phobia is a very intense, often irrational, form of anxiety. The National Institute of Mental Health notes that "specific phobias affect an estimated 19.2 million adult Americans and are twice as common in women as men." Phobia sufferers frequently experience panic attacks and go out of their way to avoid coming in contact with the thing that they fear. Someone suffering from a driving phobia may find it physically impossible to drive a car, or may need to stop the car mid-drive.

  1. Symptoms

    • Symptoms of a driving phobia include panic attacks and feelings of depression. Someone suffering from a driving phobia may develop feelings of nauseousness, intense headaches or pain while driving, sweats, experience feelings of anger, have difficulty swallowing or trouble sleeping and may begin to have nightmares about driving. The National Panic and Anxiety Disorder News group notes that sore eyes and increased sensitivity to touch are also symptoms of a phobia or panic attack.

    Causes

    • Some phobias occur for no apparent reason. Someone who was once completely secure while driving may gradually develop intense fear related to being in a car. Frequently, however, driving phobias develop after witnessing or being in a vehicle accident. Sometimes phobias also develop after driving at night or through poor weather conditions which put stress on the driver.

    Expert Insight

    • Dr. Mark Dombeck, a specialist in anxiety disorders with Aroostook Mental Health Services, believes that at least 1 in 10 people experience phobias. Dr. Dombeck comments, "Phobias usually first appear in adolescence or adulthood. They start suddenly and tend to be more persistent than childhood phobias; only about 20 percent of adult phobias vanish on their own." While most adults dealing with anxiety logically understand that their fear is irrational, they feel overwhelmed at the thought of being able to overcome the phobia itself.

    Dangers

    • While mild anxiety is not an immediate safety hazard, driving while dealing with a specific driving phobia is unsafe. Drivers who experience anxiety and phobias may behave irrationally and unpredictably while on the road or may experience a panic attack, which can inhibit their driving. It is very important to seek immediate, professional treatment for a driving phobia before continuing to drive.

    Treatment

    • Treatments for phobias are completely dependent on the individual and the severity of the phobia itself. A trained, medical professional can diagnose a specific phobia and recommend medication or counseling. In some cases, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is prescribed. CBT focuses on teaching a phobia-stricken individual how to learn new thought processes to avoid being afraid.

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