Why the fear of driving occurs and how to overcome it

The fear of driving receives the scientific name of amaxophobia. Is a special type of fear that some people experience at the prospect of driving.

This people experience anxiety to varying degrees and intensity in the car and it can happen to them when they are going as a passenger or being the driver. They are afraid to enter a bridge, enter a tunnel, drive at night or even experience the vertigo of the sensation of going at great speed.

The suffering of concrete fears is not something new for the human being. Already in Egyptian times, ancient papyri were found where they recorded suffering from specific fears. In fact, Its current name comes from the Greek word “phobos”, which means fear, panic and terror and also takes it from the deity of the same name that caused panic in his enemies.

Why is it considered a specific phobia?

The fear of driving is part of the specific phobias that are characterized by the appearance of an irrational fear in the face of a specific situation. Already Marks in 1969 characterized it as being:

Disproportionate to the situation that creates it. It cannot be explained or reasoned. It is beyond the voluntary control of the person who suffers it. It leads to active avoidance of the feared situation.

How can this fear affect me?

These concrete and irrational fears affect 12% of the population and have the particularity of causing clinically significant discomfort or social and occupational impairment. They can affect important areas of people’s functioning and erode their daily routine.

There are some people who, prisoners of intense fear, decide to stop visiting friends or relatives because they do not take the car. They also quit jobs if caught too far and involve using this mode of transportation.

But, for us to consider it a type of phobia, It must have a minimum duration of six months, currently being included in the category of so-called “Anxiety Disorders” of the “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders and Diseases” called DSM-V.

Why am I afraid to drive?

When we explore the internal world of these people we observe that fear of driving can be precipitated for a variety of reasons, but the The common denominator of this experience is that most people are trapped in the viscous fear that something negative will happen to them.

This thought is so powerful that it triggers a torrent of anxiety.

In fact, one of the most common causes that precipitate it is the intense fear of having a panic attack while they drive. This fear of anxiety and experiencing a similar situation is what paralyzes many, as well as the disturbing nature of not having any rational explanation to understand why they react in this way and having no way to contain it.

They may also have been affected after the following events:

Having been in an accident in the past Having experienced feeling lost Traveling through heavy traffic Having seen a traumatic accident on TV Having someone close to you who has been in an accident of conduction.

It is easy to understand that each of these situations will have a different emotional impact on each person. In some can be traumatic Therefore, it will be the therapist who determines, after an evaluation, which therapeutic tools are the most appropriate to overcome the blockage.

What symptoms can I experience?

We found that much of the anticipatory anxiety is expressed in the body map by:

Abundant physiological alterations such as:

Excessive sweating. Shortness of breath, gasping and shallow. Chest pain. Feeling the beating of a racing heart.

Manifestations in the behavioral sphere:

Feeling an uncontrollable desire to rush out of the situation to find a safe haven.

Changes in the emotional sphere:

Feeling that you have lost control of the situation that is inherent to the experience, which generates a deep insecurity regarding their coping skills in the event of being involved in an unforeseen event or in an emergency situation.

How to overcome the fear of driving

Although we have mentioned that it is necessary for a psychologist to evaluate each case, since we can be faced with anxious personalities prone to feeling anxiety in a variety of situations, this being one among others, it can help you a lot to take into account some of these guidelines:

1. Embrace discomfort

If you are going to face a situation that scares you, understand that it is natural for you to react with nervousness and anxiety. That’s why it’s important become familiar with tolerating some degree of discomfort and discomfort because it is natural and inherent to facing a feared situation.

2. Train yourself in relaxation techniques and mindfulness.

Relaxation techniques such as mindfulness will help you calm down and stay focused on the task at hand.

3. Focus on the now

Fear is nourished and fattened by negative thoughts that frighten us. That’s why focus attention on the task at hand and in what is happening in the present moment, it will work as a powerful antidote when you detect that you are in “negative anticipation” mode: “I am going to have an accident”, or “I do not control the situation”, can be examples of internal dialogues that one he turns to himself.

Check that none of what you think is happening. Observe that one thing is thought and another is reality.

Accompany it with phrases that give you confidence and security such as: “Everything is going well, nothing that I fear is happening. I drive safely and responsibly. Everything’s fine.”

4. Face the feared situation “little by little”

Researchers have shown that the best way to deal with a feared situation is to do it “little by little” and in phases, so that we expose ourselves to the situation that progressively frightens us and work in decrease anxiety levels to make it more manageable.

At the beginning of the exhibition, a person you trust can accompany you, even if the final objective is for you to drive alone. Thus, for example, the first step can only be sitting in the car without starting it. When anxiety levels decrease, we move on to the next point, turn the key, then we went on to drive around the neighborhood and so on. It is important to give yourself time. Prepare the situation and take some time to visualize that you successfully carry out your objective.Imagine yourself safe and happy, performing proper and responsible driving and reaching the point you have imagined.

5. Practice every day

Spend an average of an hour each day. The more you practice, the more familiar you will be with the real situation. and the easier it will be for you to overcome the phobia. Expose yourself and become familiar with the various scenarios you are exposed to while driving.

There will be times when you see that you are facing very difficult situations, but it is important that you make use of all these strategies to cope with the situation. Take a break if you need it, 15 or 20 minutes, before resuming driving (but understand this as part of the coping experience).