Overcome Fear of Driving » driving phobia

Cure Your Fear of Driving with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

rodney — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 03:24:25 +0000

Fear of driving is a crippling phobia for many people and reaching out for CBT with a therapist can be a great first step to overcoming your driving anxiety.

Though it is not a “spotlight” phobia, it is very real and many people are affected by it.

In fact, it is believed by experts that driving phobia, also called carlanaphobia, is one of the top phobias that people suffer from. A phobia is a fear that is not rational in nature.

When a person is in danger, they exhibit certain symptoms:

Sweating
Racing heart
Adrenaline rush
Severe feelings of anxiety

These are all normal responses to real and present danger or the threat of a real danger.

An impending storm
Being mugged
Being cornered by an aggressive animal

Feeling fearful in situations such as those is a normal process our bodies go through. Phobias are fears that are not rational in nature yet cause the same symptoms of fear and anxiety.

Anxiety is not always a bad thing. Feelings of fear are what keep us safe. Our bodies warn us when there is danger and help us choose the proper path (flight or fight).

For this reason, it should not be a goal to rid you of anxiety completely but to bring it down to a lower, more manageable level.

What Causes Fear of Driving

Fear of driving can come from various sources. For some people there are particular triggers involved that bring about this phobia.

Possibly you have been in an accident (or several accidents). If this is the root of the fear, you do not have to have been the driver in the accident, you could have also been the passenger.

Maybe you have seen a horrible accident and therefore connect driving with the scene you saw.

It is also possible that you have a parent or other family member who is overly nervous about driving and has issued numerous warning about being careful behind the wheel.

However, even with the absence of triggers, you can still have a driving phobia that’s root is non-specific. It can be a fear that begins gradually and builds up over the years, of something that just comes on quickly.

No matter what the cause is, the really important issue is finding a way to overcome this fear so that you can take control over your life!

Can Carlanaphobia Be Cured?

Though it has likely been a rough road for one who suffers from carlanaphobia, the good news is that they are not alone and there is indeed help.

One specific treatment for this and other phobias is CBT or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and can be provided by a trained therapist or psychologist.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy works by helping you to reframe your way of thinking or viewing the situation at hand.

CBT is an approach that combines both behavioral (Your actions and response to situations) and cognitive (The way you view the world around you with all of your senses) methods and principles and is generally a brief therapeutic process.

There are certain attributes that are focused on during this type of treatment:

► Focus on changing your views in order to produce the desired effect of therapy

► A collaborative venture between you and your therapist (Both work together to set and reach goals.)

► The existing premise is that the distress you are feeling from the phobia is a function of a disturbance on the cognitive process. (Like a bump in the road of your ability to view the world properly and rationally.)

Overall, CBT assumes that by reorganizing your own self-statements and thoughts, that the result will be the reorganization of the unwanted behavior, in this case, fear and anxiety resulting from driving or the thought of driving.

REBT Theory and A-B-C FRAMEWORK

REBT (Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy) is a sub category of CBT and A-B-C framework is essential to its success.

According to the sub category of REBT, people are mostly responsible for their own psychological problems due to the way they interpret different events and situations and that there are three things that interact within a person creating a cause and effect relationship.

These three things are:

Behavior
Cognition
Emotion

The main pillar for understanding human behavior, according to REBT, is that irrational ways of thinking are the main cause of anxiety and since phobias are irrational, this type of treatment if tailor made to treat driving phobias.

How Does the A-B-C Framework Work?

The A-B-C model helps provide understanding for the client’s thoughts, behaviors, and feelings. Using this to treat a driving phobia would look something like this:

A (Activating Event) – You witnesses a horrific car accident as a child

B (Belief) – When I drive it is a distinct possibility that I can get in a horrific accident because I saw this is possible when I saw the past accident.

C (Behavioral/Emotional Consequence) - The belief causes an emotional reaction, in this case being fearful of driving an automobile.

The belief (B) is what perpetuates the anxiety (C). The event (A) does not cause the emotional/behavioral response (C). Instead, the belief (B) is what causes the anxiety (C).

It is not the fact that you viewed the accident when you were a child, it is the belief that you took from the experience (your cognition of the event).

The next three steps lead the client to the goal.

D (Disputing intervention)
E (Effect)
F (New Feeling)

Disputing

The main goal of the therapeutic process is to dispute irrational beliefs. (Just because you had or had seen a bad experience does not mean that it will happen to you.)

Your therapist will ask “why” questions during this phase. “Why is it imminent that you too will get into an accident?” or “Just because you saw something happen to someone else, why do you think you are doomed to have it happen to you as well?”

By answering these questions, the you can begin to see that there is no real reason that you should think that you will get into an accident also and can start to see just how irrational this thinking is.

Effect

The effect of D is helping to create the desired effect and give you insight into your issue. While it is unlikely that we can get rid of irrational thinking altogether, we can learn to become more flexible in our thought patterns.

Once it is realized that we stay anxious and fearful because we cling to these irrational thoughts we can step back and see that it is okay to be upset or scared, but by pulling back a bit, we can keep these fears under control and cure our phobias.

New Feeling

The new feelings are those of acceptance. Once at this stage, you can accept that life does not always have to go the way you want it to and while not everything can be pleasant, it does not have to become something that becomes unbearable or takes control your life.

Conclusion

It is clear that CBT, and its sub-category REBT, can be a brief and effective intervention for your fear of driving. Seeking therapy may not be for you or maybe it is something that is financially out of reach.

If this is the case, you can find other programs that follow similar steps to what are used in CBT such as The Driving Fear Program.

Used alone or in conjunction with therapy, The Driving Fear Program can help you to overcome all your anxieties.

Whatever course of action is best for you, reach out now! By getting help for your driving anxiety you are not only bringing freedom into your life, you are improving the quality of it!

What Your Body Knows About Your Fear

rodney — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 04:33:07 +0000

Your body has a lot of innate wisdom. In fact, in a sense it knows more about your fear of driving than your brain.

If thinking about your fear and “trying to figure it out” has not worked for you, you may be able to overcome driving fear more easily by being aware of your body.

After all, it is your body that tells you of your fear by causing you to have symptoms like shortness of breath, headaches, an upset stomach or feelings of tension and tightness in muscles.

Getting in Touch with Your Innate Wisdom

Another way to think about the innate wisdom of your body is through the concept of body language.

You’ve undoubtedly heard of this and may even understand that thoughts and feelings that you are not conscious of tend to dictate your behavior.

Have you ever been told that you look angry or upset when you’re not aware of this feeling yourself?

You may have your arms crossed or a scowl on your face and not even realize it until someone else points it out.

Your body communicates your subconscious thoughts to the world through body language.

Its messages are not just for other people, though. You can learn to use your body’s wisdom to your advantage in overcoming a fear such as fear of driving.

To do this, you need to be able to tune into your body and “hear” what it is trying to tell you. You must be fully present to do this.

If you are “tuning out” with drugs, alcohol and other forms of withdrawal, you will not be able to hear your body’s messages. Instead, you need to “tune in” to your inner wisdom.

Tuning in to Your Body’s Messages

One excellent way to tune into your body’s wisdom is to use a method called body scanning.

Body scanning is a form of meditation in which you focus on various parts of your body and notice how they are feeling.

For instance, is your jaw tight? Are you clenching your fists? Are you squinting, slouching, or scowling? All of these actions are messages from your body.

Body scans are usually done in sequence. Here is a simple body scan technique you can use to tune in to your body.

Lie on your back anywhere that is comfortable for you. Ask yourself, “What is going on in my body?”
Begin to notice each part of your body, beginning with the bottoms of your feet. Slowly move your attention to your ankles, calves, thighs, etc. As you do this, notice any sensations in each area of your body as you focus on that part.
When you find a tight or tense area or a place where you feel pain, ask yourself what that sensation means. Sit with that message or feeling for a few moments.
Breathe into the tight or painful area. Don’t worry if that doesn’t make sense to you at first. With time and practice, the technique will become second nature and you will be able to use it to reduce feelings of anxiety and fear.

This is a 30 minute Body Scan Meditation by Ms. Cullen

Body Scanning and Fear of Driving

Techniques like body scanning can help you manage your fear of driving by helping you to manage the physical symptoms of anxiety associated with the fear.

By identifying and reducing the tension that you feel when you are anxious, you will be more able to get behind the wheel without panicking.

Even though you may still have the fear, if you don’t experience it so profoundly in your body, you are more likely to be able to face the fear and drive in spite of it.

The key to reducing the physical experience of fear is to practice relaxation techniques like body scanning on a regular basis, whether or not you are going to be driving in the near future.

Make a habit of practicing body scanning each evening before you go to bed or each morning before you get out of bed.

You can also use this technique to prepare yourself for driving if you still feel anxious and tense when you have to do so.

However, with regular practice, you will probably find that your anxiety and fear of driving is much less of an issue than it used to be.

Mantra To Get Rid Of Driving Fear

rodney — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 12:52:53 +0000

Let your fears in. Let them happen. Let go of your protective shield and see what’s on the other side of fear. There’s always freedom on the other side; not more of fear.

When you live with some sort of fear, you feel anxious that your fear will develop into something you won’t be able to bear.

You fiercely protect yourself from any exposure to the fear and subdue all feelings associated with the fear. You run away from the slightest hint of fear and hide in “comfort zones”.

You feel some relief having avoided the situation you fear and gradually this behavior turns into a hardened habit. The fear turns into a phobia.

The more you avoid fear, the bigger the phobia gets. You become a slave and phobia the master.

How long do you want to run away from your fear? How long do you wish to remain a slave of your own habits?

If you have a little bit of courage, there is an easy way out. Open yourself up to the fear and say this mantra: “Here I am. Come get me.” Let it come to you. Let go of your protective shield.

Stop subduing your feelings. Let your worst fear happen.

Nothing that you feared will happen. Instead, a burden will lift from your head. As soon as you stop avoiding your fear and allow yourself to face it, you’ll be free from your phobia. That very instant.

If you have a fear of driving and have been avoiding it tooth and nail, now is your chance to break free from driving phobia. Just get into your car and start driving.

Say to yourself, “Here I am. Come get me.” You’ll be pleasantly surprised to see nothing of that sort happen. Instead you’ll get a new life.

For this to work out, you need to be willing to see what’s on the other side of fear. You need to have a bit of courage and hope.

Once you make up your mind to let go of your avoidance and experience whatever that is going to happen, you will snap out of the trance, i.e. phobia.

You’ll be free from it even before you set off on your drive.

Don’t worry about how long you have been avoiding your fears. The longer you’ve been avoiding them, the happier you shall feel when you finally break free from the phobia.