While we are ultimately responsible for our own choices and responses, it is possible for other people to be the main contributors to your driving fear and anxiety. What kinds of situations can breed such fear?

• Being attacked by someone with road rage
• Another driver tailgating you
• Being pulled over by someone pretending to be an officer
• Being cut off continually by other drivers
• Having an accident and being threatened or attacked by the other driver
• Having your ability undermined by friends or family members

All of the above are things that others do to contribute to the development of your fear of driving.

Road rage is common for many people. For someone who has encountered someone with road rage, it can be a very scary experience. There have been cases of people actually stopping their cars and threatening the other drivers.

Tailgating is another huge issue with today’s drivers. This is when the car behind you gets so close you could touch it out the back window.

This can make for a highly stressful situation for the person being tailed. Many victims of tailgating are tempted to slam on their breaks to teach the other driver a lesson.

Others tend to slow down even more to show the other driver that if they need to go faster that they can pass simply pass them.

For the person who tailgates, this can be dangerous for you as well. The person you are behind just may be one of those people who have road rage and they can get pretty angry and sometimes violent.

While police officers are here to serve and protect, it can be dangerous to stop for one if the roads are otherwise empty, it is dark or late at night, or if you just feel unsafe.

Most cops understand this fear and will not penalize you for not pulling over until you get to a well lighted and safer area.

However, if you have ever been stopped and the person ended up being one that has impersonated an officer this can cause deep seeded fear of driving period. People like this are out to harm you or rob you and what a scary experience that can be indeed!

When people cut you off this can bring out a fear of getting into accidents. This type of driving behavior occurs all the time and everyone has experienced it and done it at least once during their driving years.

If this happens to you a lot you may feel that you have a dark cloud following you around and may want to give up driving to make it to go away.

Lastly, other people can do great damage to you by teasing or belittling the way you drive. Anyone who has been made fun of our put down for a particular skill they may or may not have can be emotionally and mentally affected. This alone can cause a fear of driving.

If others tell you that you are no good at it then you may begin to actually believe this is truth.

How Can You Overcome This Type Of Fear?

While these are valid fears, you cannot allow the actions of others to dictate what you do or not do in your life. This type of fear is very real and hard to overcome but it can be done.

• Do not let the tailgater get to you
• Do not give in to road rage
• Do not pull over for anyone other than a real officer
• Drive defensively
• Don’t panic

Overcoming your driving fears that are caused by others can be a hard task, but the above suggestions are a good place to begin.

If you are being tailgated, resist the urge to take revenge. Keep at your own pace and if the other vehicle does not back off you can either switch lanes (if possible) or call 911.

Tell them what the situation is and where you are located and an officer will track your position and pull the tailgater over.

Do not give into road rage yourself or put yourself in a position to where you suffer the wrath of another road ragger. This means that you do not pull over if someone with rage wants you to.

It also means that if you are at a stop light and another driver approaches you that you lock your doors and call 911. Safety first!

If you are being signaled to pull over by an officer, do not do so if you feel unsure or unsafe. If the other car is not a police car and just has a light, or the person getting out of the car is not in full uniform then you may be dealing with an imposter. Drive until you feel that you are in a safe area to pull over in.

If the person was not really a cop, once you stop in a well lit, populated area, they will not stop with you. If the officer was in fact the real deal, they will understand your concern and will not cite you for failure to stop.

Officers know what the dangers are and understand your need to feel safe and protected.

Taking a class on defensive driving can be an excellent help! These lessons can come in handy for the tailgating issues as well as the issues of being cut off.

Most of all don’t panic. If you can keep your head in a stressful situation, chances are that you will come out of it just fine.

If You Need Further Assistance

If you feel that you need more attention to overcome your fears you may want to try counseling.

If something serious has happened due to the actions of other drivers then you may be suffering from PTSD. This requires professional attention.

Another great way to help you is a self help program like The Original Driving Fear Program.

Self-help programs allow you to take things at your own pace and if used as directed can help you overcome your fears for good!

Learning any new skill can be intimidating, especially for a young mind. There are many reasons that teenagers are fearful of learning how to drive.

• Not having any experience with driving a car
• Fear of doing something wrong and getting hurt
• Fear of forgetting how to drive in general while behind the wheel
• Fear of not being able to keep up with other drivers on the road
• Fear of making wrong turns or getting lost
• Fear due to past accidents

These are very common and valid fears for a teenager. The parent must remember that while these fears may seem trivial, they are very real and very large to their child.

First Time Drivers

There are children whose parents have allowed them to drive their car around on their property or into their garage. These kids may not have any fears about getting their drivers license because of those experiences.

For the teenager who has never had experience with driving a car, the anxiety over learning can be quite overwhelming.

Consider this; you are getting into a machine that you have no idea how to operate. What you do know is that it can kill you if you make a wrong move.

Sound scary? You bet it does!

For a teenager with no driving experience, the thought of operating a vehicle on the open road with other drivers is also another source of fear and anxiety.

They may ask themselves “What if I make a wrong turn? What if I don’t hit my brakes in time?”

There are many what if fears involved for the inexperienced driver but this does not have to stop your teenager from learning to drive and getting that piece of plastic that is a symbol of freedom for teenagers all across America!

What You, As a Parent Can Do To Help

If your teen is fearful of learning how to drive, there are things you can do and things you should not do.

Do

• Allow your teenager to take baby steps
• Help them study for their drivers permit exam
• Take them out during quit drive times to allow them to get used to operating a car and help them feel more comfortable behind the wheel
• Encourage them and help build their confidence
• Enroll them in their schools drivers education program or hire a private driving instructor
• Stop and talk about mistakes

Do Not

• Force them to learn or to take steps they are not ready for
• Be agitated with them when teaching them how to drive
• Yell at them if they do something incorrect
• Make fun of their fear
• Overload them with instructions. Teach one thing at a time and master it before moving forward
• Have them drive in heavy traffic or in highly populated areas

Helping vs Hurting

The parent who takes time to calmly teach the teenager is the helping parent. Be encouraging and help them to prepare for their permit test.

Allow them to feel scared while still building their confidence in themselves and their ability to master driving. Once they get that permit, take them out driving as often as they wish.

The best places are empty parking lots or quiet, low populated neighborhoods. These types of places can take some of the pressure off of the new driver.

If or when a mistake is made, pull over and talk about it. Help them to see what they did incorrectly using a positive tone.

The parent who screams and yells during driving lessons is the parent who is causing harm. Do not get in the car with your teenager while you are angry or agitated. Any negative energy or feedback will simply reinforce their fears.

Do not put them in heavy traffic and expect them to sink or swim. This could be deadly.

Once again, take baby steps. Giving to much instruction and information too quickly can overload their senses and the end result will be them only taking in half of what you are teaching.

If you find that you are unable to teach your child to drive without feeling stress and anxiety yourself, hire an instructor or enroll them in their schools drivers’ education program.

An unbiased third party can be more professional and will not become angry or irritated by mistakes.

Most of all, do not make fun of your child’s fear of learning how to drive. Teasing and belittling is never an effective way to teach anyone anything.

Some Extra Tips for Success

• Communicate clearly and often
• Be alert at all times
• Stay calm

Communication is key when teaching anything. If you see something that is not right, tell your child in a calm and encouraging way.

Make sure that YOU are alert when going out on the road with your teenager. You are the experienced one and must look out for what they are or are not doing correctly. Stay as calm as possible.

If your teenager sees or feels your anxiety they will be more prone to make mistakes or decide that they would rather not drive at that moment.

If Your Help is not Enough

If you teenager still feels fearful of learning to drive after you have done all that you can do, you may need to look into getting extra help.

You can provide them with books on overcoming driving fear or have them join a peer group that has other teens in it who are afraid of learning to drive.

Another wonderful option is self-help programs such as The Original Driving Fear Program.

Not only can this help them to get over their fears enough to get licensed, but it can also be a continued helping tool as they become experienced drivers.

If the anxiety persists after licensure, have your teenager keep The Driving Fear Program with them in the car so they can take a listen anytime they feel the need.

For a teenager, becoming a licensed driver is a rite of passage. Do not let them miss this important milestone in their lives because of fear!

Driving to new places can be a scary thing and can make your anxiety levels spike to record highs.

There are many reasons for this type of fear:

• Not knowing the roads on which you are traveling
• Getting lost
• Having an accident because you do not know the traffic patterns
• Missing a turn and having to turn around and not finding your way back on track
• Having to follow directions

Why Are These Triggers?

The above reasons are the most common when it comes to the fear of driving to new places. Not knowing the layout of the area you are going to can be very stressful and can lead to high anxiety.

This reason goes hand in hand with missing a turn. When you miss a turn that you were supposed to make it cannot only be stressful but can cause panic.

What if you turn around and cannot get back on the right track to your destination?

Another common connection to these reasons for fear is the fear of getting lost.

Getting lost can be very scary, especially when you are alone. If you are driving in a new and unknown area you may fear that you will get into a car accident as the traffic patterns are not familiar to you.

For instance, if you have never driven in a traffic circle you may not understand how to navigate it and find yourself literally driving in circles.

It may also be hard for you to follow directions and fear doing so while also having to watch the road.

I have personally suffered from all of these fears for as long as I have been driving. And for many years I was able to avoid having to drive to new places.

I would always find someone else to go with me and do the driving. Even if your driver has never been to your location either, if they miss a turn or get lost then it is somehow not frightening like it is if it was you the one driving.

However, you cannot hide from your fears forever and the day came when I had no choice but to do the driving on my own and head into unknown destinations.

Tips For Being Less Fearful

✔ Take a friend with you until you are used to driving in the new place.

✔ Keep a map in your car at all times.

✔ Bring your cell phone with a car charger.

✔ Tune into a local radio station that updates you on traffic issues

✔ Invest in a GPS system

✔ Activate your car’s On Star system if this is an option with your vehicle

How These Tips Can Help YOU!

While it may not be possible to bring a friend along each time you must drive to a new place, it can be helpful to do so until you are either used to driving in the new area or until you feel comfortable enough to go it alone.

Keeping a map in your glove box is a good way to keep track of where you are and how to get to where you are going.

A GPS Navigator

If you are not comfortable in your map reading skills then invest in a GPS system.

This eliminates the need for having to follow written or memorized directions and allows you do drive with more confidence.

A GPS will tell you in advance where to turn and some even tell you what side of the road to look for your destination point on.

Another great tool (if your car has this option) is On Star service. On Star connects you to a live person in case you are in need of help.

On Star can give directions to help you if you become lost and can also locate you and send emergency personal if the need arises.

This can be a great comfort to someone who fears driving to new places.

In addition to the above, always make sure to have your cell phone with you when driving to a new place.

Keep a car charger in you glove box in case of low battery issues. This will ensure that you can always contact someone if you need help.

Also, there are usually radio stations that are dedicated to area news and traffic. Find out the station for the area you are going to ahead of time so you can tune in and check on the traffic conditions as this can also put your mind at ease.

Conclusion

Having to drive to a new place can make for a high anxiety journey. Try the tips in this article and you may find yourself becoming more at ease with driving to new places.

While you should always be aware when driving on unfamiliar roads you do not want that rational awareness to turn into irrational fear.

If it has already come to that or if you feel that you may need more help in addition to these tips, you may want to try a self-help program like The Original Driving Fear Program.

This is a therapeutic intervention that you can do in your own home and in your own time. Don’t let this fear keep you from traveling to new and exciting places!

Take action now and you can soon be driving to new places with a new, fearless attitude!

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!

Heather wrote:

Hello! I`ve stopped my entire life because of this fear. I’m 33 years old and now I’ve finally sucked it up and went in for my beginner’s permit. I feel foolish, stunted, and emotionally immature. I do suffer from general anxiety disorder, so this is going to be a major milestone for me…But the fact that my actual driving skills are okay is what keeps me going forward.

Amanda wrote:

Hello, I’m Amanda. I suffer from Depression, Bipolar, and Anxiety. I got my driver’s license in 2008. I used to love driving. I was a great driver. Then all of a sudden I started to feel unsafe behind the wheel. I am now afraid to even think of driving. I try to do little things like, drive around my trailer park, or park the car, but I just have these terrible anxiety attacks to the point that I start to cry. I want to try driving again. But I just can’t bring myself to get behind the wheel. I’ve had one close encounter with another car, but no accidents. I was a very careful driver. I passed my drivers lesson on the first try. I loved driving. I loved the freedom. Then it just stopped. I just don’t feel safe driving a vehicle. I want to start driving again, but every time I think about driving… I just can’t.

wole wrote:

I am not a new driver but, just of recent, I developed fear and anxiety in driving my car. It seems the car will always tumble any time I am driving it. I am really troubled in mind on how to overcome this fear. In fact I like driving a lot.

Our Answer:

It’s not uncommon to hear from people who have been able to drive without fear in the past but suddenly develop anxiety related to driving.

If you look more deeply into your life, you will probably find that the anxiety is not only about driving, but is more general in nature. This is known as Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD).

If your fear of driving is related to problems with anxiety in general, then the way to get over it is by reducing your overall anxiety. Luckily there are many ways to do this.

The first and most obvious way to deal with generalized anxiety is to learn to relax. You can practice breathing, yoga or meditation or do whatever makes you feel good and calm.

If your anxiety is more complicated, you might need to find a professional counselor who can help you understand the thought patterns that trigger your anxiety.

Anxiety is almost always related to the way we think about things, so in the case of driving fear, it may be that you can manage your fear by changing the way you think about driving.

For example, if you have the thought, “My car is going to tumble” every time you get into your car, ask yourself how realistic this thought may be.Think of the hundreds, if not thousands of people that you are acquainted with. How many of them have been in a car that tumbled over while they were driving it?

Even if the answer is one or two, those are still incredibly small odds. This is just one simple example of how to work with your thoughts to lower the intensity of your anxiety.

You may also find that managing thoughts about other aspects of your life helps to reduce your fear of driving by giving you more confidence overall.

Also realize that anxiety is also a physical response, so learning to be more relaxed goes hand in hand with learning to change your thoughts and calm your mind.

For more ideas about managing driving fear and generalized anxiety disorder, read the article on reducing anxiety naturally.

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.

1. Lie on your back anywhere that is comfortable for you. Ask yourself, “What is going on in my body?”
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.

Fear of driving is just one of many phobias that can afflict a person.

A phobia is an irrational fear that will not go away. It interferes with a significant part of a person’s ability to enjoy life.

If you are afraid to drive, you are probably missing out on a lot of enjoyable experiences, as well as the freedom to come and go as you please.

You may depend on other people to take you shopping, avoid visiting friends and even find yourself restricted to a bus or train route when considering employment opportunities.

There are probably many places you would like to see but you do not go because you would have to drive there.

Perhaps you have not had a weekend getaway in years unless someone else is available to go with you and do the driving.

Why Are You Afraid To Drive?

If you recognize that you have an exaggerated fear of driving that keeps you from enjoying life, you may wonder what caused your phobia to develop.

Researchers are not exactly sure what causes phobias, but they do appear to be routed in past experiences and/or genetics.

It is possible, some believe, that a chemical imbalance is at least partly to blame for irrational fears. That is because all of our thoughts, emotions and actions are regulated by the brain, which directs the entire nervous system.

Structures in the brain called neurons connect to form pathways that send messages from the brain throughout the entire body.

Different chemicals control different types of actions, emotions and thought patterns.

Specifically in the case of phobias, the neurotransmitters norepinephrine, dopamine and serotonin are responsible for psychological well-being.

If there is a disruption in the function of these important brain chemicals, the result for some people may be the development of a phobia like fear of driving.

While a chemical imbalance can explain in part why a phobia exists, it does not tell the whole story.

Experts believe that a negative experience triggers irrational fears in the first place. For example, if you witness a car accident or are involved in one, you will naturally be afraid.

But what if your body is not able to turn off the fear response once the danger has past? This may be what happens when a phobia develops.

In order to manage an irrational fear, you must retrain your mind so that a new response to the thought of driving (one of calmness and the absence of fear) becomes automatic.

Desensitizing the Fear

The classic way in which psychologists treat phobias is a type of behavior modification called “desensitization.”

The goal, as the name suggests, is to make you less sensitive to fearful thoughts about driving. You do this by gradually being exposed to things associated with driving until you can actually drive without feeling debilitating fear.

The technique may involve learning about your specific version of the fear.

For example, was it triggered by a memory that you are aware of or are you not able to remember how it started? Are you more afraid of driving in certain situations, such as in bad weather or at night?

Behavior modification works for many people, but what if this approach doesn’t work for you?

It could be that your brain is not ready to process the new information because of that chemical imbalance mentioned earlier.

If you’ve tried behavioral therapy but are still afraid to drive, you might consider taking a short course of medication and then trying behavior modification again.

Think of this as similar to priming a wall before painting it. In most cases, some form of behavior (or thought) modification under the right mental conditions (with your brain chemistry working properly) will do the trick to reduce or eliminate your fear of driving.

Like other fears and phobias, fear of driving can be treated with hypnosis.

This is not a magical solution where you will be able to snap your finger and remove your fear. Rather, hypnosis is a relaxation technique similar to meditation.

It is a proven way to help people with anxiety and fear that is often used by psychologists and other mental health professionals.

The technique has been used for centuries as a way of calming the mind and reducing unwanted thoughts and behaviors.

A fear of driving – or any fear – is most likely rooted in memories or past experiences that are no longer relevant.

For example, if you lost a loved one in a car accident or grew up with a parent who had a fear of driving, those things may affect the way you think about driving as an adult.

Through hypnosis, you can learn to change the thoughts associated with troubling memories and experiences.

What Is Hypnosis?

Hypnosis is a process by which you are guided into a state of relaxation. The goal is to be able to easily get into that state whenever you need to – in this case, whenever you want to drive somewhere.

Of course, you are not going to drive while hypnotized, but a series of hypnosis sessions can help you to access a calm, focused state when you do get behind the wheel.

You can find a hypnotherapist or simply purchase a hypnosis CD online.

The therapist or recording will guide you through visualizations that are designed to reprogram your subconscious mind – the part of your mind that is harboring the fear of driving.

Once you are in that state, you will be able to manage the thoughts and emotions that contribute to your fear.

Hypnosis can actually help you change your mind so that fear is no longer the emotion that comes up when you think of driving.

In fact, you can reprogram your mind to think of driving with excitement and even look forward to it as something you enjoy.

How Does Hypnosis Work?

Hypnosis works because of the power of the subconscious mind. It is a natural state for all people.

In fact, when you are so focused on something that you lose track of what is going on around you, you are in a state of hypnosis.

It is easiest to make lasting changes that you can use in everyday life when you are in this focused state of mind.

When you are hypnotized, you travel to that state on purpose and repeat that journey over and over until it becomes second nature to you.

After a series of hypnosis sessions, you will not need to be hypnotized anymore because you will have learned a new way to think about driving.

Hypnosis For Fear Of Driving

A hypnosis session for fear of driving might start with the therapist or recording asking you to imagine that you are calming driving on a scenic road to your favorite spot – perhaps to a lake or to the beach.

You might then be told to imagine that you are feeling relaxed and confident as you drive along.

Eventually, you will be able to recondition your subconscious and actively calm yourself whenever your anxiety and fear about driving begins to surface.

You will be able to think more rationally about driving and reduce the exaggerated belief about how dangerous and scary it is to drive.

Hypnosis can foster a more positive attitude about driving that will make it easier to get behind the wheel without fear.

If you stick to a legitimate program of hypnosis long enough, you will soon be in control and able to get into your car and go wherever you want or need to go.

Eileen McNulty avoided driving for 42 years. But because of The Driving Fear Program, she eliminated her phobia and decided to renew her driver’s license.

The author of this program, Rich Presta, is a world leader in anxiety and phobia research.

He himself struggled for years with a racing heart, profuse sweating, blurry vision and a desire to escape while behind the wheel.

He understands your humiliation and fear. Presta has created The Driving Fear Program after reading countless scientific studies and undergoing innumerable personal treatment exercises.

He has extracted the most effective techniques from his clinical and psychological research to create this program that will guide you on your road to recovery.

Driving Fear Program Review

Many resources deal with anxiety, phobias and panic as general topics.

However, The Driving Fear Program is the most specialized resource that specifically deals with the fear of driving.

It is used by thousands of mental health professionals across the globe.

Presta writes in a clear, comprehensible style. He explains techniques step-by-step and provides personal stories that will help you relate to your own condition.

His tone is encouraging as he immediately points out that your anxiety is not your fault.

In fact, it has to do with your brain being “tricked” into thinking that driving poses a threat.

Presta also advises you to be proud of yourself for each day’s accomplishments while participating in the program.

It is impossible to eliminate your phobia in one day or to be perfect.

Throughout the program, there are tips to deal with days when you are feeling hopeless and ineffective.

Presta encourages you to take baby steps and his genuine guidance and care leap off the page.

The approach to this program is for you to interactively understand and then eliminate your fear of driving through completing a series of exercises.

The Driving Fear Program Manual

This manual will first guide you through an exercise to specifically understand what you fear when you are behind the wheel.

It will ask you to think about if it is a fear of being trapped, of hitting someone, of getting in a fatal accident or some other peril.

You will start to understand your particular symptoms of anxiety and panic attacks.

The Driving Fear Program teaches you an exposure technique to allow these symptoms and attacks to manifest themselves, so you can retrain your brain to realize there is actually nothing to be afraid of.

You will also learn breathing techniques and exercises to relax your body which will reduce your mind’s anxiety levels.

Life strategies like time management, developing goal statements and the seven principles for eliminating anxiety are a part of the curriculum.

Finally, Presta provides you with gradual driving steps, starting from sitting in your parked car, to driving ten miles on the highway and going over a major bridge.

Additional Resources

The Driving Fear Program also comes with an Anxiety Helix Report which helps you deeply understand your own anxiety more.

The S.A.F.E. Series are audio tools that help you relax your mind on a subliminal level.

You’ll also get interviews from mental health professionals, providing supplementary advice, and four bonus e-books ( Change Your Mind, Change Your Life; The Law of Attraction and Your Fear of Driving; Meditation for Driving Anxiety; and, Stress Less Living).

Hear from the Experts

Read a Driving Fear Program review from several mental health experts.

Clinical psychologist Dr. Angela Butkevic, says, “The Driving Fear Program is the BEST resource I’ve found, anywhere.”

The founder of StopStressingNow.com, Steven Diamond, says, “The program is spot on, easy to understand, and probably most important, people can actually USE IT to make their lives better”.

And, Anxiety Management Coach Karen Field says, “It provides a step by step, practical method which anyone can use.”

Start the road to recovery, literally and mentally, by participating in The Driving Fear Program.

Read more about The Driving Fear Program…

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.