Driving Anxiety

Are you experiencing anxiety or panic attacks while driving?

Do you suffer from any of the following symptoms related to a fear of driving?:

  • Fear of highways/freeways

  • Fear of getting in an accident

  • Anxiety in traffic
  • Intense memories or flashbacks about an accident
  • Anxiety in bad weather
  • Anticipatory anxiety about upcoming car travel
  • Fear of having a panic attack while driving

Driving anxiety or driving phobia can be a debilitating condition that significantly impacts your ability to function in several areas of your life. Driving provides freedom and independence to get to work, run errands, make it to appointments, and attend social events. Losing the ability to drive can be detrimental to one’s physical, mental, financial, and social well-being. Sure, there is public transportation available in Denver, but sometimes driving yourself is the preferable option for practical reasons.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO DR. SHANLEY DISCUSS DRIVING ANXIETY ON A RECENT PODCAST

What is causing my driving phobia?

There are a number of reasons an individual can develop driving anxiety or driving phobia. Perhaps you were in an accident or a near-miss accident. Or, maybe you know someone close to you who was in a bad accident, or you witnessed one or saw it on the news. It’s possible that you have always had some anxiety while driving since you first began driving, and have just kind of “forced yourself” to do it for a while, but it doesn’t seem to get any easier.

What can I do about my fear of driving?

If driving is important to you, and anxiety about driving is getting in the way of you living your life, it’s time to talk to a therapist who can help you. Fortunately, treatment for driving anxiety or driving phobia is fairly straightforward and often yields positive results. Cognitive-behavioral therapy, using exposure-based interventions, is a well-researched, evidence-based treatment that has been proven to help individuals overcome their anxiety. Many individuals can remember a time when driving a car caused little or no anxiety, so it may be possible to imagine getting back to that place. With the right attitude and proper guidance from a well-trained therapist, you can be confident you will overcome your anxiety about driving. Contact Dr. Shanley today to schedule an appointment, or click here to learn more about how to overcome anxiety, including driving phobia.

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