What is a Phobia?
A phobia is a type of fear. Fear is a normal part of life. Without fear we wouldn’t be able to take sensible precautions in order to keep ourselves safe from genuinely dangerous situations. For example, it is normal to feel anxious about walking alone down a dark alley at night. In this sense anxiety is useful as it warns us when danger is threatening.
Severe anxiety -
A phobia is a disorder in which our body reacts in exactly the same way in situations where there is absolutely no need for the “Flight or Fight” response. For example, driving across a busy town centre.
What is a Driving Phobia?
Driving Phobias are very common. In fact, a lot of people suffer from driving phobia without even knowing. There are many different types of driving phobias. A few include; driving in heavy traffic, driving on motorways, parking in busy areas, driving at night, driving on steep hills, dealing with other road users, dealing with roundabouts or complex junctions. These are just a few examples of driving phobias as driving phobia can manifest itself around any part of the driving experience.
What are the symptoms of Driving Phobia?
Driving phobia can produce a number of unpleasant physical symptoms of “normal” fear. These could include:
In severe cases you may “feel” like your about to die or go mad. There can sometimes be a “feeling” of yourself losing control or injuring someone.
The most overpowering “feeling” is normally the urge to “leave or escape” from the situation you are in and this in turn develops a fear of the situation because of the unpleasant experience. This is the main factor which makes the phobia stronger -
What causes Driving Phobia?
The cause of a driving phobia can vary. A driving phobia could have been caused by a traumatic experience which acts as a trigger when you are in similar situations. An example of this could include being involved in a car accident either as a passenger or driver.
To be honest, whether you know the cause or not is irrelevant. The main thing is that you have noticed the problem and are seeking positive help to fight your phobia.
What is Drive Therapy?
Drive Therapy is a simple step by step course which helps you conquer your driving phobia, whatever it may be. Having studied the effects of anxiety and phobias, I find that by using a variety of life coaching, driving instruction and CBT (Cognitive Behaviour Therapy) techniques an effective way to help you slowly overcome your driving phobia. So you can relax and enjoy driving again!
There is no medication, hypnotherapy or any other weird or wonderful potions required. Just your courage to face your fears in a controlled and structured way with my support and encouragement!
