Driving - Anxiety

[mousse]

I’m glad I found this thread although I’m nowhere near as bad as I was 10 years ago (when I had a panic attack when I couldn’t park somewhere for a work thing and quit the job on the spot for similar reasons days later).

Some of the things which have helped me:
This book: https://amzn.eu/d/hahzsv1
Driving an automatic
Beta blockers
Driving a smaller car
Anti depressants
Nervous humming
My husband breaking his leg so I had no choice but to drive
All of the parking sensors and cameras
Driving a faster car
Avoiding places where the car parks are too busy even if it means walking further
Always listening to the same music
Never parallel parking
I can’t drive with an audience
Shouting at other drivers

 

[mousse]

It’s only been in the last couple of years I’ve been sufficiently adrenaline free that I’ve sneezed while driving

 

[ThatB***hCarolBaskin]

I’m glad I found this thread although I’m nowhere near as bad as I was 10 years ago (when I had a panic attack when I couldn’t park somewhere for a work thing and quit the job on the spot for similar reasons days later).

Some of the things which have helped me:
This book: https://amzn.eu/d/hahzsv1
Driving an automatic
Beta blockers
Driving a smaller car
Anti depressants
Nervous humming
My husband breaking his leg so I had no choice but to drive
All of the parking sensors and cameras
Driving a faster car
Avoiding places where the car parks are too busy even if it means walking further
Always listening to the same music
Never parallel parking
I can’t drive with an audience
Shouting at other drivers

Me and OH swap and change what car we use, we don’t have his and hers if you get what I mean, basically whoever has the kids with them gets the big car (mostly me). One of the cars is a little car and the other is a big 4x4.

at first I point blank refused to drive the big car and would squish both kids, car seats and prams into the smaller car. It was so stressful cos everything had to be a certain way to fit and when you have two kids screaming at you it’s hard so one day I was like I can’t do it anymore I’m going to have to take the big one.

now I’ll do whatever it takes to not end up with the small car for the day! . I feel so much more confident in the big one!

one thing that helped me was going to a busy carpark with my OH in the car and him making me repeatedly park in all types of spaces. Now when I’m panicking he tells me I’ve done it before I can do it again!

 

[Pesky Tarian]

Every Christmas I take my parents to their childhood church then around relatives, it's 3 hours driving all motorways and tiny B roads (my least favourite). I was dreading it so much this year I nearly asked my husband to do the run but I knew if I did I would never do it again. So I did it and it was ok, the buzz afterwards was immense. Keep persevering ladies (and gents?) 🫶

 

[Chocolategoggler]

There's an official video in the last 4 minutes of this, telling you what to do in various road scenarios if you hear a siren:

 

[Pinkfoxxie]

Had my driving test on Thursday!! I only went and passed!! I was so nervous but the examiner was lovely, I did end up on very unfamiliar roads and sort of had it in my mind I wouldn’t pass so just sort of used it as a lesson!! Got a couple of minors but that was it