Fear Of Driving: How Do I Know If I Suffer From A Phobia?
Fear of driving is a relatively common phenomenon in all types of people of age to drive these vehicles, and it is not in itself something that should be a problem in all cases. Sometimes it is okay to suffer this type of discomfort simply because you have neither the desire nor the need to drive, and it can also happen that this fear is easy to overcome in a matter of hours or a few days, and that it does not hinder driving. .
Now, there are cases in which the anxiety caused by driving can cause many problems, to the point where it is a factor that damages the person’s quality of life.
In these cases we talk about amaxophobia, or phobia of driving. But… How can we recognize the limit that separates what is simply unpleasant or uncomfortable, on the one hand, and what is pathological, on the other?
It is estimated that around 20% of drivers suffer to a greater or lesser extent from a certain level of anxiety while driving. However, in most cases we cannot speak of a phobia. To a certain extent it is to be expected: the high speeds that we experience riding in one of these vehicles, combined with the awareness that in a few seconds we could cause moral accidents, can be interpreted as a source of constant danger.
And at the end of the day, natural evolution has not been molding our brains so that we are very good at moving so quickly; We need months of practice just to start doing it without serious danger, and even with a license, accidents are frequent (very rarely will we see birds colliding with natural elements in their environment when flying, for example).
Normally, we reach a point where we learn to handle the car, motorcycle or whatever vehicle well. But Just as we can learn to stop being afraid of driving, we can also learn to earn it. (involuntarily, of course). And sometimes, this fear is so intense that it stops being fear and becomes psychopathology.
Thus, phobias are a mixture of biological predispositions (the fact that we can experience anxiety allows us to react in time to dangers) and learning (we can associate any emotion with any stimulus).
Now, it is not always easy to understand well what type of emotions we are experiencing, and whether what is happening to us is a psychological disorder or not. Although diagnoses are ultimately made by mental health professionals, it is important to know some keys to detect signs and symptoms of psychopathologies. And in the case of driving phobia, the key ideas that help us know if we are suffering from it or not are the following (they do not have to all occur in the same person).
1. When driving or trying to drive, we feel like we lose control over our body.
The feeling of loss of control over oneself is typical in phobias all types. Tremors and respiratory agitation also appear.
Where there is a phobia of driving, The act of closing our eyes and imagining that we are driving causes our anxiety levels to rise significantly.
3. We look for excuses not to drive
Those who do not drive for economic, ecological or logistical reasons (for example, lack of parking) do not look for excuses not to choose cars and motorcycles as a means of transport. But those who suffer from driving phobia are inclined towards lying or hiding their main reason.
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4. Catastrophic thoughts appear when driving or going to drive
As in all phobias, the phobic stimulus causes pessimistic forecasts to arise about what will happen in the next few minutes.
5. We are worried that in emergencies we will be forced to drive
Those who suffer from a phobia of driving too experience, from time to time, anxiety at the idea of circumstances arising in which they must drive for an emergency or for something a family member or friend needs.
Are you interested in having psychotherapeutic support?
If you are thinking about starting a psychotherapy process to overcome a phobia, a source of stress or any other type of emotional or behavioral discomfort, contact our team of professionals. In Cepsim Psychological Center We have been serving adults, children and adolescents for years, and we offer our services in person, in our centers located in Madrid, and online through video call sessions.
