The fear of driving receives the scientific name of amaxophobia. Is a special type of fear that some people suffer at the prospect of driving.

These people experience anxiety to varying degrees and intensity in the car and it can happen when they are a passenger or are the driver. They are afraid of entering a bridge, entering a tunnel, driving at night or even experience the vertigo of the sensation of going at high speed.

Suffering from specific fears is not something new for human beings. Already in Egyptian times, ancient papyri were found where they recorded suffering from specific fears. In fact, Its current name has its origins in the Greek word «phobos», which means fear, panic and terror and also takes it from the deity of the same name who caused panic in his enemies.

Why is it considered a specific phobia?

The fear of driving is part of specific phobias. which are characterized by the appearance of an irrational fear of a specific situation. Marks already characterized it in 1969 as being:

• Disproportionate to the situation that creates it.
• It cannot be explained or reasoned.
• It is outside the voluntary control of the person who suffers from it.
• It leads to active avoidance of the feared situation.

How can this fear affect me?

These concrete and irrational fears They affect 12% of the population and they have the particularity of causing clinically significant discomfort or social and occupational deterioration. They can affect important areas of people’s functioning and erode their daily routine.

There are some people who, overcome by intense fear, decide to stop visiting friends or family because they don’t take the car. They also give up jobs if they are too far away and involve using this means of transportation.

But, for us to consider it a type of phobia, It must have a minimum duration of six months, currently falling within the category of so-called “Anxiety Disorders.” of the “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders and Illnesses” called DSM-V.

Why am I afraid of driving?

When we explore the internal world of these people we observe that Fear of driving can be precipitated by a variety of reasons, but the The common denominator in this experience is that most people are trapped in the viscous fear that something negative will happen to them.

This thought is so powerful that it triggers a torrent of anxiety.

In fact, one of the most common causes that precipitates it is the intense fear that awakens them from having a panic attack while driving. This fear of anxiety and experiencing a similar situation is what paralyzes many, as well as the disturbing nature of not having any rational explanation to understand why they react that way and having no way to contain it.

They may also have been affected after the following events:

• Having suffered an accident in the past.
• Having suffered the experience of feeling lost.
• Traveling through heavy traffic.
• Having seen a traumatic accident on television.
• Have a close person who has suffered an accident.
• Not having enough security or confidence in driving skills.

It is easy to understand that each of these situations will have a different emotional impact on each person. In some can be traumatic, Therefore, it will be the therapist who determines, after assessment, which therapeutic tools are the most appropriate to overcome the blockage.

What symptoms can I experience?

We find that much of the anticipatory anxiety is expressed in the body map by:

Abundant physiological alterations such as:

• Excessive sweating.
• Difficulty breathing, short and shallow.
• Chest pain.
• Feel the drumbeat of a heart that accelerates.

Manifestations in the behavioral sphere:

• Feeling an uncontrollable desire to quickly leave the situation in search of a safe haven.

Changes in the emotional sphere:

• Feeling that you have lost control of the situation that is inherent to the experience, which generates deep insecurity regarding your coping skills if you are involved in an unforeseen or emergency situation.

How to overcome the fear of driving

Although we have mentioned that it is necessary for a Psychologist to evaluate each case, given that we may be faced with anxious personalities prone to feeling anxious in a variety of situations, this being one among others, it can help you a lot to take into account some of these guidelines:

1. Welcome the discomfort

If you are going to face a situation that scares you, understand that it is natural for you to react with nervousness and anxiety. That’s why it’s important become familiar with tolerating a certain degree of discomfort and discomfort because it is natural and inherent to facing a feared situation.

2. Train yourself in relaxation and mindfulness techniques.

Relaxation techniques such as mindfulness will help you calm down and stay focused on the task at hand.

3. Focus on the now

Fear is nourished and fattened by negative thoughts that frighten us. That’s why focus attention on the task you are carrying out and what happens in the present moment will work as a powerful antidote when you detect that you are in “negative anticipations” mode: “I’m going to have an accident,” or “I don’t control the situation,” can be examples of the internal dialogues that one directs toward oneself.

Check that none of what you think is happening. Observe that thought is one thing and reality is another.

Accompany it with phrases that give you confidence and security such as: «Everything is fine, nothing of what I fear is happening. I am driving safely and responsibly. Everything is fine.»

4. Face the feared situation “little by little”

Researchers have shown that the best way to face a feared situation is to do it “little by little” and in phases, so that we expose ourselves to the situation that scares us progressively and work on it. reduce anxiety levels to make it more manageable.

• At the beginning of the exhibition, a person you trust can accompany you, even if the final objective is for you to drive alone.
• So, for example, the first step can only be sit in the car without starting it. When anxiety levels decrease, we move on to the next point, turn the key, Then we started driving around the neighborhood and so on. It is important to give yourself time.
• Prepare the situation and spend some time visualizing that you successfully carry out your objective.
• Imagine yourself safe and happy, carrying out appropriate and responsible driving and reaching the point you have imagined.

5. Practice every day

Dedicate an average of one hour each day. The more you practice, the more familiar you will be with the real situation. and the easier it will be for you to overcome the phobia. Expose yourself and familiarize yourself with the various scenarios you expose yourself to when driving.

There will be times when you see that you are facing very difficult situations, but it is important that you use all these strategies to cope with the situation. Give yourself some time off if you need it, 15 or 20 minutes, before resuming driving (but understand it as part of the coping experience).