Hypnotherapy for Driving Anxiety

 
 
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Is driving anxiety common?

39% of drivers feel anxious behind the wheel, 23% are anxious on roads with more than one lane and 47% avoid motorways by taking another route according to a 2018 study by Nissan*. There is no official term for the fear of driving but it is very common and can have debilitating effects. Driving anxiety is often kept secret because of the fear of judgement; this can make us feel guilty and shameful of our phobia, giving it even more power over us.

Physical symptoms of driving anxiety include:

  • Avoiding certain roads or areas

  • Making excuses so we don’t have to drive at all

  • Dizziness while driving

  • Sweaty palms

  • Shortness of breath

  • Heart palpitations

  • Racing heart

  • Dry mouth

  • Sweating

  • Anticipatory stress or worry before we have to drive

Everyone experiences driving anxiety differently, sometimes it’s so severe we are unable to even sit behind a wheel and other times we continue to drive on a daily basis but avoid places with roads we feel unable to handle. Sometimes driving anxiety is related to certain situations such as driving alone, driving in an unfamiliar area, driving at high speeds, being trapped in a traffic jam, driving in bad weather, driving at nighttime or driving alongside large vehicles.

I only feel anxious on the motorway

Motorway driving is very different from driving on smaller roads, it requires more intense concentration and anticipatory skills. Travelling at high speeds, the intimidation of other drivers and the responsibility for the lives of our passengers and other drivers can be overwhelming. The RAC conducted a study suggesting that 8 million Brits claimed that they ‘hardly ever’ drive on motorways**. 

Why do I have driving anxiety?

Driving anxiety can occur for many reasons:

  • Past experience(s) - If we suffer from a bad experience, near miss or witness an accident, this can have an effect on how we perceive driving and increase fear levels surrounding it.

  • Learnt behaviour - Witnessing one or both of our parents fear driving can affect our ability to drive without anxiety. We observe and copy our parents’ reactions and behaviour as children and take on their fears and anxieties as our own.

  • Lack of confidence - Being an unconfident driver can contribute to driving anxiety, we are responsible for our safety, our passengers’ safety and the safety of others on the road. It’s easy to become overwhelmed by this responsibility and want to avoid it. 

Hypnosis for driving anxiety

Hypnotherapy is an effective method for overcoming driving anxiety. Your therapist can speak directly to your subconscious turning any negative feelings you may experience towards driving into positive ones. As well as positive suggestion, your therapist may use storytelling to help you imagine a scenario where you feel calm and in control while driving. A mixture of these methods can help improve your self-confidence and enable you to drive without fear.

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*Source Nissan UK. A study conducted on 2000 drivers.

**Source AA study - note some drivers may be avoiding motorways for reasons other than anxiety.