View topic - Fear of driving
I have a deep fear of driving. I manage to deal with it and drive when I absolutely have to, but if I could get away with it I'd never drive again and be perfectly content with that.
It's irrational because I'd even prefer to ride in a car with a terrible driver than drive anywhere myself. It's not something I can help though. I get a lot of crap for it and I feel bad when I inconvenience people.
I just don't get it I guess. I know people who are afraid of spiders, snakes, etc to the point where they can't even do some zones in a game, and yet I get crap for being afraid of driving.
I was in a car accident when I was 17 and for a while after I was also afraid of even riding in a car. I especially hate driving though, I think it comes from being afraid that I will hurt someone else if I crash. To me it's no big deal if I crash and just hurt myself, but the thought of hurting someone else just terrifies me. It's even worse now that I have a daughter, I'd feel beyond awful if I crashed while she was in the car too. I just can't handle it.
It's irrational because I'd even prefer to ride in a car with a terrible driver than drive anywhere myself. It's not something I can help though. I get a lot of crap for it and I feel bad when I inconvenience people.
I just don't get it I guess. I know people who are afraid of spiders, snakes, etc to the point where they can't even do some zones in a game, and yet I get crap for being afraid of driving.
I was in a car accident when I was 17 and for a while after I was also afraid of even riding in a car. I especially hate driving though, I think it comes from being afraid that I will hurt someone else if I crash. To me it's no big deal if I crash and just hurt myself, but the thought of hurting someone else just terrifies me. It's even worse now that I have a daughter, I'd feel beyond awful if I crashed while she was in the car too. I just can't handle it.
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I understand your trouble, and I won't give you crap about it like everyone else does.
I can't relate to this personally, because I don't even have my permit yet, but I do have a few friends who are afraid to drive, so understand that you aren't alone.
Best advice I have is: Don't drive if you aren't comfortable behind the wheel.
It's like swimming, if you start to panic the chance of you or someone else getting hurt goes up significantly.
So don't get on the road until you feel right.
I can't relate to this personally, because I don't even have my permit yet, but I do have a few friends who are afraid to drive, so understand that you aren't alone.
Best advice I have is: Don't drive if you aren't comfortable behind the wheel.
It's like swimming, if you start to panic the chance of you or someone else getting hurt goes up significantly.
So don't get on the road until you feel right.
I'm 24 and I still don't have my lisence. If my fiance wasn't making me get it, I probably never would. I am beyond nervous about driving, I just know I'm going to kill someone, or ruin someone's life, smash the car up, hit a dog, ... the list goes on. I'm too small and cars are too big, other drivers are erratic and unpredictable, and the speed they want me to go at is just way, way too fast for me to be moving in a vehicle that could kill something if I turn the steering wheel too far to the left by accident. My hand-eye coordination sucks, my reflexes are shit, and I'm too damn short to see over the steering wheel. I'm a nervous wreck about driving and I haven't even taken my beginners yet.
So my point is... you're not alone. If I had my way, I would never drive a car. I'd rather take a bus for the rest of my life, but it's just not practical when you have two adults to go to two seperate jobs, kids to go to daycare in the opposite direction, morning buses only coming once an hour... bleh.
In your case, where you said you had an accident, have you tried seeing someone about the possibility of even mild PTSD? It's not as uncommon as some people think, and it could be a fear that could be greatly eased by some counselling or a nudge in the right direction.
So my point is... you're not alone. If I had my way, I would never drive a car. I'd rather take a bus for the rest of my life, but it's just not practical when you have two adults to go to two seperate jobs, kids to go to daycare in the opposite direction, morning buses only coming once an hour... bleh.
In your case, where you said you had an accident, have you tried seeing someone about the possibility of even mild PTSD? It's not as uncommon as some people think, and it could be a fear that could be greatly eased by some counselling or a nudge in the right direction.
Thank you both so much. I got some crap for not driving when I lived in Oklahoma. I won't even drive in the biggest city in Vermont, and Tulsa I think is bigger than all of Vermont. A lot of the reason I wouldn't was because for the longest time we had no car, and when we did finally get one we had problems getting them legal.
I am working on getting a counselor though for my depression. I am on some medicine for it too, which has actually increased my anxiety over driving. It makes me so tired. That's how I got into my car accident in the first place, I fell asleep behind the wheel. I worked at wal mart at the time and they kept me later than I should have been there, and they also hadn't given me my lunch break.
I am working on getting a counselor though for my depression. I am on some medicine for it too, which has actually increased my anxiety over driving. It makes me so tired. That's how I got into my car accident in the first place, I fell asleep behind the wheel. I worked at wal mart at the time and they kept me later than I should have been there, and they also hadn't given me my lunch break.
Hell I'm 27 and still don't have a license and doubt I ever do. For the longest time no one believed me when I said I didn't know how to drive. They'd let me get behind the wheel of their vehicle and then I was never, ever allowed to drive in their car again I just about gave them a heart attack.
Well I told you didn't I?
Honestly though, I've tried to drive again recently and the only thought stuck in my head is "Holy shit I can kill someone with this thing..." and have had no desire to learn since.
Well I told you didn't I?
Honestly though, I've tried to drive again recently and the only thought stuck in my head is "Holy shit I can kill someone with this thing..." and have had no desire to learn since.
Words exist because of meaning. Once you've gotten the meaning, you can forget the words. Where can I find a man who has forgotten words so I can talk with him? ~Chuang Tzu
I have to send in my license renewal and ugh sometimes I just want to "accidentally" lose it. But then I would have to take the test again. I know it is necessary and I will drive when I have to, but I just wish I didn't get so much crap for it.
I am 28 years old and never learned to drive. I never had any interest in learning. I'm not very coordinated, so it seems like I'd either be awful (and dangerous) at it or it would take me forever to learn. I don't have that kind of time. And cars are expensive. So is gas. And car maintenance. And I hate going places alone anyway. So my mother, my partner, and my partner's mother drive me around. I don't know what I will do when they're not around anymore, but it works for now.
Llewellyn wrote:I am 28 years old and never learned to drive. I never had any interest in learning. I'm not very coordinated, so it seems like I'd either be awful (and dangerous) at it or it would take me forever to learn. I don't have that kind of time. And cars are expensive. So is gas. And car maintenance. And I hate going places alone anyway. So my mother, my partner, and my partner's mother drive me around. I don't know what I will do when they're not around anymore, but it works for now.
And insurance...insurance is expensive too.
I like to think I'm doing the environment a favor anyways by either taking the bus if I'm going somewhere alone or just going with my husband. Besides, we both work in the same building with essentially the same shifts. (Or at least I can cater my schedule to do so.) Bringing two cars to the same building for the same shift is a bit wasteful if you ask me. <_<
Words exist because of meaning. Once you've gotten the meaning, you can forget the words. Where can I find a man who has forgotten words so I can talk with him? ~Chuang Tzu
I turned 23 last December and nope, I am not a driver. : )
I do not even have a permit. I never once drove a car...and I have NO desire to.
I mean, I did try a good amount of times to get a permit and learn...because I thought I just had to...like I thought I had to go to college because like "everyone" does that. -shrugs-
I never had a real desire to learn. Hm, so yeah. My parents and friends just drive me around and I am no burden....to me I think I am not since I never really have to go anywhere.
The only important place I need to be at is work and my parents help me with that. My mom drives me there and my dad picks me up.
I do not want to drive because I am afraid to. I always have horrible nightmares about crashing and or driving wildly and flying off from the road...and landing in a huge body of water....and drowning to death.
I do sometimes feel like I am "behind" since my friends drive...but whatever...
I do not even have a permit. I never once drove a car...and I have NO desire to.
I mean, I did try a good amount of times to get a permit and learn...because I thought I just had to...like I thought I had to go to college because like "everyone" does that. -shrugs-
I never had a real desire to learn. Hm, so yeah. My parents and friends just drive me around and I am no burden....to me I think I am not since I never really have to go anywhere.
The only important place I need to be at is work and my parents help me with that. My mom drives me there and my dad picks me up.
I do not want to drive because I am afraid to. I always have horrible nightmares about crashing and or driving wildly and flying off from the road...and landing in a huge body of water....and drowning to death.
I do sometimes feel like I am "behind" since my friends drive...but whatever...
Yeah I would actually really love to be able to walk to work. Unfortunately there's nothing within walking distance. Just houses. It would be good exercise though!
This is a lot more common than you think! If you feel like you're inconveniencing people than tell them that, apologize and see if there is something that you can do to pay them back in turn. True friends shouldn't care and will understand your reasoning.
My sister in law is very anxious about driving, she now even sits in the backseat since she had her baby. I don't know what the underlying fear is but I think it's a lot more common than you think.
My sister in law is very anxious about driving, she now even sits in the backseat since she had her baby. I don't know what the underlying fear is but I think it's a lot more common than you think.
Yeah I guess it is! A lot of people in this thread face the same thing. People in real life give me crap over it a lot. They don't seem to understand that I can't help it. If I could choose not to be terrified and stressed when I get behind the wheel then that would make my life a hell of a lot easier.
i'm almost 23 and i've only been behind the wheel once. after that, i was quite set on never driving again. i have terrible anxiety, and i've been in plenty of car accidents. there are only a small handful of people i'm comfortable having drive when i'm in the car too...everyone else, i'm buckled up tight, gripping the seat. i'd much rather walk lol
Maybe I should start a support group! It must be nice to actually like driving or to not see it as a big deal. Those are usually the people who feel the need to tell me I should just get over it, as if it's that easy.
Darling Harlequin wrote:Maybe I should start a support group! It must be nice to actually like driving or to not see it as a big deal. Those are usually the people who feel the need to tell me I should just get over it, as if it's that easy.
How much you want to bet those are the same people that cause wrecks?
Words exist because of meaning. Once you've gotten the meaning, you can forget the words. Where can I find a man who has forgotten words so I can talk with him? ~Chuang Tzu