I know how challenging it can be to overcome driving anxiety, because I recently did it myself. Growing up, I had a few negative experiences behind the wheel that left me with an irrational fear of getting back in the driver’s seat. But after years of avoiding and enduring overwhelming feelings of panic whenever I thought about driving, I decided to take action and confront my fears.
The first step was to understand why I was so afraid. I realized that a lot of my anxiety stemmed from a lack of confidence in my abilities as a driver; in particular, managing traffic and making turns correctly. So, I decided to tackle one skill at a time and build myself up slowly. Whenever possible, I asked someone else to come with me on short trips until my comfort level increased enough for me to take solo drives without having panic attacks.
As time went on, my anxiety lessened significantly and eventually culminated into more positive feelings associated with driving. Instead of dreading the experience, it became an opportunity to practice what I had been learning while also testing my newly acquired skills in real-world conditions. Nowadays, rather than being consumed by fear whenever I think about taking the keys out for a ride, I look forward to it!