Skip to main content Skip to bottom nav
  1. Forum
  2. Trauma Support
  3. Driving anxiety

Driving anxiety

10vefool August 18th, 2022
.

I’m currently 22 years old (soon to be 23) and i feel like getting my drivers license had been the toughest battle in my adult life. I first got my permit and started driving when i was about 17 and my dad was the person “teaching me” at the time. I don’t think i was as scared of driving as I am now back then but i still dreaded getting into the car with him to practice bc i would always feel so insecure. After practicing for a while the road test for the first time in 2017 and failed. I did parallel and reverse parking perfectly but once i was on the road i just got so nervous and felt so inexperienced and almost got into a car accident during a left turn DURING my test which caused me to fail automatically. Honestly i think getting in the car with a stranger as a new driver and almost getting in a wreck scared me enough to keep delaying retaking my test. Also that was the summer before college and I didn’t really need to drive once i was at college so i just put it off for the entire 4 years and just relied on other people and transit to get around. But now i’m 22 and back in the suburbs so it has become a necessity again. However i’m currently working from home so that give me the freedom to continue to put it off. I recently started practicing again and took the test but failed based on small errors that added up even though i thought i did really well. I feel like i’m just cursed or something bc i really want to get over my driving anxiety through exposure by driving alone (people being in the car makes me more nervous) but i can’t even do that without a license. I just generally feel so bad embarrassed about it and feel so behind in life because of it and feel stuck. I want to try to take the test again soon but even being at the dmv is embarrassing and nerve wrecking to me bc of my past experiences of failing. I would love to know if anyone has been in the same boat and how you were able to overcome it. Thanks :)

2
Luna268 August 19th, 2022
.

@10vefool

I know exactly what you mean. I wish I had someone to tell me that I was not a total anomaly when this happened to me!

I didn't learn how to drive until I was 27. Never drove a car before that and didn't care about it so I had zero idea about driving basics.

My boyfriend taught me and it was really hard to do because I would feel super embarrassed of making mistakes. I was really bad and kept making mistakes and my test date was coming up. But we got an instructor to come and teach me the basics and that really helped. It helped me mostly because the instructor is someone neutral who explained things and didn't know me from day to day. It made me more comfortable to just have a good mindset ready to learn and not worry about being embarrassed.

Maybe try this for 1 cheap session. If it works for you then maybe hire the instructor for a full course.

This will help you build confidence and then take your test.

The one thing to remember when driving is that safety is priority. Your driving won't be perfect, allow yourself to be a student.

As long as you don't put yourself or others in danger, who cares if you missed your freeway exit? Haha. Exit at the next exit and get to your destination safely. 🙂

Hope I could give you some comfort. Happy driving, best of luck on your test and stay safe!

10vefool OP August 20th, 2022
.

I will definitely look into trying to find a course or something bc driving schools here cost hundreds 🥲 but thank you so much for sharing your experience it definitely makes me feel better that others have gone through this and overcame it eventually!

*Support Forum Disclaimer
My communities
Community guidelines
Report an issue
Considering Therapy?
Talk to an expert therapist