anxiety/panic preventing me from getting license

I’ve been learning to drive for nine months now, and I could technically take the test tomorrow. But my driving anxiety has never improved. I still dread driving for hours beforehand, days beforehand, etc. And after not driving for a few days, it’s like my anxiety convinces me I don’t know what I’m doing and i “forget” how to drive. A week later and I’m terrified to even get in a car. The same happens when I use any other car but my instructors, which has a safety brake in the passenger side. I thought it would get easier with time but it didn’t. The anxiety is actually stronger now. I can’t afford more lessons unfortunately. I know some might say “just practice everyday!” but it’s not possible with family working. I must be able to not drive for a few days, and still be just as good at driving. Like everyone else. I know it’s an anxiety/ocd problem I just can’t prove it. The last thing…in my state if you fail the test three times you must redo all your behind the wheel lessons. I can’t afford that, so I’m very scared I will fail and be forced to redo everything.

Emma0425

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: Yesterday

I totally understand I have the same issue I am 21 and still don’t have my license

Mimi <3

Date posted: Yesterday

@Emma0425 It’s tough isn’t it!? My family doesn’t have driving anxiety, they all learnt and got their licenses within one month…It’s hard to explain unless you’ve been there urself. Wishing you the best ❣️

Emma0425

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: Yesterday

@Mimi <3 Same for me it really is hard to explain to some who doesn’t understand like we do wishing u the best luck aswell 🩷

Anonymous

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: Yesterday

I would maybe try to hone in on what it is that you're afraid of in particular. Not just being in a car, but what's your worst case scenario, the nightmare you're trying to prevent. That's the fear you have to face. (Crashing? Hurting someone? Losing money?) Then practice doing exposures with -that-. It sounds like getting in the car is step 1 or 2, but you gotta go on to step 3. Exposures for that would be maybe sitting in the car and picturing your worst case scenario, maybe saying something like, "Maybe I will crash. Maybe i will drive just fine. I'm choosing to learn to drive regardless." Let yourself get scared without trying to make yourself feel better or get reassurance/certainty that it will be all right. Notice how anxious you get. Then just wait until your anxiety has gone down by half and you can get out of the car. It might take 10-20 minutes of just thinking about your car crashing before that happens. It sounds like you've worked very hard already! But keep trying. :)

Mimi <3

Date posted: 14h

@Anonymous This is really good advice thank you. 🥹🙏🏼My fear is all of the above, but primarily losing control of the vehicle *because* I’m not skilled enough, fast enough, or mentally competent enough. Like having a panic attack on the road and then losing control sort of deal….It makes me anxious to the point of sickness.. But I’m going to take note of the fears and carry them with me into the car. Maybe I’ll journal while I’m in there. I really need to conquer these fears. Thanks again! 🥹 Really appreciate it

avantika

Date posted: Yesterday

NO THIS IS SO REAL, i am eligible to take my g2 test next month but i highkey rage quit driving after making one mistake and i never want to revisit it again bc im terrified but trust guys we will get those licences 😭🙏

Mimi <3

Date posted: 14h

@avantika YES I relate so hard on the mistakes part…Every time I make an error on the road it’s like my confidence is crushed and it is really difficult to recover. But yes we will do it!! Maybe slowly, but surely!!!! ❣️

PRIV8

Date posted: 24w

I might avoid going to get bloodwork done...

2 days ago I decided that I will do my bloodtest, last time i was in 2017 and for some reason when i stood up I started to feel dizzy and I couldnt see anything, I didnt fainted but i was close to it,the nurses quickly layed me down, and then i was fine, but the whole day my body was shaking. I was afraid of blood test, and i always avoided it, but my health anxiety got worse cause i was afraid everytime that i have cancer but i cant check it cause im afraid of bloodtests. This year i had to do other medical tests and now they asked me to do bloodtest too, and 2 days ago i said okay this week i will face this fear. And i felt excitet, motivated and happy that finally i will face my fear. I did not cared if i faint cause it might not happen but if does I can handle it, i will feel good after i wake up. But someone after some hours, the fears came up, and i wanted to face them (cause people say you need to challenge the thoughts) so i tried to challenge them and find ways that i will handle those scenarios, but after time i got stressed cause i didnt know how to respond. If i faint and then vomit and feel sick and vomit alot of times cause im also panicking to the point they have to take me to the hospital... this jist scared me. I dont know how to handle that panic. The body will react to the blooddrown so either way i will feel bad. And im afraid of it and I cant deal with that fear.I dont know what to do if i will feel sick the whole day, if i will vomit the whole day and faint because of stress. This might be catastrophising but now these thoughts comes up, if i imagine myself being there and getting my blood drawned, i imediatelly feel the panic and these scenarios come up and then i dont know what to do so i just panic... Last night i asked help from others and it helped that some said that its pretty rare that you will vomit after blooddrawn, people who do are sick already or they are really scared. And this made me feel good but then i read about it and i found out that its pretty common that people faint, or vomit or fo both after blooddrawn... and now im just thinking about not going... i cant deal with it cause idk what to do. Breathing techniques didnt worked for me, if im panicking and i try to relax by breathing, i get more stressed cause my brain knows i do it to calm down and the panic is a danger so i get more panic... idk what to do.

Health Concern OCD

justsomone1

Date posted: 22w

independence.

okay so I’m 18, I’ve always been kinda a homebody , especially recently starting lexapro made my anxiety worse at first ect. I feel so scared to be in the “ real world” because I feel like I’m not independent at all:/ I’ve never had a job I had 1 at 16 for 2 weeks and it wasn’t to bad. I can drive , but it’s kinda hard for me , I get scared of thinking of the future and independence “what if I’m not capable” “What if my mental health doesn’t allow me too” ect ..:/

Gmoki

Date posted: 22w

Sharing a little ocd win today

I’ve avoided driving majority of my teen years because I got into a head on collision when I was 17. Even before then, I was absolutely terrified of driving. Saying I was terrified is an understatement. I’d literally shake at the thought of anything to do with cars and imagine my body scrunching up with the car metal after getting into an accident. OCD would convince me that I simply cannot trust myself behind the wheel, and that something bad will happen - like I’ll kill my self, someone else, or an animal and I hated it. Needless to say, I genuinley could not bring myself to get started with driving until I was 19, which was a few months ago lol. I got my permit at 17, practiced driving a tiny bit then stopped after the accident I got into. I eventually got the permit renewed a few months ago at 19, then I finally got my license a month after. Now I’m 20, and today I drove myself 45 mins to and from work! I still need to practice more, but holy lord I never thought this day would come. All the years I’d feel embarassed/judge myself have come to an end. Just because I was delayed at doing something doesn’t mean I’m not capable. For anyone who has goals they want to reach and they feel like they’re impossible - they’re not. Fight OCD as best as you can. I hope I can be a symbol of hope for anyone whose struggling

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anxiety/panic preventing me from getting license

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