What Triggers Anxiety While Driving, and What Are Some of the Solutions?

Anxiety while driving is a mental disorder affecting both males and females. This involves feelings of immense dread, anxiety and or apprehension towards driving with no justifiable reason. Experts have shown that this condition affects about one in ten people at some point in life. Anxiety while driving falls under mental disorders known as neuroses. Neuroses are phobias that affect individual´s behaviour but not their rational thinking. They may exhibit anxiety every time they sit in a car driving or not. Though it affects both men and women, women are more affected by this condition regardless of their age.

This condition may be triggered by a traumatic experience in the past that affected the motorist like a collision, car accident or any other event. This may cause a motorist to be more apprehensive, unsafe and insecure while driving. The condition may also be triggered by driving under stressful conditions like speeding vehicles on a motorway, or traffic congestion regardless of previous driving experience or accidents encountered. The signs that show a motorist experiencing an anxiety attack are dizziness, trembling or shivering, nausea, headaches, flushing and stomach upset. As these anxiety signs progress, the motorist develops driving phobia. Phobias tend to protect the body against potential dangers. This is when the mind conditions the body into believing that driving is dangerous, so the person may be apprehensive and he may experience panic attacks while on the road.

A motorist may consider consulting a medical professional like a psychiatrist or a psychologist after experiencing such symptoms; he must get a proper diagnosis and know which treatment options are available. This condition is not permanent and, with help, one can overcome it. A motorist may positively affirm him or herself by thinking positively, instead of thinking about the bad experiences in the past. He can reaffirm himself by saying that he is an excellent driver and by thus doing boost his confidence on the road. He or she may also avoid hesitation as this triggers anxiety and panic while driving. If a motorist stops without knowing which way to go, he may worsen the situation causing snarl ups, and he becomes unsure. A motorist may try to relax the body and mind, and ease tension every time he sits in the car, through meditation and he may strengthen his respiration system by trying out some breathing exercises. Another therapeutic means of trying to get back to driving is taking a few minutes a day driving from home, around the neighbourhood and back.

Medical experts suggest that an affected person should do this every ten minutes and have regular five minute breaks. This helps the motorist view driving as a relaxing experience.

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