Therapy for Driving Anxiety
Convenient In-Person & Online Driving Anxiety Therapy
Feel confident in your driving and overcome panic, anxiety, and fear with evidence-based therapy for driving anxiety. We offer in-person sessions in Baltimore and convenient online therapy across Maryland. Contact us today to schedule an appointment.
Introduction To Driving Anxiety
What is Driving Anxiety?
Driving anxiety or driving phobia involves feeling deeply worried, fearful, or panicked about driving. It can affect anyone, regardless of experience or confidence in other areas of life. For example, you might feel your heart race and your palms sweat at the thought of merging onto a busy highway, or perhaps a distressing event like a near-miss accident has made driving feel impossible. This anxiety may arise in specific scenarios, such as highways, bridges, heavy traffic, or it may extend to driving altogether.
Who We Help
Common Symptoms of Driving Anxiety
This fear can cause severe physical and emotional reactions, such as:
Feelings of unease or panic attacks: These may occur before or during driving.
Physical symptoms: Such as a rapid heartbeat, sweating, or difficulty breathing.
Avoidant behaviors: Relying on others for transportation or avoiding driving altogether.
For some, driving is limited to ideal conditions. Others may refuse to drive over bridges, in heavy traffic, during bad weather, or on unfamiliar roads. These restrictions can significantly disrupt daily life. Driving anxiety might prevent you from:
Visiting friends or family.
Running errands or participating in social activities.
Maintaining or securing employment if driving is required.
It can strain relationships and limit independence.
These challenges may lead to feelings of shame or embarrassment.
While modern conveniences like same-day delivery, Uber, and remote work make avoiding driving easier, this avoidance often worsens anxiety over time. Known as the “avoidance cycle,” this pattern prevents you from realizing that driving is not as dangerous as it seems. Under the guidance of a therapist, gradual exposure to driving challenges can help you break this cycle and rebuild your confidence.
OCD & Driving Anxiety
Worried I Might Cause An Accident
For many people, driving anxiety is deeply connected to a fear of causing an accident or being responsible for harming others. This fear can be overwhelming, especially if you feel a heightened sense of responsibility for the safety of everyone on the road. It may manifest as obsessive thoughts about making mistakes, replaying “what-if” scenarios, or avoiding driving altogether to minimize risk. These concerns are common among individuals with obsessive-compulsive tendencies (OCD), where the focus is on preventing perceived harm at all costs. Learn More About Harm OCD.
This type of anxiety often leads to hypervigilance, such as double-checking actions, hesitating at intersections, or overanalyzing traffic decisions. While the intent is to ensure safety, these compulsive behaviors can increase stress and reinforce the cycle of avoidance.
Therapies like CBT and ERP are particularly effective for addressing these fears. CBT helps identify and challenge thought patterns related to excessive responsibility or catastrophic thinking, while ERP gradually exposes you to driving scenarios to reduce anxiety about potential mistakes. Through therapy, you can learn to trust your abilities, manage intrusive thoughts, and regain confidence behind the wheel.
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What Our Clients Are Saying
How We Can Help
Stop Driving Anxiety From Ruining Your Life
Driving anxiety is a very common fear that can have serious impacts on one’s quality of life. Fortunately, there are several steps you can take to help overcome your anxiety and get back on the road. By combining evidence-based therapy with the right support, you can start taking steps to overcome this challenge and regain your independence.
Evidence-Based Treatment For Driving Anxiety
At Behavioral Health Direct, we specialize in helping individuals overcome driving anxiety through compassionate, evidence-based treatments. Our therapy approaches include:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT):
CBT helps you identify and challenge thought patterns that drive your anxiety. For instance, if you believe every highway trip is dangerous, CBT helps reframe this belief, addressing cognitive distortions like catastrophizing (expecting the worst) or overgeneralization (assuming all highways are unsafe). By empowering you to make meaningful changes in your thoughts and behaviors, CBT promotes healthier, more balanced ways of thinking about driving and builds your confidence on the road.
Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP):
ERP works by gradually exposing you to anxiety-provoking driving situations in a controlled and supportive environment. For instance, you might start by sitting in your car without driving, progress to short drives on quiet roads, and eventually tackle highways or busier traffic. This step-by-step approach helps reduce anxiety by directly confronting triggers while learning to manage your emotional response. ERP directly challenges and breaks the avoidance cycle, one of the main contributors to driving anxiety. This makes it one of the most effective ways to regain confidence and comfort behind the wheel. Over time, it helps you not only reduce anxiety but also develop the belief that you are capable of handling challenging driving situations.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT):
ACT encourages you to accept anxious thoughts and feelings rather than fighting them. For example, if you feel nervous about a long drive, ACT helps you focus on your values, such as visiting a loved one, instead of letting anxiety dictate your actions. The anxiety might still be there, but ACT teaches you to unhook from it – to notice it without letting it dominate you. You learn to shift your attention to something different and more meaningful, like the purpose behind your drive or the things that matter most to you. By incorporating mindfulness, ACT fosters psychological flexibility, teaching you to stay grounded and not become overwhelmed by intrusive thoughts. This builds resilience and helps you approach driving with confidence.
Location and Service Area
Baltimore, Maryland, & Online Driving Anxiety Treatment
At Behavioral Health Direct, we specialize in helping individuals overcome Driving Anxiety with evidence-based therapy. We offer in-person sessions at our Baltimore, Maryland office, providing a supportive and welcoming environment for clients looking to overcome their fear of driving. For added flexibility, we also provide online therapy to residents across Maryland and Florida, ensuring you can access expert care from the comfort of your home. Whether you prefer in-person or virtual sessions, our goal is to help you break free from driving anxiety, panic, increase your confidence and independence.
Contact us today to learn more or schedule an appointment.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Driving Anxiety
Is It Normal to Feel Anxious About Driving?
Feeling anxious about driving is more common than you might think. Anxiety is a natural part of the human experience, and it doesn’t have to stop you from enjoying life. While some level of anxiety around driving is normal, if it becomes so intense that it keeps you from driving or even thinking about driving, it’s time to seek help.
Where Does Driving Anxiety Come From?
Driving anxiety can stem from many different causes, such as a past traumatic experience like an accident, a fear of losing control, or worries about being judged by other drivers. Sometimes, there’s no clear cause at all—and that’s okay. What matters most is finding ways to move forward and manage the anxiety effectively.
Can Driving Anxiety Be Overcome?
Absolutely! With the right support, driving anxiety can be managed and even overcome. Techniques like cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), mindfulness, and exposure therapy are highly effective. Working with an experienced therapist can help you challenge anxious thoughts, build new coping skills, and gradually face your fears in a safe, supportive way.
How Long Does It Take to See Results?
The time it takes to overcome driving anxiety varies for each person. Some people see improvement in a few weeks, while others may need several months of practice and support. The key is to stay consistent and celebrate small victories along the way.
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