Hypnotherapy for Driving Phobia
Article by Paul and Denise Douglass, North London Hypnotherapy
In this article, we will look at...
- Using hypnotherapy to help with driving phobia (the fear of driving)
- What are the symptoms of the fear of driving?
- Hypnotherapy can help with driving phobia
Using hypnotherapy to help with driving phobia (the fear of driving)
For someone with a fear of driving, their fear can really get in the way.
Situations that might seem like normal, everyday situations to mose people, like going shopping, driving to meet friends, taking the children to school, may be almost impossible for someone with a fear of driving.
Someone with a fear of driving might be unable to drive in certain situations (like driving on motorways or dual carriageways), or the might find that driving anywhere is difficult, if not impossible.
The fear of driving might even prevent the person from passing their driving test in the first place, because of the fear that someone with a fear of driving might experience when they are trying to learn to drive.
For someone with a fear of driving, driving lessons, and especially the driving test, can be really unpleasant experiences.
The fear of driving is not exclusively felt by new drivers though... even someone who has been driving for many years can start to feel a fear of driving starting to creep in.
For someone for whom driving has become such an integral part of their life, the fear of driving can have a really detrimental effect on their life.
For some people, the fear of driving may feel like an anxious feeling in certain situations (like driving on motorways or dual carriageways, driving over high bridges, or driving in winter), whereas for other people, even the thought of driving at all can bring on feeling of complete panic.
What are the symptoms of the fear of driving?
The symptoms that can come with the fear of driving are many, and varied, but can include...
- Avoiding driving on motorways or dual carriageways
- Avoiding driving in the winter
- Taking alternative routes to avoid driving over high bridges
- Avoiding driving in town traffic or anywhere where there might be heavy traffic (sometimes avoiding driving during the rush hour)
- Nervousness joining motorways
- Anxiety when driving in the 'outside lane'
- Sudden feelings of panic while driving
- Avoiding driving altogether
- Avoiding driving during periods of poor visibility (like rain or fog)
- Nervousness when negotiating roundabouts
- Fear of losing control of the vehicle
- Nervousness of causing an accident
- The fear of being out of control
Hypnotherapy can help with driving phobia
The fear of driving can be helped greatly by a short course of hypnotherapy. Sometimes, the fear of driving can be caused by an underlying anxiety or stress, that the person is feeling when they feel uncomfortable or out of control, and driving can be just causing them to feel this anxiety or stress 'coming to the surface'.
If we can help the person to feel less anxious or stressed, both while driving, and generally in life, then the fear of driving can get better.
Come and Meet Paul or Denise!
If you're in North London, why not come and meet one of us for a chat?
Come along to one of our North London practices, and you'll get a very warm welcome... we can have a good chat about it all, and see what might be the best way forward for you from here.
If you're not in the north London area, still get in touch, and we might be able to put you in touch with someone in your area.
