Hi gang! I am sooo glad I found this site as well. I am 29 years old and having a terible time not driveing. I have been dealing with panic and agorophobia for over half my life. I am starting to wonder if when I was a child and my mom used to take me in the car and drink has caused me to fear driving. I am ok in a vehicle if there is no trafic and I am not driving though? I have some encouraging words---you will get better. I have been panic free and driving before and will again. I to just got married two months ago and that is why I think that my panic started again. I think that any life changing experience causes me to panic. I have had three episodes--high school senior year, college senior year and marrage. I am so depressed and gained 80 pounds because I eat when I am depressed and find myself puttying me...my husband is the best though and is so supportive yet I push him away dailly...I have a fear that he will leave me if I do not get better. He has to plan his day around getting me to work and back adn can not go anywhere and leave me at home by myself....this is horrible and I think sometimes it is not worth it too!!!! Hang in there we will all concor this together! Thank you! Lisa

Hi all! I'm new. Having a hard time driving too. Can't quite put my finger one why, but I know it is avoidance. I moved from Tulsa to Dallas, and Dallas traffic is INSANE and all the billboards, and twisty curvy highways taller than most buildings in Tulsa. Way to overstimulating for me. And have witnessed more wrecks happen in front of my very eyes in the past year, than I had in my whole life. Add to that we're driving an 82 Suburban after owning a geo metro for years. Everytime I go above 40, I feel like I am going to take off flying. Have never driven it on the highway except for once when I got on by accident, and got right back off practically screaming the whole time. Then to make matters worse, we drove a different car on a road trip. It was a very stressful trip that had a lot of car trouble, and we missed the wedding we were headed too, and my husband was really stressed and my MIL picked a fight with us. (I feel LOTS of anxiety around MIL.) And on the way home, with the car not being able to go over 30 mph seriously on dark highways in the middle of the night with HUGE diesels flying past us. I decided to give my husband a break, and when one of those big trucks would fly past, I would have this frightening image of myself jerking the wheel into the trucks on purpose. It was such a strong image, that I feared losing control and actually doing it. Never have been more afraid of myself in my life. Especially with my two kids in the back seat. I all but stopped the car in the middle of the road. Driving since then has brought MUCH anxiety. And the strangest thing is, I was ok after I got back. I made myself drive, I knew I couldn't avoid it. But, I never went back to the highway. I haven't driven on the highway since May. And the past couple of weeks my anxiety has been bad, and I haven't driven at all...and don't want to!! Blarghhhhhhh! I didn't read the whole thread, but I think when we get the car we took on the road trip back in a few weeks. (And get rid of the TANK.), I am definately going to have to do some highway driving...an exit or two. I just can't stand the thought of doing with my kids in the car, so I'll have to find a sitter or something...

Dear rachel, my name is Misty, and Im 24. I completely understand everything that you said. I was in a car accident and almost died.People that dont understand our problems have no idea what it feels like, and how much they hurt us.Do they think that we enjoy feeling bad about ourselves,and not being able to do what we want?My husband has hurt me so much and acts like I deserve it, because I dont drive.But I know Im a good person and im sure you are too, so how about we show everyone that we can do it.We can try together!

Hi everyone, Im so glad I found this web site. I just started,and Im so relieved that Im not the only person in the world that is scared to drive.Im 24 years old and not driving is ruining my life.I want so bad to be able to work,or even something as simple as taking my son to McDonalds alone.Im so ashamed to be me, and i feel so alone.I recently had to leave my husband because of his mental abuse,and cheating.He says that its because I dont drive, Im sure you can imagine the pain that i feel.Well Im gonna give it everything Ive got and hopefully I can be as brave as all of you are.Just reading your messages is giving me a new since of hope!

Hi Leigh-Anne You mentioned that you've been married for two months. I wonder whether this is actually related to the development of your agoraphobia. I've been in three long term relationships (of several years) and every time, like clockwork, the agoraphobia set in after a couple of months and I had to work to overcome it again. I think that if you have underlying agoraphobia, sometimes being in a situation where you're ABLE to express it - eg, someone can drive you places or look after you - lets you bring it out. Then you have to learn how to choose to do things for yourself even though someone else can help you. I'm absolutely certain you will eventually recover if you get the right help - from books, counsellors or whatever. It does take time. Don't think you're weak or useless because this has happened to you - I'm sure you're a good person. I know two other people with agoraphobia well, and both of them are lovely, kind individuals and I would never want them to think they were worthless.

LeighAnne, yes it is all worth it. Don't ever think it's not!! I was really bad at the start but am so much better now. You will get better. No you won't be like you were before, you will be better! When you get over this you will have new confidence and tools to handle yourself with the other things in life. I'm not sure about the legal side of things with your work. Whilst I'm not sure of your job/money circumstances, I will say getting your health right is more important than anything else. Panic disorder is real tough at the start which u r finding. It's natural to feel down about things, but please don't think you are a burden and all that other stuff you wrote. It takes hard work to get better, but you can do it.

Hello. I came upon this sight today while looking for help. 4 months ago while driving I was hit out of nowhere with what I later learned was a Panic Attack. I have had so many of them now they are debilitating. After a few emergency room vsits I have been prescribed xanex which I refuse to take. I have an appointment Wed. with a new docotr and am hoping for the best. Getting in my car now terrifies me. I stay up all night and worry. I watch the weather channel to see if there is going to be rain, because that scres me even more. I have tried many things but nothing helps me. I am becoming agoraphobic, and that terrifies me also. My job is in jeapordy, and when my husbnad can't take me I call in sick. My question is can one take a leave of adsence from a job for panic disorder legally. I want to go bsck to work, but not until I can drive myself. I work for a very large company, that so far has been great, but wonder what I can legally do and not do. The terror in my life has become unbearable, I have become afraid of everything, including meds and eating. I keep losing weight and all I want to do is sleep now. I begin to wonder is it worth it? Should I continue to put mself and my family through this? Why me, I was a very outgoing person, the life of the party, and now I am a worthless scared heap on the sofa, whats the point? My husband of 2 moths (yes we got married in the middle of this saga) is so wonderful and understanding, he is a saint...but it is not fair to him. He takes me to work when I can go, and to doctors and everywhere. He is so concerned about me, but nothing helps. I wonder if anything ever will, or if I will be a burden to the world. I do not want to be a burden, I have always been the one who takes care of everyone, but now I can't even get dressed without being scared. So does it get better, and if it does does it ever go back to the way it was before? I am sooo tired of all of this. I just want it all to stop.

I am trying to brace myself for the future because I am realizing I may never be able to drive well enough to get to where I need to go by myself. If any of you have teenagers, especially girls, I urge you to encourage them to get into driver's ed as soon as it is permitted. I don't think I'd be in this position if I had learned to drive early on.

Hello my name is Rachel I am 23 and have never had my license. I have been in 2 major car accidents where i wasn't the driver. I have driven, but not alot. Everytime I get into the car I start freaking out, Breathing really fast and hard, holding my breath, just wanting to scream! Nobody I know really understands, that is why I am sooooooo glad I found this site! I am very determined to overcome this fear, all my friends make my fear seem so petty, they say things like "Just go out and take the drivers test" Makes it sound so easy, but to me my fear is real. Thank you for all the support, I am looking forward to supporting anyone I can.

Hi, my name is Liz. I'm 18 and recently I have developed a fear of driving. I don't know why, I mean, when I first started driving I was excited. But slowly I began to dread every trip I had to make. I don't really know how to explain it. I'm fine when I'm all alone on a road but if there are other cars I get nervous. It has gotten to the point of where I make excuses to have other people drive me places. I really don't know what to do, especially since I need to drive myself to school in the fall. My parents don't understand my fear and tell me I just need to drive more, but with each trip my fear gets more intense. I just don't know what to do anymore, I can't make excuses for the rest of my life. Any suggestions?? --Liz