When I first went to my doctor she told me that most of the people who come to her after suffering a panic attack that it€™s due to driving or the freeway, but I live in southern California, don€™t know if that has anything to do with it.

hi everyone, i really am amazed how many others with this fear there are. Its so encouraging to hear that you are aLL fighting it. I have a long haul ahead, i suffer terible performance anxiety with a driving instructor on top of the panic i have out there on the road so I am working on that first. I think you are all so brave thank you. mariaD.

Yeah, it only started a few months ago for me. I have been under a lot of stress and I€™d hate to think this is something that couldn€™t be cured. As much as I dislike driving right now the one thing I wouldn€™t let myself do when it first happened was not drive. I have to drive almost every day to go to work anyway, but I was afraid if I didn€™t get back in the car right away, even if it was only driving half a mile, that it would make it worse. I was getting better for awhile and then I ended up in the hospital in a coma because of something completely unrelated and since then it seems even worse. So that is why I started the program, but I am only just beginning my second week so I€™m hoping it will help.

Hi Jamie, I know it sounds really corny but I have got so much just from knowing that there are other people out there who have this same problem. I have a perfectly normal life in all areas, a responsible job, kids, etc etc-people think of me as a confident, self assured and most of the time pretty centred-but its like I have this terrible dark secret (I'm panic stricken about driving). But I really do believe that it will pass-I have driven confidently in the past, in fact driven without the consciousness of driving-if you know what I mean. It will come again. I have been driving this morning and I suddenly realised that for about 10 minutes I had forgotten that I was driving-I had gone into that remote control status where I was noticing the autumn leaves on the paths, the birds and the storm clouds threatening. I was not "driving" the driving. Step, by step inch by inch. I understand your difficulty in living in LA-I live in Australia on a pensinular between two rivers, bridges on both sides of me-this whole episode began some years ago with a panick attack on one of those bridges- I really do know that this will pass. Would love to hear more of your story...........

I also have panic attacks whenever I drive, in fact that is the only time I have panic attacks. Might not be so bad if I didn't live in Southern California where I have to drive everywhere. It's so hard, I have a panic attack almost every time I drive, which is basically everyday.

Good for you! Just remember not to do too much to quickly. If you find yourself going too fast, just go back one step. Do remember to take it in baby steps. We'll be here for you.

Thank your for this discussion-I only found this site accidentally a couple of days ago-and thought I'd give the program a serious try. I have been extremely fearful about driving for the last 6 years, in fact, I have only been driving again for the last 12 months. I am naturally a "panicker" and have had various situations that have "terrified me" over the years (elevators, lifts, public speaking) only to find that they have, with the passing of time, gone away. Not so the driving. Last year after not having driven for years my family decided to but me this expendsive, gorgeous sports car thinking that it would be the end of my problems. Of course they didn't understand- what I then had was a car, anxiety and now guilt. Every time I looked out into the street and saw this spanking new, shiny, car I felt even more dismal-a failure, a freak and a disappointment to everyone. At least when I didn't have a car I had an excuse not to drive-now that was over. My 16 year old daughter was keen for me to show off the car to her friends and begged and pleaded with me to drive she and her girl friends around-I was just so terrified and now embarrassed as well. I had to confide in her that I had this problem with driving-she was sympathetic but confused. How could her mum (who can do heaps of other scary and more terrifying things) be frightened of something that seems so easy. I needed to get into action. I started by driving just very short distances (up and down my street)-saying to myself that I could stop anytime I wanted to. It has been slow progress (I have been doing it on my own-so very happy to have found this site). I can now drive confidently to number of places (always down the back streets, out of the traffic)-but there are still a number of places that I avoid. I am very excited about this program (I know from other things that this can be overcome)-I'm currently doing the exercise for the 1st session, ie spending 30 minutes a day "uncomfortable". Yesterday I drove down a main highway for 10 minutes, drove around an area I didn't know and then back again on the highway.It was fine. My moniker is how I embarrasingly refer to myself when for the last 6 years I have had to ask my husband to drive me everywhere. I long to free of that. I believe

thank you again mary. i understand now how to turn a really big scary thing into tiny little steps. i feel it will take a long time but that's ok. thank you again it helps tp know i am not alone. maria d.

Hi Maria. I'm new too. I experience anxiety even when I think about driving. I got my licence at 31. I still have the fear. It is a challenge every time but I am facing it and it's worth it. I suggest that first you consider the possibility of driving and visualize what the positive benefits would be for you. Take your time. Post any questions or concerns you might have and we will support you. When you become comfortable with that thought, then you can start to explore ways in which you can learn to drive. We are here for you.

hi i'm new. i was finally told that what i had been going through was social phobia. for most of my life i thought that i was a freak. my life was put on hold a lot with depression, extreme panic, self loathing and so on. i have overcome a lot but still pretty shaky on and off. i am very lucky in that i have a loving husband and 2 great kids. i have lost some old anxieties and gained new ones mostly to do with the kids. and lately the anxiety is getting worse. anyway, i have never driven due to extreme panic. i want to find others with this fear and wonder if there is anyone who has overcome it. i suspect this fear represents more than just driving for me. thank you for listening. maria