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Username: Hehey

Date posted: 2y ago

Exposing myself to driving IS NOT WORKING

I have exposed myself hundreds of times since I got this problem with driving. I get anxious for NO REASON and it's even harder when you're with someone in the car. I love driving. I've had a license for five years. I am confident in my driving and have not had this problem before. Yet, random anxiousness shows up when I'm on the road and I have gone to the point where I'm driving for no reason other than exposing myself, but it does not go down. I keep getting it, I accept it, yet it keeps showing up. I'm not anxious on my way to the car or when I leave it, it's only when I drive it. I can't find any possible reason why it's like this and it's annoying at this point.

Username: kctgkctg

Date posted: 2y ago

Are you sure you are not doing any compulsions before, during or after you’ve been driving? Compulsions can be very sneaky if they’re mental

Username: HeheyHehey

Date posted: 2y ago

I would not say I am, but I do have (as I have with walking) that I Have to decide what route to take while I'm driving, as in, in the upcoming junction, I HAVE to turn right, turning left would not be an option. I've had this before and while it is really bothering I would not say this is the case at all, since I walk with same thoughts

Username: NicaNica

Date posted: 2y ago

Are you doing this with a therapist? Doing it on your own is often extremely hard to do if you have no guidance.

Username: HeheyHehey

Date posted: 2y ago

No, I've done multiple with therapist though and I've been on and off therapy for years

Username: StillHoldingOnStillHoldingOn

Date posted: 2y ago

Might need to start with smaller exposures first. Start with a slow neiborhood, hardly any traffic. Using a breathing exercise during can help. Breathing in and slowly count 1......2.......3.........4.....then breathe out 1.........2..........3..........4....... Gradually try other places driving your a little bit more comfortable driving in at first and only for shorter periods of time. Gradually extend the drive and Gradually change locations starting from most comfortable to least comfortable

Username: HeheyHehey

Date posted: 2y ago

Right! So I've done this in different sets, changing amount of minutes I drive to where I drive, it still keeps going

Username: StillHoldingOnStillHoldingOn

Date posted: 2y ago

@Hehey I'm so sorry youre having to go through this right now. It sounds really hard. Your therapist might be able to help you get to the root of the issue for why these things aren't helping. Possible digging into the root of the fear. Or maybe asking about taking an anti-anxiety medication before begining with tiny exposures 🤔

Username: HeheyHehey

Date posted: 2y ago

@StillHoldingOn I guess this would be an option. I've come to term that I no longer really have an option other than medication left. Talking only gets me so far and falling back is too easy after therapy. Thank you for your comments though

Username: StillHoldingOnStillHoldingOn

Date posted: 2y ago

This is different, but my son had a phobia to walking on the stairs. I started exposures really tiny at first. I started just getting him to stroke the carpet with his hands. After that I started setting him down for a few seconds and them scooping him right up. Once we'd done that a while I gradually put him down for longer periods of time and now he is no longer afraid of walking in the stairs. OCD is different from phobias if course, but the same principle applies. If we hadn't started out small, I don't think he would have recovered, it was too much too fast. Very tiny exposures fir very short periods if time helped him to build his confidence. If you start very small and end the drive quickly where you have a place to exit fairly quickly after a couple of minutes, I think this could be beneficial for you. It would help if someone could take over with driving after the 2 minutes are up

Username: HeheyHehey

Date posted: 2y ago

Thank you for your comment (as well as all of you others who commented), driving is almost a must some days which force me to expose it either way. It's not like I'm scared of the driving itself, I really enjoy driving and thinking of it wants me to go back into my car and go for a drive, but the anxiety randomly starts and it has been like it for months.

Username: HeheyHehey

Date posted: 2y ago

@Hehey Correction: randomly when I drive

Username: StillHoldingOnStillHoldingOn

Date posted: 2y ago

@Hehey Oh, I see. It just happens while you're driving. Is it that you're afraid of the anxiety attacks themselves bc it happened while driving? If that's the case, it could be exposure to the attacks themselves that is needed, but in a different way, like learning not to be afraid of the attacks themselves by accepting that when you go for a drive you may have anxiety, but that's its ok. Counting slowly while breathing in and out could help with the attacks. So, when the anxiety starts you could say, "this is just OCD/anxiety and I'm just going to let this run its course. It's normal to feel anxiety sometimes. I'm just going to let this pass through." And then you could do the counting and breathing and b4 that say, "this is just anxiety, I'm just going to let this be here, but I'm going to do my counting and breathing in the meantime." Oftentimes, I have noticed that if I don't allow myself "permission" to have the anxiety and to accept that it's there, it brings on more anxiety and attacks. After I give it permission to be there overtime it gradually fades. So it's like I'm learning to just accept the anxiety itself as normal and then it becomes less and less I apologize if I misunderstand the context. It sounds very distressing. I'm so sorry you're going through that. Sorry for the long replies. I hope you find what you need. Here for you

Username: HeheyHehey

Date posted: 2y ago

@StillHoldingOn Thank you, yes it could definitely be that I'm afraid of the actually anxiety itself and knowing it happens in a car it might be enough for it... Thank you for the tips, I really appreciate them

Username: HeheyHehey

Date posted: 2y ago

@StillHoldingOn Again I want to add something after sending the previous message. Yes, I guess accepting and giving permission to it is the hardest part. I can accept that "ok, there's the anxiety" but accepting the fact that it feels the way it feels is harder

Username: StillHoldingOnStillHoldingOn

Date posted: 2y ago

@Hehey Right, bc its very uncomfortable to feel that way. I understand 💛

Username: StillHoldingOnStillHoldingOn

Date posted: 2y ago

@Hehey Yw. I'll be praying for you in this

Username: HeheyHehey

Date posted: 2y ago

@StillHoldingOn Thank you, kind online person 🌟

Username: Jordo

Date posted: 6y ago

I am new to this, and really hope it helps. I have pretty severe driving OCD. It has definitely gotten progressively worse. Every bump in the road I hit, every bicyclist, every-time I have to drive on the highway I constantly worry that I hit someone or caused an accident. Some of the rituals I have been experiencing include driving around the “scene” multiple times, checking my rear view mirror (a lot), checking the local news to see if there were any accidents in the area. I have to have my husband confirm there is no damage on my car... it’s endless. To put it plainly, it is beyond exhausting. It’s also pretty lonely as the majority of people I tell have no clue or just look at me like I have 10 heads. If anyone else goes through this my heart is with you, it’s awful.

Username: A Vero

Date posted: 3y ago

Does anyone else get anxiety from driving? I would think that driving often will help it go away but does the fear of driving ever go away?

Username: marissa630

Date posted: 1y ago

Driving OCD.

Does anyone have very bad driving anxiety. I do. I didn’t get my drivers license Until I was 23 my mom made me. I know I’m a good driver but my OCD tricks me into saying you hit this, or that. And I always have these rituals and compulsions such as driving back to the area where I thought something might have happened, seeking reassurance, or if I’m thinking in my head about what I need to do when I’m getting home from work or wherever I’m driving back from like I’ll say to myself what I’m going to dinner, or I have to do laundry when I get home. I’m still paying attention to the road. My OCD tricks me and says you weren’t paying attention to the road what of something happened.

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Exposing myself to driving IS NOT WORKING

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