Driving anxiety is a syndrome that affects many people.
The tools to cure this affliction are within the sufferer's control if he just knows what techniques to use and has the will power and determination to use them.
Often, the techniques that are used to overcome a fear of driving are already being used by the sufferer, only in a negative fashion.
For instance, the tool called "imaging" calls for the sufferer to visualize himself in a situation where he is in control of his anxiety and competently driving his car without stress.
Often, however, the driver will visualize just the opposite.
He will picture himself driving down the highway having a panic attack! This is using imaging, but it is using imaging in a negative way.
Likewise, rather that using positive statements to oneself as is called for in the technique called affirmation, the person who suffers from panic disorder associated with driving will actually make affirming statements that enforce negativebehaviors.
For example, a driver who has the particular fear of driving in the rain will look at a cloudy sky and think "I know I'm going to have a panic attack on the highway if it starts to rain.
" Thus the fearful driver sets up a self-fulfilling prophecy.
The fearful driver will also tend to escalate the panic attack episode.
At the first sign of driving anxiety such as sweaty palms, the driver will start to have thoughts such as "Oh, here I go.
I am going to have a panic attack.
" The driver can also use past incidences as an 'excuse' to escalate his fear.
"The last time I drove over this bridge I felt like I was going to have a heart attack.
Now I'll bet it will happen again.
" Therapeutic techniques that will capitalize on the sufferer's already strong "inner voice" and turn that voice into a force to overcome the phobias associated with driving can make great strides in curing driving anxiety.
The driver will focus on what he is presently imagining or 'saying to himself' and consciously turn those thoughts in a positive direction.
Often simply the act of becoming aware of how one is creating a self-fulfilling prophesy will be just the catalyst that a fearful driver needs to take control of his mental situation and start on the road to full recovery from driving anxiety.
The tools to cure this affliction are within the sufferer's control if he just knows what techniques to use and has the will power and determination to use them.
Often, the techniques that are used to overcome a fear of driving are already being used by the sufferer, only in a negative fashion.
For instance, the tool called "imaging" calls for the sufferer to visualize himself in a situation where he is in control of his anxiety and competently driving his car without stress.
Often, however, the driver will visualize just the opposite.
He will picture himself driving down the highway having a panic attack! This is using imaging, but it is using imaging in a negative way.
Likewise, rather that using positive statements to oneself as is called for in the technique called affirmation, the person who suffers from panic disorder associated with driving will actually make affirming statements that enforce negativebehaviors.
For example, a driver who has the particular fear of driving in the rain will look at a cloudy sky and think "I know I'm going to have a panic attack on the highway if it starts to rain.
" Thus the fearful driver sets up a self-fulfilling prophecy.
The fearful driver will also tend to escalate the panic attack episode.
At the first sign of driving anxiety such as sweaty palms, the driver will start to have thoughts such as "Oh, here I go.
I am going to have a panic attack.
" The driver can also use past incidences as an 'excuse' to escalate his fear.
"The last time I drove over this bridge I felt like I was going to have a heart attack.
Now I'll bet it will happen again.
" Therapeutic techniques that will capitalize on the sufferer's already strong "inner voice" and turn that voice into a force to overcome the phobias associated with driving can make great strides in curing driving anxiety.
The driver will focus on what he is presently imagining or 'saying to himself' and consciously turn those thoughts in a positive direction.
Often simply the act of becoming aware of how one is creating a self-fulfilling prophesy will be just the catalyst that a fearful driver needs to take control of his mental situation and start on the road to full recovery from driving anxiety.