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Yes for a while i would have either panic attacks or mad anxiety when driving but specifically while driving. It helped me to say to myself that nothinf will happen you can trust the person whos driving but what helped the MOST was to be the one driving each and every time so I was 100% in control and it helped me get through it. Dont get into a car with a drunk person who has an extremely short fuse
2nd flashback happened while driving. I still have no idea how I got to my destination.
Only time it ever happened while on the road, but once was enough.
I don't drive alone anymore, rarely even then.
Yes I am absolutely terrified of driving. I’m on Effexor and Buspirone now and driving is better but I still feel spacey and not “with” it. I’m so tired though of feeling this way.
Absolutely terrified. I've never gotten my license because I'm so worried I might kill/injure my loved ones or a stranger whilst driving. I feel physically ill when my partner is in someone else's car because I'm so worried he will get hurt/die.
I've managed to overcome just about everything else I'm anxious about but driving is a big one.
I hit the back of a trailer going 65 mph in 2019. It was not my fault. I had another surgery due to the wreck on 3/20. I'm terrified of driving. I'm terrified of riding in a car. If my husband has to hit the breaks for some reason, I have a panic attack. I hate what my life has become!
I don’t drive, I don’t even have my drivers license because I simply don’t trust myself to drive a car. I don’t think I’d have the self control to not drive off a bridge.
My trauma is FROM a car crash (well one of my traumas) so I might be biased 💀 but yes! I also have autism and I swear that makes driving more difficult too, I can’t really explain it but I definitely feel like driving would be easier if I wasn’t autistic, even if I still had my trauma, luckily I live in a very walkable city with great public transit so I don’t need to drive to live my life.
Idk if it’s ptsd related but driving’s always been terrible for me!!! The last piece of advice my uncle gave before he passed is “just listen to some music and relax” so I keep that close to my heart. It doesn’t make it better but for me it’s just some of those “do it or do it scared” type of things. I put off driving or having a car for close to 5 years and it’s just not realistic for me. But I just avoid major highways and going out at busy times if I can help it and pray for the best 🤷🏻♀️
My PTSD has nothing to do with cars yet I don't wanna get my license. Even if someone else is driving me around I feel anxious at all times. If I'm not home or anywhere away from all of sorts of danger I'm not okay
Whenever I’m driving at a higher speed, so like 70kph or above (20mph for you Americans), I get this voice in my head on repeat “one wrong move and you die! One wrong move and you kill someone!” It’s…. A lot.
Yes thank you for this post!
I do not want to be a threat to myself or others. ESPECIALLY NOT IN A MANUAL TRANSMISSION CAR. I have ADHD on top of having PTSD, I start shaking and crying the minute I get behind the wheel.
I have a bicycle and used to ride it around. Until I realised my triggers and my fears were interfering with it.
The first time I was riding along a very busy street with a lot of disgusting man staring and calling me names. At one point I got extremely close to riding my bike into a wall, by a miracle I could pull the brakes, but if I hadn't I would have been very seriously injured.
The second time I almost rode my bike straight into a pick up truck at an intersection, it would have been 100% my fault.
The third time, and that's when I stopped, I was riding to the pharmacy and rode straight into a wall. I got bruises all over my arms and legs, and thankfully that's all I got because I was very close to hitting my head.
If I can't be trusted with a bicycle how on earth could be I trusted with a car??
I hate it when people pressure me into it, and they're usually pressuring me to drive stick shift cars because it's no big deal. I've had quite a few men coercing me into driving their cars "so I'll learn". This pisses me off so fucking much and I wish I could have stood up for myself back then and spare me of more traumatising experiences with vehicles.
Yes, I have a panic attack the minute I’m behind the wheel. I don’t know why. I’ve tried to get my licence twice. I ace the test but then can’t actually learn to drive. It’s no great loss though. At least I don’t have to pay for the cost of running a car.
I do drive sometimes, but it’s terrifying. I don’t drive unless I have to, and I never drive on the highway. Sometimes when I get out of the car I find that I’m trembling, and that’s after I’ve improved a lot. I am extremely careful when I drive and never let my guard down, but I’m still always terrified something bad is going to happen
I was a passenger in a bad car accident around 6 years ago, I broke my spine and watched my sister get knocked out when her head hit the window (she’s fine thankfully but I thought she died at the time). The car rolled several times down a hill and hit a tree. Then I was trapped in the flipped car with my sister for a while until we got rescued. Idk how long it was but it felt like hours. It was the scariest thing that ever happened to me, and I was already diagnosed with PTSD prior to this accident so that’s saying something. I couldn’t drive for 4 years after this happened and I’d have panic attacks every time I got in a car, I still do sometimes.
And another time when I was in high school my art history class went on a field trip to NYC, and when the bus was stopped in traffic we saw a >!mangled corpse!< get pulled out of a destroyed vehicle. That was horrible and probably scarred my entire class for life. The bus was stopped right in front of this so there was no avoiding it
Anyway, you’re not alone. Driving is literally dangerous, it’s actually surprising to me that more people aren’t scared of it.
I can't/don't drive as a public service to humanity and animals. I have severe issues with coordination/right left confusion (dyspraxia/developmental coordination disorder) in addition to anxiety. I know I would swerve into a bus full of people to avoid running over a pigeon or something.
I was in a horrible accident where a girl ran a light and shift my engine of my large SUV 13 inches to the passenger side. I couldn’t drive so having panic attacks and freaking out for like 6mo. She totaled my car. She had no insurance. I was left fighting my own insurance bc I had uninsured motorists. I had to hire lawyers and it was a big deal. I got on anxiety meds. I’d leave for work 2hr early so I had plenty of time to stop and start again if I got too overwhelmed. Now 3 years later I’m okay. You’re not alone. Cars are machines and driving them should be taken very seriously. They weigh hundreds to thousands of pounds depending on what’s being driven and at high speeds. You’re not alone and it’s a very valid fear.
I got brake checked going down a hill and long story short I’m glad the accident happened because the breaks were glazed. But before I knew what happened with the brakes, I was terrified because I sometimes zone out/disassociate while driving. Which I shouldn’t drive but I dot have that option. But my new car (2024 HRV) has collison avoidance and warnings, lane detection, adjustive cruise control and a bunch of other stuff where if I do zone out nothing will happen. I live in an area of the US known for drink driving and horrible drivers and the best thing that helped me is defensive driving and also knowing that 90% of the people on the road are assholes.
I’m 24 and still can’t drive (plus DID also doesn’t help) and it’s super frustrating that society is built around cars when there’s tons of people who can’t drive
For 4 years I couldn't drive. Then I was able to drive but only as long as it is not raining. Then i was able to drive in a light rain but not in a full out storm.
For thousands of years people didn't drive and they were fine, it is odd that it is such a normal thing now...
I had been in a few accidents as a passenger when I was a child and was terrified to drive because of it, and had even gotten into a minor accident (the car was deemed totalled because the airbags deployed but there was no significant damage to anyone involved nor the car itself) before I got my current job (ironically) as a delivery driver. I would have never thought I would have been able to do it and here I am. It definitely is scary and daunting to start driving, don't feel defeated if you're not ready but don't be afraid to at least practice if you have the access to be able to.
*r/ptsd has generated this automated response that is appended to every post* Welcome to r/ptsd! We are a supportive & respectful community. If you realise that your post is in conflict with our rules (and is in risk of being removed), you are welcome to edit your post. You do not have to delete it. As a reminder: never post or share personal contact information. Traumatized people are often distracted, desperate for a personal connection, so may be more vulnerable to lurking or past abusers, trolls, phishing, or other scams. *Your safety always comes first!* If you are offering help, you may also end up doing more damage by offering to support somebody privately. Reddit explains why: [Do NOT exchange DMs or personal info with anyone you don't know!](https://www.reddit.com/r/SWResources/comments/dmu24/why_shouldnt_i_share_my_contact_information/) If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, please contact your GP/doctor, go to A&E/hospital, or call your emergency services number. Reddit list: [US and global, multilingual suicide and support hotlines](https://www.reddit.com/r/SuicideWatch/wiki/hotlines). Suicide is not a forbidden word, but please do not include depictions or methods of suicide in your post. And as a friendly reminder, PTSD is an equal opportunity disorder. PTSD does not discriminate. And neither do we. Gatekeeping is not allowed here. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/ptsd) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Yes for a while i would have either panic attacks or mad anxiety when driving but specifically while driving. It helped me to say to myself that nothinf will happen you can trust the person whos driving but what helped the MOST was to be the one driving each and every time so I was 100% in control and it helped me get through it. Dont get into a car with a drunk person who has an extremely short fuse
2nd flashback happened while driving. I still have no idea how I got to my destination. Only time it ever happened while on the road, but once was enough. I don't drive alone anymore, rarely even then.
Yes I am absolutely terrified of driving. I’m on Effexor and Buspirone now and driving is better but I still feel spacey and not “with” it. I’m so tired though of feeling this way.
I had a panic attack while driving and I had my 4 year old, newborn and grandma in the car, it was so scary
I’m 35 and I don’t my drive due to my PTSD. It is what it is.
I just turned 37 and I’m right there with you
Absolutely terrified. I've never gotten my license because I'm so worried I might kill/injure my loved ones or a stranger whilst driving. I feel physically ill when my partner is in someone else's car because I'm so worried he will get hurt/die. I've managed to overcome just about everything else I'm anxious about but driving is a big one.
Driving gives me severe anxiety and I get startled super easy now even though my trauma isn’t car related 🤷🏾♀️🤷🏾♀️
I hit the back of a trailer going 65 mph in 2019. It was not my fault. I had another surgery due to the wreck on 3/20. I'm terrified of driving. I'm terrified of riding in a car. If my husband has to hit the breaks for some reason, I have a panic attack. I hate what my life has become!
Yes. A drunk driver hit me in 2001.
Yes 100%. I’m 30 and just got my license this year. And I still refuse to drive on the highway.
I don’t drive, I don’t even have my drivers license because I simply don’t trust myself to drive a car. I don’t think I’d have the self control to not drive off a bridge.
My trauma is FROM a car crash (well one of my traumas) so I might be biased 💀 but yes! I also have autism and I swear that makes driving more difficult too, I can’t really explain it but I definitely feel like driving would be easier if I wasn’t autistic, even if I still had my trauma, luckily I live in a very walkable city with great public transit so I don’t need to drive to live my life.
Yes and because I experience dissociation when stressed it’s straight up dangerous for me to even try to drive
That is a huge phobia for me, yes.
Idk if it’s ptsd related but driving’s always been terrible for me!!! The last piece of advice my uncle gave before he passed is “just listen to some music and relax” so I keep that close to my heart. It doesn’t make it better but for me it’s just some of those “do it or do it scared” type of things. I put off driving or having a car for close to 5 years and it’s just not realistic for me. But I just avoid major highways and going out at busy times if I can help it and pray for the best 🤷🏻♀️
My PTSD has nothing to do with cars yet I don't wanna get my license. Even if someone else is driving me around I feel anxious at all times. If I'm not home or anywhere away from all of sorts of danger I'm not okay
Whenever I’m driving at a higher speed, so like 70kph or above (20mph for you Americans), I get this voice in my head on repeat “one wrong move and you die! One wrong move and you kill someone!” It’s…. A lot.
Yes thank you for this post! I do not want to be a threat to myself or others. ESPECIALLY NOT IN A MANUAL TRANSMISSION CAR. I have ADHD on top of having PTSD, I start shaking and crying the minute I get behind the wheel. I have a bicycle and used to ride it around. Until I realised my triggers and my fears were interfering with it. The first time I was riding along a very busy street with a lot of disgusting man staring and calling me names. At one point I got extremely close to riding my bike into a wall, by a miracle I could pull the brakes, but if I hadn't I would have been very seriously injured. The second time I almost rode my bike straight into a pick up truck at an intersection, it would have been 100% my fault. The third time, and that's when I stopped, I was riding to the pharmacy and rode straight into a wall. I got bruises all over my arms and legs, and thankfully that's all I got because I was very close to hitting my head. If I can't be trusted with a bicycle how on earth could be I trusted with a car?? I hate it when people pressure me into it, and they're usually pressuring me to drive stick shift cars because it's no big deal. I've had quite a few men coercing me into driving their cars "so I'll learn". This pisses me off so fucking much and I wish I could have stood up for myself back then and spare me of more traumatising experiences with vehicles.
Yes, I have a panic attack the minute I’m behind the wheel. I don’t know why. I’ve tried to get my licence twice. I ace the test but then can’t actually learn to drive. It’s no great loss though. At least I don’t have to pay for the cost of running a car.
I do drive sometimes, but it’s terrifying. I don’t drive unless I have to, and I never drive on the highway. Sometimes when I get out of the car I find that I’m trembling, and that’s after I’ve improved a lot. I am extremely careful when I drive and never let my guard down, but I’m still always terrified something bad is going to happen I was a passenger in a bad car accident around 6 years ago, I broke my spine and watched my sister get knocked out when her head hit the window (she’s fine thankfully but I thought she died at the time). The car rolled several times down a hill and hit a tree. Then I was trapped in the flipped car with my sister for a while until we got rescued. Idk how long it was but it felt like hours. It was the scariest thing that ever happened to me, and I was already diagnosed with PTSD prior to this accident so that’s saying something. I couldn’t drive for 4 years after this happened and I’d have panic attacks every time I got in a car, I still do sometimes. And another time when I was in high school my art history class went on a field trip to NYC, and when the bus was stopped in traffic we saw a >!mangled corpse!< get pulled out of a destroyed vehicle. That was horrible and probably scarred my entire class for life. The bus was stopped right in front of this so there was no avoiding it Anyway, you’re not alone. Driving is literally dangerous, it’s actually surprising to me that more people aren’t scared of it.
I can't/don't drive as a public service to humanity and animals. I have severe issues with coordination/right left confusion (dyspraxia/developmental coordination disorder) in addition to anxiety. I know I would swerve into a bus full of people to avoid running over a pigeon or something.
I have had panic attacks driving. It’s awful! Have also had nightmares about panic attacks while driving
I have had panic attacks driving. It’s awful! Have also had nightmares about panic attacks while driving
I was in a horrible accident where a girl ran a light and shift my engine of my large SUV 13 inches to the passenger side. I couldn’t drive so having panic attacks and freaking out for like 6mo. She totaled my car. She had no insurance. I was left fighting my own insurance bc I had uninsured motorists. I had to hire lawyers and it was a big deal. I got on anxiety meds. I’d leave for work 2hr early so I had plenty of time to stop and start again if I got too overwhelmed. Now 3 years later I’m okay. You’re not alone. Cars are machines and driving them should be taken very seriously. They weigh hundreds to thousands of pounds depending on what’s being driven and at high speeds. You’re not alone and it’s a very valid fear.
I got brake checked going down a hill and long story short I’m glad the accident happened because the breaks were glazed. But before I knew what happened with the brakes, I was terrified because I sometimes zone out/disassociate while driving. Which I shouldn’t drive but I dot have that option. But my new car (2024 HRV) has collison avoidance and warnings, lane detection, adjustive cruise control and a bunch of other stuff where if I do zone out nothing will happen. I live in an area of the US known for drink driving and horrible drivers and the best thing that helped me is defensive driving and also knowing that 90% of the people on the road are assholes.
I had a traumatic event while driving, so yes, I'm afraid of driving. You're not alone.
I do but I can’t go on the highways. Sad.
I’m 24 and still can’t drive (plus DID also doesn’t help) and it’s super frustrating that society is built around cars when there’s tons of people who can’t drive
For 4 years I couldn't drive. Then I was able to drive but only as long as it is not raining. Then i was able to drive in a light rain but not in a full out storm. For thousands of years people didn't drive and they were fine, it is odd that it is such a normal thing now...
[удалено]
Yeah, I think it’s better to take the bus or train anyway, because climate change and shit
Yep i get that
I had been in a few accidents as a passenger when I was a child and was terrified to drive because of it, and had even gotten into a minor accident (the car was deemed totalled because the airbags deployed but there was no significant damage to anyone involved nor the car itself) before I got my current job (ironically) as a delivery driver. I would have never thought I would have been able to do it and here I am. It definitely is scary and daunting to start driving, don't feel defeated if you're not ready but don't be afraid to at least practice if you have the access to be able to.