After the minor car accident I had some couple of months back, I had been avoiding to drive the car like mad. I’ve made excuses, gave up going to places or begged my husband to drive me even when he can’t because of his other obligations at work. My driving phobia even cost me and M some unnecessary taxi fares – I refuse to take him to the airport when he needs to because I don’t want to drive.
Today, I had to drive to work again. No more excuses, no other choice. It’s too hot to take the bus, too expensive to take the taxi (we don’t live far but I’d rather buy Pristine a new book or DVD than pay for taxi) and plainly, it’s ridiculous not to go to work by car when we have one and I am a licensed driver. Silly driving phobia! I used to love driving but now I think I’m back to having a neophyte driver’s courage, or the lack thereof. Like someone who has just been issued a license. Suddenly, I find myself asking, how many seconds should I look into the rear and left and right mirrors! How I found it so scary to merge into traffic or change lanes in a 6-lane highway.
I feel so small and the car’s steering wheel is soaking wet.
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good for you for facing up to it. i don’t know how to calm phobias…time, maybe. make sure you pamper yourself when you get home to reward yourself for dealing with that! (not sure how busy moms find time for pampering, but if it’s possible, it’s worth it.)
Thank you for the encouraging words. I didn’t reward myself for anything – I just thanked God I came home in one piece!
Oh for the pampering, I played Wii tennis and nailed all my opponents…it’s my stress reliever!
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After all these years of driving every day, I am still the neophyte of which you speak. I’ve always been 100% sure that one day, I’ll get pushed off the road by a gang of wayfarin truckers and they’ll have their way with me. Sad, but true, the delusion.
But for you….that won’t happen to you. You’re back in the saddle and rarin’ to go girlfriend!
Isn’t it strange how some “thing” (fear, in this case) can grab hold of you and you must conquer it?
Thank you for the encouraging words. I do pray that nothing happens to me out there. Though I am not 100% confident with my driving right now, the aggressive drivers in Dubai’s roads makes my fear worse…
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We are have our trauma and sooner or later we will have to face it. I know that you will beat that phobia of yours, that is 100% sure!!
Thank you very much! Those are powerful words! I need to believe in myself again!
I haven’t driven since last November. I have a vestibular disturbance and motion in my peripheral vision makes me dizzy…and believe it or not – I’m thrilled with it – because driving makes me a nervous wreck!!! I’m feeling your pain.
Oh sorry to hear that! I hope there’s always someone to drive you then and that there are plenty of taxis and other transport options for you!
I can totally relate to this. I’ve been in two minor car accidents. The first time I hit a patch of snow and did a continuous donut across the highway into a ravine. The second time was in town and some one turned in front of me.
Both times I felt this complete and udder lack of control. It took a while to get over it and like you I was forcing DH to drive me around (even now if we are both going some where I get him to drive).
I started getting back into the saddle by take small trips during the day where there was no obligation to get any where fast.
While I’m back to regular driving I wouldn’t say I was cured of whatever my fear is (fear of crashing, fear of totally the vehicle, fear of killing an animal/person, personal harm…). I could be going along having a grand old time driving then all of a sudden panic sets in and I’ll feel over cautious and have to slow down or make a conscious effort to control my reactions.
I miss the driving courage I had before accident #1.
It’s nice to read I’m not alone in these feelings. And congratulations on taking the vehicle to work. 
Ravine!!?? I would understand your fear out of this! I hope one day both our trauma will go away, permanently!
Like you said, I miss the driving confidence/courage I had.
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I can definitely relate! I was in a major car accident on 9/11/01 (yep, that one) where I was stopped at a red light behind an SUV and some girl hit me from behind going about 50. My car was pushed under the SUV in front of me, so that the SUV’s tires were up on the hood of my car. Very, very, very scary. And right before she hit me, I looked up in the rearview and saw her coming! So I’ve been very scared of driving ever since. On long car rides I actually have to medicate myself! I am not over it by any stretch of the imagination, but I will say that I had to kind of come to terms with the fact that I can’t control what happens. Because I’m not afraid of how I drive, I’m afraid of other people. But if I lived my life terrified of what other people could do to me all the time, I’d never get anything done and I wouldn’t be a good mom. Once you kind of just resign yourself to that, you’ll hopefully be able to just drive and not worry as much – because there is, truly, nothing you can do about it. Anyways, thanks for being open about it – I always feel so dumb being so scared of something that everyone else does so easily! Good luck
My minor road accident is really teeny, weeny minor compared to yours! OMG, thank God nothing serious happened to you! That was tad scary, even just thinking of it!
Thanks for sharing your story.
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Unfortunately, that is what happens when you have a trauma or something along the lines.
I’m the same way with my disease to a point-I am so paranoid to go outside now because I know those little bastards(ticks) are waiting for me. But that doesn’t stop me from living the life I want and this minor car accident shouldn’t stop you! I bet your an amazing driver, you just need to get back your self esteem and know you are a great driver
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