Driving Anxiety is More Common Than You Realize
You aren’t alone
Two years ago, a friend and I went on a road trip. I was on vacation in Michigan and went on a road trip to see a friend. On the way home, we stopped so I could drive. My friend drove the whole trip, and she looked like she needed a rest.
Twenty minutes later, my heart is racing, my hands are shaking so bad, they’re white-knuckled on the wheel, and I’m half screaming, half trying to talk to calm down. We pulled into a gas station so my friend could drive again.
My panic attack’s kept me from driving since I moved back to the States.
Before China, I drove all the time. I lived in a small town, so it was near impossible to not have a car. It wasn’t an enjoyable thing for me, but I still did it.
Six years later, I’m back in America. After six months I still haven’t bought a new car. I went driving by myself for the first time.
It’s not like I’ve always been afraid of driving. I never liked it, but never freaked out from driving until recently.
Where did this come from? I used to drive around so much without a second thought. But now, if I’m in a situation where I need to drive, it takes me twenty minutes longer than I need to because I’m dragging my feet out the door.
