10 tips to deal with Driving Anxiety
Many people avoid driving or being a passenger in a car because of Driving Anxiety.
Driving anxiety is intense fear, phobia, or distress at the possibility of driving or being a passenger in a car. These feelings can also appear in specific situations, such as driving over a bridge, at night, during winter, or being a front-seat passenger. In many cases, people are afraid because they think that something bad can happen to them.
Strategies to help
The good news is that there are tips and strategies to help you manage your symptoms and fear of driving. Here are 10 tips to help you:
1. Recognize signs of anxiety in yourself
Signs of driving anxiety include:
- Stopping the activity (e.g., you’ve ceased driving)
- Physical reactions (e.g., sweating, headaches, chest pains, dry throat, etc.)
- Plan driving routes that are very elaborate and longer than necessary, to avoid certain roads
2. Recognize what specifically triggers your anxiety (e.g., certain intersections, loud sirens, car screeching)
3. Plan your trip in advance:
- Know what route you will take
- Anticipate what challenges might arise and be prepared to deal with them
4. Avoid black and white, or absolutist, thinking.
- Being in a car does not mean you will be in an accident
- Accept that there are always risks with driving; cut those risks by driving responsibly (be alert, know your own limitations, don’t drink and drive, etc.)
5. Realistic thinking
It is important for your mind to stay focused on the task of driving and that your internal thoughts are positive and helpful for the goal of returning to driving. You can use Calming/Realistic Thinking anytime that you notice worry or doubt thoughts coming into your mind. When you recognize a worry or doubt thought, counter that thought. Here are some sample questions you can counter the thought with to help your thinking be more calm or realistic:
- Would most people agree with this thought? If not, what would most people think?
- What would I say to a friend if a friend was in a similar situation?
- What will happen if I continue to think this way?
- What is a more encouraging or useful way of thinking?
6. Learn to reduce your tension when at the wheel.
- Relax before, during, and after you drive
- When you are aware of yourself becoming tense, engage in the stress reduction management strategies that work best for you, such as playing music and breathing techniques
7. Return to driving in a graduated fashion
- Start small and slow
- Gradually increase the driving time (duration), frequency, and environmental stimulus (how busy the streets are)
8. Use affirmations to confirm that you’re doing the right thing while driving.
Reassure yourself that you are ok! Such as:
- I am driving carefully and within the speed limit. Careful driving is safe driving.
- Driving is a common, everyday activity. I am an alert driver participating in a common activity with care.
- I do not have to drive fast, I can drive in the right-hand lane if I want to travel slower than other cars.
- I have power and control over what happens to me.
9. “Safety Sack”
Prepare a bag or collection of objects that make you feel safe. This “sack” is something that you can then carry around with you when you travel in a vehicle to help you feel safe wherever you go.
10. Seek professional help
Seeing a counsellor, psychologist or Occupational Therapist might be helpful to manage your driving anxiety.
An OT can help
Together, you and your OT can identify triggers, develop calming techniques, create checklists and prompts, and develop a gradual plan to resume this important activity. Your OT can also help you practice driving – they can ride as a passenger in your car while you practice your strategies and build up confidence as a driver.
Occupational Therapists at OT Works! have experience with driving desensitization and can help you overcome your driving anxiety and get back to being a successful driver or passenger.
Contact us
If you or someone you know is looking for support with driving anxiety, contact us today.
Email: referrals@ot-works.com
Phone: 604.696.1066 ext. 1000.
How Occupational Therapy can help with social anxiety
With COVID-19 restrictions being slowly lifted, and people starting to get back to in-person social and work activities , some people are experiencing unexpected feelings of unease and anxiety.
Many people were expecting to be very happy and socially active right now, meeting friends, going to favorite restaurants, or joining that fitness class that they have been missing. But if instead of joy you are feeling afraid, anxious and are avoiding going out, please know that you’re not alone. Many people are feeling the same way.
According to Anxiety Canada, “Social anxiety disorder is one of the most common anxiety disorders, affecting between 7 and 13% of the population”.
How to effectively cope with social anxiety
The good news is that there are effective ways to cope with social anxiety.
Here are some good tips from Healthline:
- Ease back into it
- Visualize situations in your head
- Allow yourself to be scared
- Practice self-care
- Get professional help
Addressing anxiety is one of many things that Occupational Therapists can help with during these uncertain times. Our OTs have training and experience helping people overcome fear, anxiety and help them get back to doing things they love. We know that dealing with social anxiety can be overwhelming, but our Occupational Therapists are ready to help you getting back to the activities that are meaningful to you.
All of our therapists at OT Works! are certified with the College of Occupational Therapists of British Columbia (COTBC) and are skilled in treating clients with anxiety and other mental health concerns.
Our OTs serve the Lower Mainland, Fraser Valley, Sea-to-Sky and Vancouver Island. To learn more about our services, contact us.
Additional Resources
Anxiety Canada: Self-help strategies for social anxiety
Statistics Canada: Social Anxiety disorder: much more than shyness
New York Times: How to deal with quarantine-induced social anxiety
Image reposted from additude.com
Exposure Therapy and OT
After an emotionally difficult experience you may find it challenging to fully participate at work, at home or in social situations. Exposure therapy is a treatment Occupational Therapists use to increase a client’s ability to function after trauma. OTs use exposure therapy to address anxiety, fear and discomfort so that you can actively engage in you community and life again.
What is Exposure Therapy?
Exposure therapy helps clients improve their ability to differentiate between safe and unsafe situations. With an OT’s help, they can reduce the physical, emotional, cognitive and social symptoms of trauma. Early intervention along with repetition empowers clients to better manage their response to triggers.
When someone experiences anxiety about specific people, places or things, they often avoid those situations. While this can reduce the discomfort in the short term, longer-term solutions are better. Interrupting the cycle of fear, through exposure therapy, allows a person to better recognize which beliefs are accurate and which have become overrun by emotions and difficult memories.
How is Exposure Therapy done?
- Education: Discuss how avoidance behaviours fuel anxiety.
- Which safety habits does the client use in order to reduce anxiety in the triggering situation?
- What thoughts and beliefs about the situation may be inaccurate or not helpful?
- Develop a structured plan to overcome the anxiety.
- The OT and their client develop an exposure hierarchy by grading all the aspects about the situation that causes anxiety. They assign each a score that ranges from 0/10 (no anxiety) to 10/10 (most anxiety ever).
- Based upon these scores, the OT and client develop a step-by-step plan to address each aspect of anxiety. Initial sessions should work through less anxious tasks and later sessions should address those that cause more anxiety.
- In the final sessions, the client aims to manage their anxiety effectively so that they can engage in the formerly stressful situation with a calm and clear mindset.
- During each session: Consider how long to continue with the session before it is complete.
- Researchers suggest that the client and OT stay in the situation until their level of fear drops by 50%. If the client considered their anxiety to be a 8/10 initially, they should wait until it is a 4/10 before concluding that exposure step.
Meet Kadie: A Case Study in Exposure Therapy
After an isolated and traumatic event occurred during her work as a social worker, Kadie feared her safety whenever she came near the site of the incident. Jennifer MacDonald, a senior therapist with OT Works! started working with Kadie after she had been off work for 6 months. They used a team-based approach to organize the exposure plan with the rest of Kadie’s healthcare team and social network. They had one-on-one sessions that gradually reintroduced her back into her work role. At discharge, Kadie was able to return to work independently, equipped with the tools and skills to work effectively without tirelessly worrying about her safety. With exposure therapy, Kadie built up confidence in her ability to manage feelings of anxiety.
How can OT Works! help?
Our occupational therapists are experienced in exposure therapy. They have helped many clients face their fears and reduce their anxiety. Our clients are able to return to their daily activities and enter unfamiliar situations equipped with the tools that are gained from exposure. All of our therapists are certified with the College of Occupational Therapists of British Columbia (COTBC) and many have additional training in mental health treatment.
If you or anyone you know could benefit from exposure therapy, contact us at referrals@ot-works.com or 604.696.1066 ext. 1000. We can connect you with one of our therapists and make recovery more attainable for everyone.
Additional Resources
To learn more about exposure therapy, check out these resources:
- American Psychological Association – Exposure Therapy
- Anxiety Canada – Facing Fears
- HealthLink BC – Exposure Therapy
- Very Well Mind – How Exposure Therapy Can Treat PTSD