Driving Anxiety Therapy
Do you have a fear of driving? When you get onto many of the roads, streets, and highways in Chicago, do you become anxious? Are you avoiding certain routes because it frays your nerves?
If the answer is yes, you wouldn’t be alone. Many people in the Windy City and surrounding areas struggle with this problem. In fact, it’s very common.
As Chicago counselors and therapists, we’ve helped many people just like you who struggle with driving anxiety. Rest assured that you aren’t alone with your fears, even though it can feel that way.
As a gateway to knowledge, let’s look at this life challenge through the lens of self-insight. Afterward, we will share our personalized approach to helping you feel more empowered behind the wheel.
What is driving anxiety?
In a nutshell, driving anxiety, sometimes referred to as driving phobia, is a form of anxiety that sets in when you are behind the wheel of a car.
Common symptoms include:
- A sense of panic and dread
- Fears of getting into a crash
- Worries about being trapped
- Worries about driving too fast
- Anxiety about losing control
- Nausea and dry mouth
- Feeling like you might die
- Avoiding certain streets or routes
- Avoiding driving entirely
Why am I afraid to drive?
There are several reasons why people develop a driving phobia, and understanding the root of your fear is an important part of overcoming it.
Past traumatic experiences are one of the most common causes. Sometimes it relates to being in a past accident—whether it was a serious collision or just a close call that left you shaken. The memory of that moment—the sound of impact, the rush of adrenaline, the feeling of helplessness—can create a lasting association between driving and danger. Other times it’s because you saw a horrible wreck, either in person or through news coverage. Even witnessing someone else’s accident can signal to your brain that roads are unpredictable and threatening. Think past trauma for this area.
The fear of losing control runs deeper for many people. For some folks, these fears are part of a larger concern about losing control—and it’s not always about controlling the car itself. You might worry about losing control of your emotions while driving: What if I have a panic attack on the highway and can’t pull over? What if I freeze up at a busy intersection? What if my anxiety gets so overwhelming that I make a dangerous mistake? The car becomes a confined space where you feel trapped with your fears, unable to escape if things feel too intense.
Learned anxiety can also contribute. If you grew up with a parent or loved one who was visibly nervous behind the wheel—gripping the steering wheel tightly, expressing constant worry about other drivers, or avoiding highways—you may have internalized the message that driving is inherently dangerous. We learn about threat partly through watching the people we trust, and their anxiety can become our own.
Sometimes driving anxiety develops without any obvious cause. It might start small—a vague discomfort on a particular route, or a moment of feeling overwhelmed in heavy traffic. But if you begin avoiding those situations, the anxiety often grows. What started as mild nervousness can snowball into a significant phobia through a process called “avoidance reinforcement”—each time you avoid driving, you temporarily feel relief, which teaches your brain that driving truly is something to fear.
Other anxiety conditions can also manifest as driving fear. If you experience panic disorder, agoraphobia, or generalized anxiety, driving may become a focal point for those broader worries. The combination of speed, other drivers, and limited ability to leave the situation can make driving feel especially threatening when your nervous system is already on high alert.
It’s also worth noting that driving anxiety often intensifies during stressful life periods. A fear that was manageable might suddenly feel overwhelming when you’re dealing with work stress, relationship difficulties, health concerns, or major life transitions. Your nervous system has only so much capacity, and when it’s already taxed, driving can feel like one demand too many.
The good news? Driving phobia is highly treatable, regardless of its origin. You’re not being irrational or weak—your brain is doing exactly what it’s designed to do: trying to keep you safe. The challenge is helping it recalibrate its threat assessment so you can reclaim your confidence and freedom on the road.
And for some folks, these fears are part of a larger concern about losing control.
How can you help me?
Overcoming driving fears is possible but it requires collaboration and focus to make it happen. In our work with clients, we take the following approach:
- Identify your specific fears and their probable causes.
- Trigger identification, such as trucks, heavy traffic and weather conditions.
- Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) to help address the flight, flight or freeze response that can be attached to thoughts and triggers.
- Desensitization techniques designed to make you less anxious.
- Cognitive rehearsal to help reinforce learning concepts learned during the session.
- Exposure therapy to help you make real-world gains.
- Educational approaches that are designed to teach you coping strategies and skills on how to remain more relaxed behind the wheel.
Can CBT and mindfulness work?
For many people, the answer is yes. Much depends on your personal situation, the source of your anxiety and openness to new coping strategies.
CBT can help you to examine your thoughts, including triggers, which are directly linked to your fears. Cognitive rehearsals, guided imagery and affirmations are used for skill-building purposes. They also encourage calm.
Mindfulness approaches, if appropriate, is used as a reinforcer of learning concepts and to create healthier associations with triggers.
Finally, you will be taught how to enter into a more relaxed state before grabbing the car keys and heading to your destination.
What can I expect during therapy?
We’ll explore your fears and assess their origins. We will also unlearn past mental associations that can cause feelings of dread.
Homework assignments are given for self-insight and to build upon progress. The goal is to give you the tools you need to cope with your fears so that you can call upon them should the need arise.
How many sessions will I need?
There’s no cut and dry answer to this question because each person is different. Some folks only need six sessions. Others require more, depending on the intensity of their fears and their progress.
Because anxiety tends to strike people in different ways, we’ll need to assess your unique situation.
Can therapy really help?
Many people have found CBT therapy focused on driving fears to be very helpful in working through the problem. While there are no guarantees, most people find a major difference after taking part in the therapeutic process.
How can I make an appointment?
To contact me to discuss your anxiety challenges and how we might help, call us at 773.234.1350 or send me a confidential note using the online contact form.