I'm very scared of highways. How could I get over this fear?!
Question: It's kind of embarassing but I am a 21 year old guy and I am terrified of highways because I was in an accident on one almost three years ago now and I really got hurt. I am so scared that it will happen again or it that something even worse could happen. I get absolutely terrified when someone switches to a lane next to mine because I just can't help but imagine them hitting me and then spinning and hitting the wall and then being hit by another car.
How can I get over this? I am going to school to become an EMT and I'm sure I will have to drive an ambulance on the highway.
Answers: It's kind of embarassing but I am a 21 year old guy and I am terrified of highways because I was in an accident on one almost three years ago now and I really got hurt. I am so scared that it will happen again or it that something even worse could happen. I get absolutely terrified when someone switches to a lane next to mine because I just can't help but imagine them hitting me and then spinning and hitting the wall and then being hit by another car.
How can I get over this? I am going to school to become an EMT and I'm sure I will have to drive an ambulance on the highway.
I was very afraid of highways too and the program at http:///www.DrivingFear.com was a HUGE help. Maybe check out their articles.
I can sure understand why you would have fear. It is necessary to overcome that fear. So I suggest that you take a driving lesson. Even though you already know how to drive it would be good for you to take even one lesson as a brush up and it may help give you a little bit of confidence to know that you are the best you can be. Next when you get in the car say a prayer asking for protection. Then drive for very short distances at a time. At first it may be scary but little by little you will get use to it. work up to longer distances. As you arrive safely each time you will gain more confidence. That is how I overcame some of my fears.
You are going to have to confront your fears or try hypnosis or see a psychiatrist
Before you go out to the highway, just pullover and meditate.
Take deep breathes in and out, clear your mind of everything but the task at hand, and just go for it.
It's how I got past my fear of magpies.
I just remained calm and walked calmly into their territory twice every few days and after a while I quit fearing them.
hypnotherapy can help with fears and phobias, or as the old saying goes you just gotta get straight back on the horse,the more you do it the better you will feel about it
see a psychiatrist
This happens to someone I know also. Sometimes the anxiety that comes up after an accident makes people scared of another one. The person I know has a milder form of it, but it can also be a symptom of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. People sometimes have this after a traumatic experience, be it a car accident or a tornado or domestic violence. You will need to go to a doctor to get a diagnosis and to be treated for it. Maybe a doctor can prescribe some medicine (I take some for PTSD that is very helpful) or a therapist can help you sort through it and find coping skills to make it easier to be on the highway. I provided a link on PTSD, just for your info. I don't know if that's what it is, but it helps you see how people often react to things like accidents. Hope this helps. And I wish you well. I also want to clarify that this doesn't mean you're "going crazy"; it's very commonl to have anxiety after you are traumatized by something like a car acccident.