Amaxophobia (Fear of Driving) Amaxophobia (also called hamaxophobia) makes you feel anxious or fearful when you drive or ride in a vehicle, such as a car, bus or plane. With it, you have a fear of driving and may also get anxious being a passenger. This fear can interfere with work, socializing and travel.
Causes of Driving Phobia
Personally experiencing a car accident in the past. Witnessing other cars' tragic accidents or hearing about a car accident that involves someone close to you. Getting lost for hours while driving without access to help. Experiencing heavy traffic.
Sometimes referred to as amaxophobia, the fear of driving is incredibly common and may be mild or severe. Some people fear only specific driving situations, such as driving in storms or on freeways, while others are afraid of simply sitting behind the wheel.
This phobia affects people of both sexes. Statistics in Europe indicate that it is suffered by people who are between 30 and 40 years of age and that it is suffered by 6% of the population. Some extreme cases of extreme amaxophobia can destroy a person's social, work or professional life.
1. Arachibutyrophobia (Fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of your mouth) Arachibutyrophobia is the fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of your mouth. While the phenomenon has happened to everyone at one point or another, people with arachibutyrophobia are extremely afraid of it.
Inattention can lead to distraction and impulsivity can lead to poor reactions to other drivers or traffic conditions. Adults with ADHD tend to overestimate their driving abilities, even though they may have poorer driving experiences than their peers.
Hit and run OCD, sometimes known as “driving OCD,” is a subtype of obsessive-compulsive disorder that involves obsessions about running someone over without realizing it. Last updated: November 1, 2020. The anxiety caused by this type of OCD can be profound.
Driving phobia is one of the most common phobias. Driving phobia is a form of agoraphobia, literally defined as is the fear of open spaces.
Driving anxiety symptoms can range from mild discomfort to extreme distress. If the anxiety is left unaddressed, it can have significant impacts on people's lives. For example, a panic attack while driving may cause a traffic accident, while avoidance of driving can leave people homebound and isolated.
OCD develops when someone responds to that anxiety with compulsions, such as seeking reassurance every time they drive or avoiding driving or riding in a car. This is what makes car crash OCD distinct from normative anxiety.
Benzodiazepines such as Klonopin (clonazepam), Xanax (alprazolam), Valium (diazepam), and Ativan (lorazepam) are rapidly acting benzodiazepine medications that treat anxiety symptoms while they are occurring. 1 These medications can also be taken right before you ride in a car to help you feel calmer.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are two different mental health conditions. OCD involves obsessive thoughts while ADHD makes it hard to focus and involves hyperactivity and impulsivity.
People with ADHD can drive but might have trouble focusing on the road. Experts in 2015 research indicate distractions can lead to paying less attention to driving, making it a challenge for drivers with ADHD.
Someone with an anxiety disorder may have trouble concentrating in situations that make them feel worried or nervous. In contrast, someone with ADHD may experience difficulty concentrating even in situations where their mind is calm and quiet.
Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia is one of the longest words in the dictionary, and ironically, it means the fear of long words.
What is nyctophobia? Nyctophobia is an extreme fear of the dark. The name comes from the Greek word for night. Children and adults with nyctophobia may fear being alone in the dark.
Although you can manage symptoms of driving anxiety, it often does not go away on its own. Overcoming it usually requires help from a psychologist or other mental health specialist. Common treatments for driving anxiety include cognitive behavioral therapy, exposure therapy, and virtual reality treatment.
Some drugs that could make it dangerous to drive include: opioid pain relievers. prescription drugs for anxiety (for example, benzodiazepines) anti-seizure drugs (antiepileptic drugs)
Hit-and-run OCD is a subtype of OCD in which someone experiences obsessions centering on hitting a pedestrian or animal while driving, or feeling as if they already hit a pedestrian or animal and can't remember the accident.
As time goes on, OCD places more and more restrictions on where, when, and how they can drive, often resulting in them giving up driving altogether.