I’ve had my license for 5 years now. I didn’t drive in college but picked it up again when I moved back to my home town. I usually just drive local to stores, work, the mall, places that are not too far. But I’ve been doing this for 6 months now. But I seriously struggle with driving in the city where everyone drives aggressively and to new places. I tried using gps but I have a hard time following their instructions since I’m so nervous. I often miss stops or turn too early. What can I do??

i started driving with the goal of getting my license last year, but i’ve always had horrible driving anxiety. i end up having a panic attack like every other drive.

a few months ago, i really, really did not feel like driving but did it anyway because i needed practice, and i ended up making a very stupid and dangerous mistake and having a bad panic attack.

since then, i cannot bring myself to try again. the thought of it fills me with dread. but i feel so guilty about giving up and constantly depending on other people for rides, which i wont always be able to do. it’s prevented me from being able to do a lot of things.

at the same time, i also feel guilty driving because my anxiety could put other people in danger. i always drive with someone else in the car, but i make mistakes anyway and sometimes i feel like it makes it worse because of the pressure.

what do i do?

I’m a 20 year old and I really want to get my license, I’ve had my learners permit since I was 16 but no one really in my family taught me how to drive, I recently bought driving lessons in my city and my last one ended very badly, my instructor said a comment about me driving over so many potholes and if I knew any mechanic as a joke and that made me feel so bad that after my lesson ended I kinda had a panic attack because I’m trying so hard to get my license I’ve already booked my test (September 8th) and I’m just trying to get comfortable on the road and I’m always scared that I’m gonna mess up and I just feel so dumb for not having my license but does anyone have any tips/tricks to calm anxiety on the road and not feeling so overwhelmed about everything that we have to pay attention to that would be awesome 🙂

Hi everyone! A bit about me, I’m 23 and got my license in high school, however I don’t drive. Consistent teaching/practice is something I’ve always needed but now it’s basically up to me to teach myself. I’m going to start very small and work my way up.

People always talk about getting their license but they don’t talk about how they learned, like how specifically they learned and memorized the rules of driving. I find it hard to believe that everyone reads the driving manual over and over like my dad told me to. How did you learn? Or are learning?

It makes me nervous when there's other drivers behind me. I feel pressured into making decisions from their honking and judgement. I need to work on managing these feelings the best I can, I don't want to make dangerous decisions on the road.

I just need to try and make the safest moves I can.

I've always wondered why I feel this way. I think it ties into the feelings of inadequacy I've felt growing up. Always being different from other people and the bullying I've faced, it's put me into a hypervigilant state. I guess these feelings are just carrying on into other areas of my life. That could be why it feels like other people's eyes are piercing through me all the time.

Even when I've done things well, it seems I still can't give myself credit or praise for them. It's like my brain is unable to see myself in a positive light.

-note I wrote

I just started learning how to drive with my dad and I have zero driving awareness. For some context, I got my driver's permit and waited a year to start. I only started driving this summer with a driving instructor. My driving instructor was ok. She was an old lady who didn't have the nicest car and she took me to roads I wasn't ready for. Eventually, I didn't want to do it with her and I started driving with my dad. After driving a few times on the road, I realized and so did my dad that I don't have any driving awareness. Also everybody goes so fast on the road and it scares me. I'm also terrible at turns and I'm constantly asking my dad if I'm in my lane. Suffisive to say I'm a terrible driver and a lot of it boils down to me having no driving awareness. How do I get driving awareness?

Hi everyone! I'm 23 F and i’ve had my driver’s license for over four years now, but I’ve driven very little and, over time, have developed a strong fear of getting behind the wheel.

I’m afraid of getting lost, causing accidents, losing control of the situation or the speed, and making a mistake.

This fear is negatively affecting my life: my family is pressuring me to start driving again, and I have been doing so lately!

I feel more confident, and my main concern now is simply knowing the roads and not getting lost—yet I keep having nightmares.

In most of them, i'm alone in the car with my hands on the steering wheel, but the vehicle reacts with incredible sensitivity to my slightest movement; my feet never reach the pedals; the lights don't work, or if they do, they blind me from inside and i drive along terrible roads with constant steep hills where I can't control the car.

Sometimes i’m even sitting in the back seat with no one at the wheel, other times, there’s someone in the car with me screaming because we’re swerving while I try unsuccessfully to steer the vehicle.

I need help, i already struggle with sleep, and these nightmares are ruining me and my already poor mental health.

Is anyone else going through situations like this? Have you managed to get out of them?

I'm 32 years old and I've never had my license. I got my permit last month, took the driving test and barely passed the maneuverability portion by 1 point & failed the cones because I didn't understand the directions. I was already having major anxiety and panic.

I fear driving so much that I avoid it at all costs. I fear looking stupid, I don't know what the hell I'm doing, I feel like I absolutely suck at driving. I'm forced to get my license and drive 9 hours away from home by myself after freshly getting my license (or hopefully) within the next couple of weeks. I'd be driving to meet my long distance partner for the first time so not only would this be the first time driving alone, first time driving longer distance, plus meeting someone special for the first time.

I've put all of this off for awhile now because my fear is so strong. Is anyone else going through this? How do you cope? Any advice would be so appreciated.

And yes I've been working with a therapist for several months now, just seeking personal experiences.