Picture this: a bustling cityscape, the hum of engines, and the open road beckoning. For those with driving anxiety or phobia, this ordinary scene transforms into anxiety and fear. Amaxophobia is the fear of driving. It affects countless people globally, casting a shadow over the prospect of living a normal life. Thankfully, this type of anxiety is treatable with driving therapy.

At Virtual CBT Psychotherapy, we specialize in treating fears and phobias. If you live in Ontario, book a free consultation to learn how a CBT therapist can help.

What is a Driving Phobia?

A driving phobia is a strong fear of driving that makes people very anxious or scared when they have to drive a car. Some people with a driving phobia become anxious when they think about driving. It’s more than just being nervous about driving; it’s a fear that can make someone avoid driving altogether. People with a driving phobia might worry about getting into an accident, losing control of the car, or being in a dangerous situation on the road. Others may worry about having a panic attack while driving. This fear can be so intense that it interferes with daily life, like going to work or running errands.

Signs and Symptoms of Driving Anxiety

If you have driving anxiety, you might experience one or more of the following symptoms:

1. Physical Symptoms

   • Racing heart or palpitations

   • Sweating or clamminess

   • Shaking or trembling

   • Shortness of breath or a feeling of choking

   • Dizziness or lightheadedness

   • Nausea or stomach discomfort

2. Psychological Symptoms

   • Intense fear or dread before or during driving

   • Persistent worry about losing control while driving

   • Fear of having a panic attack behind the wheel

   • Feeling overwhelmed or "trapped" in traffic or on highways

3. Behavioural Symptoms

   • Avoidance of certain routes, highways, or busy areas

   • Difficulty driving alone or long distances

   • Planning excessively before any driving trip to reduce stress

   • Relying on others for rides or finding reasons to avoid driving altogether

These symptoms can vary from mild to severe. But when it starts to limit your ability to function or live your life, you may have a driving phobia.

Is Driving Phobia a Mental Illness?

Driving phobia itself isn’t classified as a distinct mental illness. But it often falls under the category of a specific phobia. A specific phobia is an intense and irrational fear of something. Mental health professionals recognize specific phobias as mental health conditions. They treat driving phobia much like other anxiety-related disorders. People with driving phobia often experience symptoms similar to anxiety disorders. For example, they experience physical discomfort, avoidance behaviours, and distressing thoughts.

It’s important to know that having a driving phobia doesn’t mean there’s something “wrong” with you. It simply means that this particular activity triggers an extreme fear response. With the right tools and support many people overcome their fear of driving.

Phobias are a treatable mental health condition with Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Exposure Therapy. Our online clinic receives many referrals for driving phobia in a month. By the end of treatment, many people are driving again and feeling more hopeful about life. If you live in Ontario, book a free consultation to learn how we can help. Our therapy fees.

Let's dive into CBT and how it can help you tackle the common phobia of driving.

What is CBT Therapy?

CBT is a form of psychotherapy that focuses on changing the way we think and behave. CBT aims to help you identify negative thoughts and beliefs that contribute to your anxiety. Once we recognize the negative thoughts, we replace them with more helpful or balanced ones.

For example, if you think “I will get into an accident every time I drive,” a better thought would be “Accidents are possible. But, if I follow the rules of the road, the chance of an accident is low.” CBT also teaches you practical skills and techniques to manage anxiety symptoms.

Source: S. H. Beck, J. S. Beck, & K. B. Beck (2011). Cognitive behaviour therapy: Basics and beyond.

How will CBT help with my driving anxiety?

The first step in overcoming a driving phobia with CBT is to understand the root cause of the fear. Often, people link the fear of driving to a traumatic event or an emotionally charged experience (but not always). Through CBT, you can learn to identify and challenge negative thoughts and beliefs that fuel the fear.

One of the main techniques used in CBT for driving anxiety is exposure therapy. This involves gradually exposing you to driving situations that trigger anxiety. The therapist may start with small steps, such as sitting in a car or watching videos of driving. Once you are comfortable with easier exposures, we will progress to more challenging situations. For example, you could drive on a quiet road and then a busy highway. Over time, exposure therapy helps you overcome your fear of driving and build confidence. CBT will help you reach your driving goals. This could be driving to work or picking your kids up from their favourite sport.

With the help of a CBT therapist, you can learn to manage your anxiety symptoms and develop effective coping strategies. You will be able to use the tools you learn even after therapy ends. CBT works well for phobias. It can help you move on and regain independence by driving again. 

Learn more about CBT for anxiety.

CBT Therapy Components for Driving Anxiety

1. Thought Records

   Thought records are a tool that will help you change your thinking. Then, you can feel more confident when driving. If you have driving anxiety, you might think "I will crash." You might even have mental images of a serious car accident. We know that accidents are possible but the probability of it happening is less than when you imagine it to be.

2. Behavioural Experiments

   Behavioural experiments are exercises designed to help you build confidence. These exercises allow you to gradually face driving situations that make you anxious. Experiments help you realize that your fears are less likely than they seem. By testing out small, manageable challenges you'll learn that you can handle these situations.

   These experiments are not about pushing yourself too hard. Instead, it's about taking steady steps toward feeling safer and more in control on the road. Each time you complete an experiment, you gather evidence that contradicts your fears. You will start to feel more confident for future drives.

3. Exposure therapy for Driving Anxiety

   Exposure therapy will help you to reach your diving goals. For example, if you aim to drive to work or on the highway, we can include that in your treatment plan. If you have driving anxiety, you likely avoid things. Avoiding helps in the short term but keeps anxiety alive in the long term.

   We offer a variety of exposures including situational, imaginal and sometimes interoceptive. You can read more about the types of exposure therapy on our anxiety page. If you have virtual reality (VR) equipment, we could also use that for exposure therapy. Source: Barlow, D. H. (2002). Anxiety and Its Disorders: The Nature and Treatment of Anxiety and Panic.

   Examples of Exposures for Driving Anxiety:

• Making a left-hand turn

• Certain roads or highways

• Certain road conditions (e.g. rain or snow)

• Avoiding driving alone

• Bridges

• Driving long distances

• Driving to the city or in the city

• Avoiding driving during rush hour

4. Eliminating Driving Safety Behaviours

Eliminating safety behaviours is important in CBT. However, many CBT therapists overlook this. A safety behaviour is something that you do to reduce anxiety or prevent something. For instance, you try to distract yourself by listening to music while you are driving with the intent of not feeling your anxiety. Learn more about the role of safety behaviours. They maintain your driving anxiety symptoms or phobia.

Examples of safety behaviours for driving anxiety:

• Having a support person with you

• Opening the window to distract yourself with fresh air

• Distracting yourself with music

• Carrying medication with you “in case” you have panic symptoms

• Memorizing driving routes

• Excessively researching how to get somewhere

5. Mindfulness

Mindfulness can help you develop better emotional regulation. If exposure therapy worries you, we can help you prepare. We can teach you to control your emotions better or to have a healthier relationship with them. We will do this by teaching you how to be mindful of your emotions and thoughts. Learn more about mindfulness.

Connect with a CBT Expert in Ontario

If you fear driving, a CBT therapist can help you. They can be your first step to overcoming your fear and living the life you want. The therapists at Virtual CBT Psychotherapy are trained in CBT. They are experts who can help you beat your fear of driving.

If you would like to learn more, you can book a free consultation with one of our CBT therapists. Just click the tab below. Our Clinical Directors will meet with you. They will match you with a therapist who knows how to help.

Learn more about CBT for Anxiety and our therapy fees.

* Must be an Ontario resident. We work with teenagers and adults. Most benefit providers cover us. If you have tried CBT before and didn’t see progress, we recommend trying it again with a CBT expert. Many therapists can accidentally teach you skills that can keep your anxiety alive. You can read more about our anxiety therapy here.