Maybe you need medication to calm you some. And if your lucky
reduce your worst outcome thoughts somewhat. Seeing a specialist
in anxiety may also help.

You really need to speak to a psychiatrist. Meds sound like the help you need. You shouldn't have to struggle everyday w these panic attacks.

I am sorry this is happening to you. If you don't think your therapist is helping you, you should try seeing someone else. Sometimes you have to see several different ones until you find the one you work best with. I agree with the others, see a psychiatrist who will probably give you some medication to help calm you down.

Deary you are NOT alone with this. I hate driving/suffer from driving anxiety (developed from being in a T-bone accident 2 days before my driving test several years ago). It was so bad that I tensed up, heart raced, hyperventilated, got dizzy, vomited - all from anxiety. Getting my driving license was HELL. I wanted to die cuz I couldn't handle the amount of stress and anxiety I had from being judged, examined, AND driving. Regardless, I've been overcoming the anxiety through practice. But whenever I drive, I do enter this heightened alert state and it exhausts me once I'm off the road. I still experience things that you're currently experiencing (being asked to bring something or drive somewhere), and I get anxious. My mind would pool with thoughts like "Holycrap I'm on the road what if I get into an accident, what if I do something wrong, why the hell do I have to be like this" when I'm driving. But I began to constantly remind myself that I follow the rules and I do drive safely. Building confidence is very hard, but as it is the case for many activities, you get better through practice. Getting your anxiety under control is the first step, so it's great you're seeing a therapist. Sucks that it's apparently not working. What kind of interventions does the therapist usually provide during the sessions? And as previously mentioned, perhaps anti-anxiety meds may be an option? Oh and I wanna tell you, there is a hell of a lot of people who hate driving and get driving anxiety. Don't ever feel alone. Sending you hugs. Message me if anything.

You have to do it regardless of fear. Fear is just information about danger. Okay Great. We all know driving's dangerous. Now ignore it.

that might sound callous: it's not. It's the difference between those who do things and those who don't. The secret is that everyone's terrified of driving before they can drive. They all are.

But once you can drive, and you are in control, and enjoying it, the fear goes.

Take a road trip. Alone. A destination that's at least six hours away.

Get there, stay a weekend, and then come home. Driving alone, without anyone around you, on nice country roads and preferably following (not too close) a car that is driving at a speed you can handle, is really important to develop a bond with your own sense of what to do. You can't really do the learning with other people in the car. So pick a road trip and do it. You will come back far more confident. just FAR more confident.

Hi, A couple of things come to mind. Firstly your feelings are okay. Seeing your feelings as a big problem adds another layer of problem.

You need to learn to identify dangerous roads from safe ones. Not all driving areas are the same.

There's more than one way to get to the same place. Choose the option more safer which is in general off the freeway.

Learn the driving rules very well. Read about defensive driving. Realize that some people are horrible drivers. Be a better driver:

courteous of others
watch carefully what is happening on the road
make a goal to focus more on what is going on while you drive outside of your vehicle rather than on your inner worried thoughts.
Being more aware is safer for you and others.
Think of other drivers being safer while you drive carefully and awarefully.

Take driving lessons or get feedback from a supportive friend.

In honesty if you are unable to detach yourself from thoughts of imminent danger, you may want to give up your driver license permanently

You would then have less options, but would not be the first person to make this choice for the same reasons.

Good morning, Creativemind - I understand precisely how you feel. Right now, I am going through a very similar situation; I am 22 years old, and I still do not have my driver's license due to an immense amount of anxiety around driving. For me, it is primarily because vehicles can be very dangerous - I often refer to them as "death machines" due to the thousands of "accidents", animal casualties and economic externalities of pollution they cause. Recently, however, I am learning to reframe my thinking around driving, as I currently live in a place where I cannot travel nearly anywhere without the use of a car. There are several places in the town I live in that have great meaning to me, yet I am unable to reach them without asking for a ride from my folks (which is getting extremely frustrating and embarrassing over time). Even though I still do not necessarily like cars all that much (never have), and am furious over the environmental damage they can cause, I understand now that learning how to drive is a necessary evil; it is a skill that will help me reach greater autonomy and take me to places that have importance in my life. I suppose for some of us, it could be categorized as part of the "growing pains" process. Driving is a frightening thought for me, as well, but I am trying my best to work on thinking about it in an ambivalent lens, so that I may be able to embrace it as a means to an end instead of a brick wall stopping me from achieving my goals in life. Food for thought, and I hope this may help you a little.

Birdie