Submitted by Numegb0 t3_117mye2 in LifeProTips
In the past couple of years I’ve developed an irrational fear of elevated highways. I’m afraid of veering off the road. Anyone able to offer advice on how to overcome this or share logic that the chances of this happening are low?
The chances of this happening are very low, but I have the exact same fear, which developed over time. I will do anything to avoid driving over the two highest overpasses in my city.
Let me know if you find out. Biggest late blooming anxiety issue ever.
Stay in your lane and go the speed that's on the sign. Being afraid makes it worse. Just dont worry about it. You can drown in 2 feet of water just like you can drown in 200 feet of water. Doesn't mean you should be afraid to swim in 10 feet of water.
Unless of course you cant swim at all.
The chances of this happening at low speeds are almost non existent. This could only happen if someone is speeding and hits the side with enough force to overcome it. Or maybe if you were in a tractor trailer and high enough to tip over it.
I would play some videogames. I know they're not always that accurate but try jumping over it at 20 or 30 mph in GTA 5. It probably won't be possible. See how hard you have to hit that side to pop it over, and then remember the game is allowing it to happen easier than real life would.
I believe in faith. I find comfort in knowing that I will die when my time is up. Not a minute before it not a minute after.
So until I do some stupid stuff asking for it, nothing is going to happen to me before time. The rest of it is out of my control anyway.
Try some exposure therapy. Be a passenger a few times. Then try diving over one a few times with a passenger. Use deep breathing and engage 1 or 2 senses- have aromatherapy, listen to music, touch something soft. These are some activities I assign to clients. Therapy can help! The “call of the void” is normal and just because you may be having a thought of veering off doesn’t mean it’s going to happen. It’s simply a thought!
Go to therapy if you could logic your way out of the fear you already would have
Dont get too high before driving. Make sure youre getting all the nutrients you need and enough sleep. If these dont help chugging a natural ice tall can helped me in the past. Only use that as a last resort. I genuinely think a clean psychedelic experience helps get anxiety in check.
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I agree with this! Go face your fear to diminish it!
I used to be extremely squeamish with getting my blood drawn, but after having it done regularly over the years and never having anything awful happen, I'm now able to grin and bear it without the same anxiety that I used to suffer.
Look where you want to go. Don't look where you don't want to go. Sometimes people look where they are afraid of going and that makes it much more likely they will go there.
Thank you everyone for your helpful and thoughtful responses!
This happened to my aunt. She started avoiding driving on highways, a habit which ramped up over time. In her 40s, she became afraid of driving at all and wouldn’t drive anywhere. She went to therapy and is now able to drive again.
Avoidance teaches the brain that something is a threat. Exposure to that stimulus will retrain the brain to feel neutral about it again. I think the other comments on here gave some solid advice about this. But I just wanted to share this story so that you would feel less alone. It happens sometimes! And you can overcome it.
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