Amaxophobia noun – amax*o*phobia
Fear of riding in or being in a vehicle.
Requiring of amaxophobia treatment.
Amaxophobia comes from the Ancient Greek words hámaxa (wagon) and phobos, the word for fear. People associate it more closely with driving anxiety as a passenger. But both passengers and drivers can require amaxophobia treatment.
Irrational human fears affect all areas of human endeavor. It’s no surprise some people will develop a fear of motor vehicles requiring amaxophobia treatment.
In this article, we’ll take a succinct look at what it means to live with amaxophobia. We’ll also visit some treatment options for amaxophobia for both passengers and drivers.
What is Amaxophobia?
Amaxophobia causes individuals to irrationally fear driving or being inside a car. Those who suffer from this condition are often terrified of being trapped inside a vehicle.
What Causes Amaxophobia?
Amaxophobia has a range of causes. The effects often cause individuals to feel anxiety while being in a vehicle. The causes can range from a genetic predisposition for anxiety to unresolved panic attacks. Some amaxophobia sufferers have unresolved PTSD and anxiety after a car accident that manifests as amaxophobia.
Amaxophobia Symptoms
There are no distinctive features with which one can directly point out amaxophobia. Symptoms vary from person to person. The extent to which amaxophobia affects people varies.
Amaxophobia doesn’t impact some people at all until they actually enter a car. Others freak out just seeing photos of cars. The impact of amaxophobia falls along a spectrum, but common symptoms include:
Extreme anxiety
Shortness of breath
Nausea
Confusion
Dry mouth
Racing heart
Amaxophobia Treatment for Drivers
Drivers with amaxophobia generally need more aggressive treatment than passengers. In addition to battling their anxiety, drivers also have to safely pilot the vehicle. It’s an overall more active role than that of a passenger.
Medication for driving anxiety is one option for treating driver’s amaxophobia. However, it’s important to understand this option always comes with side effects. Medicines are often not the best way to treat this condition.
Below are two drug-free amaxophobia treatment options for drivers.
The Driving Peace Program
Driving Peace uses a combination of cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness, and hypnosis to treat amaxophobia. It works on the premise that amaxophobia can be cured, not just treated. But actually cured.
This program is a system of easy-to-use but powerful techniques to end driving anxiety. Myself and noted anxiety specialist Andrew Cunningham developed Driving Peace based on the idea that the neural pathways in your brain have irrationally linked driving with danger.
It doesn’t really matter why that has happened; what matters is, can the brain be reprogrammed to see driving as easy, safe, and comfortable? Even relaxing?
The good news is, all of the above is possible. The Driving Peace program is based on science’s new understanding of the brain’s fear centers, and how they can be reprogrammed.
Order Driving Peace
The Panic Away Program
Panic Away was not specifically developed for treating amaxophobia. But it’s great to eliminate panic attacks. Many who suffer from amaxophobia also have panic attacks while riding in a car.
The Panic Away program takes a radical approach toward anxiety. It’s based on logotherapy, developed by Dr. Viktor Frankl.
Frankl discovered that panic attacks could be eliminated by consciously seeking to have a panic attack. Frankl had his patients move towards the feelings of panic rather than away from them.
This defuses the feelings and decreases the likelihood of having a panic attack in the future. Frankl called the deliberate practice of bringing on a panic attack paradoxical intention.
Panic Away seeks to reduce the intensity of panic attacks through the deliberate practice of paradoxical intention. Doing this also reduces the likelihood of having a panic attack.
The Panic Away program also provides a technique to reduce generalized anxiety disorder. It recognizes that high levels of background anxiety make panic attacks more frequent and more intense.
Panic Away is an effective amaxophobia treatment for drivers because it gets rid of the panic attacks that are so common with driving anxiety. Learn more about the Panic Away program.
Order Panic Away
Amaxophobia Treatment for Passengers
The suffering of passengers due to driving anxiety is often overlooked or dismissed. People tend to think that driving is much more anxiety-provoking than simply riding as a passenger. This is far from always being the case.
Passengers can also suffer tremendously from amaxophobia and need treatment. However, treating amaxophobia in passengers doesn’t have to account for the need to remain alert enough to drive.
Here are some amaxophobia treatment options for passengers with vehicle anxiety.
Guided Hypnotherapy
Many people find anxiety relief via guided hypnotherapy. There are many sources to choose from, but I prefer Hypnosis Downloads.
Beat Fear and Anxiety Pack
5 carefully selected sessions to help you overcome excess fear and anxiety for good.
Overcome Fear of Driving
Hypnosis can re-educate your unconscious mind to treat driving as an everyday activity, not a dangerous threat.
Overcome Fear of Driving Over Bridges
Hypnosis can show you the way to get over that bridge comfortably.
Overcome Driving Test Nerves
Hypnosis is nature’s optimum tool for gaining mastery over your own body and calming your mind.
Overcome Panic Attacks 5-Pack
Use hypnosis to re-educate your unconscious mind about when anxiety is warranted.
See more Guided Hypnotherapy Downloads
Amaxophobia Treatment Collection from Amazon
Amazon.com also offers a wide range of products for treating anxiety and amaxophobia.
Amaxophobia is a widespread phenomenon. It affects both drivers and passengers in huge numbers. Luckily, lots of useful amaxophobia treatment options are now available. And anyone can use them.
