There are tons of different fears out there. People can be scared of anything from the fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of their mouths to the fear of the color yellow. One common phobia is amaxophobia, the fear of riding in or driving a vehicle. Let’s talk about some strategies for how to overcome amaxophobia.
Maybe you feel particularly clumsy at the wheel, or you get a streak of anxiety just thinking about driving. You may even get full blown panic attacks while driving. If any of these are true, then you probably have some form of amaxophobia that you need to overcome.
What is Amaxophobia?
Amaxophobia comes from the Ancient Greek words hámaxa (wagon) and phobos (fear). Amaxophobia can occur due to having been in a car accident, anxiety when your husband is driving, or for many other reasons. It can cause significant problems in your life. If that’s the case, you may greatly benefit from various driving phobia support groups.
Symptoms of Amaxophobia
Amaxophobia symptoms basically mirror the symptoms of driving anxiety or a panic attack. The symptoms are wide-ranging and vary for different people, but often include:
Sweating
Shaking
Hyperventilating
Chest pains
Heart palpitations
Dizziness
Extreme anxiety
Feelings panic or terror
How to Overcome Amaxophobia
The Driving Peace Program
The Driving Peace Program combines mindfulness, hypnosis, and cognitive behavioral therapy to help overcome amaxophobia.
Myself and noted anxiety specialist Andrew Cunningham created this program. It’s based on the premise that your brain has irrationally perceived driving as inherently dangerous.
Can the brain be reprogrammed to see driving differently, as calming and relaxing? We’ve shown conclusively that it can.
Driving Peace uses science’s new understanding of the brain’s fear centers to reprogram your perception of driving.
How to Overcome Amaxophobia with Hypnotherapy
Self-help guided hypnotherapy can also bring you a lot of relief. That’s why hypnosis is part of the Driving Peace Program. There’s lots of hypnosis sessions to choose from at Hypnosis Downloads. I think their products are both helpful and very high-quality.
Overcome Your Fear of Driving
Hypnosis can reprogram your unconscious to see driving as an everyday activity instead of a dangerous threat.
Quit Being a Nervous Passenger
If you have panic attacks while riding in a car as a passenger, this is for you. Gently calm your fears about travel as a passenger with this guided hypnosis session.
Get Over Your Fears of Driving Over Bridges
Learn to comfortably drive over bridges with this gentle hypnosis session.
Fear and Anxiety 5 Pack
5 guided sessions designed to help you rid yourself of excess anxiety and fear once and for all.
Overcome Long-Term Stress to Feel More Relaxed
Develop the inner resources to help you better handle chronic stress.
How to Overcome Amaxophobia with Professional Help
One of the most effective ways to overcome amaxophobia is with professional help. A trained therapist can help you move through your driving or passenger anxiety.
Because it’s important that you find the right therapist, I’ve written a couple of articles about how to choose a good anxiety therapist and how to find a good therapist in the first place.
Here are some online resources to also help you find a therapist:
Amaxophobia can be crippling and life-limiting. It can also just be merely annoying. Either way, it’s important to understand how to overcome amaxophobia so you can negate the negative influence it has on your life. Effective treatment option now exist. All you need to do is explore to find the one that’s right for you.
