Sometimes it’s easy to rationalize living with a fear of driving. There are so many tricks, so many little ways to get around it.
Sometimes these little strategies are useful coping mechanisms, but sometimes they’re just rationalizations that keep you from facing the truth:
Living with an untreated fear of driving might actually be hurting you.
First round NBA draft pick Royce White is in the news today over his fear of flying, a common condition that’s very similar to driving anxiety. Commentators are wondering openly whether White’s condition will cost him millions of dollars over the next few years.
“It’s going to be something that a team taking [White] on is going to have to have something in place, whether it’s a staff member or a plan in place to help him accommodate some of his fears with the travel aspect because that’s such a huge part of an NBA season.”
NBA general manager
Granted, most of us will probably never lose millions due to fear of driving, but it can hurt us in less obvious ways, often without our being consciously aware of it. This includes:
- Earning less over the course of our careers
- Decreased opportunities for promotion
- Social isolation / lack of relationships
- Shame & embarrassment about our condition
- Decreased self-esteem
- Decreased ability to enjoy new experiences / visit new places
Whatever the outcome of his draft pick ordeal, kudos to Royce White for having the guts to talk openly about his fears:
“There’s a lot of people out there who have an anxiety disorder and don’t talk about it for that reason. People think it’s a character issue and it’s not.”
Royce White
Think about the ways your fear of driving may be hurting you.
Are you willing to live with it? Are the consequences to your life worth it?
If not, effective treatment is now available.
