If I experience anxiety while driving but have not gotten a panic attack am I considered driving phobic?
If you feel hampered in any way while driving and/or have become worse over time it is probably a good idea to get help. If you are becoming fearful about driving then you are developing a phobia.

Can I take medication that will help me overcome this fear?
Medication can be useful to relieve some anxious symptoms. However, since driving requires that a person be alert and responsive any medication you take should be prescribed by your doctor and taken cautiously if you intend to drive.

You mention recruiting a coach. How does that work?
I have found that there is usually a friend or family member who wants to help the individual overcome the fear of driving. That person becomes a coach and supports the driver through the program. All that is required of the coach is that they are willing to learn the system and train with the driver as often as possible. The coach is usually sympathetic to the driver’s problem and is sometimes affected personally by driver’s phobia.

How long does it take to overcome the fear of driving?
The answer here depends on the driver and the goals he/she has created. For example, one driver might want to be able to drive to the supermarket from home. This goal might take a short while to achieve once the driver has learned the system. Another driver might want to be able to travel long distances for work. This goal might take longer. A third driver might want to be able to drive over bridges or through tunnels. Depending upon how fearful a driver is when he/she begins the program and how committed that individual is to working through the system, goals can be achieved in days, weeks or months.

What about some treatments that promise “instant” cure?
Although it is true that some phobias can be “cured” quickly (fear of snakes, heights, etc.), sometimes right in the therapist’s office, fear of driving, like fear of flying, almost always requires that the individual learn to control their stress response and get “desensitized”. For long lasting positive results an individual needs the right program. Don’t be fooled into thinking that you will be “cured” in 10 or 15 minutes by simply listening to a hypnosis tape a few times a week or going to someone’s office once or twice. To overcome your fear of driving you need to be in your car driving!