You've probably been told that you need to face your fear. Exposing yourself to the fear is especially important if you've been avoiding driving for fear that you'll have a panic attack. Exposure therapy remains one of the most important ways to get over a phobia, although you should know and be able to use relaxation techniques before you start. This way, you'll have some sense of control during the session. Avoiding your phobia will actually make the fear worse over time and can create other phobias. Become familiar with your anxiety levels so you can take action before you reach a full-scale panic attack. Having a scale of anxiety will also help you know when to stop exposure before you reach moderate panic. Your scale should describe the physical and mental characteristics of anxiety. An example scale might look like this:  0 - Fully Relaxed: no tension, calm, feeling peaceful 1  - Minimal Anxiety: feeling slightly nervousness, more alert or aware 2 - Mild Anxiety: muscle tension, tingling or butterflies in the stomach 3- Moderate Anxiety: heart and breathing increase, feeling slightly uncomfortable but still in control 4 - Marked Anxiety: clear muscle tension, increased feelings of being uncomfortable, starting to wonder about staying in control 5- Beginning Panic: heart is starting to race or beat irregularly, dizziness, clear fear of losing control, wanting to escape 6 - Moderate Panic: heart palpitations, difficulty breathing, feeling disoriented 7 to10 - Full Panic Attack: feelings of terror, fear of dying, and increased feelings of moderate panic Be specific and write down what things you fear about driving. Then, go through and rank these fears from what you fear the least to what causes a full panic attack. This will help you gradually expose yourself to your fears. But, you'll slowly work your way through your fears so that you never feel truly out of control. For example, holding the keys in your driveway might be something you fear the least while driving on the highway can cause you to have a panic attack. Start with the least feared item on your list and gradually expose yourself until you no longer feel anxious. Once you've mastered an item on your list, move on to the next thing on your list or scale. For example, you list might expose yourself to fears like these (ranked from least to greatest feared):  Hold your car keys and look at your car in the driveway Sit inside of your car, working up to 5 minutes Drive around the block Drive in your neighborhood making right turns, then left turns Drive on a main street taking left turns at traffic lights or stop signs Drive on a highway in the right lane for 1 to 2 exits Drive on a highway in the left lane for 2 exits Drive on the highway changing lanes past cars for 3 to 5 exits If you find that you can't even stand being a passenger in a car, follow the exposure therapy steps. Instead of driving, you may want to gradually face your fear by riding in a car with a driver you trust. Choose someone you know will drive with the greatest of care. Once you're comfortable riding with that person, try to ride with other drivers or ride along on more challenging drives (like on the highway). Find what feels the most comfortable for you when you begin riding as a passenger. You might find that you prefer to sit in the backseat. Or, maybe you find it less stressful to sit next to the driver. Experiment to find what works for you. Most people are afraid of getting behind the wheel for the first time. To ease your fear, choose a knowledgeable driving instructor who has a lot of experience teaching new drivers. A good driver can reassure you and make you feel comfortable in the driver's seat. Consider working with a driving school instructor. You might realize that the anxiety you had been feeling about learning to drive actually stemmed from your previous instructor, especially if it was a relative trying to teach you how to drive.
فكر في مواجهة الفوبيا التي تعاني منها. ضع مقياسًا للقلق الذي تشعر به. اكتب مخاوفك. خذ خطوات تدريجية. اركب السيارة مع سائقين تثق بهم. ألزِم نفسك بتعلم قيادة السيارات.