Driving anxiety

[VioletHour]

I have mild social anxiety which becomes much worse when driving is thrown into the mix. For example, if I'm going to the store and I'm the passenger, I'm almost at ease while shopping, I'm even able to make eye contact and small talk with the cashier. However, if I'm the one driving to the store I can barely function. The feeling I get is similar to when you jump after being startled, except the feeling lingers until I get home. My real problem is that I'm starting college this summer and the drive is 35 minutes one way. The last thing I want is to feel like this all day at school, 5 days a week. I would like to go to my classes relaxed and focused, and even be able to make friends, but I don't see how this could work if I don't find a way to control my anxiety. Does anyone have any suggestions?

[CHANDLERS WISH]

Welcome to the Forum VioletHour, sorry for the delay in obtaining replies to your thread.

Do you know why you suffer from anxiety? How long have you been driving?

I would start to drive around the block every single day, so that it becomes a habit, it becomes something "normal", something that you are used to and therefore becomes the same as if you were a passenger.

As for the small talk, do you class yourself as shy? Or, do you feel that you may say something that may gage a reaction that you don't want?

Try talking to yourself to a mirror as if you are you and the person in the mirror is the cashier. Hold converstations daily with yourself in that regard.. When you go shopping, watch what people say, how they communicate and mimic this in the mirror again until you feel comfortable.

There is nothing that we can not trick and change the brain into thinking.

CW