New fear and can't explain why

[Superiority Tails]

I was in a car accident 6 months ago and every time I drive, I'm still feel very much afraid. I get sick in my stomach and it gets to the point where I have to just force myself to drive. I really don't understand why cause I thought that after 6 months, It'll be over with but the fear is still very strong. I really don't know what to do.

 

[David Baxter PhD]

Hi, ST. You haven't been here in a while... sorry to hear about your accident.

What you describe sounds like PTSD - read more about it at Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder :: PTSD - Psychlinks Psychology Self-Help & Mental Health Support Forum

Do you have a therapist at the moment? or one you could call for an appointment?

 

[NicNak]

Hi Superiorty Trails. Nice to meet you.

Sorry to hear you had a car accident. I understand about the fears, I truly do. One thing I learned is to take it one day at a time and not beat myself up because I am not "over" it yet.

Dr Baxter is right, if you have a therapist it would be good to make an appointment to talk about your fears that you are having.

It is important to address them as soon as possable with a therapist, so that the healing process can start.

If you do not have a therapist or cannot get one. You can always start off with your Family Doctor as well, they can be very resourceful in helping you find assistance in your area.

I wish you the best.

 

[Cat Dancer]

I was in a car accident several years ago and, not to discourage you, but it took me a few years before I was truly, truly comfortable driving and riding in a car. I would just kind of freak out over every little thing especially when I was a passenger.

Definitely check out the information about PTSD.

 

[Superiority Tails]

I have a school counselor if that helps.

 

[David Baxter PhD]

It might. Some are better trained than others. At the very least, she might be able to tell you where you can find a therapist who can help.

 

[Halo]

ST,

Great to see you back I am sorry to hear about your accident....I know that they can be really difficult.

I too had a car accident about 6 months ago and have to admit that I am now an extremely nervous passenger. While I feel totally in control when I am driving, it is being a passenger that I struggle with more.

I have to agree that talking to a therapist and reading about PTSD is a good idea. I know that I did after my accident and it helped me to understand better what I was feeling and going through and I am happy to say that although I still get anxious in the car, it is becoming less and less each time.

Please do talk to either your family doctor or school counsellor and hopefully they can point you in the right direction.

Take care

 

[Superiority Tails]

Thank you and I'm sorry to hear about the accident. Can I ask you how it happened and why you only fear being the passenger.

 

[Halo]

Your welcome ST

As for my accident, although I was definitely afraid to be the driver after the accident, I will admit that now I am a worse passenger than driver. The reasoning that I can come up with is that while being the driver I am in control however being a passenger I feel I have no control and cannot prevent an accident from happening.

Added: sorry I didn't see your first question which was how it happened....well I rearended a van on a busy highway when he came to an immediate stop and I did not even notice that he stopped. I slammed into him and at such speed and force that my car was totalled (although it was really old so that was no surprise). I didn't have airbags given the age of the car but I did have a bruisemark across my chest from the seatbelt.

 

[Superiority Tails]

Wow. How mine happened was a tire blew crash into a car and was totaled too.

 

[Budoaiki]

I can relate to your concerns. I was in a car accident myself where I was hit on the passenger side by a car coming out of a parking lot into the road that wrecked my car and caused some muscle injuries to my back which will never be quit the same.

After that and a whole lot of fun with insurance,
:reading:
I became very cautious of other cars coming out of parking lots, onto road ways and such every time I drove.

It took about a year before I stopped feeling tense when another car was coming out onto the road and although it never stopped me from driving it did make me a bit apprehensive to say the least.

Now I am more aware of other drivers than I was before but I don't get tense when someone is entering the roadway. My psychiatrist and my physio therapist helped a lot with learning how to deal with that tension, for me basically each time I drove it became less of a problem thanks to their help.

 

[Superiority Tails]

It's good your okay now. How long ago was this?

 

[Budoaiki]

The accident was four years ago.

 

[Superiority Tails]

You were a little bit older then me at the time. You were 21 or 22 and I was 20.

 

[Budoaiki]

Yes, I was and it still took me a little over a year to be relatively comfortable with driving with the help of a psychiatrist (who I was already seeing) and a physio therapist.

There are lot's of resources out there to help and if you have PTSD which I was told is relatively common after a car accident, it could help. PTSD varies as much as the severity of the car accident, I think that's probably because the circumstances of the accident itself and the individual are fairly unique. Just like the ways people cope.

These are the resources I used to help get me through it and the strategies they taught me helped me wear it down a little each time I drove. So I thought I would share them with you in the hope that they might help you in some way.

 

[Superiority Tails]

Thanks for the help everyone. I've gotten a little better.

 

[Halo]

That's good to hear ST and don't be afraid to ask for further help if you find that it is still an distressing issue.

Take care