How to face amaxophobia and overcome the fear of driving: these are the steps to follow

2023-06-01 08:49:34

Susana Molinathe former contestant and winner of Big Brother, now an influencer with more than a million followers on Instagram, has confessed to her followers that she has amaxophobia Or what is the same, panic to drive. However, it does not seem that his case is an isolated event according to the data handled by the DGT.

The magazine ‘Traffic and Road Safety’ recently revealed that in Spain up to 28% of drivers suffer from this fear, which affects driving skills regardless of gender. However, it has been detected that it is more important for men to admit it publicly. Precisely in this sense, and to address taboos on mental health, the Murcian has told her followers the following: “Many of you already know that I have a problem with driving because I had an incident some time ago and, since then, I have scared, but I’m getting over it.”

Los most common symptoms of amaxophobia are anxiety, stress or irritability, which is visibly reflected in driving as it becomes difficult and, in the most serious cases, it gets to the point of being impossible, becoming the one who suffers it an element of danger for himself and the rest of the drivers. Among the most recognizable signs stands out the physical and muscular tension as well as mental that is triggered in more specific situations, such as environments such as heavy traffic or more dangerous situations, such as rainy, snowy or foggy days.

What to do to lose the fear of driving?

These manifestations develop, in general, after suffering a traumatic experience such as a traffic accident or other situation of tension or risk. However, it may be due to other factors such as the driver’s own character, sometimes very demanding with himself or sometimes very insecure in all areas of his life.

“Six years ago, when I was going to take the car to go home, a few seconds before I passed out. Although it seems like a minor incident, it created a trauma for me and, later, a mental health problem”, explained the influencer and recognizable face of Telecinco, about the origin of that uncontrollable and persistent fear over time at the idea of ​​taking a car and driving.

From the CEA Foundation they explain that the first step is work on emotion regulationidentifying these emotions on a physical and psychological level in order to develop appropriate coping strategies and, in turn, work self-esteem. For this, they recommend that it is best to have the help of psychologists specialized in amaxophobia. As they themselves explain, “theoretical psychoeducation is combined with a practical psychoeducational session, to provide the victim of a traffic accident or person whose amaxophobia derives from other reasons, the knowledge necessary to deal with an emergency situation or adverse on the road safely, working on amaxophobia from its origin”.

This type of therapy seems to be the one that is working best in the case of Susana Molina, who has confessed that thanks to therapy, little by little she is overcoming and controlling this phobia, making progress in this regard. “The other day I took the car on a very long two-hour drive. Now I’m going to do shock therapy because I’m going to take a van to Cantabria. That is, four hours,” she said.

Anxiety can completely block

People more prone to anxiety are the more prone to develop amaxophobia and, likewise, those drivers who suffer from other types of pathologies such as agoraphobia they are also more exposed. And it is that the fear that develops towards the act of driving can get completely blocked those who suffer from it, limiting and even preventing them from getting behind the wheel.