add driving anxiety

How To Drive With ADHD Driving Anxiety Like A Boss

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When driving with ADHD, it can be super anxiety-inducing, but why is that? In this post, we are going to talk about ADHD and driving anxiety and how we can help to rectify it.

adhd driving anxiety

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This post is all about ADHD And Driving Anxiety!

6 Reasons You Feel Anxious Driving With ADHD And How To Help

1. Fear of Hurting Others

You might feel scared that you are going to be negligent somehow and accidentally hurt someone. This can be a valid fear, but you must also know that the benefits of driving outweigh the potential risks. Many countries would ban driving if the risk of hurting others was a considerable threat.

My suggestions:

  • Practice driving in low-risk situations (aka avoid highways). Once you build up your confidence, you can drive in scarier conditions.
  • I start to notice where people are walking and weird street signs. Get used to seeing a variety of rules so that you are super comfortable driving wherever you are.
  • When car shopping, if you can afford to get a car with blind spot sensors, then do it! My Mazda CX3 brings me so much peace when I merge or turn when I feel like a lot is happening.

2. Delayed Reaction Times

As someone with ADHD, I know how badly I struggle with delayed reaction times. That is why it is essential to start practicing so as not to endanger yourself or others while driving.

See also  9 ADHD Paralysis Symptoms That Aren't Being Lazy

My Suggestions:

  • Start driving a little farther behind people than you usually would. This will create a buffer between you and a potential accident.
  • Don’t put yourself in situations where you must be quick, so don’t irritate others, and be respectful on the road.

3. Impulsivity

I know how impulsive I can be when I am doing anything. It takes too long for me, as someone with anxiety and ADHD, to think through all possible scenarios I stick with my gut (which is usually wrong)…

driving with adhd anxiety

My Suggestions:

4. Can’t Remember Directions

This is a tricky one because it is easy for us with ADHD to forget many things. Know that you are not alone in this and that many neurotypical people also forget where they are and get lost! Why do you think digital maps were made!?

My Suggestions:

See also  Top 7 Best Tips For Managing ADHD as an Adult

5. Reckless Driving

This one is going to take some extra work. You need to learn the rules of the road and prevent yourself from driving recklessly.

My Recommendations:

  • Start leaving earlier so you don’t have to drive quickly and recklessly to get to places you need to go.
  • Use Google Maps to tell you when you should leave. Start leaving about 10 minutes earlier than it suggests, and you will never be late again!
  • Ask a trusted friend to drive with you and call you out on your driving mistakes and when you are being silly!

6. Difficulty Paying Attention

add driving anxiety

With ADHD, it can be hard to pay attention when doing something monotonous like driving. When it is not stimulating enough, driving can be tedious and cause us to start daydreaming and reach for our phones for stimulation.

My Suggestions:

  • Remember that you will get better at this as you grow older and become a better driver!
  • Play a podcast or listen to an audiobook so that the distracted part of your brain has something to focus on, and you can watch the road better.
  • Limit talking to others while you are driving. This can be hard to do as someone with ADHD since we typically need to look at someone when we talk!

This Post Was All About ADHD And Driving Anxiety

ADHD can cause some severe driving anxiety, and with good reason. It can be hard to be a good driver with ADHD, but with these tips, I hope you have learned how to be a better one!

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Read more about ADHD in this post about ADHD as a woman!

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