I went through a period where I was afraid to drive.
Putting my life in the hands of idiots was just too much.
But for my sake, I had to start again,
It wasn’t easy, but I got pretty used to it again.
I also live outside of town where everything is fifteen miles away, at least.
I feel better knowing I could drive and don’t feel as restrained.
Maybe you’d feel better if you just tried to ease back into it?
I don’t have a license, I don’t feel safe because I get ‘sucked’ by my dream world.
I had some accidents even driving the shopping cart.
Driving has been a major challenge and obstacle in my life. I didn’t get my first drivers license until I turned 24 years old. When I first started driving I would pray to God and mentally prepare myself to die. I would grip the steering wheel so tight that my hands would go numb. I tried driving two new places by myself when I first got my license. One to buy a litter box and another place to potentially start volunteering at the food bank. I drove just fine but I got a major mental block about it and for like two years didn’t drive anywhere that my family had not already shown me how to get to back and forth. Over 3 almost four years of driving I’ve slowly gotten better at driving and less scared. Back in around October 2017 I drove somewhere new by myself again. It wasn’t that bad of a drive and I was so proud of myself when I finally did it. I also drive with a gps for my car and a back up gps on my phone so that if one stops working the other one will. I’m still nervous about driving in cities and can’t parallel park. I just got to the point where I was so humiliated about not driving and afraid of being a burden to my family that I slowly weaned my way into driving more and more. I’m still afraid I’ll make a wrong turn and end up driving in San Francisco or Oakland which are very convoluted. I think I’m not as afraid of highways anymore cuz I spend more time driving on them. Honestly driving has probably been one of the largest obstacles I’ve ever come across in my life. I’m scared I’ll go to hell when I die but that fear is also dwindling slowly over time. I’ve gotten to the point where I’d rather be in a wheelchair and know that I ended up there because I tried than to play it safe and have never tried. All of that being said I didn’t get my license until after I was on a high enough dose of antipsychotics to make the hallucinations go away. I tried passing the driving test like 5-6 times and failed because I took it before the hallucinations had cleared up. I think if I was off antipsychotics or hallucinating that driving would be impossible. The drugs can be sedating so I drink coffee to wake up. Recently I’ve switched to vraylar from abilify and cut down on my sleeping pill so I’m not nearly as sedated as before. I’ve gotten to the point where I tell myself that I’d rather die or be in a wheelchair than hiding at home waiting for my life to pass me by. I tell myself I’d rather trade disability by schizophrenia for a physical one like td or a wheelchair that has more sympathy from society.
Just the fear anxiety of getting into an accident will get me into an accident… N how would I park in those tiny gaps or get out of them?
I don’t drive. Never got my license. I’m 23. Something about piloting a giant metal thing that goes fast around other people going equally fast while I have to pay attention to multiple lanes of traffic as well as a GPS system along with my mistrust of others absolutely terrifies me. Aka this is a very deeply held anxiety around driving. I tried to explain this to my brother and said it may be years before I can drive, and he just shook his head at me like I’m awful.
I stopped driving because of accidents related to alcohol. My vehicle still sits in the driveway. It needs a few repairs. I stopped carrying liability since I don’t drive. I walk places to pick up my meds and foodstuffs. I taxi to my appts. I don’t miss driving, except for times when I want to haul something.
I drive but barely.
I basically drive to my local supermarket or gas station which is literally only 2 minutes away.
I’m a big chicken on the road.
Got to watch out for other drivers too!
I got hit from the rear by a SUV at a red light.
It was totally her fault.
I am not big on driving.
I used to drive fast but since this condition I haven’t been able to afford to and it effect’s my concentration when driving. It’s been 4 years since I’ve had my car on the road.
I got my license but i don’t drive. I feel like my attention is not good enough
In retrospect I probably shouldn’t have been a jellyfish my entire life. Now when I stand up for what I want I come off as abrasive because I didn’t do it before. I don’t know if we will be selling our home anytime soon. The kids like their school but I really don’t know what to do about this.
Your brother sounds like every other person who hasn’t experienced this but I bet they have their own thing they don’t/may not ever feel comfortable doing and maybe one day someone will shake their head at them and they will understand.
If you’re having hallucinations and poor reaction time, it would be irresponsible of you to drive a car. I think you’re making the correct decision by staying out of the driver’s seat. You don’t want to risk lives to make things more convenient for your mom and husband.
We dont have a taxi…uber…lyft… or bus…driving is almost required…
I have my license, but I don’t drive. I have too many tickets and accidents. Plus I have delusions, hallucinations and voices.
I can drive legally and have a license and everything and used to drive (was never good at it). I don’t do it anymore, reaction time is off, judgement isn’t so cool, but could legally if I wanted to. Don’t wanna put strangers in danger.
I have days where i know i just cannot drive. Im worried some days will become all days so i drive as much as i can… but when that happens i will stop for the same reason i dont want to put others in danger.
It’s interesting to see how many of us do not drive often or at all. I think is maybe one of those things that I either work st becoming comfortable with or will always be an issue between my husband and I. I can feel myself becoming depressed as last night I laid awake thinking about death. That’s usually my first sign. I guess it’s a good thing I’m seeing my social worker and pdoc today and tomorrow. I thought spring would make me feel better. I feel worse now than through out the entire winter.
I haven’t driven for a couple of decades. I didn’t renew my licence before I came to assisted living, and I have no need of it here. They take us everywhere we need to go in groups in vans. I can sympathize with the position you’re in, though. I’m sure you do a lot for your family. You should point that out. Have you thought about asking friends to take you where you need to go sometimes, if you offer to pay for gas?
I did leave out that there is good public transportation that my government insurance will pay for, but only for medical stuff. If I wanted to use them for anything else, I’d run out of cash really quick.
Sounds like a tough call. I hope it works out for you. There likely is some solution.