Learning to Drive, OCD style!

[Guest LadyMacbeth]

hey guys,

im about to turn 17 and of course with this comes DRIVING! Yay!

EVERYONE (and i mean everyone) is pressuring me into starting, but in honesty, im terrified.

I could hurt SO many people with a car... its bad enough on foot, but i could wipe out an entire family due to my own inexperiance or carelessness... and for this reason im terrified to start learning...

I was wondering if anyone else has felt/feels this way and if or how you overcame this fear?

Or if anyone's experiancing the same thing now...

I know its OCD related, but i cant see that this fear is irrational... Im just trying to keep the other drivers and pedestrains safe... :S

[Guest kezzieb]

Think of it this way, at least while your learning you have your driving instructor sitting next to you and s/he will have a break and clutch so if you do anything that may be dangerous due to inexperience they won't let you and they will if they have to grab hold of the steering wheel (that happened to my friend once) to move you away from someone or something. Don't worry everything will be fine, look forward to the independence that you will have once you've passed your test. Driving instructors are trained to know how to teach completely inexperienced drivers, hell in my first lesson I didn't even get out of first gear because he didn't tell me to, you and everyone around you will be perfectly fine, just remember that because learning to drive is scary but it's worth it.

Kez

=]

[Guest stonelizard]

don't worry! like kezzie said the driving instructor is there to stop anything bad happening!

i think u'll find once you get in to it u'll feel more confident and realise that dangerous driving is something more experienced people do by being stupid than something inexperienced people do by trying their best.

[Guest KtWasp15]

i've just started to learn to drive as of June 2009. you'll be absolutely fine becuase the drving instructor will stop you doing anything dangerous. they have dual control over the brake and clutch so nothing will happen as they will step in. they will even grab the wheel and steer you away from danger in a car. they won't let anything happen to you or anyone else.

you'll be fine, you wil get more confident as you go

[Guest !beef]

I know exactly where your coming from! I'm seventeen and chosen not to learn because of my OCD. But these replies don't help me, it's the fear of actualy driving not the driving lessons, so it doesn't reassure me about the instructor because he/she isn't always going to be there!

Sorry I could only agree and not help!

[carolj]

First of all no one says you HAVE to drive at 17, you may feel you want to wait a bit longer. My son was about 20 before he suddenly decided to have a go and now he loves it!

Have you been behind the wheel and driven at all? If not it might be worth looking around at some of these early start driving places, Brands Hatch is no good to you, nor the Top Gear track where my son had a lesson, but you might find one near you. Just getting the feel of the car might make you less fearful.

Good luck whatever you decide.

Carol

[Guest Rake91]

I was the exact same when I began to drive a year and a half ago, but once you get a few lessons under your belt, and gain some experience you'll be flying.

I would recommend going to an empty carpark to practice and gain confidence before getting leesons though, as this will help you get a good feel of the car and you'll be driving in a safe environment. But dont worry because the instructor beside you has a clutch a break and is always ready.

Best of Luck

[Guest HannahW]

Hi I know i am younger than you and not learning to drive but i was diagnosed with critical OCD in November 2009. I was admitted to hospital and now i am nearly ready to be discharged.

One of the things i was first taught is that OCD wants you to think that you will do something when its certain you won't.

For example i used to worry i would kill someone. so i'd ask my mum to count the knives to see if they were all there and not in my posesion. The reason it made me think this is because i haven't harmed anyone with knives before before and it wanted me to think the opposite. This made me scared and made me not go out because i was that scared.I got help and although this was scary going outside without counting the knives,the more you practise at something the easier it gets. Now i go out on my own alot and i don't get the thoughts anymore.

If you have the thought that you might harm someone on purpose while driving, don't let OCD win.

Say to yourself I am not the type of person that would do that,

You want me to suffer i am not going to let you win,

If i am worried about doing this why would i do it.

These sorts of thing help and gradually it will stop the thought completely you just have to keep practising. If you can think of more even better

I hope this has helped you I know how you feel

[Guest LadyMacbeth]

thanks guys, all your comments have helped!

I dont think i will drive immediately, there is no rush, and i think i want to be a bit healthy before i try, but you have all been a really good help! thanks!

[adamlonsdale]

Hey there,

I just thought I would reply to this to give my experience - maybe it will help I turned 17 in May '09. It took me a bit of courage to start learning to drive, and the OCD was really bad for me... at first. I didn't trust myself in a car and whatnot which is what put me off.

When you first start learning, you start on back, quiet roads with your instructor with nobody around. Until you got enough confidene to go out on the roads. And my instructor always told me "if something goes wrong - i have a right hand which will reach over to you faster than you can say steering wheel".

What really helped is the trust in my instructor. He would always make sure everything is okay. Another thing that helps, is the UK has the toughes driing test and standards in the world. I failed my test first time becasue I went into the wrong lane! But the important thing is, if they thought you could injure somebody... you wouldn't be on the roads. And when you pass your test, it means you know how to drive safely.

I passed my test a few weeks ago now, and it has been weird on my own - but you soon get used to it. It's easy to stop quickly and you know how to drive.

Remember, it's just a thought!

Adam xo

[Guest -Nizz-]

I'm 17 with OCD and learning to drive. My OCD doesn't affect my driving at all, but people close to me learning to drive really worries me.

So I can try give you starting driving lessons advice.

When you first start having lessons and driving, and you can drive in your very first lesson (just stopping and starting), is one of the most wonderful feelings you will experience in your 17 year old life!!

Seriously, it's so fun.

So why are your worries saying you could hurt someone? Does worrying that you will mean that you could? Of course not! In fact, being so cautious and careful will mean you may end up being one of the safest drivers on the road, even as a learner!

I hope that makes sense.

It's reckoned that I'll be one of those drivers who needs lessons for months/years in able to pass the test. Whilst my steering apparently "scares" my instructor, I'm never in any position where I could cause harm to anyone. Driving instructors are trained to have good reflexes and able to set things right when and before a student goes wrong.

And passing your test, if you carry on what you learnt, will mean that you are safe enough to drive alone.