Getting in the Right Gear: Coping with Mental Health Behibd the Wheel

While a lot of us rely on our car to do a lot for us, perhaps it is the source of our income, when we suffer some form of anxiety or depression or a low mood, we can question whether we should get behind the wheel or not.

When it comes to the topic of mental health, while it’s spoken of a lot now, it is seldom discussed with regards to those that have the ability to function with depression but drive every single day. You may know someone, or it may be yourself, but what’s the best approach to functioning behind the wheel when we have to, even though we suffer from a mental health problem?

Addressing The Current Circumstances
Sometimes, the need necessitates getting into the car. And this may very well provide a focus for us. It depends on your own attitudes to driving in general, especially if you’ve only been driving for a couple of years, in which case, if you feel your confidence is greatly impacted by your time behind the wheel, you may want to approach the situation holistically.

Safety is your priority, especially if you are driving other people, and if you don’t feel you are up to it, they simply, don’t get in the car. Because if something happens, such as an accident, while you can get legal advice to help you come out of the other side, the question will be brought to the fore, are you mentally capable of driving in the first place?

And if you need to drive, then it’s time to put some preparations in place so you can drive effectively, as well as safely.

Taking It Each Day Is It Comes
While you can do it on a daily basis if you are up to driving or not, you could find that you rely on driving to get you anywhere, either because you live away from public transport, or you have other people relying on you to drive them somewhere.

Sometimes this focus can help us get on the road, but if you find that the task of driving overwhelms you on occasions, then it’s essential for you to look at tackling the symptoms. Stress or anxiety can result in racing thoughts, an inability to calm down, and a shortness of breath. The symptoms can be fixed by learning to calm yourself. There are many ways to do this, from driver hypnosis courses to relaxation methods and deep breathing.

What you have to bear in mind is that it can take some time to fix. When we have anxieties behind the wheel, we might believe that we could get cured overnight, but if you have the right frame of mind to tackle the problem, and work hard at it, then you will find being behind the wheel a less stressful environment.

A lot of people have mental health problems, and a lot of us push through, but when we’re behind the wheel, safety has to be a priority, not just for others, but ourselves too.