FREEWAY PHOBIA…
…is a big problem for millions of people, and the anxiety of driving on freeways, highway overpasses, on- and off-ramps is the #1 issue for many drivers.Fortunately, you don’t have to face your fears alone!
You can overcome the anxiety of freeway driving with help of a professional Driving Coach at your side at all times.
On a one-to-one basis, you will be trained on a Defensive Driving Course, customized to your individual needs.
The course is based on Exposure Therapy, a proven technique that uses gradual and systematic desensitization methods in a safe and controlled environment.
Recover your mobility, arrive at your destination quickly, save time and reclaim your freedom!
Don’t wait any longer! Take action today!
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WHAT IS EXPOSURE THERAPY?
Exposure Therapy is a scientific treatment developed to help people confront their fears.
When people are fearful of something, they tend to avoid the feared objects, activities, or situations.
Although this avoidance might help reduce feelings of fear in the short term, over the long term it can make the fear become even worse. In such situations, Exposure Therapy is the most recommended approach in order to help break the pattern of avoidance and fear.
In this form of treatment, a professional creates a safe environment in which to "expose” the individual to the things he/she fears and avoids. The exposure to the feared objects, activities, or situations in a safe environment helps reduce the distress and decrease the avoidance.
Exposure Therapy has been demonstrated to be a helpful treatment or treatment component for a range of problems, including:
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder
- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
- Panic Disorder
- Phobias
- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
- Social Anxiety Disorder
HOW DO WE WORK?
The Exposure Therapy method used is Graded Exposure.
First, working together, we will identify the source and triggers of your anxiety. Among different drivers, there can be a number of diverse reasons – from the simplest lack of practice all the way to be involved in a car crash.
Next, we tackle the feared activities, subjects or situations according to their hierarchy – beginning the exposure to the mild or moderate difficulties first and then, gradually, progressing to harder ones.
Note: based on past results, another method of Exposure Therapy, know as Flooding, is generally not recommended for driving anxiety.
EFFECTIVENESS
Exposure Therapy is helpful in several ways, including:
- Habituation: Over time, people find that their reactions to feared objects or situations decrease.
- Extinction: Exposure can help weaken previously learned associations between feared objects, activities, or situations and bad outcomes.
- Self-efficacy: Exposure can help show the client that he/she is capable of confronting his/her fears and can manage the feelings of anxiety.
- Emotional processing: During exposure, the client can learn to attach new, more realistic beliefs about feared objects, activities, or situations; and can become more comfortable with the experience of anxiety.
Source: American Psychological Association
A 2016 study found that people who received exposure therapy to treat phobias had fewer symptoms not only immediately after treatment but eight years later as well, signifying that Exposure Therapy has long-term benefits.
It decreases sensitivity to activities and situations that can trigger feelings of danger and breaks the negative associations made to them.
It also helps individuals to learn when it is natural to be cautious and how to live with that wariness without becoming paralyzed or panic-stricken.
It supports to improve daily functioning, easier mobility, social interaction, and overall better quality of life.