OCD while driving.

[bm515]

Ok, this might sound crazy but I recently got into a car accident two months ago, the lady hit me and my girlfriend from the side of our car and we went sliding across the street. Luckily there werent any cars coming and I thank god my girlfriend is more than okay! But since then I've been scared of driving, I always feel like im going to run someone over or hit someones car I don't even know why I have the fear of running someone over! But I do and its messing with me crazy, I already suffer from OCD so its gotten worse now when I drive. I am constantly looking in my rearview mirror to see if I hit someone walking in the street or ill even drive in the left hand lane so I stay away from the sidewalk side. Im so scared that its gotten to the point to where I am turning around and coming back to see if I hit someone or ill look to see a drivers reaction if I did. I know its made me more careful but its making me crazy I've driven back in fourth three times in one day and its becoming sad, I am not sure if it is from the accident and its made my OCD affect my driving but it has. Ill be leaving a store and ill get in the car and ill be backing out slow but even when I do that ill drive off then when I do ill go back and make sure I didn't hit a car or person, I always do that when backing out and I don't know but if someone were to run somebody over wouldn't you feel the impact?? What if I run someone over but didn't think anything of the nudge or thump and thought it was a rock or curb? Ik Im not that dumb but still it can happen to anyone and then it'll cause a lot of problems and jail time..I might sound crazy but I was never like this before the accident :( im so scared.

[JGF25]

Hi there.  Thank you for joining the group.  I don't believe you posted yourself but does your moniker mean this is what your life is like?  If so, I feel you are really missing out and I hope that you can find some advice in these posts that will help you get back out living your life.  Good luck.  JGF

[SocialRecluse]

Wow this forum is really helping me, it's shocking to hear so many similar stories and experiences,

When I was young I had a permit to drive with a licensed driver, I lost control of a vehicle when I hesitated in an intersection in the poring rain I slammed on the breaks in fear of not making a yellow light,  I didn't cause an accident and nobody got hurt but I ended up across the street very close to a gas station pump which has scared me deeply,  

I was 18 and have not driven since I'm in my late 40's and have never gotten my drivers license.  Is my fear of driving an OCD also?  Thanks for sharing I don't feel alone in my experience anymore ( so similar wow).

[JGF25]

Did you bring a lawsuit against the woman?  If you did, there may be a way to get the therapy paid for even though you have a preexisting condition.  Basically it is kind of a form of PTSD.  Just a thought and I don't know if it would even be covered.  

[JGF25]

Ideally the first place to start is a psychologist and they can't prescribe meds anyway.  They teach you cognitive behavioral therapy...things to help yourself when you do get into this thought pattern.  If you have never been and you can afford it, now is the time to do it.  There are an infinite amount of triggers out there just waiting for us and you need to know how to help yourself.  

[bm515]

I haven't been to a therapist but primary Dr. Keeps telling me to see someone but I didn't have the money at the time so I did not see anybody. I should now but Idk I feel like meds isn't the way to go and its just going to make me a pill popper, I was injured in my ribs but that was it. I know it probably did cause it to trigger my OCD on driving now because I was never like this before the accident.

[JGF25]

Hi there.  People with OCD usually have triggers that kind of send them over the edge and it sounds like this accident is the trigger for this recent uptick in your OCD levels that is messing with your driving.  When is the last time you saw a therapist?  Were you injured in the accident?  

[bm515]

anybody??