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V8 Beast

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I was doing some reading and it appears that there are a lot of people in the world that have developed a fear of driving. Getting behind the wheel causes panic attacks, and disrupts lives in general.

How many of us have had to deal with not being able to enjoy the cars we love at one point or another in our lives?

 

I personally still do not trust my car. Dancing between a median and a semi kinda took that trust away. This is why I'm racing it so much. I'm trying to get over that mental road block the only way I know how... pedal to the floor! That's also a big reason why I havnt been up to QS&L. Everytime I get near 270/23 I pretty much have an anxiety attack.

 

Anyone else?

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I am not at all comfortable racing in 55* and below weather. Almost taking out my car and Matts Z06 kinda soured me on the whole no traction thing. I just go out by myself and do 40 rolls when it gets cool so I can get used to the car again.
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I don't have that issue, but my mother hasn't driven since 1976 when she was hit by a drunk driver. T-boned her 1975 Cutlass Supreme on the drivers side.

 

I remember a little bit about it....I do remember seeing the car when I went with my dad. I was only 6yrs old so it didn't really register. I only remember it was really bad.

 

She's not driven since. Not a great thing, especially since my dad is up there in age and all....but as she says, they have plenty of money for cab fair or a driver when needed.

 

I was doing some reading and it appears that there are a lot of people in the world that have developed a fear of driving. Getting behind the wheel causes panic attacks, and disrupts lives in general.

How many of us have had to deal with not being able to enjoy the cars we love at one point or another in our lives?

 

I personally still do not trust my car. Dancing between a median and a semi kinda took that trust away. This is why I'm racing it so much. I'm trying to get over that mental road block the only way I know how... pedal to the floor! That's also a big reason why I havnt been up to QS&L. Everytime I get near 270/23 I pretty much have an anxiety attack.

 

Anyone else?

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I was doing some reading and it appears that there are a lot of people in the world that have developed a fear of driving. Getting behind the wheel causes panic attacks, and disrupts lives in general.

How many of us have had to deal with not being able to enjoy the cars we love at one point or another in our lives?

 

I personally still do not trust my car. Dancing between a median and a semi kinda took that trust away. This is why I'm racing it so much. I'm trying to get over that mental road block the only way I know how... pedal to the floor! That's also a big reason why I havnt been up to QS&L. Everytime I get near 270/23 I pretty much have an anxiety attack.

 

Anyone else?

 

This hasn't happend to me yet *knock on wood*. But a while ago I was a moderator in an Automotive IRC channel. There was one regular with a supercharged 351 mustang running 27lbs of boost. He would hit low 9s/8s all day. He didn't show one day and we wondered what was up. Turns out in one race, his opponent had a blowout, and entered his lane sending him into the wall. His mustang was destroyed and he was hospitalized. (Damned doctors released him the same day even thoguh his helmet was in pieces. He passed out later that night and had to go back into the hospital.) Anyways, I asked him what he was going to do with the insurance money, if he'd get back behind the wheel, and he said to me, "I'm going to try for 7s!"

 

Granted, it's different for everyone, but often the best thing to do is just get right back into what scares you.

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There are many different things you may have going through your mind causing the anxiety you're getting. You have to first know your limits and abilities. I have been racing since I was 16 years old. I've been in some pretty serious situations, some of those situations being my fault, the cars fault or another driver. Whatever the case I am the one who made the choice to potentially be in a wreck.

 

Live and learn bro! You just got get back up on that horse and ride. Drive it like you stole it!

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So lets see what I have witnessed in the in the last year...

 

I had brake failure and missed a sign and a fence at Norwalk.

 

I watched a guy in a pickup truck skid across 3 lanes of traffic and almost flip over a bridge on 270 by the cemetary road exit

 

I watched Ben lay his bike down

 

I got see see a honda flip over onto it's roof at QS&L

 

I got rear ended by a PT cruiser.

 

My car just about went completely sideways between a truck and a median.. Honestly I have no clue how in the hell I didnt wreck it.

 

For a thinking man those are a lot of driving related issues to think about. Luckily for me when I get in those situations my brain cuts off and instincts take over.

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Go to a driving school at Mid Ohio. Have an instructor in the car with you and be open minded to relearn what you know and apply what is taught to you. Fear causes anxiety. Fear stems from the unknown. Many of the things you have seen and had issues with, could causes you to second guess what you would/should/could have done differently in those situations. That = fear. Confidence concurs fear. Relearning basic and new driving skills, may help with how you deal with driving situations.

 

There are many options to this. This is one worth trying.

 

If you are so caught up and it's in your head, and you can't shake it, that's for a doctor to help you.

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Go to a driving school at Mid Ohio. Have an instructor in the car with you and be open minded to relearn what you know and apply what is taught to you. Fear causes anxiety. Fear stems from the unknown. Many of the things you have seen and had issues with, could causes you to second guess what you would/should/could have done differently in those situations. That = fear. Confidence concurs fear. Relearning basic and new driving skills, may help with how you deal with driving situations.

 

There are many options to this. This is one worth trying.

 

If you are so caught up and it's in your head, and you can't shake it, that's for a doctor to help you.

 

I brought this up on CR because my doc thought it would be a good idea. I actually rolled this into my anger management therapy. I hate fear! I'm a serious control freak which is why this crap is so wierd. Its like when I raced my brother. My mind was not on the race at all. I was thinking " I hope my wheels dont blow" the entire time.

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Hey, spinning down the freeway and hitting the median fucked me up. I did not wanna drive at all. It took me 3 weeks before I was semi-ok. I would yell at whoever was driving about little things. Then I started to drive a lil bit more and the 33/270 merge a dumb ass comes hauling ass in mid winter when we had all that snow and I was in a SUV AWD and he damn there hits me and I almost spin out again. I got control of it and started laughing. I think that scare got it right out of me. Helps that they guy wrecked his car further down by the 104 exit. I fight fear with fear! helps. also maybe the crazy thing plays a role. I am not wrapped too tight!
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Hey, spinning down the freeway and hitting the median fucked me up. I did not wanna drive at all. It took me 3 weeks before I was semi-ok. I would yell at whoever was driving about little things. Then I started to drive a lil bit more and the 33/270 merge a dumb ass comes hauling ass in mid winter when we had all that snow and I was in a SUV AWD and he damn there hits me and I almost spin out again. I got control of it and started laughing. I think that scare got it right out of me. Helps that they guy wrecked his car further down by the 104 exit. I fight fear with fear! helps

 

I will probably get over it soon. I just need to keep racing it until it turns back into a second nature

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I will probably get over it soon. I just need to keep racing it until it turns back into a second nature

 

Thats it right there. You just have to trust yourself. Hell if you have too, go to a lot or something and practice catching your car when its outta control, grab the ebrake at 40mph and spin that fucker out. learn the physics of a spin and what goes on, and then learn how to correct it, learn how to keep a spin under control.

 

When i wrecked my bike, i was always sketched about hard cornering to the left because i had the rear com out in a hard left turn. I borrowed a buddies dirt bike and learned to control rear end slides in the dirt, and when i got on mine on the street, that fear had been placed back into the back of my mind. You should always have that lil voice, be it a slight fear or whatever, telling you to chill. but it should only come out when shits hittin the fan, or you really are pushing your limits.

 

Good luck, this shit really can fuck with your mind man, get it in check, and get back to enjoying your car.

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Thats it right there. You just have to trust yourself. Hell if you have too, go to a lot or something and practice catching your car when its outta control, grab the ebrake at 40mph and spin that fucker out. learn the physics of a spin and what goes on, and then learn how to correct it, learn how to keep a spin under control.

 

When i wrecked my bike, i was always sketched about hard cornering to the left because i had the rear com out in a hard left turn. I borrowed a buddies dirt bike and learned to control rear end slides in the dirt, and when i got on mine on the street, that fear had been placed back into the back of my mind. You should always have that lil voice, be it a slight fear or whatever, telling you to chill. but it should only come out when shits hittin the fan, or you really are pushing your limits.

 

Good luck, this shit really can fuck with your mind man, get it in check, and get back to enjoying your car.

 

I was thinking about doing that. I was going to see if I could enroll in a stunt driving course. The best way to control a fear is to hit it head on. Like my little bro said. I dont want to have to avoid another unexpected crash. So the next best thing is to avoid a planned crash.

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I personally have no issues/fears of driving, but my girlfriend has such anxiety when she's not behind the wheel that in heavy traffic she actually has to turn her eyes away from the road. We were driving through Chicago and she had to lay her seat back so as to not see all the traffic ahead. She gets so worked up over the sight of brake lights that I honestly think it's turning into a serious issue. There could be 30 car lengths between myself and the car ahead of us and if it happens to tap it's brakes for whatever reason, "Tim...brake lights...TIM"

 

It mainly stems from her having been in a few accidents where other people were driving, but those were years ago and she still has this fear. I've been in one very minor accident where I was hit in the side at 5mph so I guess I don't fully understand her anxiety, but I'm trying to relate to her situation when she's not in control. Just gets tired hearing "Tim...brakes" nearly every time we're in the car.

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