Overcoming Your Fear of Driving Over Bridges
As you’re doubtless aware, bridges are found near enough everywhere.
Whether they’re the traditional style of bridge, crossing a river or ravine or something similar. Or whether they’re only necessary because the highways authority thought they would be a good way to keep traffic moving.
Those reasons are fine unless you’ve got a fear of driving over bridges. Then you quickly start to realise that there’s a lot more driving that needs to be done to get from A to B without using a bridge. Always assuming that’s even possible without hundreds of miles of detours.
So, what can you do to quell your fear?
There’s a good chance your doctor will be able to give you some drugs to help reduce your fear - it’s certainly worth chatting to them if you want to go down that route, even if it’s only a short term solution until you can come up with a solution that doesn’t involve drugs.
Sometimes you can get over your fear by starting small — pick a bridge that isn’t too scary, ask a friend to accompany you in case your worst fears come to pass, and then just do it. If your bridge phobia isn’t too severe then this kind of slow but steady approach can work nicely.
Another option is called mental rehearsal. This sounds weird but you’re actually doing it already when you start to think about driving over a bridge and those doubts and fears enter your mind.
You can do this on your own or with an understanding friend.
Imagine yourself driving over a nearby bridge — one that you’ve seen lots of times before — except, this time, instead of fearing the worst, imagine everything going smoothly. Just like it does for the hundreds or thousands of regular drivers, day in, day out.
Go into detail in your imagination. But, this time, instead of letting your mind dwell on all the things that might happen when you’re driving across the bridge, concentrate on the positive side of things.
Replace that troll or whatever is sitting under the bridge with extra supports. Maybe even imagine that the bridge is on solid ground and is only there to give a visual backdrop to the crossing.
Do that substitution for the whole journey, replacing any part of the process that’s causing your phobia with something nicer and more supportive.
Repeat that journey in your head until you could almost do it blindfold (obviously the journey itself wouldn’t be blindfolded as that would be silly) and you’ll find your confidence growing with each imaginary trip.
Another option is to use hypnosis to overcome your fear.
Don’t worry — you’re not going to start clucking like a chicken or doing anything else daft.
All you need to do is find somewhere quiet, put on your headphones and listen to this hypnosis track and let it work its power on your subconscious mind.
It’s well worth checking out.
