Anderson Injury Lawyers | September 9, 2025 | Car Accidents
Being in a car accident can result in significant injuries, and they’re often not all physical. Some wounds you can sustain are psychological. Although they may not be visible, they can be just as debilitating as broken bones or spinal cord injuries.
One type of psychological wound you can experience is vehophobia, which refers to the fear of cars and driving. But why does this issue develop, and what can you do to help yourself through it? Keep reading to learn more.
Understanding Vehophobia
The vehophobia definition is the fear of driving and cars. Like other types of phobias, it causes an overwhelming, unreasonable, and persistent fear. The fear is out of proportion to the actual level of danger present.
People who have vehophobia logically know that their fear of driving or of being a passenger in a car is irrational, but they are still unable to overcome it alone. If you have vehophobia and are faced with needing to get into a car, you may experience symptoms such as:
- Intense fear
- Disconnection from your body
- A need to escape
- Nausea
- Shakiness
- Dizziness
- Pallor
- Trouble breathing
- Tunnel vision
The symptoms can cause such distress that you may avoid anything related to cars or driving. This can result in your life suffering severe negative impacts, like not being able to go to work or engage in activities you love.
What Causes Vehophobia?
In the majority of instances, vehophobia occurs after being in a traumatic accident or being a witness to one. Although even minor crashes can result in this level of psychological trauma, vehophobia tends to happen in collisions where a loved one dies or you suffer a catastrophic injury.
People who have a predisposition to anxiety are more likely to experience phobias, but anyone can develop them. They can sometimes occur at the same time as post-traumatic stress disorder.
Treating Vehophobia
Once a phobia develops, it’s unlikely to resolve on its own. Phobias cause chemical changes in the brain that trigger the amygdala and lead to symptoms. It’s possible to reverse these changes, but it requires active treatment.
Typically, exposure therapy is the preferred way of managing these conditions. Exposure therapy slowly exposes you to your phobia trigger in a controlled environment so that you can become more comfortable with it over time. In the case of vehophobia, your therapist may begin by showing you pictures of cars and help you manage the anxious response you have to them.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) can be helpful as well. CBT helps you identify the thought processes that impact your feelings. Once you can identify the thought patterns, you can make conscious changes to these. CBT can help you manage your anxiety.
Some people may also need to turn to prescription medications to manage their symptoms. Antidepressants can help with some of the symptoms, and benzodiazepines might be beneficial if you struggle with panic attacks.
Contact Anderson Injury Lawyers for a Free Consultation With a Fort Worth Car Accident Lawyer
If you’ve been injured in an accident in Fort Worth, Dallas, or Austin and need legal help, contact our personal injury lawyers at Anderson Injury Lawyers to schedule a free consultation. We proudly serve Tarrant County, Dallas County, and throughout Texas.
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