Fear of Bridges Articles

Stop Taking the Long Way: Conquer Your Fear of Driving over Bridges

For anyone who has a fear of driving over bridges, just the very thought of doing it can send them into a cold sweat and heart palpitations. Actually doing it can send them into a full-blown panic attack.

Being afraid to drive over bridges is a phobia, a fear that is irrational and intense. Some experts estimate that as many as 20 million Americans suffer from one phobia or another, and that figure is higher worldwide. A fear of driving over bridges can start for seemingly no reason and if left untreated, may eventually progress to the point where you can’t drive at all. This can severely limit your life and make you dependent on public transportation and other people for rides--an impossible situation for people who have to travel for their jobs.

Which came first: the panic attack or the phobia? Experts agree that it’s often hard to tell. Someone may happen to be on a bridge when they unexpectedly suffer a panic attack, and forever after, they will associate their fear of another attack with bridges, thereby sparking a phobia. Or, someone may be afraid of heights, one of the two fears humans are born with, and transmute that fear into a fear of bridges, which, in turn, can trigger a panic attack.

So what do you do? Cognitive behavior therapy has been effective in helping people rid themselves of phobias. This helps you learn relaxation techniques, change the way you think about your fear of driving over bridges, and take small steps towards driving again. Hypnosis is also effective in removing irrational fears by replacing negative thoughts with positive ones, and medications like anti-anxiety drugs and antidepressants can relieve your feelings of anxiety.

Download a hypnosis mp3 and cure fear of bridges now...