Will this anxiety ever go away???? Does it get easier

[mommaof1]

Hello, little advice would be fab!! I had a driving test booked last year long story short driving instructor started getting frustrated with me closer to the time and I kept messing up.. I do have anxiety and it's ruined my lessons coming up to my test he always said I can drive I'm just too anxious and it's worrying him. Anyway he cancelled the test behind my back a day before and he gave me the money back out his own pocket and agreed he was in the wrong. What I'm trying to say is, does this anxiety ever go away? My life would so much easier with a car, and my brother may be giving me his soon to learn to drive in which I feel ready to start learning again but can't find an actual instructor who's available, I feel like some roads confuse me also does this all go in time? Worried I'll never drive at this point
:( thankyou for reading

Anxiety can get better, yes. But it requires treatment really, just as any illness does. For anxiety, medication, talking therapies or something called EMDR can help.

Driving does get easier with time too, it’s literally a case of practice, practice, practice. Make sure you study your Highway Code, when you’re a passenger or walking along a street pretend you’re driving and looking for road signs, and keep an eye out for the sort of things you’d need to notice when driving, like pedestrians around, possible bins that could tip into the road with wind etc. it’s a case of confidence and you need to build yours. Being a nervous driver can make you a dangerous driver. Get more lessons in, practice when you can and seek help for your anxiety.

you’re going to be ok!

Also maybe look for a new instructor. If yours is getting frustrated, it’s only going to make you more nervous and you need someone who is calm and level headed to help build your confidence. Be honest with a new instructor.

Get a new driving instructor! One that gives you confidence in your ability to drive!

Thankyou everyone so much, I am on medication for my anxiety. I binned that instructor off soon as he cancelled my test and begged me to carry on driving, felt like I wasted 2 years had a break due to covid and also had a lesson either every week or every two weeks depending. Every time we was driving he'd be asking so many personal questions about me and my family n all that stuff, it was so strange I could never ever concentrate because I had him in my ear. I am currently trying to find a new instructor and there's about 4 months wait, hopefully driving with my friend will put my mind abit calmer

Agree completely with the other replies but also re your test. Seriously, its not a big deal if it takes a few go's.

I failed my first time simply because I was so anxious I was shaking and of course made a silly mistake. V annoying but don't put pressure on yourself to get it right first, second or third time etc. Sometimes we need exposure to something to be able to put our anxiety aside. And it's not like an educational exam, you and your future won't be penalised if it takes you several attempts!

Oh I’ve been here - 18 months of lessons, a driving instructor that kept saying “there’s nothing more I can teach you, you can drive, if you drove like this on your test you’d pass easily” but I fell apart on tests completely. I’d fuck up and then panic so much about fucking up that I would fuck up more. Once I drove myself back to the test centre 10 minutes in because I knew I’d failed and couldn’t put myself through the rest of it knowing it was for nothing. It was soul destroying! Eventually I think I’d driven so much, and done so many tests it stopped being as scary to me and became a bit more normal, I cried my absolute heart out when I finally passed on test number 7, partly joy that I could finally drive but mainly out of pure relief that I didn’t have to do a test ever again. People act like I’m a danger if I ever say how many tests it took but it’s been 10 years now and not a single incident (touch wood!) good luck OP. You have my sympathy! It’s horrible!

Thankyou lovelies for the replies! It's frustrating I get it I would've rather took the test and took it as experience, but he said if he gets a certain number of fails a month he gets a review? Which really isn't my problem and my anxiety certainly isn't his problem if he's confident he's taught me correct, glad you all understand thankyou for the advice!!

Wow, he's such an arse! Is he independent or does he work for a driving school? If the latter I'd put in a complaint because not only do they have an instructor not up to the job but also one who's actively undermining confidence.

He was with a company then went independent, everyone kept telling me to report him, I should've done really. He messaged me one time saying he needs me to do something for him which I was like what and he said just drive one of my students home I thought ok no worries anyway he told me directions all the the way there n we ended up in bloody Manchester which is nearly an hour away from where I live my lesson lasted nearly 3 hours but he only charged me for 1 because apparently it helped him out loads. He only didn't tell me the distance because I would've said no due to being anxious. Multiple things screamed out unprofessional, this student I drove home they had a love hate bond she was proper going in on him thinking it was funny like they was life long friends she was about 20 not even been doing her lessons long and he's 40 odd so I thought it was a bit strange then he slagged her off when she left??? Very strange I blocked him anyway