Explore Over 11,000+ Conditions, Medications, and Symptoms.

Get a personalized feed by signing up for free.

avatar

DarcyD

2y ago

Struggling with Driving: Anyone Else?

Does anyone else also have a lot of difficulty with driving?

Your answer

avatar

Marine2456

2y ago

I haven’t driven a ton since the pandemic, but when I used to drive to highschool before sunrise, I would daydream/blank out. One time I start drifting into the right-hand curb. Thus, I do have some driving difficulties.
avatar

Skelerang

2y ago

I don't have a problem with driving, but I zone out alot. I've never been in an accident that was my fault. My dissociation and autism takes form during interpersonal interactions. Also when I'm reading a book I sometimes will read several pages and not know what I read.
avatar

DarcyD

2y ago

I definitely zone out plenty too - can relate to that happening often during conversations or reading a book etc. For me though, I know it’s also related to my ADHD
avatar

offthebeatenpath

2y ago

I have some struggles with it and have had periods where driving isn't possible for me. Processing speed can be problematic when I'm in a very busy area, and I'm sure that would be very dangerous, so I avoid those situations. I have trouble judging spatially as well. My biggest issue is mapping and getting lost. I have to have a set path to get to and from wherever I'm going. Once I learn that path, I do OK, but any deviation completely throws me and it gets hard to drive. Too much to process at once. I rarely drive at night, and only when I know the route well. My husband (also on the spectrum) doesn't drive at all due to his autism.
avatar

DarcyD

2y ago

Thanks for sharing! This sounds very similar to a lot of my challenges! Working memory and processing speed (especially visual scanning) is difficult for me, and I get lost easily / find it hard to follow map directions or develop the awareness of space/timing of the car and world around it (difficulty doing that with my own body too). I havent been able to get my license yet (even though I’m now in my late 20s) but I hope to one day be able to do what you do and drive with certain precautions/limitations to stay as safe as possible and make it manageable.
avatar

AnimalBoy

2y ago

I have really intense zone outs and dissociation as well as no attention span, severe car/driving anxiety, and suspected (not diagnosed, petite mal) epilepsy that makes me black out so it'd be incredibly dangerous. I struggled really hard with the anxiety of being a burden or disappointment because I cant get my license but at this point I've made my peace with it, it's just a fact of my life.
avatar

DarcyD

2y ago

I hear you, it was very emotional and difficult for me to accept that I definitely can’t drive as safely as everyone else (if I can drive at all) without taking certain precautions and being very careful / getting training that accommodates what I need to learn how to drive. Realizing that I couldn’t just do something that’s considered so everyday normal and essential to life and gives you significantly more autonomy - it’s taken a lot of years to process and come to accept.
avatar

Prismatic

2y ago

For context, I'm 22, in a rural area, no driver's license. My main barrier to driving is PTSD/dissociation, but I also have significantly impaired hand-eye coordination and spatial skills so I misjudge distances between objects to the point that driving would be dangerous regardless
avatar

DarcyD

2y ago

Hey there, thanks for sharing! I’m wondering have you ever gotten the hand eye coordination and spatial skills assessed? I have the same challenges and I’ve tried to understand it through the lens of my confirmed hypermobility and somewhat confirmed dyspraxia, or unconfirmed dyscalculia (math scores were way below everything else for me but not low enough for my assessors to give the DX). I wish there was an easy way to put a label around those issues. My visuospatial skills when it comes to patterns, design, some types of puzzle solving is high, but when I take that into navigating the 3D world its like a slap stick comedy of running into things, tripping, and getting lost.
avatar

Proxy

2y ago

It took me awhile to get my license, partly because of having a crappy family car during my teens they wouldn't let me test in, partly because my anxiety.
avatar

DarcyD

2y ago

Thanks for sharing everybody! I took a drivers test 3x in my late teens early twenties and never passed, was really devastating each time. So I’ve been very discouraged from trying again. I think maybe it’s related to have low working memory and processing speed?
avatar

margaretscarry

2y ago

oh yeah that was what did it for me. The processing was a no go and honestly my hand eye coordination is also so bad. Nothing wrong with it its just how we work.
avatar

Charmander.Char

2y ago

Yes, i have a history with multiple accidents and PTSD because of it
avatar

margaretscarry

2y ago

Yeah the specifics of my autism make driving not a possibility. I tried but it shouldnt be difficult you know pushing it wouldve been dangerous. Nothing wrong with it. Whether you adjust or not just put urself first. Hope ur well!

The content in this post is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

pp-logo

Alike is a transformative platform that goes beyond just bringing together patients; it meticulously connects individuals based on multiple critical factors, such as age, gender, comorbidities, medications, diet, and more, fostering a community of knowledge, support and empathy.

appStoreBtngooglePlayBtn

© 2020-2024 Alike, Inc