Driving Anxiety and Driving Exposure | EP 315

The Anxious Truth - A Panic, Anxiety, and Mental Health Podcast

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Navigating driving anxiety with exposure therapy—but not how you might think.

In this episode, Drew Linsalata (therapist, author, and former anxiety sufferer) challenges common misconceptions about addressing driving anxiety.

Learn why the feeling is the exposure, not the driving itself, and discover how interoceptive and imaginal exposures can help without ever starting your car.

Drew explains why pulling over or listening to music isn't avoidance if you're still experiencing anxiety, clarifies what true avoidance looks like, and emphasizes that recovery is about learning from each experience, not just driving farther.

Whether you experience anxiety holding your keys, sitting in your driveway, or on the highway, this episode offers a practical, acceptance-based approach to driving anxiety that breaks down exactly what exposure therapy means in this context.

You'll learn why small steps count, what constitutes real progress, and how to shift your focus from controlling anxiety to building a different relationship with uncomfortable feelings while driving.

Based on empirically supported approaches to treating anxiety and anxiety disorders, this episode provides realistic strategies for living alongside anxiety rather than attempting to eliminate it.

For full show notes on this episode:

https://theanxioustruth.com/315

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Disclaimer: The Anxious Truth is not therapy or a replacement for therapy. Listening to The Anxious Truth does not create a therapeutic relationship between you and the host or guests of the podcast. Information here is provided for psychoeducational purposes. As always, when you have questions about your own well-being, please consult your mental health and/or medical care providers. If you are having a mental health crisis, always reach out immediately for in-person help.

Chapters

1. Driving Anxiety and Driving Exposure | EP 315 (00:00:00)

2. Understanding Driving Anxiety (00:00:01)

3. Four Types of Driving Fears (00:03:01)

4. The Feeling Is the Exposure (00:06:54)

5. Beyond Driving: Related Anxieties (00:13:03)

6. Interoceptive and Imaginal Exposures (00:17:51)

7. Overcoming Misconceptions About Avoidance (00:21:24)

8. Learning is More Important Than Distance (00:25:43)

9. Final Thoughts and Professional Help (00:28:30)