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Amaxophobia: What You Need to Know

While most people are aware of the dangers of car accidents, there are a number of other vehicle accidents that occur every day. When you stop to consider the sheer number of people that use buses, taxis, airplanes, motorcycles, and bicycles, it should come as no surprise that accidents in these various vehicles all carry their own impact and damage. One of the most common damages from vehicle accidents is anxiety and fear after the accident itself. This can often lead to psychological disorders after the fact, including what is known as amaxophobia.

Amaxophobia is the intense fear of vehicles, and usually manifests itself when you have to ride in a vehicle. Obviously, this can have a detrimental impact on your everyday life, making it difficult to go from one place to another. However, with the right treatment plan in place, as well as emotional and financial support, you can begin to work your way out of this pain and turmoil.

Compassionate, Understanding California Car Accident Lawyers

Among the most important remedies for amaxophobia–aside from medicine and treatment–is patience and understanding. A vehicle accident can be incredibly traumatic, so it’s understandable that emotional and psychological damage may occur. When this happens, our team of compassionate and dedicated California car accident lawyers at Maison Law can make sure you get the help and support you need to work on your recovery.

If you would like to set up a free initial consultation with our office, contact us today.

What You Need to Know About Amaxophobia

Amaxophobia is officially defined as the fear of driving or being in a vehicle. As you can imagine, those that suffer from amaxophobia dread the thought of sitting in a vehicle and usually organize their whole lives around avoiding vehicles, which makes it difficult to function in their daily life. Even simple things like driving to the store can seem insurmountable. Worse yet, amaxophobia is self-limiting, meaning that it even affects life choices, such as only being able to work within walking distance from your home.

There are several possible causes of amaxophobia, but it usually comes from a past traumatic experience involving a car accident or other negative event. It can also present itself as a fear of losing control while driving, or simply a part of a generalized anxiety disorder.

Symptoms of amaxophobia usually vary from person to person, but may include:

  • Sweating
  • Rapid heartbeat
  • Difficulty breathing
  • Dizziness when driving or riding in a car

Depending on how serious your condition is, you may also experience panic attacks or a sense of impending doom when faced with the prospect of driving or being a passenger in a vehicle.

Treatment options

Because it is an anxiety disorder at its root, amaxophobia can be treated in much the same way as other anxiety disorders.  Usually, this includes medication, therapy, and even virtual reality therapy.

  • Medications – Fortunately, amaxophobia can be treated with anti-anxiety medications or anti-depressants when your condition causes severe panic attacks and other physical ailments. These medications must be prescribed by your doctor and depending on how severe your amaxophobia is, may require daily intake. It’s important to use these medications as directed, as overuse can create different problems altogether.
  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy – Amaxophobia involves different symptoms from person to person, but it can develop merely by you harboring constant negative intrusive thoughts about driving or being in a vehicle. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) can help individuals identify and change these negative thought patterns that contribute to their fear of riding in vehicles. Further, it can help you control the anxiety that comes with being in a vehicle, which often is an offshoot of the fear and negative thoughts associated with your amaxophobia.
  • Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy – As technology has advanced in recent years, many that suffer from amaxophobia have turned to virtual reality exposure therapy to overcome their fear of driving in a virtual setting. VR therapy is effective in treating this condition because it provides both you and your doctor the chance to control and standardize the limits of exposure sessions. Better yet, this training can be done totally remotely, which can be helpful if you are initially seeking treatment and may not be able to venture far from your home.

Amaxophobia can be debilitating, but with adequate treatment, you can work your way through it. Still, it’s important to work with your mental health professional to determine the best treatment approach for your specific needs.

Can I Receive Financial Support for My Amaxophobia?

Obviously, when the stress and anxiety you are experiencing from a vehicle accident or a traumatic experience is affecting your personal life, you should take whatever steps necessary to get healthy. This includes seeking treatment and following the advice of medical or psychological professionals. While our team can help you recover financial support through an insurance claim or lawsuit against the person or company responsible for an accident, your mental health should always be your number one priority.

In order for our team to help you get this support, you will have to work with us through the claims process. We take pride in our experience and the client-specific approach we take to each claim.

Typically, our approach involves:

  • Providing evidence that you have had to see a therapist regularly
  • Gathering personal eyewitness accounts of your behavior
  • Getting testimony that goes into detail about how you cannot function at work or in your day-to-day life because of your high anxiety.

At Maison Law, we believe that every one of our clients deserves to have the best representation possible, especially when they are suffering mentally and emotionally from a vehicle accident or traumatic experience. We are proud to offer free consultations for these victims. Reach out to us today to schedule yours.

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