At times, most of us experience some level of anxiety while driving, especially with today's very hectic, intense and aggressive driving environment or in dangerous weather conditions, for example. For the person with mild to moderate PDC, the driving environment becomes a major problem — for the serious PDC, it can become a matter of life and death, because the person frequently experiences a "panic attack" at exactly the wrong time — in a crisis situation. It can also become critical because the condition usually affects the person's overall personal confidence level.

The reason: as human beings we learn most effectively by experiential learning. We learn by doing. As the result of a traumatic auto crash, we experience a high level of fear, which is now programmed into our minds. This is often accompanied by pain from injuries in the crash. It is very difficult to overcome that resulting fear by willpower. The biggest problem is that, in a crisis situation, especially one that is similar to the prior experience, our reaction will tend to be a panic.

We have found that the most effective way to overcome a serious PDC is through creating a new experience that is positive and powerful (enough to overcome the other programming). As a person's car control skills increase, their confidence builds — as they are able to defend themselves in a car, they become more comfortable. They become confident as a result of change in their belief system about themselves ... about their ability to defend themselves. For the person who experiences high anxiety while driving, we hold a short consultation to determine the most appropriate program. In extreme conditions, private instruction prior to a clinic may be recommended.

Click here to read an example of an actual client's program that we recently completed. We'll call her "Judy".