Pages Navigation Menu

Licensed Psychologist         (561) 444-8040

Driving Fears & Driving Avoidance in Teens & Young Drivers

Driving Fears & Driving Avoidance in Teens & Young Drivers

Posted by | 0 comments

Reader Question: My daughter just turned 15, and no matter what I say, I can’t seem to convince her to practice her driving. It’s strange, because in the past, all she could do is talk about how excited she was to finally get her permit. I truly thought that she’d be practicing constantly once she was legally able to. Have you seen this before? Could her driving avoidance possibly be related to her OCD? Sincerely, Stressed-Out Parent Answer: Maybe, maybe not. Driving Fears May Be Normal… Driving-related anxiety is a completely normal phenomenon. For many people, learning to drive is the first time that they are individually responsible for handling a situation that could potentially be life-threatening. Although car accidents are (hopefully) rare for most individuals, accidents can be harmful (or deadly) when they do occur. Being in charge...

Read More
Common Misconceptions About Anxiety & OCD Treatment

Common Misconceptions About Anxiety & OCD Treatment

Posted by | 0 comments

People new to OCD treatment often walk through the door with more than a few misconceptions. Here are some common ones: Misconception 1: Anxiety is bad. Actually, anxiety is a normal, functional, biologically-based phenomenon that every person is capable of experiencing. The only people who are truly anxiety-free are dead people. The rest of us (the living ones, at least) will find that anxiety will be a part of our lives, at least to some extent. Some anxiety is good and can be helpful. For example, it’s probably good to have some anxiety when you’re studying for a test. This anxiety can help motivate you to prepare sufficiently. Similarly, it’s probably good to have some anxiety about doing dangerous things, such as driving too fast — this anxiety might just save your life. Of course, not all anxiety is...

Read More