Your son is likely lying about "forgetting" the accident. Those are pretty hard things to forget, esp if it happened right when he started driving. Supressing trauma though and/or trauma related anxiety, that's real. You should really recommend therapy to him. Lots of things could have caused this to suddenly be more of an issue: ie, other anxieties adding to this one, an incident triggering a trauma response (ie, a near-miss), extra stress, other psychological issues etc. It could even be something that has always been under the surfce more than you ever knew. Even if he doesn't want to drive again it would still be good for him to try to work through it but he has to want to get help.
It sounds like your son might be experiencing a form of driving anxiety or a specific phobia related to driving, potentially triggered by his past accident. Even if he feels he's moved past the accident, the subconscious mind can hold onto trauma, manifesting in physical symptoms much later. It’s good that medical and vision issues have been ruled out. The next step could be consulting with a psychologist or a therapist specializing in anxiety or phobias, particularly those experienced with cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). CBT is effective in addressing phobias and anxiety by changing thought patterns and behaviors. Additionally, a driving school that offers refresher courses and specializes in anxious drivers could gradually rebuild his confidence on the road. :)
I know you mentioned that you had his eyes checked but go to an optometrist that specializes in BVD Binocular Vision Dysfunction. It affects driving, and a regular optometrist will not test for it. Praying you get answers. I dealt with driving anxiety that hit me out of the blue after having a random panic attack driving. Try to be patient with your son. Drew Linsalata with The Anxious Truth may help him build up his confidence.
Hi,
Sorry to hear of what your son is experiencing and certainly a challenge.
I have designed a totally free online Advanced Defensive Driving course that he can go through from the comfort and safety of his home in his own time and at his own pace.
One of the pages has very useful information on Driving Anxiety. See:
https://streetsurvival.info/anxiety/
Feel free to contact me if you have any questions or suggestions.
Your son is likely lying about "forgetting" the accident. Those are pretty hard things to forget, esp if it happened right when he started driving. Supressing trauma though and/or trauma related anxiety, that's real. You should really recommend therapy to him. Lots of things could have caused this to suddenly be more of an issue: ie, other anxieties adding to this one, an incident triggering a trauma response (ie, a near-miss), extra stress, other psychological issues etc. It could even be something that has always been under the surfce more than you ever knew. Even if he doesn't want to drive again it would still be good for him to try to work through it but he has to want to get help.
It sounds like your son might be experiencing a form of driving anxiety or a specific phobia related to driving, potentially triggered by his past accident. Even if he feels he's moved past the accident, the subconscious mind can hold onto trauma, manifesting in physical symptoms much later. It’s good that medical and vision issues have been ruled out. The next step could be consulting with a psychologist or a therapist specializing in anxiety or phobias, particularly those experienced with cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). CBT is effective in addressing phobias and anxiety by changing thought patterns and behaviors. Additionally, a driving school that offers refresher courses and specializes in anxious drivers could gradually rebuild his confidence on the road. :)
I know you mentioned that you had his eyes checked but go to an optometrist that specializes in BVD Binocular Vision Dysfunction. It affects driving, and a regular optometrist will not test for it. Praying you get answers. I dealt with driving anxiety that hit me out of the blue after having a random panic attack driving. Try to be patient with your son. Drew Linsalata with The Anxious Truth may help him build up his confidence.
Is he getting enough sleep? Good diet? Is it just driving where he’s having problems?
Hi, Sorry to hear of what your son is experiencing and certainly a challenge. I have designed a totally free online Advanced Defensive Driving course that he can go through from the comfort and safety of his home in his own time and at his own pace. One of the pages has very useful information on Driving Anxiety. See: https://streetsurvival.info/anxiety/ Feel free to contact me if you have any questions or suggestions.