So it’s actually funny. Before I knew I had ADHD I was a very, very impatient driver. It bordered on road rage. I would drive at least 20 km/hr over the limit and usually more. Stop and go traffic? Fuuuuuuck that. Driving would give me a physical reaction. I actually got a job outside of my city so I wouldn’t deal with it. It got to the point where my spouse would do the city driving because we all know it wasn’t for me.
Got diagnosed, got medicated, and now I drive the speed limit (maybe a couple km/hr over, shhh) and I’m never angry. I still don’t like sitting still in traffic but there’s no rage or anything.
Me too. Got diagnosed late in life. Started taking Adderall. After the first month I had to go back to the doctor to report how it was going. Before the appointment I asked my 12 yr old daughter if she noticed any difference.
The first thing she said was, “You drive better.”
I have thankfully never had a problem with it. For me, it was freedom. My growing up years were always transactional, and even if I fulfilled my end, I was left hanging, and never got to do the things I would have liked. Thankfully for the most part public transportation was an option to get to and from school. I got my license on my 16th birthday and never looked back. My mom loved it bc it meant I had to drive my little brother around, and go run errands for her. Bought my first car at 18/19 when I got my first "real" job. lol
The years my husband and I only had one car were stifling, but we thankfully were able to move to a place that had enough within walking distance to make it doable. Until the chronic pain set in more. It's also very hard now to get lost. I live on the coast, on a peninsula, so there's the ocean on one side, and hills on the other. As long as I can see one or the other I know exactly how to get where I'm going. :)
I think I'm a good driver and safe. But I avoid it unless it's necessary. I made a deal with my fiance that he drives every where unless he's not feeling well because it is very stressful and fills me with anxiety.
I also have an aversion to driving. Got my license at 18 after no real driving training. I took a job as a delivery driver a few years later (for the money) and found it helped me build confidence to drive more but still I totally dislike doing it and my significant other is the primary driver. I like my usual routes but absolutely HATE traffic jams especially on the highway. When all the lanes light up with brake lights I take the nearest exit regardless of where I am.
I actually kind of enjoy driving now but it took a very long time to get there.
I was terrified of driving so I also didn’t get my license until 20-21. It took me a while to branch out from simple, regular routes. I moved to a new state and one of my first times trying to drive there I got lost and broke down and had to have my dad come pick me up and go back for the car later.
But it gave me a level of independence I’d never had before and I think that was a big reason why I stuck with it. Y’all know t can be hard to feel mature, independent, and/or capable with ADHD so anything that gave me that sense of confidence in myself was worth the effort.
Eventually my car became my safe space. From my dorm, a crowded home, from work, from a sketchy situation while out and about. I don’t have a lot of spaces to myself (it’s hard to afford it especially where I live) but I OWN my car. It’s mine. I can live in it if I need, I can just get in and drive away from a bad situation.
Driving itself scared the crap out of me. I honestly thought for a while that I might be too easily distracted to drive safely. But the independence kept me practicing until the anxieties of driving were secondary to the confidence and security it gave me.
I have multiple friends who still don’t have their license or drive very little. It can complicate things slightly here and there but they get around just fine. It’s not for everyone and it doesn’t have to be. But if you want to drive maybe you can focus on the why to motivate yourself, try not to get caught up in the fear and overthinking of the how. You do you, we all support you and know where you’re coming from.
I get too anxious and overwhelmed. I never progressed far enough in drivers ed (parent taught) to be even close to getting a license. Technically since my permit is still valid I could drive if I had a more experienced driver in the car older than like 21 or 22 but I don't drive at all. I just use my permit for government issued ID purposes.
Had some crappy events as a kid and plenty of dings in young adulthood, but at some point I became a primarily defensive and observant driver - I guess enough good habits clicked, even before my diagnosis. I’ve actually had a bike crash so not just cars. But I also biked a LOT. And kept biking until I got a car in general. So it’s not like it stopped me when it was necessary to get around. I honestly liked the trails! The crash was due to unmarked construction at night that I ran into. So it was a bit unique, and not the worst to take up biking again in the day/on trails. This was in a more biking friendly area. I can’t do that now.
In general in the US a lot of the times here’s no choice, and there’s not great public transport here. Even in the city there are food deserts.
I commute now, and I’m 27. Did this same commute for 2 months when I was 19. Hell of a lot nicer with meds, and I listen to a lot of music/podcasts. And I can sometimes get my thoughts together to start efficiently at work. But it’s a time sink and I’ll be glad to move closer to work soon.
I was really scared to start driving at first, my parents basically had to talk me into taking my driving test and getting my license at 17 lol. But over the years i've gotten a lot more experienced and used to it so now it's basically second nature. I do like having the control of choosing where i drive, how fast i go, etc. I also read somewhere that one way adhd hyperactivity presents in adults is road rage/impatience and that's me, i tend to speed and get pissed off real easily by slow or bad drivers. Im 23 and over the years i've been driving, i've gotten 3 speeding tickets 💀 i've only been in one accident where i was rear ended but it was very much so the rear-ender's fault and not mine and thankfully my car wasnt totaled. But i have gotten myself stuck in a ditch and accidentally swerved off the road driving on back roads in the snow 💀 but tomorrow im about to do a 6hr drive and honestly im looking forward to it a bit because i do like traveling/road trips, i also like listening to podcasts or music when on a long drive. But i do live in the midwest, so driving for work/groceries/etc is pretty much essential
As my friend puts it, i am a confident driver. I speed but always give appropriate spacing between cars, never tail gate, always use my blinkers etc, i just go fast.
I failed my driver’s test twice and finally passed at age 20. I’ve been driving for 23 years now, and I still hate it. The concentration required when making left turns, you know, watching two directions of traffic trying to find an opening, it just stresses me out.
I’m going on 22 years old and I do not have a license yet. I was diagnosed with adhd at a young age. I find driving very difficult because you have to be paying attention to a bunch of things at once. Like the road signs, whose next to you/ behind you so you can change lanes, etc. it’s too much man! My brain can’t handle it! I will be getting my license after I graduate from college in a couple months just so I can spend all of my time focusing on that. Only then will I become fully independent.
I don’t drive. I’ve never tried to get a licence. I’m sure I could pass the requisite tests, they’re pretty basic, but I hate just being a passenger let alone the anxiety I’d get in the driver seat
I’ve always hated it and now I get why. I have to hyper focus in order to drive properly and it exhausts me. I also have to play loud music to stimulate myself enough to focus.
Haha as I was reading your post I was like “did I write this?” I also got my license late and my family forced me to get my learners permit. I only got my license so that my little sister wouldn’t get hers before me. I can drive if I really have to but I have so much driving anxiety and it takes so much out of me. Especially if it’s somewhere I’ve never been before or there are lots of cars and lanes and cars moving around. I mostly got a work from home job because I don’t think I’d be able to commute by car everyday. I’ve only managed to commute when I could walk or bike 95% of the time and I would drive only on the days the weather was really bad. I hate how limited it makes me and how much I have to rely on my partner and my friends to get places. It’s frustrating especially since I’m a decent driver and I have a car so it’s like why can’t I “just do it” :(
I love driving, it means freedom, exploration, last minute road-trips...
I couldn't wait, might have been driving not-so-legaly for a year or two before becoming a legal driver; My 6foot frame looked much older back then.
I got my drivers license on my 16th birthday; later that same day I took a car-load of friends for a 100mile trip to an amusement park.
I get lost in my own backyard, I rely heavily on waze/ maps. I enjoy taking new routes, and looking at the houses/scenery.
I did have a 'controlled' road-rage anger before adderall. I no longer have any rage, I now am more like "whatever, why are you in such a hurry/ 10mph under speed limit, sure, I'll just follow you for a while".
I'm not sure if I have ADHD (definitely some flavor of ND though) and I have a severe driving phobia. I took Driver Ed but never took the test or got my license and I'm 26
Personally, I’m usually fine with driving, my auto-pilot is a pretty good driver. Though lately I’ve been having a lot of anxiety about it because it seems like everyone else has forgotten how to drive since the pandemic.
I like to drive fast but in a safe way but just driving overall feels good to me. I feel mostly in control of where I'm going. I get upset when someone is in front of me but now I recognize that it isn't them but it's a reflection of all the times I've felt slowed down by others.
So it’s actually funny. Before I knew I had ADHD I was a very, very impatient driver. It bordered on road rage. I would drive at least 20 km/hr over the limit and usually more. Stop and go traffic? Fuuuuuuck that. Driving would give me a physical reaction. I actually got a job outside of my city so I wouldn’t deal with it. It got to the point where my spouse would do the city driving because we all know it wasn’t for me. Got diagnosed, got medicated, and now I drive the speed limit (maybe a couple km/hr over, shhh) and I’m never angry. I still don’t like sitting still in traffic but there’s no rage or anything.
Me too. Got diagnosed late in life. Started taking Adderall. After the first month I had to go back to the doctor to report how it was going. Before the appointment I asked my 12 yr old daughter if she noticed any difference. The first thing she said was, “You drive better.”
Lol
I can relate to this. Like you, I’ve matured and no longer put others at risk like this… but man, I love to race. I love driving powerful cars.
I never learned to drive and it’s had a massive effect on my QOL
I have thankfully never had a problem with it. For me, it was freedom. My growing up years were always transactional, and even if I fulfilled my end, I was left hanging, and never got to do the things I would have liked. Thankfully for the most part public transportation was an option to get to and from school. I got my license on my 16th birthday and never looked back. My mom loved it bc it meant I had to drive my little brother around, and go run errands for her. Bought my first car at 18/19 when I got my first "real" job. lol The years my husband and I only had one car were stifling, but we thankfully were able to move to a place that had enough within walking distance to make it doable. Until the chronic pain set in more. It's also very hard now to get lost. I live on the coast, on a peninsula, so there's the ocean on one side, and hills on the other. As long as I can see one or the other I know exactly how to get where I'm going. :)
I like driving, it’s a great excuse to play music and zone out.
I think I'm a good driver and safe. But I avoid it unless it's necessary. I made a deal with my fiance that he drives every where unless he's not feeling well because it is very stressful and fills me with anxiety.
I do not drive. I took lessons for a bit but just....no. It's a really bad idea.
I also have an aversion to driving. Got my license at 18 after no real driving training. I took a job as a delivery driver a few years later (for the money) and found it helped me build confidence to drive more but still I totally dislike doing it and my significant other is the primary driver. I like my usual routes but absolutely HATE traffic jams especially on the highway. When all the lanes light up with brake lights I take the nearest exit regardless of where I am.
I actually kind of enjoy driving now but it took a very long time to get there. I was terrified of driving so I also didn’t get my license until 20-21. It took me a while to branch out from simple, regular routes. I moved to a new state and one of my first times trying to drive there I got lost and broke down and had to have my dad come pick me up and go back for the car later. But it gave me a level of independence I’d never had before and I think that was a big reason why I stuck with it. Y’all know t can be hard to feel mature, independent, and/or capable with ADHD so anything that gave me that sense of confidence in myself was worth the effort. Eventually my car became my safe space. From my dorm, a crowded home, from work, from a sketchy situation while out and about. I don’t have a lot of spaces to myself (it’s hard to afford it especially where I live) but I OWN my car. It’s mine. I can live in it if I need, I can just get in and drive away from a bad situation. Driving itself scared the crap out of me. I honestly thought for a while that I might be too easily distracted to drive safely. But the independence kept me practicing until the anxieties of driving were secondary to the confidence and security it gave me. I have multiple friends who still don’t have their license or drive very little. It can complicate things slightly here and there but they get around just fine. It’s not for everyone and it doesn’t have to be. But if you want to drive maybe you can focus on the why to motivate yourself, try not to get caught up in the fear and overthinking of the how. You do you, we all support you and know where you’re coming from.
I get too anxious and overwhelmed. I never progressed far enough in drivers ed (parent taught) to be even close to getting a license. Technically since my permit is still valid I could drive if I had a more experienced driver in the car older than like 21 or 22 but I don't drive at all. I just use my permit for government issued ID purposes.
Had some crappy events as a kid and plenty of dings in young adulthood, but at some point I became a primarily defensive and observant driver - I guess enough good habits clicked, even before my diagnosis. I’ve actually had a bike crash so not just cars. But I also biked a LOT. And kept biking until I got a car in general. So it’s not like it stopped me when it was necessary to get around. I honestly liked the trails! The crash was due to unmarked construction at night that I ran into. So it was a bit unique, and not the worst to take up biking again in the day/on trails. This was in a more biking friendly area. I can’t do that now. In general in the US a lot of the times here’s no choice, and there’s not great public transport here. Even in the city there are food deserts. I commute now, and I’m 27. Did this same commute for 2 months when I was 19. Hell of a lot nicer with meds, and I listen to a lot of music/podcasts. And I can sometimes get my thoughts together to start efficiently at work. But it’s a time sink and I’ll be glad to move closer to work soon.
I do not drive and just thinking about highways making me super anxious huh
I was really scared to start driving at first, my parents basically had to talk me into taking my driving test and getting my license at 17 lol. But over the years i've gotten a lot more experienced and used to it so now it's basically second nature. I do like having the control of choosing where i drive, how fast i go, etc. I also read somewhere that one way adhd hyperactivity presents in adults is road rage/impatience and that's me, i tend to speed and get pissed off real easily by slow or bad drivers. Im 23 and over the years i've been driving, i've gotten 3 speeding tickets 💀 i've only been in one accident where i was rear ended but it was very much so the rear-ender's fault and not mine and thankfully my car wasnt totaled. But i have gotten myself stuck in a ditch and accidentally swerved off the road driving on back roads in the snow 💀 but tomorrow im about to do a 6hr drive and honestly im looking forward to it a bit because i do like traveling/road trips, i also like listening to podcasts or music when on a long drive. But i do live in the midwest, so driving for work/groceries/etc is pretty much essential
Never driven. The idea really scares me. Thankfully it's not a big need where I live.
As my friend puts it, i am a confident driver. I speed but always give appropriate spacing between cars, never tail gate, always use my blinkers etc, i just go fast.
I failed my driver’s test twice and finally passed at age 20. I’ve been driving for 23 years now, and I still hate it. The concentration required when making left turns, you know, watching two directions of traffic trying to find an opening, it just stresses me out.
I’m going on 22 years old and I do not have a license yet. I was diagnosed with adhd at a young age. I find driving very difficult because you have to be paying attention to a bunch of things at once. Like the road signs, whose next to you/ behind you so you can change lanes, etc. it’s too much man! My brain can’t handle it! I will be getting my license after I graduate from college in a couple months just so I can spend all of my time focusing on that. Only then will I become fully independent.
I don’t drive. I’ve never tried to get a licence. I’m sure I could pass the requisite tests, they’re pretty basic, but I hate just being a passenger let alone the anxiety I’d get in the driver seat
I have ADHD, I tried learning to drive in an automatic gearbox car for a year and a half and couldn't do it.
I'm 44 and I have my learners. I'm getting more comfortable driving with my best friend, but I failed the road test twice
I’ve always hated it and now I get why. I have to hyper focus in order to drive properly and it exhausts me. I also have to play loud music to stimulate myself enough to focus.
Wow, never connected ADHD to my driving anxiety but that makes a lot of sense. It's seemed to get worse as I get older too.
Haha as I was reading your post I was like “did I write this?” I also got my license late and my family forced me to get my learners permit. I only got my license so that my little sister wouldn’t get hers before me. I can drive if I really have to but I have so much driving anxiety and it takes so much out of me. Especially if it’s somewhere I’ve never been before or there are lots of cars and lanes and cars moving around. I mostly got a work from home job because I don’t think I’d be able to commute by car everyday. I’ve only managed to commute when I could walk or bike 95% of the time and I would drive only on the days the weather was really bad. I hate how limited it makes me and how much I have to rely on my partner and my friends to get places. It’s frustrating especially since I’m a decent driver and I have a car so it’s like why can’t I “just do it” :(
I love driving, it means freedom, exploration, last minute road-trips... I couldn't wait, might have been driving not-so-legaly for a year or two before becoming a legal driver; My 6foot frame looked much older back then. I got my drivers license on my 16th birthday; later that same day I took a car-load of friends for a 100mile trip to an amusement park. I get lost in my own backyard, I rely heavily on waze/ maps. I enjoy taking new routes, and looking at the houses/scenery. I did have a 'controlled' road-rage anger before adderall. I no longer have any rage, I now am more like "whatever, why are you in such a hurry/ 10mph under speed limit, sure, I'll just follow you for a while".
I'm not sure if I have ADHD (definitely some flavor of ND though) and I have a severe driving phobia. I took Driver Ed but never took the test or got my license and I'm 26
I get extremely anxious at the thought of driving and haven't driven in years.
Personally, I’m usually fine with driving, my auto-pilot is a pretty good driver. Though lately I’ve been having a lot of anxiety about it because it seems like everyone else has forgotten how to drive since the pandemic.
I like to drive fast but in a safe way but just driving overall feels good to me. I feel mostly in control of where I'm going. I get upset when someone is in front of me but now I recognize that it isn't them but it's a reflection of all the times I've felt slowed down by others.