There is a huge sector of the population that will drive anywhere you ask them except on the freeway. This is a very common phobia that ranges to having anxiety when they are forced to drive on the freeway to complete avoidance to the point where they cannot watch someone else driving on the freeway on television.
While many phobias seem completely out of line a freeway phobia is no quite as far-fetched as say a Peanut butter phobia. The incidence of traffic accidents on a daily basis should promote a productive amount of fear into any driver BUT with this phobia the fear is debilitating.
This phobia may start out small and gradually grow over time. At first it may just be a stressful event to get on the freeway and you may look for alternate routes and take those when you can and over time it can easily evolve into simply not driving because of the fear that you may be forced at some point to have to take the freeway.
What Causes It?
Like all phobias there is usually not one event that will cause a long term phobia. It may start because you know someone that was in an accident on the freeway that was badly injured of even killed. It can start because you see an accident on the news.
It can start because you are expecting a baby that you fear something will happen to. It can start if you are in a car accident. The point is there is a full range of reasons why this phobia can begin.
The Length of The Phobia
In some cases the phobia can last a few months. In some it can last for years. The length and the details of the phobia can vary. For example some people that suffer with this phobia are limited to only them driving on the freeway while for other people they cannot get on the freeway even as a passenger.
It can be a very debilitating phobia.
Course of Treatment
Before you start treatment you should know that it may or may not be effective. The sooner you start the better chances you have of getting it under control but you may never be fully comfortable driving on the freeway.
Results will vary with psychotherapy. The results can be effected by how committed the person is to treatment and how long the phobia has existed. The sooner you can get help the better chances you have of beating the problem.