Is it normal i can't think while driving & i hate it

I go blank, not a single thought in my head. I hate it, it's like mental torture to me. Normally when I do things I don't enjoy I can just drift off into my make-believe world to pass the time, but with driving I have to put my complete & undivided attention into it because if I think to myself I'll drift off into lala land & crash. I've yet to speak to another person who feels the same way, they always tell me how alive & liberated it makes them feel to drive. I feel dead & trapped when I do it.

Voting Results
13% Normal
Based on 8 votes (1 yes)
Help us keep this site organized and clean. Thanks!
[ Report Post ]
Comments ( 20 )
  • Boojum

    From what you say, I can understand how you find driving stressful and general pain, but I think it's good that you're very aware of the dangers of what could happen if you allowed your attention to to wander. A huge number of people - most of whom believe they have above average driving skills - are only intermittently aware of what's going on around them when they're in charge of a potentially lethal machine.

    FWIW, I've been driving for nearly 50 years now, and in that time I've had one traffic ticket and been involved in one collision. Both of them happened in my early years of driving, and both were the result of me allowing myself to be distracted for a few moments.

    It is true that some people get a thrill out of driving. I'm sure there's always some weird psychological shit going on there that involves some combination of power, control, independence, dominance and display. I've always considered driving as nothing more than a way to get from Point A to Point B in the most comfortable, convenient way possible.

    I will admit that I do sometimes go into autopilot mode when driving and I do slip into daydreaming, but I only allow that to happen when the road, weather and traffic conditions are such that I deem it safe to relax a bit for a little while. Most of the time, when I'm driving, I'm driving: constantly scanning ahead for potential problems and the manoeuvres I'll need to make, and watching for any signs that the vehicles near me have an idiot with a death-wish behind the wheel. After driving for so long, a lot of that is automatic, but I do my best to always be conscious that letting my attention wander for just a moment could have consequences that are lethal, or at the very least expensive and a huge hassle to sort out.

    From what you say, it's clear that my reveries are not nearly as intense and distracting as yours. I'm not sure how it relates to your mental state when driving (maybe it's the opposite), but there is a recognised phenomenon called highway hypnosis where people can disassociate and safely drive very long distances without any conscious recollection of what they've done on the trip.

    Driving is a strange thing. On the one hand, a lot of it is automatic after a while, but it can be very stressful if you don't entirely trust your own skills and you have a realistically sceptical opinion of the competence of the drivers of the vehicles you encounter.

    Finally, I'll mention that there is something called maladaptive daydreaming. It's a symptom, not a condition in itself. I have no idea if the label applies, but you might find it helpful to check it out.

    https://www.sleepfoundation.org/mental-health/maladaptive-daydreaming
    https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/maladaptive-daydreaming

    Comment Hidden ( show )
  • 1WeirdGuy

    It went away with age but when I first started driving a car I was like that. Always two hands on the steering wheel back then.

    Comment Hidden ( show )
      -
    • ThatOneGuyYouNeverWantToMeet

      I've been driving for 8 years.

      Comment Hidden ( show )
        -
      • 1WeirdGuy

        Not normal but its a good thing for sure.

        Comment Hidden ( show )
  • Tommythecaty

    *drink

    Comment Hidden ( show )
  • Somenormie

    I can't say I've ever driven. I cannot say much.

    Comment Hidden ( show )
  • RoseIsabella

    I cannot truly concentrate on driving without having the radio.

    Comment Hidden ( show )
  • MonsteraDeliciosa

    When I started driving it was like that, I was terrified. Then it just became similar to breathing....

    Comment Hidden ( show )
      -
    • ThatOneGuyYouNeverWantToMeet

      Did it take longer than 8 years?

      Comment Hidden ( show )
        -
      • MonsteraDeliciosa

        I can't really remember that much but I know that it took me that long to be able to drive across states! It was horrible, the worst experience of my life, tbh. I was really scared and actually stopped at a motel after 3 hours on the road. Now I can go longer distances without even thinking about it. On my current daily drive I don't even have to think about it - but it's just 1,5 miles, so there's that.

        Comment Hidden ( show )
  • donteatstuffoffthesidewalk

    drivin is automatic for me

    its like dolphins sleepin with half their brain

    i handle & navigate a vehicle through all kindsa conditions & traffic without a thought and my mind wanders thinkin about all kindsa shit

    Comment Hidden ( show )
      -
    • ThatOneGuyYouNeverWantToMeet

      Can't do that, I'll get myself or someone else killed. When I think/daydream the world fades away I don't see or hear anything (or at the very least I don't register it) unless something drastic breaks that near hallucination (like a sharp noise or a bright flicker of light).

      Comment Hidden ( show )
        -
      • donteatstuffoffthesidewalk

        im in tune with my vehicle cause i do all my own repairs

        any odd noise i test

        is it in synch with drivetrain or motor or accessory?

        Comment Hidden ( show )
          -
        • ThatOneGuyYouNeverWantToMeet

          Yaaaaaaay, words I don't understand nor care for.

          Comment Hidden ( show )
            -
          • donteatstuffoffthesidewalk

            put it in neutral and rev the motor goin down the road

            does the odd noise follow the motor or the speeda the car or some oddball shit like the wipers?

            Comment Hidden ( show )