It sounds like you've got PTSD. Understandably, it's very common in MVA survivors. Are you being treated for it?

When I started back to driving, I could hear myself breathing and my tummy flipped every time a car approached in the other direction. Passing the accident site, which I pretty much have to do anytime I drive, brought on a case of the shakes.

The car still isn't - and I doubt ever will be - my happy place, but, thanks to my psychologist and a driving instructor, I am coping a lot better.

The driving instructor took me on a closed course, where I could test my skills, and rebuild my confidence, without worrying about other vehicles. He passed on a few more defensive driving tips, but assured me that I was actually a very good driver.

My psychologist tackled the PTSD. We worked on driving small distances, in different scenarios. We demystified the crash site by having me picnic there, multiple times. She also had me tell the story of the accident over and over again, orally, and in writing. The more I told it, the more I started to feel removed from it.

I think I was lucky that my PTSD was not as severe as some peoples'. That's probably because the accident was so sudden, I didn't have a chance to get really scared.

In more difficult cases, my psychologist said that they can have the patient retell the story, under the influence of a drug that seems to reboot the brain's memory function. I can't remember the name of the medication, but I think its discussed in the program "The brain that changes itself." If I remember (lol), I'll check.