Psychological Hit and Run

[JTMan33]

I have been studying in psychology a few years, and have recently been intrigued by a lot of people's quarks. Surprisngly, I have found what I think may end up being a serious issue with one of my own family members. My sister is now deathly afraid of driving, usually by herself, but especially at night. The reason for her fright, she thinks whenever she hits a large bump or pothole, that she has actually run over an individual. She has gotten so bad as to come home after an incident has happened and watch the news to see if there have been any hit and runs in the area that the incident occurred. She left yesterday in a hurry and later returned where I asked her where she had went. Turns out, she returned to the scene of another incident to see if everything was alright. I am worried about her and do not know what to suggest or do. All I keep thinking to myself is, "What will she do the day she comes home and sees an actual hit and run on the news? Does she blame herself, or what?" Any input would be greatly appreciated.

[Dr. Adams]

If your sister is willing to seek help, she could begin with her family physician and telling him that she is concerned that she may have obsessive-compulsive disorder. There are medications that can significantly impact these emotions and behaviors. Concurrently, she may wish to see a psychologist to deal with this at a behavioral level. Good luck to you both.

[JTMan33]

See, I have told her that she needs some sort of help, but she is strongly against any sort of help. Can anything be said on a psychological standpoint in order to alleviate this problem? I would really like to help her if I could, without a professional visit.

[Dr. Adams]

I am not aware of any alternatives.

[JTMan33]

Thanks for all of your help.