Driving while tired or dizzy - mortal sin?

[MangoBee]

I haven’t been sleeping well at all lately, due to my scruples and OCD/anxiety, and I have read that driving without sleeping is equivalent to driving after drinking. I read this answer from Michelle Arnold: forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=305154

Now I really can’t sleep. I’m afraid that by driving around in this state, I am committing a mortal sin. Yet, I can’t sleep because I’m so worried about getting enough sleep so that I can drive the next day. It’s a vicious cycle. I’ve tried taking benadryl to help me sleep but that has the unfortunate side effect of making me a little dizzy the next day, so then I feel like I’m committing a mortal sin to drive like that. I don’t know what to do, though, I can’t continually call out from work because of insomnia. And it would be really weird to request to work from home because of sleep and anxiety; besides, that seems like it would be giving in to the anxiety.

The normal approach for an OCD fear would be to do the thing that makes me anxious, until I am used to the anxiety and it no longer bothers me. I don’t know if that would be an acceptable approach in this case, but I don’t know how else to get past this. Staying up half the night worrying about getting enough sleep certainly isn’t helping.

 

[Oneofthewomen]

This is not a question of “mortal” sin or not, as far as I am concerned.
What you need to do is talk to your medical doctor. Insomnia can have many causes, and self- medicating is probably one of the worst things you can do.
After you rule out any medical issues, I would then suggest a mental health professional and a spiritual director to help you with your OCD and scruples.

 

[HelenRose]

Knowing that you may be putting yourself and others in danger is problematic.

It may or not be a mortal sin but if you were to kill someone knowing that you were impaired might be a serious legal problem or grounds for a civil suit.

 

[MangoBee]

I’m not sure that I’m impaired per se. I’m wide awake and not falling asleep at the wheel, and I’m only slightly dizzy. I don’t know really what to do. The only people that could pick me up and drive me somewhere, my family, all think I’m being totally ridiculous.

 

[Oneofthewomen]

Dizziness is not something that you should ignore!
If you are getting dizzy, you really need to speak to a medical doctor. This is not something to take lightly. Moral questions aside, a dizzy driver is not a safe driver. Please speak to your doctor.

I’m not sure that I’m impaired per se. I’m wide awake and not falling asleep at the wheel, and I’m only slightly dizzy. I don’t know really what to do. The only people that could pick me up and drive me somewhere, my family, all think I’m being totally ridiculous.

 

[HelenRose]

I’m not sure that I’m impaired per se. I’m wide awake and not falling asleep at the wheel, and I’m only slightly dizzy. I don’t know really what to do. The only people that could pick me up and drive me somewhere, my family, all think I’m being totally ridiculous.

You may want to have the doctor check for thyroid problems or hypo glycaemia. If this is a condition that persists there may be something that can be taken care. Check with your doctor. Don’t let friends and family make the diagnosis.

 

[thistle]

I haven’t been sleeping well at all lately, due to my scruples and OCD/anxiety, and I have read that driving without sleeping is equivalent to driving after drinking. I read this answer from Michelle Arnold: forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=305154

Now I really can’t sleep. I’m afraid that by driving around in this state, I am committing a mortal sin. Yet, I can’t sleep because I’m so worried about getting enough sleep so that I can drive the next day. It’s a vicious cycle. I’ve tried taking benadryl to help me sleep but that has the unfortunate side effect of making me a little dizzy the next day, so then I feel like I’m committing a mortal sin to drive like that. I don’t know what to do, though, I can’t continually call out from work because of insomnia. And it would be really weird to request to work from home because of sleep and anxiety; besides, that seems like it would be giving in to the anxiety.

The normal approach for an OCD fear would be to do the thing that makes me anxious, until I am used to the anxiety and it no longer bothers me. I don’t know if that would be an acceptable approach in this case, but I don’t know how else to get past this. Staying up half the night worrying about getting enough sleep certainly isn’t helping.

I don’t know if its a sin or not but driving while tired or dizzy is stupid and potentially dangerous to the driver and other people.