Feeling nervous about my new car - an automatic

After decades driving a mechanical car, my garage found me an automatic. I had to have one, as I'm finding it increasingly difficult to change gears with my hands being painful. I'm feeling surprisingly nervous, both about the new [second hand] car and driving an automatic. I'm trying to book a driving lesson that should help, but the anxiety remaiins. Like many on here, I dislike change, and driving is already stressful. Your experiences, especially with automatics, would be helpful.

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  • I had the problem in the automatic, making several unscheduled emergency stops with the untethered left foot! Luckily I caused no accidents, just embarrassment.

  • Switching back and forth must be tricky. Glad you got there.

    Sometimes the garage lends me a manual car when I leave mine in for a service. The first time driving it following my switch to automatic, I lifted my foot off the accelerator to cruise up to red traffic lights and promptly stalled. I forgot the clutch pedal should be pressed and the gear changed down. Since then, I have needed to actively think through the process.