Travel anxiety

[spook0085]

Hi all,
New here today!

I would like to know if anyone else has suffered anxiety/apprehension when traveling, especially alone?

The situation for me, well I've been wanting to go to the Caribbean for ages, I have the money and I've seen a trip I like the look of (its a trip for single travelers so you kind of end up in a group), however, I worry that I might not feel well on my way there and being on your own makes it worse. I dont have a problem with flying, I guess I would be most anxious leading up to the trip, so called anticipatory anxiety I believe.

I worry about how I will feel when Im actually there! what if I feel woozy when its dinner time and we're all sitting in the restaurant? awful. I tend to focus on myself a lot when this happens and switch off from my surroundings, the result, I'm no longer socializing or being much fun :-(

I'd love to just go off and have a nice time and a much needed break but I seem plagued by this invisible force.

Has anyone else experienced this? how did you cope? is there something I could do, perhaps I should go armed with some diazapam?

My thinking is that rather than not go, if I can go and do the trip without incident, this will build my confidence and set me on the right path.

Thanks for reading,
Spooky

p.s. perhaps instead of going alone, there might be someone out there who'd like to join me? :-)

[septimus]

Hi Spooky,
I suffer from anticipatory anxiety, just like you. I can relate to all the things you have mentioned, feeling unwell, anxiety in restuarants, being unsociable, making a fool of myself etc. Going on trips is better than not going at all, and your confidence will build the more trips you take. I never though I could go on a safari to Kenya last year (with my wife), and the pre-travel anxiety was pretty dreadful, I can tell you. In the end, all was OK, and it was the best holiday I have ever been on. But, there was the anxiety beforehand, and I still suffer from this big time whenever a trip is imminent. Diazepam (Valium) does help calm the nerves - have a word with your GP.
Take care and all the best,
Septimus.