raquel
19-03-12, 15:12
I have a phobia of travelling by train, which has got worse and worse over the past 10 years, and nowadays even going near a railway station makes me start to feel anxious. I used to be able to travel anywhere by train, but then about 10 years ago, I suffered a major panic attack on a train, (I cannot remember what, if anything triggered it) and then I started to suffer panic attacks on subsequent rail journeys. The only trains I could travel on without panicking were the ones that stopped every few minutes calling at every station on the line. However, after a while I started getting panic attacks on those as well, so I now avoid travelling by train, and I travel to work by bus instead. I have had CBT and hypnosis (referred by GP), but neither worked on me, and I relapsed into getting panic attacks.
However, in 2 weeks time, I have my graduation ceremony which is to be held in London. My family: mother, brother and sister-in-law and sister and her partner, will be attending, and I am absolutely dreading travelling there and back by train, as driving there would not be feasible, so the only way to get to this venue is by overground and underground rail. None of my family are at all understanding or sympathetic about my panic attacks, they all tend to make belittling remarks about my "being silly or pathetic", "attention-seeking", or tell me "to pull myself together" or "snap out of it". I did try to discuss the issue of travel to London with my mother, and how I am dreading going on trains, and she just said: "for goodness sake, it is only a 20 minute train journey into London! If you've only got that to worry about in your life then you're lucky!"
I really feel like throwing a "sickie" on the day, and not going at all, although I would feel bad and selfish about doing so, as my brother is specially taking time off work to attend. What should be one of the happiest days of my life is being ruined by my phobia, and I can see no way out of it, unless I go up before my family on the bus/coach and then slip away from my family at the event, and just catch the bus/coach home to avoid travelling on the train.
Suggestions or help greatly appreciated.
However, in 2 weeks time, I have my graduation ceremony which is to be held in London. My family: mother, brother and sister-in-law and sister and her partner, will be attending, and I am absolutely dreading travelling there and back by train, as driving there would not be feasible, so the only way to get to this venue is by overground and underground rail. None of my family are at all understanding or sympathetic about my panic attacks, they all tend to make belittling remarks about my "being silly or pathetic", "attention-seeking", or tell me "to pull myself together" or "snap out of it". I did try to discuss the issue of travel to London with my mother, and how I am dreading going on trains, and she just said: "for goodness sake, it is only a 20 minute train journey into London! If you've only got that to worry about in your life then you're lucky!"
I really feel like throwing a "sickie" on the day, and not going at all, although I would feel bad and selfish about doing so, as my brother is specially taking time off work to attend. What should be one of the happiest days of my life is being ruined by my phobia, and I can see no way out of it, unless I go up before my family on the bus/coach and then slip away from my family at the event, and just catch the bus/coach home to avoid travelling on the train.
Suggestions or help greatly appreciated.