holiday anxiety- any tips?

[worried 101]

Hi there.
I'm going on holiday with my partner and his children on Saturday and I suffer from holiday anxiety really bad. I have always found holidays an anxious time, ever since I was little.
However it was last year on holiday that I suffered what I can only describe as a breakdown and was very depressed and anxious for a long time after this. I was seen by home treatment team and put on strong meds.
I am starting to feel anxious about the holiday, its not abroad so there's no flight and that side dose not bother me so much anyway. Its more being away from what I know and the change.
I just wondered if anyone had any tips they could give me that might help at all?
I find I get these huge surges of panic and my whole body goes tense and I feel like my legs are going to buckle. After this comes the anxiety and depression and I end up in a crying mess.
Thanks guys.

[Munki]

Hey Worried! Gosh, I wish there was an answer to this and if there was I'd bottle it and sell it!

I too get terrible anxiety when I'm going away but mine always diminishes once I'm there (almost!). The worst is definitely when I'm GOING away imminently.

When does your start? Is is the same as above or is it when you're actually there that you fear something will happen?

Get a piece of paper and write 'Why am I feeling anxious?' Try to answer as best as possible. Then ask yourself, 'what am I scared of?' and answer this to your best ability. You'll probably have to really think about it to pinpoint what it is you're anxious about. When I did this I realised that my anxiety was 'a fear of becoming anxious right before my holiday!'. How bizarre! It was actually the dread of the horrendous anxiety I get the week leading up to a holiday! Fear of anticipatory fear! So now I know I've pinpointed it I can attempt to start work on making it more manageable.

It's the same with you. Anxiety is a ball of emotion and sometimes you're so over-ridden with it, you can't quite locate what the problem is. It's like everything caught in the crossfire becomes a potential issue. Try and find a calm moment and sit down and write it out. Make sure you have peace around you. See if you can pinpoint the exact fear - is it health, social etc? Then you're a step closer.

Let us know how it goes.

Good luck - you'll have a great time :)

[worried 101]

Thankyou for the reply. :)
The anxiety usually creeps up a few weeks before the holiday and then very intense the day before and on the day when I arrive. Like you it tends to lessen as I settle in to it but last year it escalated to the point where I had to come home.
When I was younger with my family I found them very stressful and think it was purely because I was away from the familiar. I'm very much a homebird and find it very comforting to be around my stuff and people I know.
I suffer from ROCD (relationship ocd) as well which often heightens around these times with the anxiety, which in turn make things even more anxious! Its like a vicious circle!
I have a few coping strategies, yoga, deep breathing, distraction techniques etc but none have been sucsessful when I am going through a really bad moment.
Im scared its going to be like last year, and I'm not helping myself with thinking about then and how awful it was but its stuck in my mind and this has been a major struggle for me.
Feels silly as should be something I cant wait for, so many people long for a holiday but for me its the complete opposite!

[nursegreenwhippet]

I used to think I was the only person alive to get holiday anxiety - it seemed like the most ridiculous thing to get, but all that pressure to enjoy yourself and at great expense - its like you have to have a good time and that always seems false and of course puts the pressure on to behave happy and excited and completely normal, no wonder we get it!!

[shopmad]

I used to think I was the only person alive to get holiday anxiety - it seemed like the most ridiculous thing to get, but all that pressure to enjoy yourself and at great expense - its like you have to have a good time and that always seems false and of course puts the pressure on to behave happy and excited and completely normal, no wonder we get it!!

I felt exactly the same before joining this forum. holidays are supposed to be a good thing so why am i so nervous about been away from home where i'd be just bored anyway. cbt has helped me alot and fluoxetine. i think i'll always be anxious i just need to cope better