fear of staying away from home

[hopeanddreams]

Hi guys, I'll cut a long story shOrt, I had a panic attack when I was on holiday in Amsterdam last year and I am now frightened to stay away from home again incase it happens again. I have really bad anticipatory anxiety and sorry that I'll never be able to go away again. Can anyone rrelate to overcoming the fear?

[Gee-SP]

Hi, I had a very similar experience in Amsterdam several years ago and have not been abroad since. It wasnt the place but the flight over that triggered me which turned me into a nervous wreck and ruined the holiday I had been planning for a long time. I couldnt wait to leave but that involved another flight home. This is when I discovered I had an extreme phobia for plane travel. Perhaps it was the travelling and not the place that caused your problems like me. i hope to visit Amsterdam again as it is a unique and beautiful city. Think i'll travel Eurostar next time.

[hopeanddreams]

Yeah it's awful I just really want to break the cycle and start enjoying my life again as I don't want to never go away again as that's not a life worth living!

[shopmad]

i posted on here last june that i got to the airport to fly to canada and ended up in tears and had to come home. i've been abroad many times before including new zealand and always been anxious but its never hit me like this. i was determined to beat it so went to rome in oct as it was a 2 hour flight to prepare me for canada. i have to say i was anxious the whole time i was there but i got through it. i booked for canada again in december and was in tears again the day before and had to cancel. it's not the fear of flying as such but been away from home. i dont even like travelling more than an hour in this country. im on prozac 40mg a day. i feel like its ruining my life.

[Gee-SP]

Hi, I think i've accepted my plane phobia and realize its just another aspect of my anxiety disorder. I dont expect to ever be able to do it again and suppose it's just one of those things, I just found it too much to handle. Please keep trying to visit Canada, I'm sure you will one day. have you asked your Gp whether they can give you a sedative for the journey? I think many people do.

[hopeanddreams]

I've booked another holiday which I'm going to try and be excited for as I know if I let my fears beat me I will never want to do it.. I think the best thing to do is just do it as I've recently found that anticipation is the worst part and when you're actually there you usually enjoy yourself! Wish me luck

[shopmad]

It's frustrating because I want to travel and ive flown so many times before. I worry about been ill away from home ridiculous I know. not just flying but been away from home anywhere. I have a three hour drive to visit family at easter and im feeling anxious. Ive had agrophobia in the past where I could hardly leave the house. The prozac helps day to day. I had valium when I went to Rome and it did help. Im determined to get to Canada this year as my dad wants to go so im letting him down not to mention tje money ive lost.

ive had anxiety for over 10 years and I have to accept its part of me but not to let it rule me. Good luck hopeanddreams! I had cbt and it drummed into me if u cancel tje holiday or dont go you'll probably just be sitting at home wishing u had gone. In retrospect its easier said than done I know.

[hopeanddreams]

I think that you should definitely go to Canada. Yeah I had some cbt too and they said that the best way to beat these things is to expose yourself to the fear and then when u realise that it wasn't all that bad you'll remember for the next time! I also am a strong believer that the anticipation before an event is 99999 times worse than the actual even.. We can worry for months about a week long holiday it's just totally irrational isn't it. So yeah my advice which I'm taking for my self is '**** it just do it what's the worst that can happen'

---------- Post added at 22:44 ---------- Previous post was at 22:41 ----------

And also the biggest worry for me is getting ill too as I'm sick when anxious but a good old deep breath and last case scenario a valium never hurt anyone

[Gee-SP]

Good luck hopeanddreams and shopmad, you can do it :hugs:

[hopeanddreams]

I'm not gonna give up until I'm through the other side