Tips for Dealing With Anxiety and Depression when about to go away

[mat74]

I was looking for some help as I go away on Friday. I have been fine up to about 3 days ago and now have:

- Stomach ache
- Light headed
- Shaky and shivvery
- Lethargy and wanting to sleep all the time
- No enthusiasm
- Feelings of knowing I will be ill when away
- 'jelly' legs
- Loss of appetite
- Yawning

The list is endless isn't it?! I am meeting 2 friends on Friday en route to our destination and then another 23 other people for a 6 hour journey and I am fearful and petrified as the weekend is drinking, socialising, partying and compared to me everyone seems to be able to just get on with it and be normal.

Any advice? I like to drink but I know this can cause anxiety as well but I am thinking once out and about I will forget about it and just get on with it and enjoy it.

HELP

[Sunflower2]

I get nervous thinking of all the 'what ifs' before I go away, and work myself up over nothing. For me it helps to try and just focus on the immediate task and nothing beyond that. As soon as your mind starts to wander, bring it back to the present task you're doing. It's hard but after continually doing it it should get a bit easier. If you're like me, you are worrying about everything that might go wrong and that you should never have planned to go in the first place and oh my goodness it's just going to be awful! Yes?! I started worrying about my last holiday, and if I knew how much of a difficulty I was going to cause I'd have been even more worried, but I still really really enjoyed my holiday and had a great time! Yeah I was hungry a loooooot of the time, but wouldn't ever pick to not go rather than deal with anxiety along that way.

Everytime you think of a negative, think of a way you can deal with it, then think of a positive about the trip.

What if I feel sick? Well yeah it's pretty yucky but it's not the end of the world. People don't die from being sick and unless you're completely out of your face drunk you're not going to spew everywhere uncontrollably.

What could I do about it? Take all your safety things to make you feel more comfortable, cope in any way you can and maybe let some friends know your worries? Although you're a guy so might not be so keen on that!

What about a good thing about the trip? You'll be with your friends and have a great time with them and even if you feel bad or embarass yourself your friends won't care as I'm sure they've done worse and they are your friends after all! You can look back on it and think, ach I'm so glad I didn't let my anxiety win!

You can do this!!

[mat74]

Thank you for the reply - appreciate it. I am now constatntly taking my temperature thinking I am ill - it is 37.0oc so I looked it up and that is NORMAL!

All my meds are packed already!

I am just so anxious about the whole trip

[Sunflower2]

If your mum has a cold you should get the Vicks first defence and use it if you get a sore throat starting to keep it away! Keep everything hygienic and try to eat healthy when you do eat and fingers crossed you won't get the cold! I had a horrible cold while on a uni trip though and it only stopped me going on one night out! The rest I just battled through it haha determined to not let it ruin me holiday

[mat74]

I have taken paracetamol already
Just managed a ham roll but still feel queasy
The anxiety has also given me the sweats!
Arrrghhhhh!!!

[mat74]

Fed up
Had a biscuit today and that is it - woke up with bad stomach pains which I have had all day which is not my IBS as stools are normal (for a change) but feels like I am in knots, feeling nauseous and very lethargic. Perfect prep for a 6 hour journey on Friday, alcohol and socialising. In addition to this the OCD is taking over as well, packed, unpacked and packed my bag 3 times, checked rail tickets 3 times, gone over my packing list almost all day and now just laying down in my room on the laptop in a miserable mood instead of thinking "yes, 2 days and I will be away"

Before my anxiety/panic and OCD disorder a week before going away I used to be all excited, not able to sleep and then up the morning of going away all smiley and jumping around - now it feels like a chore.

It is not normal I know, I cannot control it, I am already visualising the trainhome on Sunday and getting home instead of the 2 days and nights activities and socialsing.

I have made a decision, when I am back I need to see my GP and get my meds sorted (been on Cotalopram 8 years now) and I don't think they are working. In addition to this I need to see a counsellor and get some CBT if the wait is not too long.

I actually mean it this time - no more social events or breaks away until I have got some help. 26 of us going and you can bet your life I will be the only one not looking forward to it or who will be unwell and panicky when away.

[Sunflower2]

Maybe the stomach pains are from hunger? My stomach does weird things when I don't eat enough, which is a lot of the time, but instead of a biscuit could you have a banana or something like that? But my mum hates flying, but although she won't avoid it, she just gets a funny tummy before we go. And it's like a tensed uneasy feeling? It's just nerves!

Can you do anything to distract yourself so you don't keep obsessing over the details? The more you think about something the worse it seems, I overthink things A LOT. Just do what you'd normally do in a day.

Have you had any cbt? My therapist told me to work through an online program called moodgym, and it helps you to identify thoughts and how to challenge them. And as she always says to me - how do you know ... will happen? How can you predict the future? It's only what you THINK will happen, but it might not. It might, but it's also as likely to not happen. You can't tell what the future holds. It's easier said than done to stop those pesky thoughts though! It's a continuous trail of though that you've got to break and find a doubt in, then it all starts to fall apart.

And I know what you mean about not wanting to go anymore - I went to monaco on a family holiday. Monaco of all places, and the morning before we left I wished we were just staying at home. I didn't think it would be fun at all and there were so many worries floating about in my head. What if this and that and this. But I'm so so glad we went now looking back!

Good for you for seeing you need help, you don't need to suffer like this. Follow through with it once you're back from your weekend away!