Taking a huge risk

[Kay85]

Hi,

I am doing something absolutely crazy for me and booking 6 weeks in Australia with my sister....I have a chequered history with anxiety when on holiday. Have had some ok hols, and some truly terrible ones. I am completely TERRIFIED of this trip and becoming less and less sure I am right in pushing myself to do it. I HATE flying, not the actual fear of flying but being trapped on a plane. I'm going to split the very long journey up as much as possible. But I also freak when I get there, cos I'm so far away and I CAN'T just 'go home', it's the lack of control. I know I tend to settle and it gets better as time goes by, but I am SO scared of the whole thing.

Perhaps I should cancel? We haven't booked flights just yet. I am so very scared, I don't think I can do it. But I am sick to death of anxiety ruling my life. Why is everything so difficult. Does anyone else ever feel like this? People just don't get it. They think I'm scared of flying and say oh but just get through it and you'll be fine once you're there - well, no, sometimes I'm not. I'm really, really not.

[MyNameIsTerry]

They seem to think you have a phobia when you have something more generalised (or multiple disorders).

Do you have methods of coping with all this e.g. relaxation exercises, Mindfulness meditation, etc? You can do these in those situations and they might help you cope with it more.

I know what you mean about being too far away. I can remember that I felt this when I was out shopping after using the bus...it's a big place and I can't just get home as it takes me an hour. It has made me think that I can't leave my city and go on overnight stays or holidays because I could end up suffering anxiety away from home, but something I have had to remember is that I experience anxiety in my home as well so what difference does it really make? Just use the techniques in a different building to the one you normally do. I don't really have this now, but perhaps this sounds familiar?

I think only you can know if you can do it, which is not a good answer from me! I think you should invest in techniques to help you achieve it or use the ones you already have if you use them now.

Could you work up to it? If this were Agoraphobia, you would use exposure and habituation by using goals that work towards it e.g. shorter stays at shorter distances which you extend over time.