Travel Anxiety

[LMAnomynus]

Hi everyone, in a month I'm going to be flying to Spain. I'm really excited but the only thing I'm not excited about is the plane. I've never liked planes even before I had anxiety because of the fear of something going wrong with the plane even though the chances are unlikely. (touch wood) I'm still a little bit worried about it because of that reason but I have new more prominent reasons to be afraid of it now. I had undiagnosed anxiety last year when I flew on the plane but over the course of a year it's gotten worse and it's triggered a lot easier these days. Panic attacks are obviously horrible no matter where you have them but I find it hard to get over them in certain places, like a tight enclosed space where you can't get out. And I feel like being afraid of being on a plane where there's no immediate medical help if something goes wrong and knowing you can't get out is kind of terrifying. And I think this might trigger my panic when on the plane which is the worst possible place I can think of having one (since I like to go off and get fresh air or go to a public toilet if I panic) I can have ones that last a long time as well that constantly changes severity so I worry that it might last the whole journey. But I have plenty of time to try to find ways to help manage it in the meantime. Does anybody have any tips on how to manage anxiety and panic attacks in a situation like this? Thanks in advance.

[vicky23]

I find travelling hard for the same reasons. I think it's good to remember that the flight attendants see people panicking a lot! so they are trained in how to handle the situation.
On previous flights I used the same coping mechanisms that I use in every day life when panic strikes. For me it's know that the anxiety is not harmful and that it will pass, even if it then comes back that's ok because it will ease again.
Some people have found rescue remedy to be helpful, I like to have a lavender oil roll on that you can buy from boots.
I hope you have a fantastic holiday!

[MH19611]

I have totally been here before. You are not alone! You must remember that the flight is only a small portion of your trip. Remind yourself that you are strong and that once the flight is over, you will be in a beautiful country! When I was experiencing travel anxiety, I went to the Doctor and got a prescription for Xanax. I took it on the way to the airport (so it was kicked in around the time we got to the airport) and then I took it again a couple hours into the flight to "maintain" my chill until the plan arrived. It basically made me sleepy and my nerves less sensitive. I have heard that Benadryl can be helpful if you're just trying to sleep for a bit! I'm pretty sure you can also find some helpful books on travel anxiety or anxiety in general (my favorite book is Hope and Help For Your Nerves by Dr. Claire Weekes). Keep us posted on your progress!

[LMAnomynus]

I find travelling hard for the same reasons. I think it's good to remember that the flight attendants see people panicking a lot! so they are trained in how to handle the situation.
On previous flights I used the same coping mechanisms that I use in every day life when panic strikes. For me it's know that the anxiety is not harmful and that it will pass, even if it then comes back that's ok because it will ease again.
Some people have found rescue remedy to be helpful, I like to have a lavender oil roll on that you can buy from boots.
I hope you have a fantastic holiday!

That's helpful to know. And I have a bottle of rescue remedy at the moment so I'll make sure to take that with me but I think I'll give the lavender oil a try too. Thanks for your advice.

---------- Post added at 10:45 ---------- Previous post was at 10:42 ----------

I have totally been here before. You are not alone! You must remember that the flight is only a small portion of your trip. Remind yourself that you are strong and that once the flight is over, you will be in a beautiful country! When I was experiencing travel anxiety, I went to the Doctor and got a prescription for Xanax. I took it on the way to the airport (so it was kicked in around the time we got to the airport) and then I took it again a couple hours into the flight to "maintain" my chill until the plan arrived. It basically made me sleepy and my nerves less sensitive. I have heard that Benadryl can be helpful if you're just trying to sleep for a bit! I'm pretty sure you can also find some helpful books on travel anxiety or anxiety in general (my favorite book is Hope and Help For Your Nerves by Dr. Claire Weekes). Keep us posted on your progress!

Yeah that's true. My flight is around two hours I think so I'm lucky it's not a really long flight and I'll feel so much better when I'm there. I'll probably ask my doctor if I can have something to take before getting on the plane too. And I have a book on anxiety that I'll take with me on the plane just in case. Thanks for your advice.