Destination Recovery: How to Overcome Travel Anxiety
Travel anxiety is a condition which is often treated by unknowledgeable people with a degree of lightheartedness or outright dismissal not used with other psychological condition. General anxiety’s symptoms include excessive worry about everyday life with no obvious reason for the worry. Travel anxiety, then is this condition, with the fears brought on by the idea or act of travel. A genuine fear of flying is met, at best, with the offhanded spouting of statistics to the point of “Cars are three times more dangerous to drive than planes are to fly” or “Do you know what would have to happen for this ship to sink?” Travel anxiety is a real thing, though, and deserves to be treated as such. Despite the best efforts of psychologists and afflicted persons alike, many people cannot be counted upon to treat the condition with the care and understanding it deserves, so it is often up to the afflicted person to educate and advocate for him or herself. Doing so requires determination, pride, and, most important of all, information.
Symptoms:
So how can you tell the difference between a fear of, for example, heights, and travel anxiety brought on by flight? Essentially, how do you know the difference between being scared of an action which must be accomplished while travelling, and travelling itself?
A person with travel anxiety may begin to shake, breathe heavily or even have heart palpitations at the thought of travel. Actual travelling does not necessarily have to take place; just the mention of the idea of future “travel” is sometimes enough. Travel anxiety may cause a person to literally run or hide from the problem rather than face it, the fear is simply too much to face head on. Also, concerns over relatively little things like choosing the right clothes or getting sick during the trip may become so debilitating that the person cancels the trip altogether rather than go ahead with it. Often, should the person reach his or her destination, he or she is fine and handles the new place with little issue.
How to Handle Travel Anxiety Naturally:
Travel anxiety has the ability to stop you from doing some fun things travelling has to offer or attending important family events because the fear of travel is just too much to overcome without help. To avoid family tension and go out and experience some of the exciting things foreign lands (whether “foreign” is outside your block, city, state or country) have to offer, it is important that you learn ways to master your fears.
Learn Yoga/Meditation
- Free health clinics, YMCAs, adult education classes and more often give classes in yoga and meditation. These allow you to practice some deep breathing methods which can help when you feel anxiety creeping to the boiling point. One of the techniques taught during these classes which can be of particular use is creative visualization, during which you imagine yourself, for example, already at your destination. This technique has been portrayed often in movies, but it requires much practice and is an entirely legitimate way to mitigate your fears through the duration of your travel time.
Nutrition
- It may come as no surprise, but nutrition is often the key to enhanced or diminished moods. Often “waking up on the wrong side of the bed” has little to do with the bed and more to do with your choices immediately following getting out of it. Being hydrated and eating well often have an enormous effect on daily mood, and these rules do not change for the person with travel anxiety. While a change in diet will most likely not get rid of travel anxiety in its entirety, it can help alleviate any further stressors. Eliminating these further stressors, such as the stress one may feel simply as a result of drinking too much coffee or having a sugary breakfast, can also eliminate the feeling that stress is “piling up,” creating still more anxiety until it is almost paralytic.
The Power of Distraction
- This may be one of the most obvious yet overlooked aids when trying to overcome travel anxiety. Often, a person with travel anxiety is so wrapped up in their very real and overwhelming fear of impending travel that bringing something to distract simply does not occur to the mind, preoccupied as it is. It can be just the thing, though, to get you through the trip, or at least reduce anxiety for a period of time. Simply bringing a laptop, portable gaming system, or mp3 player can make a great deal of difference.
Therapy
- Therapy tends to get a bad reputation from those who feel they do not need it, yet with an effective licensed professional it can mean the difference between holing up for years in your home and experiencing life to the fullest. A therapist has been trained in how to help people get to the root of their anxieties and, whether than root is obvious and apparent above the surface or holding firm deep beneath, finding within yourself the ability to address it will not only help travel anxiety but everyday life as well.
When All Else Fails…
Medication is definitely a legitimate option for those looking to overcome their travel anxiety. This is especially true for people who are being asked to travel for work and may miss opportunities for professional advancement as a result of their condition. For this and other instances, as well as people whose travel anxiety is severe, medication prescribed by a licensed professional may be the right option. There are, however, considerations to take into account before asking a doctor for a prescription.
Kinds of Medication
- Different kinds of medication may be prescribed to treat travel anxiety, and the doctor must take into account each individual case to determine the correct course of treatment. For example, if some with travel anxiety was just promoted into a job which required weekly travel across the country, the doctor may prescribe an anti-depressant to take every day. In this way the patient can make regular trips without the dangers inherent in taking tranquilizers on a regular basis. However, tranquilizers such as benzodiazepines may be prescribed by the doctor on an extremely limited basis (perhaps only two or three doses). These tranquilizers are safe because the patient is granted access to them only once or twice and so addiction is not a concern.
Warning
- While your doctor should know this, make sure you are not prescribed anything you may be allergic to. This is especially important because any adverse side effect of the medication will be made worse by the fact that, while there are basic medical services available on many planes, you are far from the hospital. Double check with the doctor that there is nothing in your chart that would conflict with the prescription. Second, ask if it is safe to take a dose (maybe even reduced) at some point before the day of your trip. In this way you can make sure that not only are you not allergic, but also the medication does not cause any other adverse effects on your system.
Benefits
- After ensuring the course of treatment is in your best interest, it is time to consider the fact that medication for travel anxiety has many benefits to someone afflicted with the condition. This is especially true for someone who chooses to use it in conjunction with the aforementioned natural methods. Medication can provide short-term relief for the infrequent traveller, helping him or her stay calm throughout the duration. More frequent travellers who take medication on a more regular basis can see benefits as they adjust to new cultures, and, if you are travelling for business, can reduce the stress inherent in these types of trips.
Below you will find resources about anxiety, treatments, and more.
Do You Have Travel Anxiety?
Battling Business Travel Anxiety
Keeping Healthy While Travelling
Anxiety Explanations for Kids
Fear of Flying Facts
Further Symptoms of Anxiety
Fear of Flying Clinic
Fear of Flying Treatment Center
Anxiety.org
The Six Best Ways to Decrease Your Anxiety
Anxiety News, Books, and Articles
National Institute of Mental Health
The Influence of Exercise on Mental Health
Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders
Taking Charge of Your Health
Stress and Stress Reduction
Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety
Recognizing and Overcoming Anxiety
Overcoming Anxiety
The Anxiety & Phobia Treatment Center
Course in Overcoming Your Fear of Flying
What You Need to Know About Anti-Anxiety Drugs
Facts About Benzodiazepines
Anxiety Treatment FAQs
