Anxiety Support Group

Anxiety is a physical condition marked by intense and persistent feelings of distress, fear, angst or dread. General anxiety caused by routine day-to-day stresses usually passes quickly and is experienced by almost everyone at one time or another. However, such feelings that linger over time and are very difficult to cope with, and which lack a clear cause, may indicate...

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Anxiety with travel

jenny2212
jenny2212

Hi,



this is my first post. I've been coping with anxiety most of my life and have recently switched therapists with much more success. I was having a hard time traveling (leaving my comfort zone). I recently went to a work conference 2 hours away and stayed the night 3 nights even though I was so scared. I was so proud and planned to go on a family vacation 11 hours away via car with my husband. This morning he went and I stayed. I felt way too anxious and that I couldn't handle it. Now I feel defeated and like my therapy must not be working like I thought it would and I feel like such a failure. I have disappointed my family so many times by not attending trips because of this anxiety. I used to travel ok 10 years ago and it just creeped up on me. I guess I just want to know if anyone else deals with this? I've been diagnosed with minor agoraphobia. I do fine working and attending gatherings that are in the area, but planes and long car rides and hotels make me very anxious and like I can't do it.

Community LeaderMid
Mid
Welcome to the anxiety board at DS.

You've taken the important first step in writing it out.

The first step is going. Make yourself go. It's not going to change how you experience anxiety.

Keep writing it out.

Best wishes as you find your better balance.
mtd
mtd
Overcoming anxiety takes time. You won’t have a slew of successes but rather like three steps forward, two steps back. Kudos on the work trip, it was a start, be patient with yourself, it takes time. I’ve been in recovery for some time now, getting better, but i still have to remind myself it takes time.
hyperpgal
hyperpgal
How about celebrating what you can do!!!? You can leave your house---and go on a 2 hr trip by yourself!!! So many people can't even do that--Next time go 3 hrs away...move at your own pace=do what you can do and really work out what is bothering you about going away...is it specifically the distance? Is it the amount of preparation involved? Is it the time you are away? etc...
Brockster
Brockster
I totally agree that it's important to recognize the successes! I have a hard time when my family travels without me, or when I have to travel alone. So, each time it happens it's important that I acknowledge it so that I can build a case, so to speak, when anxiety tries to tell me "you can't do this" I have evidence that I've done it before and I can do it again.
jenny2212
jenny2212
Thank you I really appreciate it. My therapist was very proud. I haven’t told her yet about this because I’m bummed but I will. I used to travel well so hopefully I will again someday.
silvialong
silvialong
Nowadays the best and the safest way to travel is by train if you have anxiety. Due to safety concerns, people would avoid riding on trains in the past. But now those days are gone. Because the train is very safe compared to other transportation. Especially now that the high-speed rail is open, travel speed is faster than ever before. On https://www.dbfahrplan.com/de/, I got tickets for the fastest trains in the world. The average speed of South Korea's high-speed KTX is 300km/h, and Japan's high-speed Shinkansen reaches 320km/h.
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