Published on 12, July, 2020
Hi,
Am curious to know if anyone here suffers from travel anxiety? When I was little occasionally I used to suffer from bad anxiety when we had to travel than the few miles into our town, but the 45 miles to where my grandparents live was too much and resulted in anxiety and attacks leading up to the day in question. Then on the day of travel, we would take my dads car, if I went nine times out of ten I'd have a panic attack and end up sick along the way.
I'm a bit older now but my travel anxiety is even worse now. Any journey even the short ones into town make me so anxious and give me anxiety symptoms leading up to it and on the day.
I never go anywhere now. No job, no friends just extreme anxiety. Also another form of this is that when I'm in the car and travelling I need the toilet and need to wee literally within five minutes of the journey starting. And on hour long journeys it becomes so difficult, especially as most public toilets are closed here now.
This morning I was meant to go with my dad to see my grandma but the anxiety was severe and I backed out and now I feel so guilty and bad.
I know that the logical thing to do is to go to the doctors but I get severe panic attacks when I go so I don't go.But I realize that this is becoming really bad for me.
Yep. Odd though because I HAVE travelled all over Europe quite alone.
Bizarrely the daily commute causes more issues for me than international travel. I hate crowds, the packed damp bus with screaming babies and teenagers who think the whole world wants to listen to their grunge music and the stench...the commute is a traumatic sensory bombardment. I literally do need a lie down in a darkened room by the time I get to the office. And I have 2 hours of that each way.
Internationally, I find this easier if I pick non-busy times and plan to the nth degree and arrive super early for everything.
I have though never been to a country where I don't speak the language. France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Switzerland, US, Ireland, French Canada...I HAD to know I could absolutely buy a ticket, order a meal and find the loo alone before I'd ever dare go. Mercifully, I got a BA Hons in Modern Languages. Would I go to Japan? Love to, but I would have to take a course in Japonese first.
You can study language courses on YouTube. When I was thinking of going to France I did that, followed French classes and I have since become so fluent in French my mum says one of her friends said I sound like I'm from France. But still haven't conquered the anxiety. So I can talk French but yet to actually go there. Lol!
Good for you though for travelling. That's an amazing achievement, you should be so proud of yourself for going where you've already been. It takes a lot of courage. And don't give up about visiting other places, like Japan, you'll do it one day. I totally get you with local commuting. It is so much more stressful than when you go further. I guess because you're having to deal with so much all at once, easy for most but when you're autistic it's so much for to get through.
By the way I've seen your NAS videos. You are such an inspiration. You rock!