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.
When I was little my family and I moved from France to England and the anxiety I felt even at that age was phenomenal! I didn't know I was autistic at the time and I had to try and deal with it but it wasn't easy. The anxiety was crippling and I had meltdowns, lots of meltdowns.
I cope better now. I still get anxious when travelling or about to travel but now I know I'm autistic I've found better ways of coping with my anxieties and know how to remove myself from the situation before a meltdown occurs.
With travelling it's a different routine. New place, new people, new smells and noises, so many new things to process and try to adjust to. It's difficult. Of course it is. Only people who suffers like us could understand this.
Before travelling now I fully study where I'm going. I research and research until I know every little detail. I like to know where the hospital is, where the shops are and where the least crowded places are. I'll use Google Maps if applicable and this helps me to visualize where I'll be going and then when I do finally get there it already feels familiar.
I always take a backpack with me which has my survival kit inside it which usually has a map, torch, spare clothes, drinks bottle and a first aid kit. You can never be too prepared! Sometimes I go travelling across France. I like to go camping in the summer. I still get anxious of course but all the above makes it a little easier.