I have major travel anxiety

[Anonymous]

My worst fear is getting sick midair or away from home. Those who have dealt ith this, how did you cope?

[Anonymous]

Me too! You're definitely not alone on this. I only got an rx for lorazepam recently and will use (going to go full White Lotus) for my upcoming flight.

Before this, I would use l-theanine. My therapist also recommended EFT tapping, so I downloaded a podcast to take me through that while flying.

I also bring a variety of medications to deal with most common illnesses when I travel, which is not a lot.

And lastly, I force myself to do it occasionally so my DC can see me do things like this. It's not easy, so be kind to yourself and find a supportive practitioner.

[Anonymous]

Here’s the worst-case scenario:

I had an undiagnosed heart condition and got sick on a direct flight to Tokyo. My heart rate was 180ish and I was vomiting and had diarrhea. Luckily I was traveling on miles and was in business class so I had more access to a lavatory than I would have if I were in economy. Anyway, I found that the flight attendants were really reluctant to engage and that made total sense because if they declared a medical emergency they’d have to make a decision about landing or turning around. While I was in and out of semi-consciousness, I overheard them debating if I could possibly be drunk- they then settled on that as an explanation. It was so lonely and scary. But I survived!

Now I travel with Xanax and am very careful about packing and prepping for travel 3-4 days before I depart so I can have slow, easygoing days before my flights. I do everything possible to reduce my every day anxiety before I depart. Also be aggressive about eating healthy and hydrating in the days leading up to a trip. That way I can remind myself that my body is healthy and well taken care of and ready for the trip. It really helps my travel anxiety and helps me shrug off every ache or queasy feeling instead of obsessing and worrying that I’m sick.

[Anonymous]

do you have to travel?

[Anonymous]

I am a sporadic vomiter and get motion sick. I now keep Zofran on me at all times. I need it sporadically but just knowing I have it in case of an emergency calms me so much.

[Anonymous]

I keep Zofran on hand. We've had it prescribed to DH and me or the kids a few times over the years for various stomach bugs, and never end up taking all the pills, so I bring the extras with us. We've needed them a few times on vacation.

[Anonymous]

Is the fear specifically about vomiting?

[Anonymous]

What kind of sickness do you mean? Context and definitions matter.