Travel advice?

[Scdg17]

Travel advice?
So I have a big trip coming up in a few days with a ton of traveling time (which sets off my anxiety.) I'm bringing all my little comfort items and anxiety emergency kit.
But I was curious if anyone else with a similar problem has any good coping tips.
Like for being stuck on a long flight and long road trip with strangers with claustrophobia induced panic.

[Anxiouskat]

I always have my anxiety "emergency kit" with me but especially when I am traveling. I have troubles with flights, car trips, etc. anything I can't "get out of" at a moments notice. My little kit has gum, gravol, clonazepam, water bottle, iPod, and sudoku book. I will explain...
I will chew gum into two pieces and keep them seperate, just a mind game to put your mind elsewhere.
Gravol is very helpful for flights because it puts me to sleep and calms my nervous belly.
Clonazepam for a rescue med. If I find myself in a panic attack that I can't get through with any other technique I will last resort take one. I've taken 15 in the last year, the bottle is almost just powder haha!
Water bottle so I can always take a clonazepam if needed.
I use music and relaxation tapes to try and escape in a bad attack. This and gum really seem to fix me troubles 95% of the time. Avoiding taking meds.
Lastly my sudoku book. To stop hyper focusing on all the panic symptoms, I need to focus on something else. Doing a really tough sudoku puzzle and timing myself to "beat my record" seems to streamline my thoughts when my mind is spinning out of control on what if's.

Well that was rather long winded, but I hope some of this may be helpful to you. Travel has always been an issue for me but I won't let it stop me! It can be tough but I know that if I take one gravol and one clonazepam I will be asleep and panic free in 30 minutes. Just knowing that makes me feel better and I usually don't have to resort to it. I wish you the best of luck in your travels, and keep it up things do get easier!

[Scdg17]

Yes!!! You're emergency kit is exactly like mine! :)

I can't go anywhere without my waterbottle, bubble gum, music, Bach flower stress spray, barf bag, and emergency only Xanax and Dramamine.

Too ease my mind a bit on this trip, I just changed my seat on both flights to first class. I shouldn't be spending the money, but window seat, more room, and closer to the bathroom is definitely worth it.

My next step is to map out all the gas stations on the road trip (so I know where I can get out) and try to con my way into sitting shotgun the whole way so I can see out the front.

I feel like such an annoying wackjob. I wana tell my travel mates "I'm not a diva. Just have GAD."

[John_Mark]

"I can't go anywhere without my waterbottle, bubble gum, music" - I can't go anywhere without my bubble gum. I thought I was the only one. When I get stressed, I get some bubble gum.

[soManyProblems]

I am saddened to say that I recently cancelled a trip I had been really looking forward to. A lot of unexpected stressors took place just before the trip, and my weight dropped lower than it had been in years. My primary care physician thought it would be dangerous for me to travel (I have some other health problems that are likely exacerbated by low weight and are conceivably life-threatening), but my psychiatrist thought I would feel defeated and disheartened if I cancelled the trip. I just had to cancel it, I knew I was too worried and sick to have a good time.

I do feel defeated. It sucks.

Please, for me, go on your trip and have an awesome time. There will be other trips for me. I am looking forward to them with terror/excitement.

[PR83]

Ha, I also carry gum and clonazepam, and sudoku. Traveling is still tough for me. I try to count to 100 during times of anxiety to take my mind off of it.

[Scdg17]

Wow! I'm happy to hear bubble gum is a common stress relievers. :)

Somanyproblems, I'm so sorry to hear you're having a hard time traveling too. :(
I did the same exact thing about a month ago. I was all set to go and cancelled my flight at the last min. Too much too soon for me.
But I'll will definitely try to have fun and will report back after it's through. Thanks everyone! :)

[soManyProblems]

It's a little sad to cancel a trip, but my philosophy is this:

If you succeed 100% of the time, you are setting the bar too low.

In terms of my university and professional career, this has served me very well. As an anxious person, I am always tempted to set the bar low. Don't plan any trips. Don't take the hard classes. Don't take the hard job. Avoiding risks is so calming, at least in the short term. But in the long run, that is not a recipe for happiness.

This trip was a bit more than I could handle, especially given some bad luck in the week before I was planning to leave. It would have been my farthest trip in at least 9 years, possibly 11 years. I will try again in a few months. Never give up.