Vacations

[leighs]

Has anyone had anxiety about going on vacation? The thought of being anxious about relaxing seems silly to me but...I am anxious about it. The last time I went our of town was when we went to Vegas in April for my best friend's 30th birthday. My anxiety was very high and the panic attacks seemed to keep coming. It got to the point where my husband and I had to leave dinner at a restaurant one night because I just couldn't sit there. It was definitely one of the worst panic attacks I've ever had.
I know I have come a long way since then, but I am now nervous about going to California with my husband for our 5th wedding anniversary. Any tips or tricks on how to overcome this? I already feel bad that my husband constantly has to deal with my anxiety issues and now to not want to go on vacation when I know he's looking forward to it wouldn't be very fair to him.
Any ideas on how to overcome this anxiety? I see my therapist tomorrow so I will discuss it with him as well but I am just curious if anyone has been through anything like this and how they handled it.
Hope to hear from you :)

[Anxiety beater]

I've certainly had anxiety about social situations - and it makes you feel worse, doesn't it, feeling worried about something you're supposed to be enjoying?! Best thing is not to fight it - accept you might feel anxious, but reassure yourself that you'll still cope, you'll be ok. Sounds like you've had lots of anxiety in your life, but it hasn't killed you yet - so maybe you're winning? It's really best not to avoid situations, because that just makes the anxiety worse - it's not the situation you're really afraid of, it's your anxiety - try to reassure yourself that they're just anxious feelings and they'll pass. If you'd stayed sitting in that restaurant, your panic would eventually have subsided - you would have felt dreadful for a while, but it really would eventually have passed. You are greater than your anxiety - I suffered from crippling social anxiety and panic attacks for over 30 years but now, in my 50s, my life is no longer ruled by anxiety - and one of the main things that helped was realising that I was not a naturally 'anxious' person - I'd just been 'brainwashed', if you like, into believing that about myself. I now view anxious feelings, no matter how severe, as just that - feelings - they're not an essential part of me, they come and go, and they can't harm me. If I do feel anxious now - and it happens rarely and doesn't usually last long - I just accept it and say to my anxiety, 'ok, come on then, get on with it' - and it usually passes off very quickly.

[brady]

I dont like the thóught of being somewere, were if i was to have an anxiety attack, or become very anxious, were i cannot do everything i would usually do if i had one.

[leighs]

That's what is so weird to me about being anxious about this vacation. I will still be able to do everything I would do if I were in my home state. I will be with my husband who is my safe person and who is so supportive. This makes no sense to me. It's like I'm anxious about being anxious. Ugh!

[etherial]

That's what is so weird to me about being anxious about this vacation. I will still be able to do everything I would do if I were in my home state. I will be with my husband who is my safe person and who is so supportive. This makes no sense to me. It's like I'm anxious about being anxious. Ugh!

Anxious about being anxious....I personally think that is one of the biggest triggers for anxiety - remembering "other" times when you have felt anxious and worrying that if happened once it can happen twice. My advise would be to discuss a "plan of action" with your husband in case your anxiety gets too much for you to deal with while you are away. That way you can allow yourself to stop feeling anxious about being anxious because you know what you area going to do if by chance it does happen. I don't know if it is the best method, but I often find that having that "out" or "alternative plan" releases the pressure and allows me to see the situation in a clearer and more manageable light.