Health anxiety & long journeys

[Queeniescakes]

Next Friday we will drive back to the UK from Holland for a holiday. This is the first long journey I have made since my anxiety reached a peak in December. During the physical investigation of my anxiety symptoms. they found a 40% blockage in one of my aortas. Now, this hasn't need aggressive treatment, just management (lifestyle changes, statins, aspirin etc). However, whenever I have anxiety it always hits my chest - causing palpitations, adrenaline surges causing racing heart rate etc. I am always very aware of where the nearest hospital is, just in case. This is what is making me anxious about travelling, it's around 8 hours in the car, travelling through Holland/Belgium/France and then from Dover - Shropshire. I can't shake the thought of 'what if I have a heart attack/stroke whilst travelling?' - the chances of this is probably the same as it would be for anyone of you, but it's all consuming at the moment. I have some leftover benzos (oxazepam, diazepam, temazepam), and am wondering if I should take one before leaving to chill me out for the journey. I don't really want to, but I don't want to have a panic attack on the road either!