GROWN WITH SEVERE HOMESICKNESS AND TRAVEL ANXIETY

[anxiousalexis]

Hi everyone, I've been on here quite a few times and have dealt with my past struggles. I still deal day to day. Currently, my biggest battle so far is leaving home and traveling. It's something I've always wanted to do but my brain just makes it so hard. I've always been the type to hate sleepovers and being without her parents. And I feel like that has carried on in to my 20s and it's embarrassing! My last family vacation was when I was 15, so about 8 years ago. I had my first panic attack and had to go home due to it, I was a 2hr drive away. I was with my parents too. Since then, I'm constantly avoiding that from happening again. It has, but in the comfort of my home. Now, whenever I go anywhere, I worry it's going to happen to me again and I won't have my parents to be there for me or I'll be too far from home that I can't escape. I recently went on my first plane ride and real trip with my girlfriend's family and my mom to Hawaii. I was nervous but I had such an amazing time but my mom was with me. Now, I'm leaving this week to the east coast for 4 days to support a friend in a sporting event and I'm only going with my girlfriend but I'm stressing so much to be away from home and the people who keep me safe. It becomes a lot and I'm so tired of being like this and I don't know how to stop it and enjoy trips and traveling. because that's all i ever wanna do. someone please help me. im also thinking of bringing my dog who qualifies and a service dog to go with me but i dont have the biggest support from my gf in taking him, so im stressed there. I don't know. I'm struggling.

[designguy]

I had anxiety/panic for years and even social anxiety. What really helped me was learning how to constructively deal with it and that it is a paradox, the more you struggle, fight and resist it the more it persists so the solution is to surrender to it. You do this by desensitizing yourself to the anxious feelings and let them flow through you and realize that the anxious thoughts are not real but is just your anxiety system malfunctioning. I have done a lot of different therapies and read books about anxiety and found the DARE Anxiety book, youtube videos and phone app to be very helpful. It's not a once and done and you have to be committed and persistent but once you know and understand what anxiety really is and are able to be rational about it you can heal and overcome it. You may also find medication helpful at least temporarily for you.

[anxiousalexis in reply to designguy]

Thank you so much! I’m on medication and just trying to find a way to enjoy my life. It’s so hard. Imma look into all that tho

[designguy in reply to anxiousalexis]

Good for you, hope it helps, let me know if you have any questions once you get into it.