Traveling has for a long been one of the most popular recreational activities for human beings. Many people dream of globetrotting. However, there are also many who avoid traveling owing to anxiety attacks. Ironically, most often they don’t even realize their problem.

Do you feel anxious quite often? Does the mere thought of traveling gives you the jitters? The nervousness over a travel is directly proportional to the level of anxiety in a person. Those with persistent generalized anxiety and panic attacks are also prone to travel anxiety. It’s because traveling represents change and distance from one’s comfort zone. Many people suffer from travel anxiety for their entire life. In other cases, some may develop the anxiety either because of some bad experiences or from nothing at all.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, 18% of the population in the United States suffers from an anxiety disorder, with around a quarter of these cases classified as severe. However, only around 40% of the population suffering from anxiety disorder is receiving treatment for it.

Travel-related anxiety is one of the most common fears. As many as 10 to 15 per cent of air travelers may experience situational anxiety and associated psychological or emotional distress. In some cases, anxiety may also be accompanied by physical health problems such as headaches, insomnia or stomach problems.

What causes anxiety attacks?

You may develop travel anxiety over a journey reasons such as stress of planning and dealing with needs during the trip, or the trouble you have communicating with others. Even the fear of suffering a jetlag may stop you from taking a long flight. There could also be times when you may not even know the exact reason for your anxiety attack.

It is also observed that some people develop fear of leaving their home. Just the idea of being far from their place becomes stressful for them. This can also affect those who are not suffering from anxiety disorder. There are times when you should just try to overcome the fear within you by doing things that you are afraid of.

After recovering from a mental illness, we may continue to have such anxiety attacks. Yet, we believe that when nervous people are faced with a new or unexpected event, our usual reaction is to respond that "I will not be able to do that" or "I just can’t afford to take that risk." And when we do things that we "fear and hate to do," we can be surprised and delighted about how much we can achieve even if we are anxious.

How to overcome anxiety attacks

At times, you may suffer from symptoms that can be too overwhelming to distract yourself from. Try to simply allow them to run their course. It is also known that panic attack often ascends within a few minutes and then gradually descends.

It is suggested that you should work on cognitive and behavioral techniques that can target your specific symptoms, including physiological reactions (e.g., increased heart rate, more body tension, sleep disruption). Also, challenge the anxiety-provoking thoughts you are having and replace them with the ones that are accurate, realistic and non-catastrophic. 

Try looking for triggers that are causing your anxiety. Ask yourself questions – “what specifically do I fear will happen,” “what will happen if I take a risk,” “what is out of my control or unpredictable” and “what specifically upsets me?”

If you feel that you are still struggling with a severe anxiety disorder on your own, you may benefit from a handful of sessions with a psychologist who has expertise in anxiety and phobias.

The Anxiety Treatment Center of California is available at your service 24/7. Anxiety clinics in California cater to patients of all ages, prioritizing the welfare of each and every one. Our representatives will help connect you with the best anxiety treatment centers in California that offer cutting edge treatment plans, designed to specifically serve individualized needs. If you or a loved one is struggling, call us right away at 855-972-9459.