Lived Experience Forum

[Lauz]

@Shaz51 @Former-Member while taking medication can be part of many peoples management of wellbeing - it is really important to only do so in coordination with a medical professional and to take the amounts as directed by the medical professional. Just reminding to be wary about this as it's very important.

[Former-Member]

Travel Apprehension, for me:
Thoughts:
- might forget something critically important (bookings care maintenance, insurance, schedule...
- what if I miss bookings
- whose gonna watch home, is everything safe
- what if I have a panic attack and nobody knows me
FEELINGS even now as I type
- palpitations / racing heart
- tensed muscles, frown
- tingling elbows, hands
- jaw hurts...

[Jm3]

@Lauz I really love going away with my partner. As a carer I need that down time as often as we can afford. The lack of sleep and small anxieties are something that we’ve both learnt to deal with. For example I always watch tv to fall asleep, so my partner always brings a laptop and I watch my comfort shows to settle before bed.

I hate feeling like things are being left to chance. I overpack and overplan everything. 

[Lauz]

@Snowie that is understandable - it's great that you know the surroundings but I can understand how some of that pressure could impact that anxious feeling 

@Former-Member even though it doesn't make the feeling go away - it is really great to have so much insight into the thoughts and feelings of apprehension. Did writing that list just now help at all too? ☺️

[greenspace]

It feels like sickening dread in the pit of my stomach. 

I worry a bit about something going wrong on the drive (feel more worry about the journey if it's by train), but mostly fear something happening to my fur-kids while I'm away, plus feel anxious about not being able to retreat to my bedroom if I get overwhelmed .

[Jm3]

I worry about forgetting things too!

[Shaz51]

@Ginny1, @Lauz , @Jm3 , @Former-Member , @Snowie 

I think the biggest thing for mr shaz is knowing what we are doing , where we are going

with our week away we are flyinf to Darwin , our D1 is picking us up at the airport

and then we don`t know what we are doing for the week and this is playing on mr shaz`z mind

[Lauz]

@Jm3 I think there is something to that feeling of the unknown - even being unsure of what to wear while away, can make us feel like we might want to be able to control. Do you think we have more control when we are at home? Or is this feeling more in the not having comforts around to deal as well if a challenge arises? Anyone have some thoughts on this?

[Former-Member]

Yes Lauz, helps to be heard, and see others feel similar anxieties. Know it's mostly in my head grr!. I'm doing deep breathing so I can continue here.

[Lauz]

So a lot of us, when looking at what apprehension feels and looks like, have raised the fears that come up for them as well. This is great to raise and pay attention too. A common theme was not knowing - not being sure of what you are doing, what you might end up forgetting, where you could retreat to if you need to. 

So what can you do to prepare, what are things that you could consider to help ease the fears? Some ideas might be things like researching your destination, talking to people you are visiting and letting them know about some of your vulnerabilities and what could help. 

What else could you do to prepare for a trip to help ease that apprehension? Let's share some ideas.