Scared to Travel

Hello all. My family in the USA (I'm in Canada) will be having a gathering at the end of April. My fiancé really wants me to go. It's a long, 10 hour drive. I normally never miss said gatherings, however since T onset two months ago, I've been an anxious mess and wreck. I have a sleep system in the comfort of my own home (if I didn't have my fan and sound machine, I'd be a permanent insomniac), and am absolutely terrified at the thought of being in another place, struggling to sleep. I'm ashamed of my family to see me this way, a shell of my former self. My fiancé is frustrated, but understanding that this is something very difficult I'm going through. Coping I guess is the word I'm looking for.

Has any of you ever travelled after T onset? Any insight or advice? I don't want T to control my life, believe me. But when you wake up and it's there, all day it's there, and at night it's there (it's even there in my sleep), it's hard not to become obsessed and paranoid about it. Such a crippling curveball life has thrown.

Anyways, thank you all for your time.

 

Well, if the problem is fear of not falling asleep, why not to try to get from your doc sleeping pills?

 

I've had T for 12 years and travel frequently. I used to have fears of planes spiking my T, but I've found that travel has never made my T worse except for a couple of very short spikes. I always wear earplugs when I fly. I have a portable sound machine I take with me wherever I go, and I sometimes wear earplugs when I sleep. I know it's scary at first, but once you make that first trip, I think you'll find it wasn't so bad after all. Just take precautions, avoid loud environments and always carry ear plugs in case you need them.

 

Hello @Nikopol -

I'm not interested in taking sleeping pills. I believe an important key for habituation would be to adapt to the T and learn to eventually fall asleep naturally. I've had friends who have taken sleeping pills as well, and have either developed seriously mental/physical problems and dependences on them.

@racerfish

I appreciate the insight. Earplugs however when I use them, make my T sound even louder. I think the noise comes from my head but I'm not so sure. I'll carry them with me in case we go to a loud environment.

Thank you for the replies.

 

That is true, but this case would be short term and it would help with your anxiety which also stabds in way of habituation.

Anyway, if you want, you can try my trick for falling asleep during high levels of anxiety / loudness. I concentrate on my nasal breathing only. On sound of wind going through nasal holes, as if I would be standing there. Leave all else behind and I am asleep within 10 minutes.

 

Take your sleeping aids with you?

 

Good earmuffs like the Peltor x5a - better than plugs over hours of wearing and a few good smartphone apps for sound enrichment and your are all set

 

I agree with you on the sleeping pills. I've taken Lunesta and Ambien in the past and they aren't long term solutions and can cause a lot of problems. One thing I do take however with almost no side effects when I travel for jetlag is Melatonin, just 3 mg. It helps me fall asleep quickly.