pre trip anxiety

[DL1WDW2]

After having to hand my then 1 year old son to a nearby stranger so I could faint I have embraced Xanax. He is 19 now ..

oh heck Did not mean to post ... but I was going to ask if your son has been told this . Are you able to drive.?

 

[Microcell]

oh heck Did not mean to post ... but I was going to ask if your son has been told this . Are you able to drive.?

Yep he is aware! I have told him I could tell something was wrong so I looked for an older woman and said “my husband is in the store and I am feeling really badly” and handed my son to her and fainted. Thankfully my husband heard the commotion and came running.

Can I drive with Xanex? I think I could once in FL it pretty much wears off by the time you land. I haven’t had to drive while taking it but I don’t think I would try right after taking it. My fear of flying is so bad that one year my husband was at a conference in Orlando and flew back home just to fly back to Orlando with us the same day. He never left the airport in Kansas City, just got his luggage and went back on the next plane with us!

 

[tinkerhon]

Yep he is aware! I have told him I could tell something was wrong so I looked for an older woman and said “my husband is in the store and I am feeling really badly” and handed my son to her and fainted. Thankfully my husband heard the commotion and came running.

Can I drive with Xanex? I think I could once in FL it pretty much wears off by the time you land. I haven’t had to drive while taking it but I don’t think I would try right after taking it. My fear of flying is so bad that one year my husband was at a conference in Orlando and flew back home just to fly back to Orlando with us the same day. He never left the airport in Kansas City, just got his luggage and went back on the next plane with us!

Funny, I cant drive without Xanax !!!

 

[AussieFan8]

I used to have really bad anxiety before flying; it would start about three weeks before a trip. When it started, I would tell myself that there was no point being anxious so far ahead and I would be "allowed" to be anxious the day before the trip. Somehow that helped me "put off" the anxiety and lessen it for the weeks ahead of time, and then by the day before the trip, I was busy packing and so that distracted me from the anxiety. I also would remind myself that I was making a choice to fly; somehow that gave me a sense of control and lessened the anxiety. Good luck to you and have a wonderful trip!

 

[Denee]

I get claustrophobic too on planes so I always bring a mini handheld fan. Last time I flew, we sat on the runway for de-icing which exacerbated the problem. I started feel hot and anxious and claustrophobic because I was in a window seat and a stranger was next to me so I pulled out my little handheld fan and the extra air helped to calm me down.

 

[Disney loving Iowan]

I get claustrophobic too on planes so I always bring a mini handheld fan. Last time I flew, we sat on the runway for de-icing which exacerbated the problem. I started feel hot and anxious and claustrophobic because I was in a window seat and a stranger was next to me so I pulled out my little handheld fan and the extra air helped to calm me down.

Oh that happened to me once. There was an ice storm in Dallas and we sat on the tarmac forever. It was just awful. I was all the way at the back of the plane which is the worst place for me. I couldn't see out of my window because that side of the plane was covered in ice. The other side wasn't but the people on that side had the shade down. It was awful.

 

[Claire82013]

I've flown a bit since COVID. Try looking into different mask options to see what feels the safest and most comfortable for you. I personally prefer n95 masks because they help me feel safe, but maybe there is another well-fitting mask that works for you. If it does not interact with other medications you take (check with a doctor), you could try taking Benadryl before the flight as this should make you feel a bit drowsy for just a few hours. If you tend to have panic attacks from claustrophobia, try sensory grounding. Bring something textured to touch, something nice to smell, music to listen to, something to watch/look at.

 

[disneyworldsk]

I've flown a bit since COVID. Try looking into different mask options to see what feels the safest and most comfortable for you. I personally prefer n95 masks because they help me feel safe, but maybe there is another well-fitting mask that works for you. If it does not interact with other medications you take (check with a doctor), you could try taking Benadryl before the flight as this should make you feel a bit drowsy for just a few hours. If you tend to have panic attacks from claustrophobia, try sensory grounding. Bring something textured to touch, something nice to smell, music to listen to, something to watch/look at.

yes, thank you all. above here, this reminds me of things to do that i have forgotten about. and the meditation someone posted too, visualizing it. yes. thank you . !!!

 

[browneyedgirl1683]

What helps with my anxiety is creating playlists or watching movies that comprise the length of my journey. It helps me keep time in a more comforting way. Drinking things that are cold really helps me to take myself out of it. I also remind myself that panic is temporary. It won't last. I just have to get through the moment. Sometimes I'll buy myself bribes that I look forward to, which helps me. Candy, pastries, things like that.

For anxiety about leaving things or not packing things, I will take pics of my suitecase or my doors locked etc. This way I know it's closed. I have a lot of anxiety about leaving, so for me it helps to have check lists as well.

 

[Belle2007]

It's definitely hard to forget something! I try to focus on the thought that the trip is so many days long and you can 'probably' purchase anything that you need there. (maybe) but it is good to know in the back of your mind.

I also take benedryl and try to sleep on the plane... but having a new book that I've been waiting to read helps alot too!

 

[VandVsmama]

i typically get pre trip anxiety. now with covid, it's even worse. specifically claustrophia and i have anxiety i will get claustrophia on the plane especially masked. i also get anxious over other things but once i'm in disney and land it all goes away...! any tips?

I often deal with some anxiety on our trips. These are some of the things that I do which helps me manage it:

• physically print out our airline itinerary. Include airline phone #, airline reservation/ticket #, etc. You know...'just in case' something goes wrong and there's a huge plane delay and then everybody is stuck in a massive line at the airport trying to get rerouted to other flights, and if you had the airline's phone #, you could bypass that by making a phone call. My DH thinks I'm nuts for thinking of this.
• Load the airline phone # as a contact on my phone.
• Load the WDW phone # as a contact on my phone.
• Load the Magical Express phone # as a contact on my phone.
• Type up and print out a detailed itinerary for departure day (day 1 of the trip). I get VERY anxious about missing our flight. Or running into traffic on the way to the airport. Or...or... So I work backwards from "go time" and this helps me figure out what time we actually need to leave the house.
• In turn, this also helps me know exactly what time I and everybody else in my family needs to wake up and start getting ready to leave.
• I write up a "to do" list for things I need to take care of before we leave for the trip. Hold the mail at the post office, stuff like that. Having a physical check list on a real piece of paper for me to physically cross things off helps me tremendously.
• We leave in 3 weeks for an AZ to Orlando 1-way road trip which will end with 7 days at WDW. For a month now, I've had an organized pile of WDW/trip stuff in my bedroom closet. This is how I don't forget anything.
• I also write up a packing list for me and each of the kids.
• Sometimes if I'm really anxious, I rewrite the packing list onto another piece of paper. this calms me down. Especially if doing it while watching a Disney movie. Or something Star Wars. I put the 2nd copy of the packing list in my suitcase. This helps me to not get anxious about leaving something behind in the hotel room after we've checked out (I've left things behind before).
• I put calendar entries in my iPhone calendar for all of our ADRs.
• I also create calendar entries in my iPhone for which park we'll be at each day.
• I pack my suitcase the night before we leave. Not the day of departure.
• I set out the night before, the clothes I'm going to wear on departure day.
• I dump everything out of my purse and look at everything I'm going to bring in it for departure day.
• Before I pack my suitcase, I set all of the stuff out on the bed and rethink every item I'm going to bring (i.e., do I REALLY need this?). This helps me to pack lighter, which, in turn, helps me have a less stressful trip.
• I use ziplock bags labelled with a sharpie marker for what they're supposed to be used for (i.e., cell phone cords, laundry detergent pods, hand sanitizer, etc.).
• I print out the general itinerary and put that print out in my purse/carry on bag. This way, if my phone dies and I need the info, I have it in a backup/'old school' format.
• I download "Connecting with Walt" podcasts to my phone before we leave and listen to them on the plane. Helps relax me.
• When I have wifi access or a cell signal and I'm feeling anxious, I listen to the "DParks Radio" app on my phone. One of their channels is Main Street music. There's nothing that will calm me down faster than Main Street music.
• I look at the Orlando weather repeatedly in the 2 weeks leading up to our trip. It might sound silly, but this helps me calm down because I kind of know what to expect.
• If I get anxious about our travel day getting TO Orlando, I come up with a mental plan in my head for worst case scenario and that calms me down because I kind of know what to do if everything goes to poo (i.e., and by 'everything goes to poo,' I mean "flight delay or we miss a connecting flight"). Ironically, I usually have zero anxiety about traveling back home.

 

[happiestpoe]

If you don't regularly wear a mask, practice waring one around the house. Leave it on while doing chores or cooking, just to get used to the sensation. That way when you're on the plane, it won't be so alien.

 

[disneyworldsk]

If you don't regularly wear a mask, practice waring one around the house. Leave it on while doing chores or cooking, just to get used to the sensation. That way when you're on the plane, it won't be so alien.

yes, i keep avoiding this one!

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

Wear a rubber band on your wrist and snap it if you feel the anxiety coming on. You will then focus on the sting of the pain rather than what is going on around you. Also try lavender oil roller ball. Roll a strip down the back of your neck and a dab behind each ear

 

[Mtraynom]

I HATE flying and get really bad plane anxiety. I will drive anywhere to avoid a plane. However, I'm taking a family trip to Disney in October, and am flying because the rest of my family is. What helps me the most is facts and information. I look up the plane and familiarize myself with what it looks like and what to expect when boarding. I also look up the flight path so I know exactly where the plane will be flying. If I know what to expect beforehand, it helps calm me. While I'm on the plane, I watch movies, so I can be distracted during the flight.

 

[cocofifi]

Have you ever tried the Headspace meditation app? It starts off with basic meditation exercises lasting 3 minutes. It can really help you focus on the present and give your brain rest for a few minutes. The app also has short sessions that are helpful when you’re particularly overwhelmed stressed. Best of luck to you. Hope you have a wonderful trip.

 

[Jolene Fraser]

I often deal with some anxiety on our trips. These are some of the things that I do which helps me manage it:

You pretty much described my planning!! Glad to know I'm not alone in all my details. Leaving three weeks from today! Monitoring these chat boards has really helped answer a lot of questions too. One thing I've learned also is to leave some room for the unplanned. I've come to terms with the fact that its ok not to have dining reservations every single day. I want my kids to feel like they have some flexibility to change their minds on which park they may want to hop to for at least 1 or 2 days of our trip. Happy planning!