A
Anonymous07/19/26, 19:46No.2897410Anxiety when traveling
I have a history with poor mental health, but I've been working on it for the past year or so. I used to get bad anxiety going anywhere really, but for the past couple of years I've done shorter road trips, then longer road trips, then short trips abroad, and it's gone quite well really. I honestly thought I had my anxiety under control, so this summer I planned a five week road trip to Northern Norway. I'm currently on day three and I'm having full blown panic attacks, and I want to go home so bad. It's very unexpected to say the least, I've been on more demanding trips the past year without issues. I'm at a loss, I don't know what to do. Some more info:
>I'm Norwegian, driving my own car
>my destination was Lofoten, Vesterålen and Senja
>traveling alone, focusing on hiking
>currently in the sticks in Trøndelag, about a 9 hour drive from home
>I have some accomodation booked further north, but I was also planning on doing some wild camping, the thought of which further fuels my anxiety
>weather forecast is mildly shit, lots or rain in the coming days, but decent temperatures
Any advice? The only thing keeping me going is that I've told everyone at work I'm going to Lofoten, and I don't want the humiliation of not even making it halfway. If I could just cancel the whole trip knowing no one cared, I would honestly.
3
Replies
A
Anon07/19/26, 20:07No.2897421
Anxietyfags always make their anxiety the centerpiece of their identity and then wonder why it controls them instead of the other way around. Travel is always full of uncertainty, and screwups/oversights are inevitable. But instead of solving problems as they arise and learning from your errors to do better next time, you mentally masturbate yourself into a full-blown panicgasm over the thought of screwing up or having bad luck. The only conclusion a logical person can draw is that anxietyfags revel in their anxiety, just like a scab picker loves the pain of peeling back his scab before it is healed.
A
Anon07/22/26, 18:12No.2898084
Hey anon. I also have anxiety, and it is especially prevalent when traveling. In some ways I feel like a low-grade agoraphobic. I feel for you and have been in your situation. The advice you are going to receive from anons is to keep going, I agree with this. You are lucky that you are traveling solo, meaning you don’t need to maintain appearances or be dragged around to things you don’t want to do. If you have a panic attack, you’re free to excuse yourself from wherever you are and seek out solitude. I’m not sure if you practice meditation or mindfulness, but these things can definitely help. In the event that your anxiety is too strong to manage, that is also okay. Your coworkers don’t need to know why you didn’t reach your destination. You could either lie or make up a story about car problems or family trouble. Hope you’re able to enjoy a moment of peace, whatever you choose
A
Anon07/25/26, 05:09No.2898643
You need to let go. When you surrender your fears you find serenity.You have already done trips in the past. That is lived experience that you are capable of handling things.Catastrophizing a bunch of what ifs gives you nothing but stress. Your brain is trying to run a simulation that will never end.I always find that after doing something I was nervous about, it always turned out better than I thought it would. You just have to feel your anxiety, and decide your gonna do the thing anyways. You will continue to build trust and confidence in yourself.You just have to get out of your own head man. Stay in the present and handle things as they pop up.All those doubts and voices in your head are full of shit. Don't listen to them. Don't ever talk yourself out of something because of fear of failure.