Hi,
Going to try to keep this as short as possible. I've suffered from anxiety my whole life. For me, it began as a child, went away some extent when I was around 11-16 (I'm 20 now) and then began again intensely in August 2014 when I went on holiday to Florida for 2 weeks.
When I arrived I got very bad symptoms i.e. severe dizziness, nausea, and lost my appetite. I flew home after 4 days on my own and soon realised I was suffering from anxiety. Ever since then I cannot travel with family nevermind alone and it's ruining my life. Although going on holiday is easily avoidable, it's not ideal and this is not the only implication. I've been offered a job where I have to go away for a few days training and I'm traumatised. I don't know what to do. Anxiety has already dictated my life for so long. In University I miss once in a life time opportunity ie trips to Israel, and other places in the Middle East. I miss holidays with my friends and family and I have severely limited my studying. I want to study a Masters however I cannot travel away.
This is torturing me. When I'm alone I become very upset and sick. I have tried counselling, CBT, hypnotherapy, mindfulness etc and nothing seems to work. I have been told I have separation anxiety and I feel like this is probably the case - I feel like a child does when they're away from their parents. However I would argue that it is not solely my parents that I miss, because even when I'm away wth family I get anxious.
I think I fear the fact that it's not easy to get home, which is obviously my "happy place".
I am so worried about training for this job that I'm so close to just not taking the job, which is not ideal for me because anxiety already dictates much of my life.
In October I suffered intense health anxiety and that is still ongoing and I also experience bouts of anxiety regarding other things.
I will go on the training for the job because I simply am sick of letting anxiety ruin things. But this is my worst nightmare. I don't want to go and am dreading it and I'm finding it so hard to cope, like what if I panic while I'm alone or if I get lost or start thinking I'm going to die because of health anxiety?
I feel like I'm at a loss and any advice would be helpful. I'd love to hear from someone who is in, or has been in a similar position.
Ps I should also add I have phobias of lifts, small spaces and being locked in and I feel like this may contribute to my fear of being away from home (I suppose "locked in" a different country, in a sense?)
Thanks in advance! 😀