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THE ANXIOUS




                                                                                                                                                                    TRAVELLER





                                                                                                                                                                    A PERSONAL ESSAY


                                                                                                                                                                    WORDS by Amie McKay
                                                                                                                                                                           ecently my friends suggested a girl’s trip   Up  until  this  point  I  had  been  unconsciously  putting
                                                                                                                                                                           to Bali, and I knew that I must jump at the   different coping mechanisms into practice to allay my

                                                                                                                                                                           chance.   At the age of forty I had never le      fears, and without the support and the calm talking down
                                                                                                                                                                   RAustralian shores, and it had been a long-  from my friends, my symptoms could have become
                                                                                                                                                                    held dream to immerse myself in another culture.     uncontrollable.  What I learned from this experience
                                                                                                                                                                    While there were many contributing factors that had   was the importance of choosing your travelling tribe
                                                                                                                                                                    kept me home, there was one overwhelming reason   well.  If you suffer from anxiety, it’s vital to travel with

                                                                                                                                                                    why I had never taken the plunge – my anxiety.     friends or family you trust, people who understand

                                                                                                                                                                    Reportedly, one in six Australians will suffer from anxiety   your personality, and are able to manage your anxiety

                                                                                                                                                                    in their lifetime, affecting their ability to participate in   symptoms without judgement.
                                                                                                                                                                    new experiences and events.  Travelling is a significant   Secondly, do your research.  You can never ask enough


                                                                                                                                                                    trigger for sufferers, as real or imagined threats assault   questions or have enough knowledge about your
                                                                                                                                                                    our thinking.  Even those who don’t suffer anxiety on   destination – as long as it’s coming from reliable sources.


                                                                                                                                                                    a day-to-day basis will experience apprehension when   That doesn’t mean going down the Google rabbit hole

                                                                                                                                                                    travelling to a different country.  There is the standard   and reading horror stories.  Instead, visit reputable travel

                                                                                                                                                                    pre-nerve jitters and sleepless nights beforehand.    and government sites.  Pester your friends and family
                                                                                                                                                                    Arriving at the airport ridiculously early, you know   who have travelled to the same place before – yes, you
                                                                                                                                                                    – “just in case,” so in the end you just have more time   will feel annoying, but who cares, they’re your friends
                                                                                                                                                                    to think and worry about all the things that could go   and will be happy they could help.
                                                                                                                                                                    wrong.  Most of us have felt this way, right?  But, what I,   Lastly, remember to take time out and reset.  Travelling
                                                                                                                                                                    and many others, will experience is that next level of fear   with anxiety means that for every tour and new
                                                                                                                                                                    and panic.  It operates on its own agenda.  It will take   experience you do, it’s likely you will feel mentally and
                                                                                                                                                                    control over the most rational of people and can push   physically exhausted.  It’s okay to opt out from a tour
                                                                                                                                                                    you into a deep pit of fear and confusion, with varying   day, or a night out, if you are feeling overwhelmed.
                                                                                                                                                                    physiological and psychological consequences.   After the mental effort it took to walk through Ubud


                                                                                                                                                                    The full force of my anxiety surprisingly came at the   Sacred Monkey Forest with tiny, furry hands grabbing

                                                                                                                                                                    end of the trip on the way to the airport, as our cab was   my ankles, I needed to recharge.  A quite day spent by


                                                                                                                                                                    held hostage to Bali traffic.  Feelings of dread and fear   the pool not only helped improve my anxiety symptoms,
                                                                                                                                                                    hijacked my mind and body.  I struggled to breathe and   but it turned out to be one of the most rewarding days
                                                                                                                                                                    felt like I was drowning in never-ending waves of panic;   of my trip.
                                                                                                                                                                    paralysed by the irrational terror that we were going to   Travelling to new places, whether at home or overseas, is

                                                                                                                                                                    miss our flight back home.  Dramatic, I know.  But I now   too valuable of an experience to allow anxiety to control

                                                                                                                                                                    understand that sufferers have very little control over the   you.  Travelling can open your eyes to new ideas, cultures
                                                                                                                                                                    emotions and feelings that anxiety causes.        and scenery, while fostering feelings of empathy and
                                                                                                                                                                    Unsurprisingly, we didn’t miss our flight.  However,   gratitude towards others and yourself.  The world is an


                                                                                                                                                                    when I later reflected on this experience, I began to   amazing place and we are only here for a short time.


                                                                                                                                                                    understand that my anxiety was a real and difficult   With the right tools and support, travel anxiety can be

          PHOTO CREDIT: Jared Rice, Unsplash                                                                                                                        condition, and that If I wanted to continue to explore   managed.  Just go out there and do it, you will not regret it.
                                                                                                                                                                    this magical world, I had to learn to manage it.
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