How to Travel if You Have Panic Attacks
Embrace anticipatory anxiety
If you experience panic attacks, it may seem counterproductive to welcome anxiety in any form. However, Jenny Matthews, a mental health therapist who leads flying-anxiety workshops at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, said that anticipatory anxiety can actually help you prepare. “It’s part of your brain’s warning system, trying to alert you to a dangerous or scary thing, and it’s trying to get you to take some kind of action,” she said.
It is important to remember that pretravel anxiety is not exclusive to people with anxiety disorders, and it does not mean you will have a panic attack on your trip. If you are able to accept that experiencing anxiety before a trip is normal, you can give it less power. Use that energy to plan how you will handle triggers or specific moments of panic while on your trip.
Prepare a panic attack kit
Put together a small bag of supplies that you can keep with you during travel.
First, pack any rescue medications such as Xanax or Ativan that have been prescribed by your doctor. Include over-the-counter medications, like Tylenol or Advil, if you get headaches or migraines along with anxiety, or Dramamine, as research suggests motion sickness can trigger anxiety. If you experience nausea during or after a panic attack, research also suggests smelling isopropyl alcohol can help, so include a few alcohol prep pads like you’d find in a first-aid kit. If your anxiety causes sweating or increased body temperature, consider a hand-held fan or travel cold pack. Focus on applying the cold to the side of the neck, which a 2023 study published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine found to be the most effective location.
Mrs. Matthews suggested adding sour or hot candy — such as Warheads or Hot Tamales — the shock of which can help distract your mind. Dr. Rego stressed that panic attack kits are not long-term treatment, but can be a way to manage symptoms.
Seek out support
Mrs. Matthews said that when experiencing a panic attack, it can be common for people to try to hide what they are going through, adding pressure to the situation. Talking to a travel companion, a flight attendant, a tour guide or even a stranger in a travel group, “can help reduce some of that burden to hold this secret and keep it all together,” she said. Be specific about what you need, she added, whether that is just an encouraging word or a hand to hold.
