The first time I had a panic attack while traveling, I was sitting with my husband in a restaurant at Heathrow Airport, almost 5,000 miles from home. It started as most of my panic attacks do: with a quick hot flash that spread from the top of my head down to my feet. Before I knew it, my heart was racing, and my body was trembling. It left me feeling drained and fatigued.
Panic attacks can cause a wide array of symptoms that vary from person to person, including racing heart, shortness of breath, dizziness, hot flashes and more. Because attacks can vary in length and occur without warning, some people can develop a fear of future attacks that can be debilitating. The good news is you don’t need to let the specter of an attack stop you from exploring the world. Here are some tips to make yourself more comfortable on your next trip.
Take practice day trips
Short trips close to home can act as a form of exposure therapy. Simon Rego, a professor and the chief of psychology at Montefiore Medical Center in New York City, who specializes in anxiety, stress and related disorders, suggested approaching these trips like a scientist. Imagine what you think could happen, and then evaluate how accurate your predictions were. “Was the outcome as bad as you may have thought?” he said.
