How do you cope with traveling? Does it trigger you?

Personally, I get stressed out. I usually get really agitated and anxious, even if I happen to like where I’m going. Then that alone triggers me (usually an agitated mixed state, too). Though when I’ve had to travel for work, my head felt like it was going to explode, especially when I went to Poland! I hated it there!

I'm generally ok with travel, even with time zone changes.

There was one time I couldn't even imagine getting on a plane and missed a family vacation because of it. I could hardly sit still for very long anywhere let alone a plane for 8 hours. I was also taking Ativan at the time and got really paranoid about traveling with it (I checked with the country's embassy and found out that Ativan was illegal there. I was taking it regularly and there was no way I was going to travel without it). So I didn't go on the vacation.

But otherwise I just adust my meds based on the time zone and I'm good.

i'm 73 yr. old female, bp2, hypomanic, no depression. travel is one of my biggest and worst triggers.. last oct. traveled from phoenix to barcelona for a 17 day cruise; 3 flights to get there and 3 back; took 14 days to recover from jet lag...even a 2 hr. flight w/time zone change no longer is worth dealing w/the insomnia and adjusting to time zone change...rarely drink alcohol and try to keep same sleep schedule...realize for me, no more travel as it's too destabilizing...also, the preparation (anxiety and obsessing) for any travel is more than i choose to handle at this point in my life.

I HATE traveling!! I wouldn't say that it triggers me at all but it DOES stress me out! I guess that mostly has to do with my nature though! I do like my comfort so perhaps I'm just spoiled? Either way, I can relate to what you're writing, you guys! It is stressful in my opinion! I don't have a lot of advice to give as I'm trying to figure this out as well! Just wanted to let you guys know that you're NOT alone! You're ALL in my Thoughts and Prayers. Let's hope to get through ALL of this TOGETHER! Sending many safe, warm hugs to ALL of you and ALL of your Loved Ones!!

Drink lots of water even though the airport charges like $3 a bottle at the layovers (they never give you enough on the plane), no alcohol, and though I rarely take Xanax anymore I did take it for a couple of days but still don't get enough sleep for the 1st two days when I arrive. After a couple of days at my destination, I feel fine again.

Like TRNRMOM, traveling (especially international travel) has become my worst trigger. I somehow handled it much much better in my early youth (through late 20s), but after that it became more difficult. Airports have especially become bad triggers for me. The long lines, chaos, and ridiculous procedures they've put in place (after 9-11) are quite difficult for me. Of course I want people to be safe when they fly. I'm not saying to take protections away, but I think the "protections" and so-called "efficiency" updates are poorly designed. There must be better ways. Living in an extremely populated area near New York City, the airports are supremely hectic. Many more people are flying than in the past. All of that, combined with the fact that some people in the NY/NJ/PA tri-state area are often aggressive (sometimes including me), it becomes a living hell.

Some airports are much better than others in the US and around the world, for various reasons. I try to pick destinations and airports that are a bit lower stress.

I'm OK with very laid back vacations or ones with limited itineraries. When we are doing whirlwind multi-city touring, it sucks. I don't mind some heavy exercise, but not every day for multiple days. Hubby would never go on a bus or boat tour. I don't like them either, so he drives. I don't. Sometimes visits to his home country of Czech Republic become stressful when we have to visit several friends and family members. [Christina, I totally understand what you're going through in that respect.] In the CZ case, language barriers add to the stress, though some of my husband's family/friends do speak English.

I could tell numerous stories about my rants, raves, total tirades, panic attacks, full blown manias (some with mixed features), and psychosis during vacations and at airports, but I won't. They got really bad at times! Earlier in my life, I traveled a bit for business. That started just fine, but when I tried once during my worst years, it was a disaster.

I'm usually reluctant to talk about traveling with medications, because I definitely wouldn't want anyone to be caught in a crisis because of them. I will say that I've never had problems, myself, but I haven't been to any country that I'd think might cause problems (i.e. a Middle Eastern country, Singapore, etc?). When I was, it was pre diagnosis. In recent years, I have traveled throughout Europe, Costa Rica, Peru, and Ecuador with lots of medications. The latter three countries were maybe six or so years ago. Two years ago I was in Portugal with no problems having just pre-filled pill boxes. Taking full bottles would be something I'd do if I had just a few bottles, but excluding my husband's prescription medications, I have at least nine bottles, or ideally I'd take 10 bottles. Then of course we always have a number of OTC medications we bring.

bluebicycle, I'm sorry you didn't like Poland. It is a beautiful country, though.

No, but I've only traveled outside my time zone/outside of the country/by flying once and that was before I knew I had schizoaffective/bipolar and that was to check out a couple of colleges in Canada which wasn't very fun in itself. I do however go down south every couple of years to spend time with family and that's never triggered me.

last time I traveled, I was without psych meds and it was definitely a trigger. I was overwhelmed, lost, anxious and felt so out of place. I had traveled 2 times in close proximity and neither trip was pleasurable for me. next spring, though, I will be going on a vacation. hopefully with my meds and using coping skills, I will have a much better experience. I am actually looking forward to the destination, but not the actual traveling IE: airport, plane, flight, layover. we'll see how it goes.

It’s obvious I suck at traveling !!! I’m hating every minute of this trip. It destabilizes me so bad.

I absolutely love to travel, but yes, it makes me unstable I have learned. It's frustrating, but I just have to be careful and give myself time to recover after.