Travel, whether for necessity or pleasure, can be one of the most stressful situations a person with OCD can face. In travel, so many things are out of your control and beyond your ability to predict. Things that sounded like “no big deal” when you considered them from home, or well in advance, may take on enormous and terrible qualities on the road.

Travel can bring up any number of personal “issues,” such as fears about the journey itself — flying, train travel, driving or crossing bridges, for instance — or about dirt, germs, or a host of other things and situations, including just plain uncertainty.

Feelings of Instability

Travel, of course, will interrupt the normal routine that probably lends a degree of comfort and stability to your life. Airlines today allow so little in the way of carry-on luggage that you may have to leave comforting and familiar books or other objects behind. Not to mention that terrorism has given rise to feelings of tremendous unease and to increased security measures that often leave one feeling anything but secure.

Travel may also upset your sense of order, and you may find yourself preoccupied with worries about lost luggage, fears about difficulty finding your way around a strange city once you arrive, or any number of other unpleasant possibilities.

Like many things, travel will probably become easier the more you do it. (But, of course, this may not be feasible for you, as travel can also be expensive and time consuming.)

Reasons for Traveling

Coping with travel may depend on whether the reason for your trip is pure pleasure, as in a vacation, or obligatory, as in a business trip. If you have to travel to attend a funeral or a family function, expect your stress level to be that much higher. Stress, unfortunately, will generally make bad things worse. Sometimes, very little can be done to alleviate that; but don't forget to use the skills you've learned: meditation, visualization, and cognitive strategies.

If you have to travel for business, your main objective may simply be to get through it. Some things you may be able to do to make your journey and your stay more comfortable include bringing reassuring or familiar things. You might want to carry a photo of your child or significant other, for instance, or a favorite plush toy (ideally, one small enough to fit easily into your travel bag), an enjoyable book (always a good idea), your favorite music, crossword or other puzzles to get your mind off the strangeness of the situation, and so on.

If you know you have a business trip coming up and have adequate time to plan, you may want to use that period to take a fearless flying course. Some companies will pay for employees to take such classes, or will reimburse for them. You could be one of the lucky ones.

We don't advocate using alcohol or occasional-use medications to counteract fears about flying. There are many good reasons for this. Generally, staying alert while you travel is a good idea. And if you have to travel often, you will only find yourself needing to take these things more often, too.

A First-Class Idea

Some experts believe that traveling first class may help reduce some of the fear associated with flying. This is especially true if you are also claustrophobic (uncomfortable in tight spaces). If you are lucky enough to work for a compassionate and generous company, by all means, ask about this option. Sometimes, planning your trip far in advance can help you to obtain good deals on flying first- or business-class. Or ask about an upgrade using your travel miles (or someone else's donated ones).

Use Your Coping Strategies

Try to learn relaxation exercises if you can. (There even are a couple of books of yoga exercises you can do on airplanes! One is called Airplane Yoga and was written by Rachel Lehmann-Haupt and Bess Abrahams.) Observe the usual advice about reducing stress: Refrain from drinking caffeinated beverages before your flight. Try to get a good night's sleep the night before. Have all of your belongings, as well as tickets, flight information, and your arrangements for transportation to the airport, ready so as to keep stress at an absolute minimum.

At the airport, you may want to read or watch television to distract yourself from your surroundings. Or you might want to call a friend or make light conversation with other travelers (observing, of course, all common-sense behavior, and caution about talking to strangers).

Some fearful fliers find it helpful to start with short flights and work their way up to longer ones. You may also want to choose an airline that you know features in-flight entertainment. Many offer not only movies but also a choice of these (as well as classic TV shows, etc). Keeping your mind involved in something other than the flight itself can serve to keep anxieties under wraps. You might be surprised to find that time passes quickly when you have something pleasant to focus on.

A Healthy Benefit

It may also help if you take some time to consider and focus on any benefits associated with your trip: Will you get to see a part of the country you haven't seen before? (And, if so, can you take a little time out of your trip to enjoy a museum, nature preserve, shopping outlet, restaurant, theater production, or other attraction?) Or might a good performance at an out-of-town meeting translate to a better possibility of promotion? Could this conference contribute to your learning new job skills? Will you get to meet people you frequently speak with over the phone, but have not yet had the chance to get together with in person? The more you think about it, the more “positives” you will probably be able to find. (One certain benefit: You'll gain practice at traveling!)

Working with your cognitive therapist or beginning a course of medication may well make it easier for you to travel. A cognitive behavioral therapist may give you a series of exercises you can do in the weeks or days leading up to your trip.

One fun way to try to get used to travel would be to pick a desirable destination and take off at a moment's notice, leaving behind the over-packing and over-planning you might normally do. At first, you might experience a great deal of anxiety. But anxiety can only go on for so long. Sooner or later, the flame will burn out, and perhaps you will actually enjoy your trip. You might start by bringing along another person or persons you feel comfortable traveling with, and the next time, graduate to a tour or something more independent.