Getting ill when travelling

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Joe90
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14 Jul 2019, 5:23 am

Next week I'm going away with my boyfriend for a week, but it requires a long road journey (about 7 hours). I'd prefer to fly but he doesn't have a passport and I find airports too stressful and confusing to go on my own.
I don't mind going in the car, but the last two times we have driven such long distance, I came over unwell in the car. I don't mean just nausea, but also I felt lightheaded, bloated, shaky and my body temperature changed rapidly.
I think it's anxiety, because I get really anxious when stopping at service stations, but we need to stop at those places at least once to go to the bathroom and get something to eat. They make me anxious because they are very crowded, with noisy kids running around, and lots of obnoxious teenagers too, and I feel like everybody stares at me in those places. So that might be why I get worked up.

The last time I went on a long road journey with my boyfriend, I ate toast for breakfast, took 2 antisickness pills (which are also a sedative so are also supposed to relax me), and bought a bottle of water to sip in the car. But despite all that preparation, I still felt ill. I tried to fall asleep but the anxiety made me restless and even more nauseas. Maybe it's panic attacks? But when I have these moments, my bladder keeps filling up, and also I get an urge to poop too. It's all very unpleasant in the car, and I've got to keep asking my boyfriend to stop at those busy service stations to use the bathroom.

What can I do in this predicament? Does anyone else get this?


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kraftiekortie
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15 Jul 2019, 10:27 pm

Why does he need a passport for a journey within the UK?



jimmy m
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15 Jul 2019, 10:45 pm

In the States, we have rest stops along the major highways. These are park like settings with picnic tables, restrooms, concession machines, places for people to walk their dogs. I do not know if the U.K. has something similar but if they do, I would advise that you stop at these instead of service stations.


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kraftiekortie
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15 Jul 2019, 11:05 pm

I don’t think he needs a passport, actually, if he wants to travel to many European countries. There hasn’t been a break from the EU yet.



Joe90
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16 Jul 2019, 4:24 am

He won't go on the plane anyway, he's become traumatized ever since his last plane experience nearly had a crash.

But anyway that's not the point. In the UK there's no such thing as a quieter place to stop, because there are people everywhere at all hours. I think the nearest to that was this place we once stopped at before that had an outdoor setting, but the queue to the bathroom was enormous.

Ugh, why are there so many PEOPLE on this tiny little island?? But anyway, I'm still getting worked up about getting ill when travelling. I've bought some ginger in a bag from a shop that sells natural remedies, so I'm hoping that might help settle my stomach. It's just a horrible feeling to feel irritable bowel starting up whilst travelling. My stomach gets so bloated that it's uncomfortable to have my seatbelt on across the stomach.


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kraftiekortie
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16 Jul 2019, 8:27 am

How about the Pennines. Or the mountains of Wales?

I understand they are relatively peaceful places.



kraftiekortie
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16 Jul 2019, 9:18 am

I'm not sure about "rest areas" in the UK. The ones in the US tend to be fairly decent places if they are on major Interstates. Though they are fairly generic, and not exactly architectural gems.

What some people in the US do----is take the "scenic" route. Stay on US routes, rather than Interstate highways. US Route 7 in Vermont is a great example of this. It goes through some pretty historic towns, and through incredible mountain scenery.

Maybe, in the UK, you might have some "A" or "B" sorts of routes which go through scenic areas.