Travel Anxiety

A person may experience travel anxiety after they have been involved in a road or rail accident. They might not have been hurt physically but psychologically they may have felt it is a potential risk to their wellbeing or indeed their life.

Those who suffer from travel anxiety usually try to avoid traveling whenever they can. If they must travel by car, they would prefer to be the one driving rather than be a passenger. Throughout the journey, they will be constantly alert and checking the road for situations that can cause an accident. This causes them to be irritable, nervous and exhausted by the time they have arrived at their destination.

Some avoid traveling by car at all costs. This helps them to maintain their phobia as they are not subjected to circumstances where they must face their fear and eventually come to terms with it.

Hodophobia is the fear of travel, this can be initiated by various factors. It can be displayed by mild nervousness to a debilitating panic attack.  

For some just being in a car petrifies them whether they are the ones driving, or they are being driven. Quite possibly, they had experienced a panic attack while driving and are continually afraid that it would happen again. Or they might be afraid that other drivers are going to lose control.

Others are comfortable driving on the roads they are familiar with such as close to where they live. They, however, become scared if they need to drive in a strange area. Many are also at ease driving on normal roads but become fearful of driving on motorways or dual carriageways. Some are afraid of being caught up in heavy traffic, driving at night, in difficult weather or on narrow lanes.

The responses to hodophobia are learned behaviors and can, therefore, be treated by cognitive behavioral therapy.