Travelling With A Mental Illness?
By Zeina Moukarzel
MD-Anesthesiologist, Critical Care Physician, General Physician, Addiction Medicine
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1 minute
1 in 3 health problems happening in air travel is a mental health related symptoms (World Health Organization)
Travel to unfamiliar places, even for vacations, could be a source of anxiety and stress for anyone, and people living with mental illness are even at higher risk.
Mental Health decompensation (e.g transient psychotic symptoms) can happen to travelers with or without previous psychiatric history
Risk factors are multiple. Among them:
- Age: the risk is higher for the older
- Level of cognition impairment
- Loss of family environment: homesickness, nostalgia
- Being away from trusted health care professionals
- Long-distance trip
- Traveling alone
- Phobias: fear of flying, claustrophobia, fear of the crowd, fear of strangers, foreign country, foreign language, etc.
- On a plane: immobilization, physical discomfort, motion sickness, dehydration, food, nearby sitting traveler, etc
- On a boat: seasickness
- Caffeine, alcohol (even moderate consumption) and drugs (e.g experimenting cannabis in a country where it is legal)
- Sleep deprivation: particularly true if different time zone (jet lag)
- Skipping medication
Relaxation techniques like meditation, breath exercise and mindfulness could be beneficial
Preparation of the individual with a mental illness before a travel trip, is an important step to decrease the risk of a possible relapse. Always, ask your doctor and follow his recommendations.
