Studying abroad...

[symphonicfaith]

For the upcoming semester, I have been accepted by my university to studymusic in Vienna for an entire semester!! This is an incredible opportunity, but already my emetophobia is taking over my excitement. First of all... there's the 9-hour (or more) plane trip there. Airsickness... ahhhhhh!!!! Not so much worried about myself, but someone around me [img]smileys/smilies_12.gif[/img] Then, I'm really worried about food poisoning once I get there. I've heard Europeans aren't always as clean as we are (no offense to those of you from Europe... it's just what I've heard).And what if I get sicksofaraway from home?! So anyway, my fear and anxiety are beginning to make me have second thoughts, even though I know I would LOVE to study music in Vienna. Any helpful suggestions for overcoming this?





-Zach-


______________________
Bach gave us God's word,
Mozart gave us God's laughter,
Beethoven gave us God's fire,
God gave us music that me might pray without words.

[Jenneh]

unfortunately no: all i can say is that you NEED to go on this trip. it wil do you SO much good, to get out there and experience another situation where ur likely to feel anxiety, cos then wen uv done it ull say " well, that wasnt too bad at all"


of course, i understand EVERYTHING u are feeling, and i no its easier said than done, but hopefully u can just push urself. mayb this is the right time for u to kick the phobia down, repress it and just get on with what u want to do. if it kicks up a fuss just say to urself " no, this is my life, and im incontrol in what i do, and UR not gnna stop me nemore"


sorry, i cant be of nemore help. but i sincerely hope u do decide to except the offer. congrats on getting it!!


Jen xxxxxxxxxx

[crazybeautiful]

It sounds like a really good oppurtunity! You should go!


Weigh out the pros and cons and I'm sure you will see that going would be the best thing to do! How can you pass that up?


Heres some ideas for ya. About Food poisoning, try to eat safe foods, or don't eat out much. If you do get sick, remember you have a phone! When I was really sick away from home, I was on the phone constantly with my mom, granted, lol I lost my voice 'cause my cold was so bad, STILL. Also...I've been on planes lots, and never have seen anyone get sick! (knock on wood!) You can bring a discman to distract yourself!


Anywho, best of luck.

[rock_on]

Wow, that is such an awesome opportunity! Please don't let your emet get
in the way of this, if you don't take it you'll regret it for the rest of your
life. I know, easier said than done, haha. But once things start to settle
down, you'll have an awesome time! And you never know, this might help
you deal with your emet in some way. Good luck!

--Alli

[soluene]

5 years ago, I had the opportunity to work in Antarctica with a field team. That would have been the experience of a life time. But, I let my emet get in the way. I was so worried because there was about 30 hours of traveling time plus an 8-hourcargo-plane ride down to the continent. I backed out of the trip several months in advance.


Now, I know I will probably never get the opportunity to go there again. Even if they start cruise vacations, etc., I wouldn't have the freedom to travel around the ice that I would have as a researcher. I accept the fact now that I wasn't ready, but I also regret it. Don't do this to yourself!


My advice is: you must learn to feel safe within yourself. Your surroundings make no difference. What if you were at home and someone v*? Would you be physically ANY safer than if you are on an airplane? No. You are young and healthy now, why wouldn't you be in Vienna? If you are there for a semester, you will have your own room, your own place, your own bed, so it is not as if you would be out on the streets if you got sick. And I agree with CrazyBeautiful - just stick to safe foods at first to become comfortable eating there and get an idea of what is safe to eat.


I posted a bunch of thoughts about plane rides earlier to someone else. I'll go find the link and add it at the end here...

[soluene]

Here you go!


http://www.emetophobia.org/forum/for...sp?TID=161&amp ;KW=flying

[siafi]

First of all - congratulations!!! Second - I went to Italy this summer and found out that you really don't have to worry about the food there. I went with my family and not one of us suffered any type of sickness from anything the whole time. So don't let this hold you back! Once you get there you will settle in and it will be just like home (but with gelato! [img]smileys/smilies_04.gif[/img]) So have a fun time and relax!!

[jelyp073]

Congrats on this opportunity!!! It sounds like a once in a lifetime experience! One that you simply must take!


I know all about your anxieties about flying. I would rather be on board a crashing plane than a plane with someone getting sick. Others - non-emets - think I'm crazy for saying this. And, it doesn't make sense. But, I hate to fly.


With that said, my husband and I decided to marry in the Bahamas. And not just Nassau or an easy to get to destination...but Harbour Island...which required 3 layovers and a boat ride. I am soooooooo glad that we did it. It was wonderful!!! I wasEXTREMELY worried about the trip there. And luckily, I have Xanax. I took it before leaving...and on layovers....every 4 hours or so. And it kept my anxiety down so that I wasn't worried about a single thing! That is the beauty of the drug. It just melts all of your worries away. No one got sick on our trip...at least that I know of. But, my "p*-radar" wasn't even active. And it is ALWAYS active.


So, if you're not familiar with Xanax...I definitely recommendlooking into it. I really think that someone couldV* right in front of me...and I would be OK. I carry it everywhere I go. Just knowing that it is in my purse is usually enough.


Best of luck to you! I'm sure you'll do great!!

[Beccah19]

Here's my advice:


Don't drink tap water. The bacteria and chemical levels are different, so that can give you stomach or intestinal upset. Stick to bottled water if you can. I know this because I just returned from a trip to Israel a few months ago, and our group doctor said the leading cause of traveler's diarrhea is the drinking water.


As far as airsickness goes, not many people get airsick. If you take some Drammamine before the flight, you'll most likely sleep the whole way there anyway!


~Rebeccah

[symphonicfaith]

Thank you all so much for your helpfulness. I know I will still have my anxieties, but I may look into something like Xanax or Drammomine. I've only flown once in my life, and that was to Germany... I went as an exchangestudent for three weeksafter my junior year of high school. When I told people that my biggest fear about flying was that someone was going to get sick, they all looked at me like I was crazy. "Aren't you afraid of crashing?" They'd ask.... "Nope," I'd say, "Just v*" Sounds ridiculous... but that's the life of an emet [img]smileys/smilies_06.gif[/img](although I didn't know what it was called at the time, nor did I realize quite how disabling it was)


Just hearing you guys talk about your own experiences where everything went fine has made me so much more relaxed and excited to go! Thanks a bunch!!





-Zach-

[symphonicfaith]

Oh yeah! I was going to ask you jely... you have a p* radar too?! I pride myself on mine [img]smileys/smilies_14.gif[/img] Once, when I was at a big family get together where alcohol was readily available, my brother had a few drinks to many... He had driven to the gathering separately, and I had come with my mom and little brother... Obviously he was in no state to drive, so he was going to be riding home with us [img]smileys/smilies_03.gif[/img] I could tell from the way he was acting that this was no good, and refused to ride home with them, and asked my aunt (whose house the gathering was at) if I could stay the night. I would've driven my brother's truck back, except it's a manual transmission... I don't do so well with those! So my aunt says I can stay the night, while my mom and my half-conscious brother were trying to tell me that he was fine. I knew better, though... and told them it's almost like I have a radar. They gave up and went home, and I stayed there. The next day when they came to get me and my brother's truck... he came up to me and said, "Well, looks like your radar works pretty well." Hah. Apparently, about 2 minutes after getting into the car, my mom had to pull over so he could v* at the end of someone's driveway (those poor people!).


Okay, just thought I'd share that story... glad to know I'm not the only one with a radar!!





-Zach-

[Scampi]

First of all - it's WONDERFUL that you have this opportunity - you have to grab it with both hands and get all you can out of it.


As for the flight - I've only ever flown to Paris (France) which only takes an hour from my local airport, so I can't comment on long-haul, except to say, air-sickness is not common, really, and if you time your flight right, most people will be asleep anyway (I have a friend who visits friends in Florida regularly - he always flies overnight for that reason).


Food - I know you don't want to offend us Europeans, but we are not still in the Middle Ages you know! The drinking water is probably as safe in Vienna as where you live. but the chemical balance will be different, so if you are sensitive, use bottled water and first and gradually introduce the tap water so your system can adjust slowly (it's more likely to make you constipated than sick though, as the water is just as clean as yours). And the food is great in Europe! Just use the common-sense you use at home - if you don't like the look of a place, don't eat there. But other than that, eat what you fancy - Vienna is not in the Third World - they know about food hygiene![img]smileys/smilies_04.gif[/img] You will have a great, and healthy, time.


Best wishes


Jill xxx

[Beccah19]

Didn't mean to offend anyone, I was getting at the same thing. Sorry if I did.

[Abi]

What an amazing oppurtunity - studying music in Vienna sounds fantastic, I'd love to do to that. Congratulations!


I agree with what the others have said really, especially drinking bottled water. European countries are usually ok though, I've been to France and Germany and I drank tap water and was fine. Just follow your normal precautions and things should be ok. Maybe you could go see your doctor to get something to help you through the flight? Try taking some music to listen to through headphones so that you can't hear anything incase someone V*****


Abi xxxx

[jelyp073]

Zach,


I TOTALLY have the radar!!! I can pinpoint someone that has or is about to V* a mile away! It's insane!?!?! Just this past weekend...my husband and I were in Nashville. I had 2 V* exposures...that I KNEW were going to happen.


We were in Nashville b/c a good friend ran in the marathon there. She did wonderfully...I'm very glad we went...super inspiring event. However, I was at the finish line...amongst lots of other people. I had wiggled up to the fence...and had a great spot to get pix of my friend as she ran by. Well, wouldn't you know it...one of the runners got sick. It was completely disgusting. And I could tell by the look on his face that it was going to happen. And, seconds later, I was right. I really wanted to get away from where I was...borderline panic attack...and didn't want to be so close to an area that this could happen again. But, I had to stay. If I left, thenI wouldn't get tosee my friend finish the marathon. I toughed it out...got some good pix...and nobody else got sick. Thank GOD!!! I don't think I would have been able to handle another one.


Then, that evening, we were out hitting the bars...celebrating.I'm sure you all know that bars are extremelyhigh risk areas. We were approaching a couple on a park bench. I could tell by the lady's posture that she wasn't feeling well. I told my husband and the other couple that I thought she was going to V*. And as we got closer...I realized that she already had.Lovely...


Don't know why I had toshare those 2 incidents...but I did.;p