Manic Depression And Travel
The summer travel season will soon be upon us. While vacationing by car may be out of the question this year because of ever rising gasoline prices, you may be considering packing your bags to travel by plane or train. But you hesitate. A jillion questions enter your mind, all revolving around a central theme: With my manic depression, can I handle the travel?
And what a very responsible question that is, indeed. The answer is: Of course, even when you suffer with manic depression - or what is more commonly called bipolar disorder - you certainly can travel. You just need to take a few more precautions and do a bit more preparation than the person who isn't suffering with manic depression.
Here are just a few tips to help you travel this summer even if you do suffer with manic depression.
First, check with your doctor. Tell him about your plans. Let him know the extent of your trip and the length of your stay. Depending on when your medications for manic depression need refilling, you may need to coordinate that with your local pharmacy. You certainly don't want to run out of medications while you're away from home.
Of course, there are many national pharmacies that claim they can fill your prescriptions even if you are away from home. Check with your local pharmacy, see if there are any locations where you're planning to travel. Ask what their policy is regarding refills away from home for prescriptions for manic depression.
You'll also want to keep your medications with you while you're traveling. This should be no problem, but with ever shifting security issues, call your airlines just to be sure. The last thing you want is to be in the middle of traffic on the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco while the medications for your manic depression are sitting in your luggage in the airport in Minnesota!
If you're traveling to a different time zone, seriously consider accustoming yourself to that time zone gradually. Many times, disruption in sleep patterns can trigger a mood swing for those with manic depression. If you can, slowly adjust your body - in 30-minute increments - to the time zone you're entering. Calculate how far in advance you'll need to start doing this. This method should cause the least amount of disruption to your biological clock.
If at all possible, don't travel alone. Certainly don't travel alone if you've never travelled since you've been diagnosed with manic depression. Take a trusted family member or a close friend. And be sure this individual knows what to do should you begin to display an episode.
The added benefit of traveling with a companion is that he or she can help you remember to take your medications for manic depression as well as help keep you calm in those moments called "travel nightmares." Anyone who has traveled even a little knows they can be quite stressful, even if you don't have manic depression.
While you're flying and traveling in general, carry something you find comforting. It may be prayer beads or even a photo of a family member. This gives you something familiar to come back to as you traverse new ground.
Finally, don't hesitate to inform your airline of your manic depression. Of course, you're not expecting to develop any symptoms, but if you should, this lets the personnel on the plane (and especially the ever-present air marshals) know that you're really not a terrorist, you're just suffering with manic depression.
Now, sit back and enjoy the trip!
