Travel Writer's Global Battle with Anxiety: From Manila to Accra

Tom Sykes believes he may hold an unusual world record: the most panic attacks experienced around the globe. As a travel writer carrying the weight of generalized anxiety disorder, he has faced meltdowns in Manila, anxiety in Accra, nightmares in Nigeria, and hypervigilance in Vietnam. For over two decades, Tom has navigated the challenge of managing his spiraling mental health while pursuing his passion for exploration, never missing a connecting flight despite the internal turbulence.

The Diagnosis That Changed Everything

Tom, originally from Portsmouth, received his anxiety diagnosis at age 24 after years of intense partying. The revelation came one Saturday morning as he lay in bed recovering from a drum 'n' bass all-nighter. Suddenly, his vision blurred and breathing became impossible. "You think you're dying when you have your first anxiety attack," Tom recalls. "It felt like the world was closing in. I didn't die, but I realized I needed to get to the bottom of what had happened."

Following several hellish weeks of being unable to eat or sleep properly, Tom visited his GP. He felt immense relief upon learning he was suffering from anxiety rather than heart failure. At 46 now, Tom remembers briefly considering becoming a hermit to avoid potential triggers. Fortunately, a friend who also struggled with anxiety intervened, advising against isolation as the worst possible response.

Two Anxiety Gremlins on the Road

Tom describes encountering two distinct anxiety manifestations during his travels. The first emerges when dealing with practical travel stressors like visas, flights, and bureaucratic hurdles. This version responds well to grounding techniques and deep breathing exercises. The second, more pernicious gremlin strikes without warning, hitting "like a truck" even in relaxed situations among trusted companions.

"I've been in situations where I felt incredibly relaxed, with people that I know, enjoying some nice food and a drink when I've been suddenly struck by anxiety that hasn't been triggered by anything that's happened in that situation," Tom explains.

The Manila Crisis That Changed Perspectives

During a 2022 trip to Manila, Tom was enjoying an evening with colleagues discussing Philippine history and future collaborations over a delicious meal at a gorgeous hotel. Without warning, his throat dried up, his heart began thumping erratically, and he started shaking and sweating. Concerned colleagues asked if he was okay, and Tom reassured them that nothing they had said or done had triggered the attack.

Back in his hotel room, Tom attempted his previously successful method of drinking himself to sleep, only to discover that alcohol magnified his anxiety this time. "All the alcohol did was magnify the anxiety and the thoughts got darker and the physical symptoms got more horrible," he remembers. Dizzy, nauseous, and struggling to breathe, he staggered to reception in the middle of the night requesting medical assistance.

An ambulance transported him to a hospital where tests revealed no physical illness. Tom experienced paradoxical feelings of both relief and embarrassment, even wishing momentarily for a more "legitimate" physical condition. "I was almost hoping that I did have a heart attack or a stroke, because at least I wouldn't then feel terrible the next morning, that I'd been a bed blocker in a hospital in the Philippines because of my mental health issue."

A Global Pattern of Anxiety Episodes

The Manila incident was far from isolated. Tom has managed numerous crises across his travels, including restless legs and intense sweating that made conference work in the Philippines unbearable, conviction that he was dying at the Ghana-Côte d'Ivoire border, near-drowning experiences from panic at sea in Southeast Asia, and sleep struggles in India, Nepal, and Nigeria.

"It is scary. Because it's not something you feel you can control," Tom admits. Counseling later helped him understand that the Manila attack related to delayed grief over losing a close friend.

Tom's Anxiety Toolkit for Travelers

Despite never using medication (mainly because doctors advised taking it only when feeling bad, which made him too anxious to try it initially) and having mixed experiences with counseling, Tom has developed his own anxiety management strategies that have kept him globetrotting.

"The key thing that I've realized as an anxious traveler," Tom emphasizes, "you have to remind yourself that it's better to put yourself through something than to avoid it. Avoidance really just takes you to a very dark place and can be very counterproductive."

Five Essential Tips for Managing Travel Anxiety

Find Your Flow State Activity: "Find a good distraction activity – a creative one if you can. For me it's writing, but for other people it might be playing the piano, painting or even just looking at some art or reading a book. It's called the 'flow state' and for me, it really relieves me of anxiety because you just forget about everything and you're not worrying about what's going to happen in the future. Find your craft, music or hobby and pack it in your suitcase."
Prioritize Physical Health: "Having a healthy body is a really important precursor to a healthy mind. When we travel we are in a rush and we often end up eating more junk food just for convenience. But you need to look after yourself really well to stave off anxiety. I've learned the hard way that alcohol just does not work. Using it as medication is not advisable. I wish I'd learned that earlier in my life as I would have saved myself a lot of stress."
Master Breathing Exercises: "Breathing exercises are really important. It's not always an easy thing to do, because it can feel very unnatural to sit there and breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth at the airport. But if you can do that in advance of any stressful situation you can help prevent stressful situations from spiralling."
Embrace Meditation Practices: "Meditation has helped me regain my peace of mind on more than one trip. There are lots of apps and books you can get to help you learn how."
Experience Sea Swimming Benefits: "Sea swimming is amazing. My own institution, the University of Portsmouth, made an amazing discovery where they put some subjects who were suffering from quite severe depression through a course of sea swimming, and they had some extraordinary results, where people overcame the depression. I try to swim in the sea whenever I can and that has really helped."

Parenthood and Lifestyle Transformation

Tom married Oge in 2022, and they welcomed their first child, daughter Amara, last year. Focusing on his daughter has provided significant anxiety relief, while the demands of parenthood have necessitated a healthier lifestyle that facilitates calmer existence.

"It's changed all the things I used to worry about," Tom reflects. "I can't think about if I am going to look like an idiot to some people I am going to impress, because I'm too busy looking after a baby."

While acknowledging that anxiety may always accompany him, Tom finds the condition now manageable. His transition from itinerant travel writer to more conventional family life has brought unexpected stability. "I've settled down and changed my lifestyle, from being on the road a lot and being very itinerant to becoming more conventional and settled down. And that has really helped settle me. I've learned that I can't live a life completely void of anxiety. But for now, I'm glad not to be such an anxious person generally."

Tom documents his journey in "The Years of Travelling Anxiously: A Travel Writer's Search for Peace of Mind," scheduled for publication in March.