Amaxophobia (also called hamaxophobia) makes you feel anxious or fearful when you drive or ride in a vehicle, such as a car, bus or plane.
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Although you may not hear it about it as much, public transportation is a common source of anxiety for many individuals. The lack of control, being surrounded by strangers, navigating unfamiliar routes and schedules, and being in a confined space can all contribute to a fear of public transit.
Try and find a seat or a bench and take five minutes to get some air, away from others if possible. Take deep breaths and use some breathing techniques to regulate your breathing. Grounding techniques such as the 54321 method can also help, repeating as many times as needed.
Travel anxiety is not an officially diagnosed mental health issue, but can be severe enough to interfere with people's daily lives. People with travel anxiety may be unable to see family and friends, go on vacation, or travel for work.
One reason why your fear of public transit might be especially strong is due to agoraphobia. This is a mental health condition characterized by intense fear of being in a public or crowded place where you can't readily escape or access help, according to StatPearls.
The key symptoms of travel phobia are excessive fear and avoidance of travel situations. These symptoms overlap with those of PTSD. In particular, persistent avoidance of stimuli associated with the trauma and fear and other negative emotions in response to trauma reminders are common PTSD symptoms.