True Fear of Flying...

[Kimmekap]

I know some think a fear of flying is childish but I really have it. There is not much in life that scares me because I was raised to be tough and independent around all boys. Being the only girl makes you very tough, teaches you to stand up for yourself & take no shit from anybody. PLUS! I'm full Irish & we all know how rowdy Irish boys are raised to be. I was taught to box from the time I was 4 years old. I went after a man trying to break into my mom's house when I was younger & damn near beat his brains out with a baseball bat, had my fair share of fights as a teenager, will not let someone back me down, lost everything in my home to tornado but wasn't afraid to rebuild my life & wouldn't think twice about killing someone if they went after my family. I've stood up to some tough people in my life, worked in the worst group homes in the state with worst cases of mental issues, etc.

BUT! The thought of flying scares the absolute hell out of me. I've been having mini-panic attacks lately because I'm flying out in November for the 30th Dallas reunion in Texas. I don't understand why this fear has gripped me now at 34. I'm so scared of crashing & dying, I was laying in bed thinking about it last night. I almost called my mom to back out of going. I felt the panic set in as I type this now & start thinking on being on the plane. Now I keep hearing stories on the news about plane crashes. The one in Spain freaked me out & I don't live in Spain, I live in the USA.

Is there anyone else out there with a fear of flying? How did you overcome it? Anything I can do on the plane to forget? Other than get drunk like my friends keep suggesting.

[Mojo]

Fear of flying is very common and not childish at all..

hmmmmm.. choices are...

- get a valium from your gp.
- speak with a counsellor before you go on some tips to focus your mind away from your fear.
- both.

These are a few tips from a webpage (http://www.guidetopsychology.com/fearfly.htm#6) on the subject..

Here, then, is some advice about how to change these anxiety-provoking ways of thinking.

Rumination—expand your awareness beyond the unpleasant situation:

I’m thinking about the flight again, and it’s still two days away. Let it go. Take a deep breath. Come on, get back to work.

Look. It’s a nice view. Sitting here paralyzed won’t make the plane any safer.


Self-blame—remind yourself that you are doing the best you can and that progress takes time:

Yes, I was very nervous the last flight. But since then I have learned some new techniques for coping with anxiety.

I did the best I could. I’ll get better with practice.


Resignation—give yourself credit for your own good sense:

I’m not really helpless. I can take slow, deep breaths. I can practice progressive muscle relaxation or autogenics.


Catastrophizing—acknowledge your fear, and then challenge it:

OK. I will be afraid as I’m boarding. But have I ever run away from other problems before? No.

OK. Maybe I will feel nervous. But I do have things I can do to relax. All things will pass.

Yes, I can imagine a lot of awful things that could happen. But the reality is that none of these things is likely to happen.




have a good trip.. once the flight is done with you're gonna have a blast.

everything will be fine man. :cheers:

[Kimmekap]

Thank you, were you afraid the first time you flew?

[Mojo]

Thank you, were you afraid the first time you flew?

to be honest, no.. but, i've been flying regularly since i was really little..
but i do have a few of my own phobias.. they are managable with the right person to give you a few tips.. you're tough.. i know you'll find a way to get thru it without a full blown panic attack on the way.. you may even surprise yourself and handle it like a pro.

[Vote4Cliff]

:good: above, mojo!

I am scared of flying and HATE it, but due to traveling for school, vactations and for work I've had to fly quite a bit - all over US - California, Colorado, Texas, Illinois (Chicago), Florida, NYC as well as outside US to Greece, Turkey, Italy, etc. I can tell you the more you have to do it the easier it gets, but that sick, panic feeling still never goes away for me, especially during take-off and landing.

What works for me is to shut my eyes and take deep breaths and try to focus on something mundane and re-play it in my mind.. something stupid like the dialogue from a favorite episode of Seinfeld I've seen a million times...anything to take my mind off where I am. I totally tune everything out, trying to suspend reality during the flight for as long as I can rather rather than dealing with it. Not sure if this is the healthiest way to deal with fear, but it always gets me through. A couple drinks at the airport bar doesn't hurt either, but you may have to pee and getting up out of your seat in-flight may stress you out more.

DON'T even think about cancelling your trip to the SF BBQ! I am such a chicken and if I can force myself to fly, I know you can do it!

If you need to get a sedative from your doctor (or try something natural like kava-kava) don't be ashamed to do so. Flying is not a natural means of transportation for humans, it makes perfect sense to feel anxiety about it.

[Kimmekap]

:good: above, mojo!

I am scared of flying and HATE it, but due to traveling for school, vactations and for work I've had to fly quite a bit - all over US - California, Colorado, Texas, Illinois (Chicago), Florida, NYC as well as outside US to Greece, Turkey, Italy, etc. I can tell you the more you have to do it the easier it gets, but that sick, panic feeling still never goes away for me, especially during take-off and landing.

What works for me is to shut my eyes and take deep breaths and try to focus on something mundane and re-play it in my mind.. something stupid like the dialogue from a favorite episode of Seinfeld I've seen a million times...anything to take my mind off where I am. I totally tune everything out, trying to suspend reality during the flight for as long as I can rather rather than dealing with it. Not sure if this is the healthiest way to deal with fear, but it always gets me through. A couple drinks at the airport bar doesn't hurt either, but you may have to pee and getting up out of your seat in-flight may stress you out more.

DON'T even think about cancelling your trip to the SF BBQ! I am such a chicken and if I can force myself to fly, I know you can do it!

If you need to get a sedative from your doctor (or try something natural like kava-kava) don't be ashamed to do so. Flying is not a natural means of transportation for humans, it makes perfect sense to feel anxiety about it.

Thank God, I thought I was alone in this feeling. I laid awake until 1AM last night thinking about it. I just keep running "What if's" through my mind. A friend told me the same thing about hitting the bar before getting on the flight & take my i-pod with me too. I really don't think I will get over my fear but I want to get a handle on my anxiety over it... I want to thank you both, I just thought I was going crazy with this fear. Then I saw the phobia thread on the Off Topic Community & it just really kicked over time when I typed that as a fear. I just couldn't stop thinking about it over the weekend...

[Darling]

Scared of flying?
How about taking the train?
Or the boat?

[Kimmekap]

I can't get off enough days to take the train & get back. No way am I riding a bus...

[Darling]

Um... Bicycle, then?

[Carlos]

kimme, i completely identify with your fear. last year i was travelling often to england and my panic attacks got so severe i had to stop flying for a while. i talked to my dr and he prescribed me an anti-anxiety prescription - to be taken when flying.

i got a mild dose bc i need to have a few drinks when i fly too and i also have to take dramamine for motion sickness. but the combo of those 3 things (mild dose of 1/2 of a cloneazapam, 2 vodkas or wines, and a dramamine) help me a bit. try to sleep while on the plane. you'll be fine, the domestic flights are much safer, imo, bc there's always an airport nearby to make an emergency landing if need be - flying across the atlantic is a whole other bag of worms.

i'm not trying to marginalize your fears; i share them and hope you'll just focus on the fun time you're going to have at the reunion. and get to your dr! :) :peace:

[Kimmekap]

Um... Bicycle, then?

Uh, no...

[Kimmekap]

kimme, i completely identify with your fear. last year i was travelling often to england and my panic attacks got so severe i had to stop flying for a while. i talked to my dr and he prescribed me an anti-anxiety prescription - to be taken when flying.

i got a mild dose bc i need to have a few drinks when i fly too and i also have to take dramamine for motion sickness. but the combo of those 3 things (mild dose of 1/2 of a cloneazapam, 2 vodkas or wines, and a dramamine) help me a bit. try to sleep while on the plane. you'll be fine, the domestic flights are much safer, imo, bc there's always an airport nearby to make an emergency landing if need be - flying across the atlantic is a whole other bag of worms.

i'm not trying to marginalize your fears; i share them and hope you'll just focus on the fun time you're going to have at the reunion. and get to your dr! :) :peace:

Thank you... I've made an appointment with my doctor to talk over some meds for the flight.

[Carlos]

Thank you... I've made an appointment with my doctor to talk over some meds for the flight.

well done. enjoy the reunion. :) :cheers:

[Mojo]

Thank you... I've made an appointment with my doctor to talk over some meds for the flight.

Good onya mate.
I bet you come back and tell us that it went much better than you'd imagined and that you are proud of yourself for how you handled it all. :kiss: