Fear of flying

[Darthphere]

I don't know what piss poor ariplanes you're riding in on but there's no turbulence landing in Tegucigalpa.

 

[Watson]

I am beginning to think that I have an unnatural fear of flying.

I just moved to Tennessee from California this past January - going on a year ago now. I am going back to visit my parents in California this month, the day after Christmas to be exact. It will be my second flight out to California since I moved away.

I've always been scared to fly, from the first time I got on a plane about 8 years ago, until now. There was a point I had reached where I could get on a plane with reasonably little fear - a little nervousness, but that was about it.

But the last time I flew to California in May, I felt more apprehensive than normal. And this past August I took a flight from Atlanta to Philadelphia, no more than a 2 hour flight, and since then, all of my fear of flying has come flooding back. To the point that I genuinely don't want to set foot on an airplane.

It's important to me to visit my family, and felt that I just needed to get over myself, that my fears were unfounded, and booked this trip back home. I've been a bit nervous about it, but always trying to tell myself that it's all in my head, nothing to be worried about. And now for some reason, tonight, it's hit me harder than maybe it ever has. My fear of flying actually woke me up in the middle of the night, for no apparent reason. And now here I am, unable to go to sleep because of my fear to fly, and posting on the Superhero Hype because there's nothing left for me to do.

I wish there was something I could do so that I didn't feel this way, so that I could make myself feel safe and secure. This feeling sucks.

Oh boy, I could tell you some tales. I'm so scared of flying it's triggered a few anxiety attacks. However I have to fly for work, and there is too much of the world I want to see to give it up. So I went to my doctor and asked her to prescribe a mild anti-anxiety drug. Apparently it's a fairly common request. Now whenever I fly I take one as I'm arriving at the airport and one as I'm getting on the plane. If it's a really long flight I'll add a glass of red wine to the mix. It will knock you right out for a solid 3-4 hours.

Also, if you can get someone to fly with you it helps. I find flying a lot less scary when I have someone's hand to hold when I get a little nervous .

 

[SuBe]

I don't know what piss poor ariplanes you're riding in on but there's no turbulence landing in Tegucigalpa.

How often to you go?

 

[Nell2ThaIzzay]

Oh boy, I could tell you some tales. I'm so scared of flying it's triggered a few anxiety attacks. However I have to fly for work, and there is too much of the world I want to see to give it up. So I went to my doctor and asked her to prescribe a mild anti-anxiety drug. Apparently it's a fairly common request. Now whenever I fly I take one as I'm arriving at the airport and one as I'm getting on the plane. If it's a really long flight I'll add a glass of red wine to the mix. It will knock you right out for a solid 3-4 hours.

Also, if you can get someone to fly with you it helps. I find flying a lot less scary when I have someone's hand to hold when I get a little nervous .

I've always wondered if that had anything to do with it, because when I fly, I nearly always fly alone. I think out of all my flying, I've only had 3 trips where I was with someone else.

 

[tzarinna]

It's funny I'm afraid of heights but I prefer a window seat, also in my field I have to work at some unsavory heights with confidence.

 

[Watson]

I've always wondered if that had anything to do with it, because when I fly, I nearly always fly alone. I think out of all my flying, I've only had 3 trips where I was with someone else.

Being alone is definitely worse because you have no one to take your mind off your anxiety. If you can find someone you are comfortable with to fly with you it takes a lot of the stress off.

 

[amazingfantasy15]

I don't think I'm scared of flying, but I'm definitely a little uneasy during takeoff and landings. I think it's just the feeling of not having any control over the situation. A few beers at the airport bar helps that though.

 

[empire]

I am beginning to think that I have an unnatural fear of flying.

I just moved to Tennessee from California this past January - going on a year ago now. I am going back to visit my parents in California this month, the day after Christmas to be exact. It will be my second flight out to California since I moved away.

I've always been scared to fly, from the first time I got on a plane about 8 years ago, until now. There was a point I had reached where I could get on a plane with reasonably little fear - a little nervousness, but that was about it.

But the last time I flew to California in May, I felt more apprehensive than normal. And this past August I took a flight from Atlanta to Philadelphia, no more than a 2 hour flight, and since then, all of my fear of flying has come flooding back. To the point that I genuinely don't want to set foot on an airplane.

It's important to me to visit my family, and felt that I just needed to get over myself, that my fears were unfounded, and booked this trip back home. I've been a bit nervous about it, but always trying to tell myself that it's all in my head, nothing to be worried about. And now for some reason, tonight, it's hit me harder than maybe it ever has. My fear of flying actually woke me up in the middle of the night, for no apparent reason. And now here I am, unable to go to sleep because of my fear to fly, and posting on the Superhero Hype because there's nothing left for me to do.

I wish there was something I could do so that I didn't feel this way, so that I could make myself feel safe and secure. This feeling sucks.

I feel your pain. For me though, it was more a fear of the plane being hijacked by terrorist. Especially after 9/11. I usually listen to music with my IPod. That tends to calm me down. It also helps if your traveling with someone. Just remember...

"Statiscally speaking... its still the safest way to travel"
(Superman)

 

[Nell2ThaIzzay]

I feel your pain. For me though, it was more a fear of the plane being hijacked by terrorist. Especially after 9/11. I usually listen to music with my IPod. That tends to calm me down. It also helps if your traveling with someone. Just remember...

"Statiscally speaking... its still the safest way to travel"
(Superman)

And that actually is true.

The airline that I am flying has never had a fatality, and the stats show there's like 1 accident in every 500,00 liftoffs, and fatalities are even rarer.

 

[empire]

Good luck to you and hope everyone's insight has given you a sense of calmness about flying.

 

[Nell2ThaIzzay]

Good luck to you and hope everyone's insight has given you a sense of calmness about flying.

Thanks.

It hasn't. I wouldn't feel calm until I'm back on the ground in Nashville, TN on January 3rd.

 

[Nell2ThaIzzay]

Oh boy, I could tell you some tales. I'm so scared of flying it's triggered a few anxiety attacks. However I have to fly for work, and there is too much of the world I want to see to give it up. So I went to my doctor and asked her to prescribe a mild anti-anxiety drug. Apparently it's a fairly common request. Now whenever I fly I take one as I'm arriving at the airport and one as I'm getting on the plane. If it's a really long flight I'll add a glass of red wine to the mix. It will knock you right out for a solid 3-4 hours.

Also, if you can get someone to fly with you it helps. I find flying a lot less scary when I have someone's hand to hold when I get a little nervous .

What are the anti-anxiety drugs you get prescribed?

My anxiety attacks haven't gotten any better. I've continued to freak out over this for the past week or so, despite all of the information I've read about A. SouthWest (the airline I am traveling on) never having a fatal accident for a passenger and B. there hasn't even been a commercial airline crash in the U.S. since 2006.

I've tried talking to some people, including my brother who has gone through therapy due to fear of flying and anxiety, and my dad who has gone through his own anxiety attacks post Vietnam, and also flies a lot with no fears what so ever. It's mildly helped, but not a lot.

My current plan is to take a dose of NyQuil before I get on the plane, since NyQuil usually gets me drowsy and puts me to sleep. Hopefully it will put me to sleep for the 5 hour flight, and I'll wake up safe in Phoenix to catch my connector flight (assuming I don't go down while I'm asleep. )

 

[Sam Fisher]

Flying is the safest way to travel...until Superman rips the wing off your plane.

 

[Jennifer Walters]

I don't like flying. The constant popping of your ears as you change alltitudes, the take off and landing as said before are the worst though.

 

[empire]

Flying is the safest way to travel...until Superman rips the wing off your plane.

lol.

 

[Spider-Nerd]

I am beginning to think that I have an unnatural fear of flying.

I just moved to Tennessee from California this past January - going on a year ago now. I am going back to visit my parents in California this month, the day after Christmas to be exact. It will be my second flight out to California since I moved away.

I've always been scared to fly, from the first time I got on a plane about 8 years ago, until now. There was a point I had reached where I could get on a plane with reasonably little fear - a little nervousness, but that was about it.

But the last time I flew to California in May, I felt more apprehensive than normal. And this past August I took a flight from Atlanta to Philadelphia, no more than a 2 hour flight, and since then, all of my fear of flying has come flooding back. To the point that I genuinely don't want to set foot on an airplane.

It's important to me to visit my family, and felt that I just needed to get over myself, that my fears were unfounded, and booked this trip back home. I've been a bit nervous about it, but always trying to tell myself that it's all in my head, nothing to be worried about. And now for some reason, tonight, it's hit me harder than maybe it ever has. My fear of flying actually woke me up in the middle of the night, for no apparent reason. And now here I am, unable to go to sleep because of my fear to fly, and posting on the Superhero Hype because there's nothing left for me to do.

I wish there was something I could do so that I didn't feel this way, so that I could make myself feel safe and secure. This feeling sucks.

Realize that thousands of flights depart and arrive everyday without so much as a bumpy landing. Maybe it's partly because I'm desensitized to flying since I've been doing it since I was baby, but airplanes aren't a big deal. I rather enjoy the hustle of an airport.

 

[Spider-Nerd]

Hopefully it will put me to sleep for the 5 hour flight, and I'll wake up safe in Phoenix to catch my connector flight (assuming I don't go down while I'm asleep. )

I'm flying to india to visit family on the 19th. It's an 18 and a half hour flight. 5 hours? Take a nap and you'll be good to go.

 

[Majic Walrus]

Statistically flying is wayyy safer then driving. Just keep reminding yourself of that?

True. There are way more car crashes than plane crashes. Also way more cars and drivers.

Also if you get in a car accident you might not die in fact statistically you probably won't. If you are in a plane crash you might as well give up, you're toast.

People are generally afraid of flying because they feel that they are not in control of the plane and not being in control makes them scared.

 

[TNC9852002]

Hey Nell, I hadn't been on a plane in about 16 years, but a year ago, I went on a school trip down to Guanajuato Mexico from Detroit Michigan and I wasn't scared at all (no, I didn't get drugged up either)

Heh, maybe I should've been because on our layover from Dallas to Mexico, we were practically crammed into this little tin can with flaps on it. A really small plane.

But, we made it there and back safely.

-TNC

 

[Nell2ThaIzzay]

Realize that thousands of flights depart and arrive everyday without so much as a bumpy landing. Maybe it's partly because I'm desensitized to flying since I've been doing it since I was baby, but airplanes aren't a big deal. I rather enjoy the hustle of an airport.

The thing that's causing my anxiety (well, at least at a conscious level, not sub-conscious where there's bound to be other stuff going on) is that - what if it's MY flight that's the one? I'm sure every other person who's been involved in a plane wreck told themselves the same things - flying is the safest way to travel, what are the odds? And then BAM, plane crash, terrorist hi-jacking.

Which is really weird, because I've been nervous about flying before, but never had anxiety. At least not like this. I freaked out the first time I flew, but other than that, I've never really freaked out about it. But for some reason this time around, I just can't take my mind off of the fact of what could happen, no matter how illogical it might be.

I know how safe it is to fly, at least according to the stats, but I just can't ease my mind about the situation.