Anyone ever develop a fear of flying?

[redqueen]

I used to not be nervous about flying, but that does seem to be the case now. I dunno if it's general anxiety, or maybe I cause saw The Langoliers too many times, or just recently saw that Supernatural episode where the Phantom Traveler is causing plane crashes, or what.

Also, the last time I flew I started feeling sick, and that's never happened before either.

Any advice on how to get over the nervousness? I guess I'll be taking some Dramamine with me this time for the other thing...

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

1. I'm developing a fear of hassle

All the rules and charges that go along with air travel. Finding a 1 quart bag to hold a bunch of 3 oz bottles of Jack Daniels. Taking off my shoes, jacket, while juggling the boarding pass and passport. And when I go through a full-body scan, they won't even give me a print of the image.

If I can, I'll drive there.

Dramamine? I've heard that medical marijuana can settle the stomach.

Have a good (safe, on time) flight.

:hi:

[davsand]

2. I developed a fear of flying after a really turbulent flight.

I never used to be afraid to fly until I took a flight that had terrible turbulence. We were all strapped in our seats, but I swear there were times I thought that plane was dropping 100 feet at a time--we were just bouncing along in the air. I was absolutely petrified. By the time I got off that plane it was all I could do to walk off without crying or screaming. I NEVER wanted to get back on a plane again.

My anxiety was so bad that I almost couldn't get back on a plane to fly home. I begged everyone I knew for some kind of tranquilizer and nobody had anything to give me. I hit the bar for a while before I got on the plane and that was just not enough. I'm talking about anxiety and outright panic attack to the point that I was freaking out the attendants! Second to that flight down there, that flight home was THE longest flight of my life.

I have had to fly a few times since then and my solution has been to call my doc and ask for a script for a small amount of Valium to take for the flights. Works fine--in fact on one flight with my husband I actually fell asleep and snored in his ear most of the way there.

Good luck. This fear of flying stuff is awful.



Laura

[tallahasseedem]

13. The exact same thing...

happened with me. I have been flying for years and it just came on very quickly. The last time I flew the turbulence was so bad that I was gripping the arm rest and sweating my ass off.

[MajorChode]

15. I like turbulence. It lets me know I'm flying

Imagine flying back in the days of the DC2 and DC3 that typically flew no higher than 10,000' above sea level. I fly my own plane and normally turbulence does not bother me in the least. There was one time over the central plains when I was flying with my wife and daughter. I hit a particularly nasty run of turbulence that I couldn't get out. It was so bad that just simple tasks like tuning the radio were almost impossible. After about 45 minutes my wife and daughter had their barf bags at the ready and I was starting to need one myself. As I only had two of them I knew it was time to put down somewhere. We wound up spending the night in Chadron, Nebraska, and continuing on to Mount Rushmore the next day.

[Shell Beau]

3. Valium! But that's just me.

[MilesColtrane]

4. Whatever you do, do NOT watch "Fearless".

Good movie with Jeff Bridges, but the plane crash scene....!!

[redqueen]

10. You know you just made it almost impossible

for me to resist looking for and watching that movie now, right? :P

[bif]

5. Just the opposite

I used to get a little nervous about flying. Now I get nervous when I drive on the freeway here in Detroit. The place is lousy with shitty drivers. i don't think the sky is lousy with shitty pilots.

[Deep13]

7. True, and it's not just Detroit either. nt

[Deep13]

6. Fear of crashing and claustrophobia if it's too crowded.

But no actual fear of flying despite knowing all the things that can go wrong.

[Texasgal]

8. used to have the same problem

nausea, clammy hands, headache etc..

Talked to my doctor and he gave ne an ant-anxiety drug to take a few days before flying. Works GREAT! Especially since I am traveling more now for my job!

[redqueen]

9. Thanks for the tips...

it seems the most popular answer is drugs but I don't feel comfortable calling my doctor and asking for them, so... wish me luck. :)

[pitohui]

19. i don't take the drugs either but...

an open dirty secret is that most of the business class flyers i fly with... do take drugs...

you can read my other post, and i don't take drugs, but i believe we are the minority

the wealthy business elite flyer doesn't even know that poor/middle class people go to jail for drugs nor does he understand the stigma of drugs, i have talked to many, they are ALL on drugs

[redqueen]

24. My mom and ex deal with chronic pain...

and the crap they go through is unbelievable.

It's that and the general stigma that puts me off even thinking of asking a doc for anything not medically necessary.

[old mark]

11. rq, I used to LOVE to fly, especially in light planes that kind of bounce up and down

in the air and feel like they are made of cardboard and foil...

Last time I was on a plane-a commercial jet to Buffalo, NY-I was terrified, and I have no idea what made the difference.

I was thinking of flying to see my dad this summer, but I believe we will be driving instead...from PA to Texas. I was already worried about flying 6 months in advance..,

m

[redqueen]

25. Yeah, I started getting nervous weeks ago.

I cannot wait to be done with this.

[struggle4progress]

12. Time of day of flight? For afternoon flights, I used to spend the AM

with a long walk or other physical exercise, followed by a hot soak -- I'd arrive at the airport so relaxed nothing would bother me. For early AM flights, I tend to go short on sleep the night before, so I can just sleep on the plane

[HipChick]

16. extra glasses of wine do it for me....

you wouldn't believe the looks I get ordering wine on a early am flight...:rofl:

[redqueen]

26. Evening.

That hot soak before leaving sounds great. But I have to leave work and drive straight to the airport, bah.

[femmocrat]

14. I was never afraid until we started flying with our children.

I'm terrified now. Haven't been on a plane in years and don't plan to fly ever again.

[pitohui]

17. yes, developed it and i'm out thru the other side

as you've already guessed, a motion sickness pill if you get nauseated, something that happened semi frequently to me over the years

it's prob. anxiety i don't think people get anxiety just from watching teevee but if it's that mild you can just brush it off

if it's more severe, the best thing to do is a combination of kinesthetics (can't spell it)/self hypnosis plus VERY frequent flying aka get back on the horse that threw you off

i NEVER let much time pass after a big motion sick flight before i fly again, i refuse to let this defeat me, i have traveled the world and will continue to do so!!! i have made up my mind and when i get into a motion sickness phase i let the flight attendants know as soon as possible (so they understand why i keep getting up/ clog a lav etc) and i just do the best i can

this WON'T defeat me, i refuse to allow it

my "drug" if i'm motion sick and vomiting is coke (pepsi), it really helps

[redqueen]

27. lol @ "coke (pepsi)"

:)

I forgot the frickin Dramamine. Went to three stores on the way to work today, getting various crap. I'm a bag of nerves. Grrr.

[Dr Morbius]

18. Nope, never developed a fear of flying. I was born this way. (nt)

[kiva]

20. I went the drug route for awhile,

then didn't have my meds, taking a packed night flight out of Denver with major snow - had to deice twice before we took off; I figured that if I could handle that, I could do any flight and haven't had a problem since.

If you don't want drugs, a few suggestions:

If you know a pilot or flight crew, or even someone who flies the route frequently, ask them to describe the flight. My brother was in airline maintenance, and sort of 'walked' me through a few flights; when the airlines changed to Airbuses, he told me the differences in sounds so I wasn't freaked out.

My issue was partially claustrophobia, so I found that if I kept busy - reading, talking to a friend - while everyone was boarding, I didn't get the "there are too many people and they're all breathing my air and there won't be enough!!!!!!" feeling.

I also find comfort in linking my fingers together - like "here's the church, here's the steeple"; don't know why, but it makes me feel better, especially when we're gaining altitude, to me the scariest part.

Good luck, and hope you have a *reasonably* good flight.

[Kali]

21. take the dramamine BEFORE you feel sick

that's all I have - don't fly enough to have experienced a real phobia - just a rush to me, landing and taking off

[redqueen]

28. I used to like it too.

All of it... but for some reason that seems to have changed. x(

[Skittles]

22. quite the opposite

I love flying and feel super peaceful on a plane - my mum theorizes it's because she was pregnant with me the first time she flew from England to America :D

[BlooInBloo]

23. I love flying. Takeoffs and landings especially. Dropping 50 feet in a puddle-jumper...

hitting an air pocket or whatever doesn't turn me on, though. :(

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

29. I used to be that way

I took a valium pre-flight. But I think that was because I didn't fly often enough. These days I fly several times a year for work and it doesn't bother me in the slightest.

[av8rdave]

30. Just do everything the nice pilot tells you to...

Just kidding. Sorry it's causing you anxiety. There's a good chance it was a one time episode. Could have been anything from food that disagreed with you to some otherwise unnoticed illness/infection. And sometimes, we just feel crappy and flying is the last thing we want to do at the moment.

If it recurs, be sure you're staying hydrated, and have some pleasant distractions with you (good book, iPod, etc).

Good luck!

[Wapsie B]

31. Just drink a lot.