Anyone have a fear of flying?

dlofnep

I have an awful fear of flying. I have to take anxicalm to calm me down to fly, to which after I'm usually ok and not panicy. I flew without them once and was biting my nails. The idea of being up in the air without a parachute scares the bejaysus out of me. Now statistically I appreciate that flying is very safe, but it does nothing for me when I'm in the air.

I have to say though, that ever since I've been taking anxicalm when flying, it's helped me loads.

watna

dlofnep wrote: »

I have an awful fear of flying. I have to take anxicalm to calm me down to fly, to which after I'm usually ok and not panicy. I flew without them once and was biting my nails. The idea of being up in the air without a parachute scares the bejaysus out of me. Now statistically I appreciate that flying is very safe, but it does nothing for me when I'm in the air.

I have to say though, that ever since I've been taking anxicalm when flying, it's helped me loads.

God yeah, I'm terrifed of flying but my love of holidays overtakes that. There's a fair few of us about the forum.

My fellow mod ladyj has just started flying again. There's some posts on it in the what's you phobia sticky.

Getting to NZ was horrible, all those long flights and when you fly in to Wellington the runway is beside the ocean so as you come in to land you feel like you're going to crash in to th sea. I was whimpering a good bit on that flight I tells ya.

Captain Ginger

I don't like it at all, I'm going on a plane next Saturday and dreading it.

I find the best thing to do is bring my iPod, lash on some really nice classical music and close my eyes and try to forget where I am.

And what's this about no parachute? I was always under the somewhat comforting thought that they were under the seat?! If not why not?

mkdon05

HAve a good read through this website and you will be a lot less anxious about flying!!

http://www.fearofflyinghelp.com/

the lessons are at the very bottom of the page

LadyJ

I just got back from Helsinki and after 6 flights in the past couple of months I have to say that my fear is pretty much gone. I was like a lunatic when it came to flying. Completely terrified beyond belief and now it's only take-off that gets me in a fluster.

I'm used to all of the noises and sensations that come with flying and knowing what to expect has really helped me a lot. I am still a bit nervous but it doesn't cripple me like it used to. Try Allen Carr's book "The easy way to enjoy flying". Helped me get back on track.

trotter_inc

I HATE flying and always have!

I used to get really drunk while flying, it helped but I always knew that it was just avoiding the problem instead of fixing it. When I started to travel a bit more with work I couldnt always get drunk as I was travelling with work colleagues so I read Alan Carrs Easy Way to Enjoy Flying book like the last poster mentioned. This really really helped me; it explained a lot about flying and convinced me that my fear was completely irrational....

....that was until I flew back from India a few weeks ago and had to take off in some of the worst weather Ive ever seen Plane was bouncing all over the place and took nearly 2 hours to get up in to clear weather, during this time even the cabin crew were still seated, which made me even worse. Once the cabin crew were released I told one of them I needed a drink, she came back with 6 small bottles of whiskey for me, helped me big time but felt guilty about drinking them.

Next flight will probably be to Miami in a few weeks, it's Hurrican season over there atm so not looking forward to that

trotter_inc

Has anyone ever gotten any prescribed drugs from their GP to help them? I've always been tempted to ask him about it.

Captain Slow IRL

LadyJ wrote: »

Try Allen Carr's book "The easy way to enjoy flying". Helped me get back on track.

Is there anything he can't help you with?!

I got anxicalm (diazapam) as well, I'll be testing them out next weekend! Not looking forward to the flight, especially after watching the Qantas video from today:eek:

Latchy

Not the flying that bothers me , it's the waiting around for the flight and obiously the longer you have to think about the flight itself the more your mind can somtimes worry .I find reading a book or magazine helps distract me good and i just pretend i am waiting for a bus

cork*girl

its not the flying that bothers me its security. i never have anything on me or anything like that.. just the intimidation of it. hate it. also have a fear of getting a nose bleed on a plane.. i dont know why? i have never ever got them but i heard it can happen so im afriad of it.. random i know..

electric69

Captain Ginger wrote: »

And what's this about no parachute? I was always under the somewhat comforting thought that they were under the seat?! If not why not?

1. your not worth it as far as the airlines are concerned

2. what do you think is going to happen when you jump out of a plane at 35,000ft when it is moving at 550kts and it is -56*C outside?hmm....

3. The doors of the aircraft dont open when your up high.too much pressure differential between the cabin and outside.

Safe flying

trotter_inc

Captain Slow IRL wrote: »

I got anxicalm (diazapam) as well, I'll be testing them out next weekend!

Make sure and let us know how you get on with them. Thanks.

iPlop

trotter_inc wrote: »

Make sure and let us know how you get on with them. Thanks.

Thats the only way I can fly.I have been taking Diazpam only when goin on a plane for 4 years now and if I didn't have them for the flight id cancel my holiday ,Im not messin':eek:

Sykk

Hey there,

I have only flown once when I was very young, but I will be going on holidays soon at some stage and the idea does give me the runs..

Just keep thinking that it's perfectly safe.. You have more of a chance to being in a car crash than a plane crash!

Captain Slow IRL

trotter_inc wrote: »

Make sure and let us know how you get on with them. Thanks.

Tried them out - they were pretty good, if a little weak. I took 1 for the first flight, but was still jittery - took 2 for the next 3 flights, they worked a treat.

Got to fly over a lightning storm last monday - it was a good bit under us and really something to see! Was flying out of jfk last night - bad thunderstorm in the evening, we even flew through a cloud and it seemed to be lighting up with the lightning, but it didn't phase me.

Jackwil

I was prescribed Anxicalm as a relaxant for a long-haul flight. As I had never heard of them I Googled the name and got lots of information, including the fact that they are prescribed for highly strung and nervous horses!! Honestly!

jessbeth

I don't really fear the flying, just the crashing

Ok sorry, bad joke. What I dislike most about it is the lack on space on the plane and the fact that you can't just get off if you do get a bit panicky.
A friend on mine recommended acupressure bands which are little elastic thingies that you put around your wrists and they have two bumpy bits which you line up in accordance to certain pressure points on your wrists. These really helped me. I don't know if it was just because I believed that they did or because they really did but worth a try in any case.