Fear of flying! Help!

[blue1995]

Ok, my dad wants to fly me and my six year old son from Indiana back down to my hometown, Houston, to spend a week over Christmas holiday. Wonderful! I can't wait to see my family and old friends, I haven't been home in years and am so excited (!!!) but, there's only one problem. I am TERRIFIED of flying. I didn't always have this problem - I've flown all over the States but I've acquired this debilitating fear over the past 5 or so years. Like many people say, it's not the flying, but the taking off and landing I have a problem with. Although being up in the air is no picnic, either. Ugh!

I think this has developed into actual "phobia" status. Every time I even imagine getting on the plane, with my child, I start to sweat and want to get up and run like my hair is on fire. I'm not sure I can do this.

I know the most common arguments - "more likely to be devoured by a shark or struck by lightning", "safer then traveling in a car (statistically speaking)", blah, blah, blah. I recited all that bullshit to others who were afraid of flying over the years and it's just as helpful, now, to me, as it was to them. The idea of getting into a massive steel tube that weighs TONS and shooting up into the air like it ain't shit just feels so instinctively, primally, frightening and unnatural to me at this point. I feel like a piece of shit for even thinking of putting my innocent child on a plane only to be (I imagine) ripped apart in a terrific blaze and fall 30,000 feet to a horrible death. I'm crazy, right? I'm a fucking nut for thinking these things, but I can't help it.

I cannot NOT get on this flight, it just doesn't make sense to ask my parents to haul their RV up here, driving 24 hours each way, (the other option), esp. with the price of gas these days. Flying is the cheaper and more reasonable alternative. I can't wait to see them and for my son to spend time with them, so, I'm doing this. Have to deal.

Can anyone offer any advice ?? I have two weeks to get my nerve up and get on a plane like a big girl without freaking out or going into full-blown panic. I have to play it especially cool b/c I don't want to scare my little boy. Kids pick up on your feelings like nobody's business. Also need to mention here that Xanax and Valium have no affect on me except to make me sleepy. I have to have all my faculties, you know, b/c of the boy.

Also, what about my medications? I take Viibryd and Neurotin, neither of which are narcotics - will I have a problem getting them on the plane? Do I have to package them a certain way or anything? Sorry, I don't know as I haven't flown taking (legal) meds with me, above board, ever. Hope I've posted in the right forum, if not, sorry, I'm somewhat of a noob. Any (helpful) input would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Black Rabbit of Inle]

Hi there blue,

I've pretty much always had a fear of flying, but for me it's not the takeoff or landing, it's the knowledge that something that weighs up to 397,000 kg (maximum taxi-out weight of a commercial 747) should not be floating 30,000 feet in the sky. It goes against all common sense and had stopped me getting on a plane for any reason until 4 years ago.

When I was given a ticket, over me getting to choose how I traveled, I had a severe panic attack. How was I going to put 21 years of fear aside to be crammed into a metal tube and defy gravity? I ended up going to talk to my GP and explained what I was facing and he gave me a sample of Valium to take before the flight. I was only given enough for the one dose but it did help tremendously (granted I'd also had a little cannabis before I left the house too). I had to go see another GP before my flight back to get another sample, which they were happy to give after calling my normal doc.

I'd suggest going to talk to your doctor or psych about it and find out your options. Barring that, or if they refuse, some people find cannabis or a little alcohol (obviously not enough to get you kicked out of the airport for being drunk) can help.

 

[blue1995]

for me it's not the takeoff or landing, it's the knowledge that something that weighs up to 397,000 kg (maximum taxi-out weight of a commercial 747) should not be floating 30,000 feet in the sky.

Thank you. That's exactly it.

Just called the GP and scored an appt. for Monday. Hope my history of having been on suboxone for a year or so until a couple months ago doesn't interfere with his prescribing something helpful. They are funny about that shit, but one dose shouldn't be a big deal? Wonder how likely it is he would give me a nice handful of opiates for the big day. Prolly not very, huh? That would surely put me in the right frame of mind for this adventure, but alas, Dr.s are pricks these days.

 

[_DankOpiAmp_]

It's common enough that there is a term called "traveler's amnesia" for the lapse in memory that benzos on a flight cause.

 

[Capt_Tom_Bunn_LCSW]

As an airline captain and a licensed therapist, I've worked over thirty years to develop more effective ways to fix this problem. For mild cases, the free app at http://www.fearofflying.com/app is enough. For severe cases, where panic attacks are an issue, considerable work is needed to prevent panic by trainig the mind to not react to flying, to not being in control, and to having no immediate way to exit. Courses on that are at http://www.fearofflying.com/relief and for moderate cases, a book may be adequate, such as SOAR, The Breakthrough Treatment for Fear of Flying which is available at bookstores or online book stores.

Medication is not a good way to go. It backfires and causes the person to become more and more sensitive to the motions and noises of the plane until medication no longer works at all. And, as you know, statistics don't help. The whole game is to prevent the release of the stress hormones that cause the feelings.

 

[plmar]

Watch 'Air Crash Investigation'

 

[nuttynutskin]

I only flew once as an adult on a commercial airliner by myself and I was quite nervous about it especially since I was going to be by myself. So I handled it like any coward would with vodka and xanax lol. Thing is now I got over it, so if I do it again I probably won't drink nearly as much. I actually found it fun once I relaxed. Worst part honestly for me was just not being able to move around much for an extended period of time. Was cool tho to see the rocky mountains and what cities looked like from the air. I've also found at least for me you don't really realize how high up you are. As far as getting through TSA with your meds you should have no problem, just make sure they're in the RX bottles in case you do get searched. I got through no problem with a bottle full of xanax, a bunch of supplement bottles and a small container of protein powder while reeking of vodka and never got searched lol. If you do drink tho I wouldn't suggest over doing like I did because they can refuse you your flight.

 

[neversickanymore]

As an airline captain and a licensed therapist, I've worked over thirty years to develop more effective ways to fix this problem. For mild cases, the free app at http://www.fearofflying.com/app is enough. For severe cases, where panic attacks are an issue, considerable work is needed to prevent panic by trainig the mind to not react to flying, to not being in control, and to having no immediate way to exit. Courses on that are at http://www.fearofflying.com/relief and for moderate cases, a book may be adequate, such as SOAR, The Breakthrough Treatment for Fear of Flying which is available at bookstores or online book stores.

Medication is not a good way to go. It backfires and causes the person to become more and more sensitive to the motions and noises of the plane until medication no longer works at all. And, as you know, statistics don't help. The whole game is to prevent the release of the stress hormones that cause the feelings.

good post

what are you afraid about flying op?