I have a very strong fear of flights. In 3 days, I am actually going on a 11 hour flight to Korea followed by a 1 hour flight to Japan.
I am so stressed out by the thought of being so many miles up in the air. I get this image of the airplane just randomly crashing down :'( I know that the chances of something going wrong are very small but still I just cant relax. It is sooo bad...
How can I cope with this? I am so freaked out, I barely managed to get any sleep.
Half of my friends are mechanical engineers working in aerospace, if anyone should be worried about flights - it should be them, they have all the knowledge, but they still get on flights.
It's a bad version of appeal to authority, but it works for me - if the people who design, test, and understand the specific mechanics of something still use it every day, when they have all the capcity to be sceptical and fearful of it, it's probably ok.
Have you flown before? I had the same fear of flights at first, but I have come to dread the airport processes far more then the fear of being airborne. I'm afraid I can't really offer you a way to overcome your fear, but my suggestion would be to not sit near a window. Once the plane has started and you are on your way you will relax and most likely forget you are flying. Take a book, or something to do on the plane to keep you distracted. Funny enough, my first flight, despite my fear, I insisted on sitting near a window and looking out of it helped me, because it all looked so surreal, cars AREN'T really that small! 'Haha looks just like a cartoon, tiny box cars, square buildings' etc.
Aren't there like drugs they give out to people with fear of flight? Anyway - just keep in mind it's for a fact about a million times more probably to die in a car accident on the way to the airport than due to a plane crash.
Hope you aren't afraid of driving or being driven around now too^^
If you cannot convince yourself that airplanes are safe and start to get more and more freaked out the next one or two days, you could just give up to solve this yourself and go to a doctor and get a prescription for some kind of anti-anxiety medication that makes you not give a fuck about anything for 12 hours.
On August 25 2011 20:59 FeiLing wrote: Aren't there like drugs they give out to people with fear of flight? Anyway - just keep in mind it's for a fact about a million times more probably to die in a car accident on the way to the airport than due to a plane crash.
Hope you aren't afraid of driving or being driven around now too^^
I have flown multiple times before and the funny thing is, I was always fine until I had a bad experience with turbulence about 7 years ago. I have been a nervous wreck on planes ever since.
The most effective way to deal with phobias seems to be behavioral therapy. Basically slowly increasing your exposure to the phobia until its well tolerated, then increasing this. Start by sitting in your chair pretending that you are on the plane. Visualize the whole flight from take-off to landing. Do this until it no longer scares you. Then do the same thing, but while looking out the window. After that find a high window and do the same thing until you can tolerate the fear. The day before try to go to the airport and pretend you are waiting to get on the plane. Again, visualize the whole process over and over until it no longer terrifies you. You will still be scared on the day of the flight, behavioral therapy normally takes way more than 3 days and is best with supervision, but hopefully it will help a little.
Personally, I simply try to think that I'm in a bus, like 2feets away from the ground.
If you don't look outside and think of something other than "OMFG I'm sooooo far from the ground, what if we crash?", you wont even notice that you're so high up in the sky ^^.
Anyway it worked for me the one time I flew... But again, I had vertigo(is that the right term? A fear of highs), not really a fear of flying...
On August 25 2011 21:03 Psychobabas wrote: Thanks for the replies guys.
I think it's a really bad phobia I have.
I have flown multiple times before and the funny thing is, I was always fine until I had a bad experience with turbulence about 7 years ago. I have been a nervous wreck on planes ever since.
So frustrating.
I don't usually say this but you might wanna try and revisit the situation in your mind, a la psychotherapy. Set up how you felt and how things were prior to any escalation. Then think about what triggered the nervousness. What kind of thoughts occurred to you while you were feeling nervous?
On August 25 2011 21:03 Psychobabas wrote: Thanks for the replies guys.
I think it's a really bad phobia I have.
I have flown multiple times before and the funny thing is, I was always fine until I had a bad experience with turbulence about 7 years ago. I have been a nervous wreck on planes ever since.
So frustrating.
I don't usually say this but you might wanna try and revisit the situation in your mind, a la psychotherapy. Set up how you felt and how things were prior to any escalation. Then think about what triggered the nervousness. What kind of thoughts occurred to you while you were feeling nervous?
Good point. Well before that turbulence incident I was very relaxed on flights. I was actually looking forward to flying so I could sleep! I dont know what the hell happened to me, I literally switched from one extreme to the other over a few minutes of turbulence.
Just phoned the doctor. I should get a call back soon for any medication I may take LOL
I remember getting on my first plane, I literally felt like puking while waiting alksjdfalksjfa;sdklf. Taking off is kind of trippy but the actual flight itself feels normal and I calmed down a lot. Turbulence... depends how much and how rough it gets you should be alright just don't sit next to a window... fuck that shit.
I don't know what else to say but just power your way through and man it up! Remember to take deep breathes, no seriously doing this slows your heart rate down and will calm you a tad. But really it's not bad at all, except.. you might get bored after a few hours which I'd be more worried about what to do for 11 hours than worry about anything else lol.
HANG IN THERE YO YOU'LL BE GREAT! ^___^
On August 25 2011 21:29 SafeAsCheese wrote: I don't understand how people can drive cars but be afraid of flying
Not only is the chance of car accidents hundreds of times higher, but it's also more gruesome.
If a plane goes down, it's basically instant death at least >_>
Oh yeah I have a slight phobia of driving... I don't have my license yet and when I drive my hands get sore from gripping the wheel so hard and I sweat lakes fuck driving ;_;
On August 25 2011 22:18 Darkdeath3 wrote: Why not just take some sleeping pills?
Get like no sleep up to the day of the flight and just sleep right through the flight. Should make it more bearable no?
This is my plan. No sleep on Friday and then pop some sleeping pill just before the flight. I need to get completely knocked out. I'm waiting now for my doctor to give me a call, about some valium or something lol.
The thing is, it's not just a worry. I feel panic when I'm on a plane, especially during take-off. My hands go all sweaty, I feel like I'm going to die. Terrible terrible feeling.
I hate this so much. I admit it has caused me not to travel to see family, friends etc. :/
Take some sleeping pills. they'll make u more realxed and calm down ur muscles so u dont have all this tension. I do it when i have long flights. It really helps
On August 25 2011 21:30 OpticalShot wrote: Grab a Gameboy and stick a Pokemon Yellow into it. Play it.
... I honestly think this will work.
This could actually be a brilliant idea. When you're on the plane, try to completely detach yourself from the fact that you;'re on a plane. Take a book, watch a movie, sleep. just imagine you're on a train or something.
The more you think about it, the more you worry about it, so stop thinking.
I know what you mean. One thing to think about is that there are hundreds of plane flights every day, and not a single one crashes. Every time a plane goes down, it is huge news. What are the chances any plane goes down on the day of your flight, let alone your plane?
I had my first flight in May, and I was a bit scared. However, it's actually cool. I think you should get something to entertain you such as an mp3 player or a drink that makes you relax.
Will your flight have your own tv in your seat? I know jet blue has this on their flights but they are not international. I usally find a marthon of something on and it just makes the time fly.
Watch the flight attendants and how comfortable they are. For them, it is just business as usual. They fly around every day like it's nothing, and their job isn't even dangerous. You fly around only occasionally.
I don't really have a phobia but looking at how the flight attendants cope with the flight puts me at ease.
On August 25 2011 23:04 Hawk wrote: Xanax or hit the airport bar. Works like a charm.
This is what my wife does - she gets nervous flying.
Personally, I've flown all over the world (parents were missionaries in Africa, so I've been flying 10+ hour flights since I was two). I do understand the feeling of dread that anything could happen (I feel that way from time to time when riding in a car - after bad car accident). It's a feeling of not being in control. The only thing you can really do is conquer the mental fear and be comfortable (much easier said than done - the mind is quite powerful and hard to control!). So yeah, take some Xanax, relax and get some rest in the air
Totallyyy safe! You're statistically safer in a plane than you are on the ground. You'll be fine, just try to distract yourself with movies... and if worst comes to worst, take some sort of medication so you sleep through it.
I've been fine with flying since a young age. The only thing I dislike about flying is the boredom and being cramped... 6'6" people don't always fit well on planes. However, some airlines have seatback tv's(they would likely mention it if they did) or satellite radio. Bring an mp3 player loaded with awesome music, and a good long book. I have a 6 hour car ride coming up this wednesday, so I plan to bring my Game of Thrones book with me :D
Unfortunately, just trying to think about it rationally isnt going to work for me lol. And I cant distract myself on a plane; believe me I have tried...Yeah it really is that bad.
So... my doctor prescribed some valium that I will pick up tomorrow. He actually admitted to me over the phone that he is also scared of flying xD
Do I mix it with some alcohol? Or is that a really bad idea.
On August 25 2011 23:46 Psychobabas wrote: Thanks for all the support.
Unfortunately, just trying to think about it rationally isnt going to work for me lol. And I cant distract myself on a plane; believe me I have tried...Yeah it really is that bad.
So... my doctor prescribed some valium that I will pick up tomorrow. He actually admitted to me over the phone that he is also scared of flying xD
Do I mix it with some alcohol? Or is that a really bad idea.
Don't mix pills with alcohol. That can lead to an even worse flight.
I'm pretty sure you can get pharmaceutical sleeping aids for flights. But yeah the chances of something wrong happening for a plane is smaller than the chance of getting in a car crash when you drive, although its hard to overcome I think if you fly frequently enough you stop worrying about it.
On August 25 2011 23:46 Psychobabas wrote: Thanks for all the support.
Unfortunately, just trying to think about it rationally isnt going to work for me lol. And I cant distract myself on a plane; believe me I have tried...Yeah it really is that bad.
So... my doctor prescribed some valium that I will pick up tomorrow. He actually admitted to me over the phone that he is also scared of flying xD
Do I mix it with some alcohol? Or is that a really bad idea.
Don't mix pills with alcohol. That can lead to an even worse flight.
Ya, but it would probally get his mind off the flight at least.
I really hate flying and before a long flight I usually try to avoid sleeping the night before so that when I finally get on the plane I just instantly fall asleep because of the exhaustion.
On August 25 2011 23:46 Psychobabas wrote: Thanks for all the support.
Unfortunately, just trying to think about it rationally isnt going to work for me lol. And I cant distract myself on a plane; believe me I have tried...Yeah it really is that bad.
So... my doctor prescribed some valium that I will pick up tomorrow. He actually admitted to me over the phone that he is also scared of flying xD
Do I mix it with some alcohol? Or is that a really bad idea.
Don't mix pills with alcohol. That can lead to an even worse flight.
Ya, but it would probally get his mind off the flight at least.
It will quite possibly get him denied entry because they will not let you in if you're obviously wrecked, and popping a pill and drinking will do just that. That's just a stupid ass combination no matter where it is for that matter
I remember that flight i took with school. Paris -> Athena. This girl had a hugh phobia for planes. Still she managed to reach inside the plane, (It was that bad, she was shivering and was white like blankets). She then took a very strong sleeping pill. And 4 hours later we landed, she was fine walking like a zombie in Athena.
On August 25 2011 23:46 Psychobabas wrote: Thanks for all the support.
Unfortunately, just trying to think about it rationally isnt going to work for me lol. And I cant distract myself on a plane; believe me I have tried...Yeah it really is that bad.
So... my doctor prescribed some valium that I will pick up tomorrow. He actually admitted to me over the phone that he is also scared of flying xD
Do I mix it with some alcohol? Or is that a really bad idea.
Don't mix pills with alcohol. That can lead to an even worse flight.
Ya, but it would probally get his mind off the flight at least.
It will quite possibly get him denied entry because they will not let you in if you're obviously wrecked, and popping a pill and drinking will do just that. That's just a stupid ass combination no matter where it is for that matter
Yeah, I wouldn't recommend that either. Just like I wouldn't recommend saying such things as "I'll have a Jägerbomb please?" and "Hot_Bid and his photo bombing skills, pf." In fact, I would avoid the word bomb altogether.
Take a GRAVOL and bring a lot of reading material, portable, etc. It shouldn't be too bad if your in the aisle and you could always close the shutter.
Oh you should also probably try a Xanax before your flight if you go that route just so you know what you're dealing with, speaking of the zombie thing... if your connecting flights are short and you're zonked out on the back of the plane, you could get stuck
always had a fear of flying since young but 2 years back, i had to fly to minnesota from singapore and after 4 back-to-back flights lasting an entire day, i became much more comfortable flying (but i still refuse to eat on planes lol) the anxiety will always be there but i find worrying about the flight to be worst den the actual flight itself now.
The worst part in an airplane is when you're ascending/descending/turning rapidly due to turbulence and you can feel the airplane moving - and moving your stomach along with it. Quite honestly, there's little you can do then except close your eyes and grit your teeth slightly...putting more pressure on your feet than on your buttocks just like what you do when you're on a roller coaster might help too.
When it's just normal flying, just imagine it's a car ride or (if you can stand the bad A/C) just go to sleep. Best ways of dealing with that stuff.
I'm not afraid of flying, I'm afraid of being thirty thousand feet in the air and suddenly not flying.
Seriously though you're just gonna have to bite the bullet, get on the plane, remain calm, you'll arrive in Korea safely and the hour long flight to Japan afterwards will seem like a joke and you'll wonder what you were worried about in the first place.
I have the same problem and I fly a lot. I don't want to take medication so I came up with some tips, hope it helps:
1. Changing your visualization: You may find it scary to think that the plane is gliding "precariously" in the air and that when turbulence happens, the plane is "falling". But really at that speed, the air becomes a surface, just like a road or the ocean, so start to think of the plane as driving along a road and think of the drops as bumps in the road. Closing the window helps you picture this. 2. Sit as close to the front of the plane as possible. The tail of the airplane tends to rock back and forth and bend which only adds to any turbulence. 3. Avoid super-cheap airlines. I don't know if it's the planes or the pilots or the flight-path but my worst flights are on budget airlines. Bigger planes seem to be more stable. 4. Watch suspenseful movies/tv shows (like 24). I thought that this would only make me more scared but in fact it uses up all my nervous energy so that I almost completely forgot about the flight. This is my biggest tip for the really bad flights. 5. Lift your feet off the ground during drops. I'm not sure if this really helps but apparently it lessens the stomach dropping roller-coaster feeling while the plane is falling. 6. Try to sleep just before take-off. If you sleep well enough, you'll skip most of the flight.
I used to be afraid of flying.. or well, not really afraid, I never really thought about flights before actually taking off, but during the flight thoughts always raced through my head. Especially when the airplane moves significantly like during takeoff where you're going up a lot, but you're also turning to what feels like way-too-much past 45 degrees, you look in the window and see "holy shit that's the fucking ground, is the airplane even designed to turn this much wtf?", then that occasional momentary drop while you're doing that, all the weird noises (which are probably just wings, wheels, cargo etc but how would I know?).. just freaked me out.
Always like "what if we turn too much and start falling, oh god does that drop mean we're screwed, looks okay now, oh shit what's that noise, fuckfuckfuck, that other airplane looks awfully close holy shit dont they see us" etc.
Anyway I just realized that all of my what-ifs had one answer: I'm dead. If an airplane stops being an airplane while you're in the air, you're screwed. Can I really change anything by worrying? Not a goddamn thing. Whether everything goes well is entirely in someone else's hands. You literally cannot affect anything. So why am I worrying? It does fuck-all.
I don't know if this'll work for you, but for me I instantly (yes this happened during a particular takeoff from LAX, one moment I was worried out of my mind, and after this realization I just became super chil and enjoyed the flight and every flight since then) became fascinated with flights instead of scared, just marveling at the technology that lets me be IN THE FUCKING SKY, seeing all the little cars from up here, being able to turn and twist like that, the speed, and the precision involved in landing/taking off an airplane every 30-45 seconds (I counted time at LGA once while waiting.. pretty ridiculous skills from the guys in the tower). I'm not even remotely scared anymore
I think one thing that makes flying a plane potentially scarier than driving a car despite the greater risk coming from driving is that when you drive, you're at the wheel and in control of your car. If you crash, that's your fault (usually). When you're on a plane, there's nothing you can do except trust the pilot and the mechanics that maintain the plane. Luckily, despite being union workers, they're usually pretty competent. Their life is on the line too, so you can be sure they'll do everything in their power to make sure nothing goes wrong.
I'm not sure how to help you, although sleeping will certainly help. I've had short flights where I fall asleep before takeoff and wake up very confused after landing. I've got 17 hrs of flying ahead of me tomorrow, and I figure a combination of sleep, playing my DS, and drawing/writing music/etc. will get me through the flights without worrying about engine failure due to bird collision, running out of fuel due to English/metric conversions, hurricanes, hijackings, etc.
The last time I went on an airplane I had just gotten out of a mental institution for a nervous breakdown. What followed was a nightmare at 20,000 feet. I was positive that there was a man out on the wing trying to dismantle the engine, nobody believed me because he disappeared every time someone else came over. Every time I looked away I felt inclined to turn back, and sure enough, he was there.
Eventually I stole an air marshal's gun and was able to murder the mysterious flying man, only to be re-institutionalized for a period of time afterwards. They would eventually find the tampered engine though.
My trip was an 11 hour flight from London to Seoul, then 1 hour flight to Japan.
I took a double dose of Diazepam (I believe that's Valium in the USA) + 3 lots of prescribed sleeping pills (no joke!). Both going to Japan and back.
Result: Absolutely nothing. I was almost shitting myself for 11 hours straight. To make things worse, there was really bad turbulence over China and we had to circle twice around Heathrow airport due to air traffic congestion. Talk about bad luck huh, There is no doubt I have a very severe phobia. There is no way I can go on a plane ever again, not for such a long flight anyway. I spoke to a couple of pilots about my problem and they suggested that I should take a Fear of Flight course, offered by most airlines.
Very frustrating.
Thanks for the support guys. But my nightmare is now over xD
Oh my god I was so scared of flying for a very long time, even though I've traveled a lot in my childhood. A couple of years ago I had a trip ahead of me that would require me flying about 15 times within a 4 month period and I freaked out before leaving but the experience pretty much cured my phobia.
Anyway you should check out http://www.fearofflyinghelp.com, a free online course you can complete in a couple of hours written by an actual pilot with a ton of experience. It's awesome because it explains in some detail how planes work and the physics surrounding aeronautics. There are even some sound samples of typical sounds you'll hear while flying, that used to scare the hell out of me but he explains what each of those sounds actually are.
I did it during an american airline flight (the only time I've ever had internet while flying :D).
I used to be whatever of flying until I got in the cockpit of a plane. Then once I was able to control the plane, I was exhilarated and LOVE it. Flying is the most beautiful, free, amazing thing ever!
On September 18 2011 08:27 hifriend wrote: Oh my god I was so scared of flying for a very long time, even though I've traveled a lot in my childhood. A couple of years ago I had a trip ahead of me that would require me flying about 15 times within a 4 month period and I freaked out before leaving but the experience pretty much cured my phobia.
Anyway you should check out http://www.fearofflyinghelp.com, a free online course you can complete in a couple of hours written by an actual pilot with a ton of experience. It's awesome because it explains in some detail how planes work and the physics surrounding aeronautics. There are even some sound samples of typical sounds you'll hear while flying, that used to scare the hell out of me but he explains what each of those sounds actually are.
I did it during an american airline flight (the only time I've ever had internet while flying :D).
Thanks, I will check out the site for sure. Once I get over this massive jetlag lol. It's 09:50 in the UK now but I feel like it's 17:50 Japan time. :S How does MC and Huk do this on a regular basis lol.
EPT
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I was almost shitting myself for 11 hours straight.
