Nerves

[Mr. Kinsley]

Download some meditation/New Age instrumental music to your iPod prior to the flight, close your eyes, and breath slow. That stuff transports me, it might work for you. I recommend anything by Medwyn Goodall, particularly Moon Goddess.

Or, at least you'll HOPE the plane crashes.

[blindgonzo]

Before each takeoff and landing, I tell Jesus that I'm really sorry for being such an ass, and then hope for the best.

 

 

good thread, bobbob. i've been getting nervous about flying to Chicago as well, so some of these tips are helping me out.

[W(TF)]

I have a pretty bad fear of flying, that started about 10 years ago. And I've flown at least 30-40 times with it.....it does get better. I still avoid flying whenever I can, but I've learned to manage it better. Now, I'll generally toss and turn the night before I'm due to fly, but I can still sleep. That beats obsessing for 2 weeks over weather and wind patterns.

 

Tip, if you get on the plane and really feel panicked (clammy, short of breath), ask a flight attendant for help. Tell her you're a nervous flyer. That's part of their job. She'll smile and bring you a glass of water, and it will calm you down.

 

Good luck

[austrya]

If it's too late to get a prescription anxiety medication, you can take Benadryl. When I was pregnant and having panic attacks, I couldn't take things like Xanax and Klonopin. My doctor told me to take a slightly larger dose of Benadryl (what amounts to a prescription antihistimine) when I felt the anxiety coming on. It worked really well.

 

Good luck!

 

Nyquil works pretty well too, but that may have benedryl in it. I had a double ear infection and a sinus infection last time I flew. Nyquil made it tolerable and I slept like a baby the whole time.

 

I love flying though. Taking of and landing are the best part.

[Three dollars and 63 cents]

I have a really bad fear of flying, too. I only flew for the first time when I was 22, and I haven't been on a plane since I moved back to the Northeast five years ago. I actually find myself going out of my way to not have to fly, which I'm a little embarrassed to admit. I don't have any advice, but I'm sending you some positive vibes.

[bobbob1313]

I have a pretty bad fear of flying, that started about 10 years ago. And I've flown at least 30-40 times with it.....it does get better. I still avoid flying whenever I can, but I've learned to manage it better. Now, I'll generally toss and turn the night before I'm due to fly, but I can still sleep. That beats obsessing for 2 weeks over weather and wind patterns.

 

Tip, if you get on the plane and really feel panicked (clammy, short of breath), ask a flight attendant for help. Tell her you're a nervous flyer. That's part of their job. She'll smile and bring you a glass of water, and it will calm you down.

 

Good luck

 

My thing is I fly close to 10 times a year, if not more, and I still hate it.

[bjorn_skurj]

My thing is I fly close to 10 times a year, if not more, and I still hate it.

Aww. I have the impression that if I flew more, I would feel less anxious about it. I used to fly in little dinky airplanes, and I had no problems with that. My main problem is with the total surrender of control over your fate - your life is really in the hands of the pilots, the air traffic system and the dudes who fix the planes. Who all do a great job, as flying is still the safest way to get somewhere by a long shot.

[bobbob1313]

Aww. I have the impression that if I flew more, I would feel less anxious about it. I used to fly in little dinky airplanes, and I had no problems with that. My main problem is with the total surrender of control over your fate - your life is really in the hands of the pilots, the air traffic system and the dudes who fix the planes. Who all do a great job, as flying is still the safest way to get somewhere by a long shot.

 

This is my concerning. I have no control over it.

 

I also don't like that if you're plane is going down, you will probably have at least a few seconds realization. The idea of thinking "Oh my god. I'm falling 30,000 feet at 500+ MPH and there is absolutely nothing I can do about it. I am going to die." just really freaks me out.

 

I think I think too much. Maybe I should try some liquor.

[lamradio]

Maybe I should try some liquor.

 

 

Now you're talking..

 

Alcohol - the cause and solution to all of life's problems.

[bjorn_skurj]

This is my concerning. I have no control over it.

 

I also don't like that if you're plane is going down, you will probably have at least a few seconds realization. The idea of thinking "Oh my god. I'm falling 30,000 feet at 500+ MPH and there is absolutely nothing I can do about it. I am going to die." just really freaks me out.

 

I think I think too much. Maybe I should try some liquor.

Yup. In a couple of years, you can buy it on the airplane itself!

[lamradio]

Yup. In a couple of years, you can buy it on the airplane itself!

 

Ah, didn't realize you were a youngin. Well, I've been over 21 since I was 15 years old.

[a.miller]

I do the diazepam thing also before the flights. 2 of those and then a couple two or three cocktails really takes the edge off. Explain your situation to your physician and I'm sure they will understand and provide you with a few tablets.

[nicburto]

I found that the best way to help my anxiety is to learn as much as I can about how planes work and how pilots are trained. These guys know what they're doing - it is NOT easy at all. I also read the "Ask the Pilot" column on salon.com. He's a great writer and he has written articles trying to aid people with a fear of flying. He also wrote this book:

 

http://www.amazon.com/Ask-Pilot-Patrick-Sm...1612&sr=8-2

[Guest Speed Racer]

I do the diazepam thing also before the flights. 2 of those and then a couple two or three cocktails really takes the edge off.

 

First-timers ought to be warned that the above combination will make the more faint of heart two blinks short of comatose.

 

bobbob - In the span of two months I flipped a car, experienced engine failure (and subsequent revival, praise jehovah) over Lake Michigan, was in a train accident, got stuck in an elevator (those three occuring within 24 hours of each other ) and well, that's about it. But I still get on planes (and I've even quit drinking since!). I figure I've exhausted my odds now - and also most VC members' odds as well. You should be fine.

 

I got over most of it by reading *every* *single* Wikipedia entry on aviation incidents and accidents. Twice. And passing out during takeoff once. And I still haven't driven about 30mph in the snow since (but that's not really an issue for you!). But seriously - one thing that actually helps me now is if I tell the person next to me I'm a nervous flyer. Ask them to just chat with you through the takeoff, and once you're airborne you should be alright.

 

And I agree with the others: consider your odds, and consider how insignificant you are in the scheme of the world. Why on earth would *your* plane be plucked from the sky?

[froggie]

Yup. In a couple of years, you can buy it on the airplane itself!

 

you can already buy it on planes here. but it looks weird to get a beer at 7am sometimes

 

i suffer from anxiety all the time but not cause of planes. for me its the motion sickness (i get it in any form of transport except for trains). get some travel pills and ignore the dosage on the packet. they're usually just ginger or something. i take twice the dose and the packet and dont look outisde as the plane is taking off or landing.... works fine for me

[lamradio]

Reading these posts, I never realized how many people are afraid of flying. I really do enjoy flying. The rush of the take off, the peaceful feeling cruising above the clouds at 30,000 ft.. I should have been a pilot. I would get my pilots license if it wasn't so freakin expensive and I had the time for the lessons.... Ok enough about me..

[bjorn_skurj]

I would get my pilots license if it wasn't so freakin expensive and I had the time for the lessons.... Ok enough about me..

Me too. I had a great summer working at a small airport when I was in college.

[Three dollars and 63 cents]

But seriously - one thing that actually helps me now is if I tell the person next to me I'm a nervous flyer. Ask them to just chat with you through the takeoff, and once you're airborne you should be alright.

 

I do this whenever I fly. I'm usually a pretty quiet person and don't like making chit chat, but it really does help me deal with the anxiety of take-off and the first 10 or 15 minutes in the air. I often end up getting a free drink out of it, too. Nothing like one of those little bottles of gin to take the edge off at 30,000 feet

[Dreamin']

Anxiety is like a fire. If you fuel it w/ worry or fan the flames by paying attention to uncomfortable symptoms ("OMG my heart is pounding so hard I'm gonna have a heart attack!"), it will burn with greater intensity. The best thing you can do is ignore it (distract yourself with an activity that requires your complete attention, like a puzzle, counting backward in multiples of 7, etc.) and it will begin to smoulder and eventually cool. If you can do this, anxiety should reach it's peak and then subside within approx 15-20 min. Hypnosis, guided relaxation CDs, and deep breathing can help you cope w/ symptoms too.

[markosis]

I can't comment on the flying anxiety thing. I love flying. The part I hate is the feeling after landing, after being up in the air and so close to weightlessness and then you're back on the boring old ground, its like a huge let down and I don't know how to feel.

 

Sorry, that was of no help whatsoever.

[bobbob1313]

Well, I didn't die, so that's good.

 

Flight's went on without a hitch, but I was still pretty nervous. Luckily, for the 2nd flight (we had a layover), I fell asleep on the runway and missed the taking off bit.

[Sir Stewart]

I fell asleep on the runway

That's one way to fight the fear.

[bobbob1313]

Indeed.

 

Of course, aside from that hour of extremely uncomfortable sleep, I haven't slept in about 30 hours.

[Edie]

I love flying but am not a fan of turbulence. I just had two pretty uneventful 4 hour flights -- that's the way to go.

 

And when there is turbulence, I just read (bring a great book) and recognize that these pilots are used to flying in way worse conditions, especially since most come from the air force. They take off/land on relatively little boats that are rocking and pitching in the dark, and they do so just fine. That really helped me

 

PS bobbob you are here now?

[explodo]

I tend to realize that I'm about 7 billion times more likely to die driving to work than I am on a plane. Or, in my hood, in some sort of gang shooting. So then I get on the plane and fly wherever. I get sick, but I'm not nervous.

 

And to those of you who mentioned the surrender of control thing, that's an obvious illusion. You have little to no more control in your day to day life. Bad drivers, freak storms, house fires, heart attacks, murders, etc. Shit just happens.