Anyone else afraid to fly?

Well, time to fly again in 2 weeks.  The only part I'm excited about it NOT having to hold my breathe to do up my seatbelt.  The flight is about 4 hours and I always have all these HORRID thoughts in my head.

What do you do to help with the anxiety of flying?
~H~

Ever since I was in a plane crash 30+ years ago, I haven't liked flying.... so my approach has been to avoid it whenever possible.  Of course, bringing a teddy bear and my wonderful DH can be pretty helpful, too.

Yep, I'm a noodle.

Did I mention that my wonderful DH IS a pilot?

=^..^= MOLLY

I used to be anxious about it, not so much any longer. 

I always get a really good book - one I just can't wait to read.  And I stash a couple of good snacks in my carry-on - something I really enjoy.  I make it "me time" 'cause it's not often I get to sit and read for hours on end uninterrupted!  An IPod helps too - you can tune out an annoying seatmate!

OMFG YOU WERE IN A PLANE CRASH?????

That is CRAZY STUPID NUTS!

Yeah I wouldnt fly again either.

I forgot to add, I went to dr. yesterday to get my usual Rx for Ativan.  Yes it is that bad!  I need to take one when we take off and probably another one half way thru the flight.

My hubby and I both have isle seats (across from each other) and YES my ipod is a MUST!  I'll be sure to have a few magazines.  We are going to Vegas so it'll be exciting once we get there.

PS Does DH mean Dear Husband? LOL 

~H~

I'm very affraid to fly! I've only been on a plan twice, the first time when I was 6 so I don't even remember (and at that age I was probably excited) and then 2 years ago I flew to Vegas.

I was pretty much a mess during the flight especially during takeoff and landing. I'm just happy it was a nonstop flight cause I don't think I would have gotten on another plane LOL

Well, I am usually not afraid to fly, but on Tuesday we flew from Chicago to Louisiana where I live right through nasty weather.   Very turbulent, almost hurled.  Then when we got to LA there was gale force winds with gusts up to 50 mph, pilot tried to land 2 times but we kept getting swept sideways 10 feet up from the runway.  Very scary, I must admit I started to pray (and I am not religious).  When I was 18 I saw a plane crash in the field across from my house and it scarred me.  I really only get nervous during turbulence, take-off and landing.  When you look at it logically, I know the odds are on our side.  I believe more people die from toaster accidents every year than on a plane.  Hard to believe, huh?

Oh!  I forgot to add the second leg of our trip was almost cancelled due to the weather, but after a long delay we finally got on and all I could think about was how Buddy Holly won that coin toss....YIKES!

I'm petrified and am putting off my honeymoon to Japan as long as humanly possible.

Original Post by mollymouser:

Ever since I was in a plane crash 30+ years ago, I haven't liked flying.... so my approach has been to avoid it whenever possible. Of course, bringing a teddy bear and my wonderful DH can be pretty helpful, too.

Yep, I'm a noodle.

Did I mention that my wonderful DH IS a pilot?

=^..^= MOLLY

Would you tell us about that? I mean this probably isn't a great thread for it but I'm VERY interested

With that said, I am TERRIFIED to fly. I mean every time I get in a plane I feel like there is a 50% chance I am going to die. I have to down a Xanax with a few glasses of wine before I will get on a plane. That sounds awful but it's my only choice vs. not going anywhere with my husband :(

I am TERRIFIED to fly & I have never even set foot on a plane or booked a flight.  We drive to WI from NC every year & we drove from NC to Miami last spring because of my fear of flying.  If God wanted me to fly, he would have made me a bird or a butterfly or some other winged creature.  Just thinking about it gives me the willies!  I have dreams about it all the time though.

molly, i wanna hear about the crash, too. i don't know why, but as a total-freak-out-fraidy cat, i need to hear about plane crashes. it's sick, but i don't care.

i went to hawaii a little while ago. 3 hours to chicago. i was bad, but i could've been worse. then 10 hours to hawaii. most of it i was okay with. take off, i'm a mess; all i can imagine is the plane blowing up. i can't handle the noises the plane has to make to function, so i try to drown them out with music, but my brain still thinks i hear them. and don't get me started on turbulence! we hit turbulence on the way to hawaii. i cried, i wailed, i was worse than a baby. i was a mess.

then last year, i had to fly A LOT  for job interviews. i don't know how i didn't have multiple heart attacks. it's like the more i fly, the more anxiety i get. i think because i know i'm narrowing the odds of not dying in a plane crash. the last time i was on a plane, i got lunch in the airport after it landed. the restaurant looked out onto the grounded planes. i was literally shaking just looking at the planes. i couldn't function, in any capacity till i was miles away from the airport.

but the kicker? i LOVE to travel. tell me about this ativan and xanax. i need something. i tried sleeping pills (which worked for the return from the island), but hasn't worked for any plane trips since. i need DRUGS.

edit: sorry, but i had to mention--i'm so bad with flying that before i book a flight, i check the destination's almanac for average weather conditions, and i macke sure never to travel anywhere during its rainy season, snowy season, or windy season. that leaves a very small travel window for me, but i don't care.

and, if a plane crashes somewhere before my flight date, i feel better, b/c i feel like the fates have taken their share and can leave me alone. unless the plane crashes where i wanna go (happened twice last year), then i'm all kerfluffled, and don't know what to think.

curlygirl....i LOVE your beagle!  I have a beagle too...her name is Haley :)

 

Ativan/Xanax - basically sedatives.  Reduces anxiety and makes you feel really "happy".  God I love that "happy" place LMAO

Ummmm like a bad accident...I wanna hear about this plane crash also...but not sure if I should read about it before I fly LOL

~H~

Yeah, I am afraid to fly too!  Oh wait! That's my job.  Listen, as a Navigator in the Air Force I will tell you that there is nothing to worry about, but I say that as a crew member.  When I fly civilian and I put my life in to the hands of some civilian pilot who thinks they are John Wayne I too get nervous.  So, I suggest taking an Ambien about 10 to 15 minutes before you board the airplane and before you know it you will be at your destination.  (Ambien gives you 4 to 5 hours of sleep)

I'm not exactly afraid of flying as in crash, but I get motion sickness, I'm a control freak (I'd be fine if I was flying the plane) and I get claustrophobic.  So... Having flown a few times, I thought I had the whole thing beat.  But noooooo - the last flight I took a few years ago, we were coming from Aruba, missed the connection in Philly, had to stay over and came back to Norfolk on a puddle jumper through the tail end of a hurricane.  Needless to say my fingernail marks are still in the bulkhead and in my husband's leg.   I drink - whenever possible.  In fact, I've had flight attendants GIVE me a beer based on the look on my face.  I don't know what it is but we always end up in the last set of seats where you feel the plane move the most.  Coming back from Cancun several years ago with my sister, I didn't even realize how tense I was and the flight attendant was seated to my left and their little galley was there and she said I was green and could she do anything for me.  I asked if she had a Budweiser in her fridge and instead of charging me for it, she GAVE it to me and then a second one to boot.  I guess she was afraid I was going to hurl... Works for Deep Sea fishing too.

OMG I agree so much with you Dalmalama! I've flown SO much in the last few years, visiting colleges and now going to college/back home.  EVERY TIME I still  make my family tell me the actual odds of being in a crash.  I too feel better if there was a crash already before my date:( that sounds disturbing...but I feel like then there's less of a chance/!?

 

I also get atavan (is it called) from my doctor-I have to be almost completely knocked out so I'm always hesitant b/c I can be totally out of it when I get there.  I lose sleep about a week before any flight, and often tear up on the take off.  If I'm with my family, I always hold my mom's hand lol-the kids across the aisle are lookng out the window and I'm gripping for dear life-but it IS the SAFEST WAY to travel! Isn't that crazy? WERE IN THE AIR!

Just think... you're waaaaay more likely to be killed in a car crash than a plane crash. 

i know about the odds, ali, but that doesn't help! i think my problem is that i'm a bit of a control freak, too. i really wanna learn to fly, but just thinking about it makes we wanna barf.

haha :P

Flying always makes me nervous. I just always tell myself "Damn... this is so much better than driving for 20 hours in a car". Though after my flight to Korea I've decided I hate planes because they aren't made for anyone who is over 5'2. My knees were jammed into the seat in front of me the whole flight.

Original Post by haley_2008:

Well, time to fly again in 2 weeks.  The only part I'm excited about it NOT having to hold my breathe to do up my seatbelt.  The flight is about 4 hours and I always have all these HORRID thoughts in my head.

What do you do to help with the anxiety of flying?
~H~

 

 Go to this link, you will feel much better next time you fly.

 

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/6317 93/aviation_safety_what_are_the_odds.html

 

Linda

Haley 2008, I am afraid to fly too.  The one thing that helped me get on the plane is relaxation exercises.  You can probably google them and then to keep me on the flight I would take the Ativan.  Take the Ativan an hour before you go though, I just took one the other day before the dentist and I think it would have been better for me to take an hour before so it was really working by the time you get on the flight.

 

I use to be afraid to fly and I am still just slightly and it was unfortunate that I flew for my job once a month. My dr actually prescribed Valium for me and it has really really helped. I also use to try to sit in the back of the plane since I felt safer however what I have been told is that there is more turbulance in the back than in the front (another reason first class is there). I now try to sit in front of the plane and it has helped alot with the fear of turbulance. I also did alot of read on the reason why turbulance occurs and it is just different temps and air pockets in the atmosphere therefore I just view it as going thru air pockets and it will stop soon and that there is very very little chance that a plane will crash due to turbulance so that sets my mind at ease. Also I keep in mind that once you are airborne and you hear a ding that is at the 10,000 foot level and it puts my mind a little easier that the flight attendents are able to get up. Just little silly tricks that put my mind at ease with flying. Think what ever you do that helps, I would do it even if it seems silly to others.