frightened of flying!
 

Due to fly out on the 15th July or thereabouts and i am excited but the only thing putiing me off is that I hate flying with a passion. Thinking of trying hypnosis to help me. Anybody any tips or other suggestions?

Re: frightened of flying!
 

Hi Fiona,

I too WAS scared of flying - in fact, make that terrified of flying. I found that this website helped me tons http://www.fearofflyinghelp.com/ I was so scared boarding some flights that I would be near tears. One time the check-in girl put us in seats 13A & B - I almost passed out there and then. I made the girl change our seats as I would have been uncomfortable the whole flight!! I'm a freak, I know!

I downloaded the audio to my ipod and listened to it as often as possible, normally on the bus on the way to/home from work. I can't tell you how much it helped me.

I am still a wee bit apprehensive about taking off but only because of the way the changes in the cabin pressure makes me feel. I now find it a pleasure to be in the air for the most part.

Also, flying to Oz is a far different flight to just going to Spain or Turkey etc. More room, better food(?!) and better entertainment.

Feel free to PM me if you want to have a private freak out!

You will be just fine, I promise. I hope this helps you.

Yvonne

Re: frightened of flying!
 

I know I am freaking out. Everything reminds me of plane crashes just now. The film United 93 is advertised on tv and sky box office etc and I can feel the palpitations coming on. I look at planes in the sky all the time. Turning into a right weirdo. I may well just pm you. I always look at the air hostesses on flights and continually check their facial expressions to see if the flight I am on is possibly in trouble. I will check the site out though.

Thankyou.

Re: frightened of flying!
 

:lol: I laughed out loud when I read that. Its' not funny but it is exactly what I used to do. If the air hostesses look calm then all is well, that's the rule isn't it?!

Yep, I also used to have massive amounts of palpitations about flying!

If you were scared of driving, your mind would make more of all the driving related things you see. Do you feel like it's a "sign"?? My husband used to take me along to Edinburgh airport to watch the planes taking off (his kind of therapy!) but I used to think the more I watched the planes the more likely it was that I would "jinx" the plane and make it fall out of the sky. How funny is that??

Two freaks think alike!

Yvonne

Re: frightened of flying!
 

Fiona,

I like yourself am terrified of flying. However, over the years I have conditioned myself not to think about the flight until I am seated in the aircraft. I loath and hate it. My heart races and I just cannot think straight, I am claustrophobic, I just hate it.

My uncle is really bad though, and living in Northern Ireland, he had to go to china last year on a flight which was 9 hours from Heathrow, he took valium which helped, but it is horrendous.

I reckon when we go to Oz, it will be a Singapore stop over,

All the best,

Crocodileseamus:):rofl::)

Re: frightened of flying!
 

I do think everything is a sign as such. I was watching Frasier the other day and saw an episode dedicated to the creators who died in the airplane crash in America and saw it as a sign. If a plane is really loud I look out my window expecting it to crash. When I went abroad the last time I think I screamed 'Jesus' at one point during turbulence where my OH pretended not to be with me. Just hate not being in control. In control of every other aspect of my life and so not happy unless I'm the one in the driving seat. Anyway thanks for the site and I'll download it to the Ipod. Off to bed. At work tomorrow so no doubt I'll be dreaming of planes.

Thanks again. Nice to have someone who relates :rofl:

Re: frightened of flying!
 

Thanks Crocodileseamus. I wanted to avoid the valium if I could. Think I would take too many :D The thing about this site is you know how many people got there safely so thats some comfort.

Re: frightened of flying!
 

:o i'm scared of flying too... claustraphobic, afraid of heights, the noise and vibration is really hard for me to handle following my surgery... it has got easier over the years but it still affecyts me quite badly... i get off of short flights a quivering wreck. can't imagine the flight to Aus..

Re: frightened of flying!
 

I have a fear of flying but it's caused by being in confined places (won't go in lifts etc.) I went to the doctor and explained I was really nervous I would freak out and he prescribed valium, it's great it just mellows you, I don't fall asleep with it (as it's a mild dose) but it's just enough to stop you panicking and makes you feel chilled. Also he would only give me enough for the flight time so you can't take too many.
S xx

Re: frightened of flying!
 

oh..... can I identify with the posters on this thread... Had enjoyed flying long hauls various places, until one flight which totally changed my whole psyche... Still get on planes very difficult, think about it days before hand, plan for the worse scenario, affairs in order, day of the flight have to sit in certain section of the plane etc....... What a load of old cr*p, as if that is going to help.... A GP friend, recommended a medication so now sit on `flights happy as larry` OH gets pi**ed off sometimes as he has to close the bottom jaw to stop me from dribbling, not a good look..... Just give me the drugs don`t need the plane to fly, as fly on my own.....:D

Re: frightened of flying!
 

Do what I did. I used to be scared to death to the point I got fired from a previous job because I refused to fly. A year ago I said ' to hell with it' and enrolled in pilot school. Flying one of the smaller planes you get a completely different perspective. They bounce and roll a lot more. I'm cured. I went so far as to buy one. At least Im in control now, I think that was part of it. One thing I learned is the amount of safety issues applied to air travel is almost beyond rediculous, but its for yours and my safety.

Re: frightened of flying!
 

:rofl: me the same!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I got Valium galore and am lookin forward to it now,, OH got to look after the 4 kids (3 very young too)) but hey ho!! :rofl: confined spaces me, dont do lifts etc, but have recently thought, if i have to fly to oz will be silly not to do lifts and have done my own 'exposure' treatment havent flown for 8yrs,, but the other week, flew to dublin with daughter... i now do lifts, dont like it, but do them with heart racing.....

I am soooo proud of myself, no husband to look after me, did there and back in one day.. cant believe it, have booked to amsterdam for end of july and want to do another b4 go on nov, flights booked with Singapore will stop over.. first flight from LHR at 1815 so better for kids (sleep)

bring it on, i was having proffessional treatment for it for years, suffered with it for 8 yrs and now feel free..... let me spread my wings... F**k you clausterphobia!! :rofl::thumbsup:

Re: frightened of flying!
 

I am exactly the same....I have never flown by myself.....as I need someone's hand to hold! :( However, I am flying out in 2 weeks on my own with the 4 kids (all under 7) and I have no idea if I will manage to get on that flight or not. I look at all the passengers wondering if anyone is a terrorist and if something happens to the plane will it fall out of the sky with me screaming inside! It's a control thing though as I hate dentists and injections too, what a wimp!

Galba

Re: frightened of flying!
 

Tell the ground staff who check you in, that you are very nervous of flying... they will put it on the printout and the cabin crew will be aware and hopefully look after you!

We used to take 'nervous passengers' onto flight deck to meet the flight crew which used to help some, unfortunately not allowed these days.

Have you looked into taking a fear of flying course?

Good Luck!

Re: frightened of flying!
 

A very good friend of mine is a pilot with BA and he told me everything they do to maintain safety on the planes. He spends hours in a simulator every month taking on unusual situations and being tested over and over again. To remain flying he has to pass all these tests and drills.
I guess I find that fairly reassuring.
It's far more dangerous getting in a car and going to the shops, yet you do that without blinking.
Good luck.

Re: frightened of flying!
 

I have never flown very well and often have panick attacks. I get very travel sick and often spend the flight with ear plugs in and a cover over my eyes. I have never let it stop me from flying as i want to see as much as I can.

Re: frightened of flying!
 

I am so glad that I am not alone!!!
I used to be OK flying when I was younger, then I didnt get in a plane for over 10 years and the first time I got in one after that lay-off period I turned to jelly.

I'm going to look at that link to the fear of flying website that was posted earlier on. I will try ANYTHING to get over this silly fear.
I have no idea what brought it on, cos as I say I was fine when younger.

Re: frightened of flying!
 

:eek:
Do what I do get drunk fall asleep and wake up at other end no problem:thumbsup:

Re: frightened of flying!
 

I always thought I was alone! but its really good to realise that there are more people out there that are as frightened as I am about flying.
The biggest problem I have is that I have never flown before (neither have my two boys), this will be our first ever flight and I'm not sure what to expect :blink:

Re: frightened of flying!
 

Thanks for all your suggestions. Think I may go with lots of drugs and drink. :lol:

Re: frightened of flying!
 

thats what i did only i took a sleeping tablet as well:eek:

not that bothered about flying but on the way back from brisbane,about an hour into the flight i had a bit of a panic attack!i said to oh " i can't do this for another 11 hours,started hyperventilating and everything!!was so close to asking hostess to stop the plane!!(and i'm not joking) but then i told myself to wise up, get another drink and u'll be fine.so here i am writing this today and laughing a what an eejit i was:rofl::thumbup:

Re: frightened of flying!
 

I'm gonna sound like right one here!

Someone said in the thread they can't stop thinking about a flight a few days before they get on a plane, since the idea of moving to oz has been in our head the thing I fear the most is not moving thousands of miles away from rellies or not knowing absolutely anyone in oz anywhere, it's the flight!

I don't worry about being in strange land where everything is different, nah, I worry about getting there!

Our flights are booked for 19th july and I'm slowly thinking well i'm on it and thats it. Like some other posters I've been superstitious about it thinking sh** the 19th july mmmmm it's got a ring to it! - it's nuts! mm mm!

I have never bothered about flying before I had my kids and I would be ok flying on my own but I just fear if a situation occurred, well it's unimaginable I know!

On a more sound mind it's true, planes are safe and are maintained as are the crew. I worked for Monarch Airlines and Easyjet for years in the crewing department and have been in cock pits many times, pilots are tested in the simulator and cabin crew go on refresher courses every year. So many people fly so many hours............

Chins up to all of us! Give me spiders anyday!

Carmel

Re: frightened of flying!
 

Even though I’m not afraid of flying, I do tend to get a little apprehensive just before a flight, and I even found myself a few weeks ago, when we were flying Brisbane to Gatwick, I was monitoring the same flight we would be on up to 2 weeks before our flight to make sure it landed safely. Silly eh! I just think to myself of the thousands of flights around the world that take off and land safely every day, you’re more likely to be run over by a bus crossing the street!

Re: frightened of flying!
 

Commercial flying is actually potentially quite dangerous. Not as dangerous as rock climbing, driving to the shops or patting an unfamiliar dog, though.

What makes it incredibly safe in relation to just about everything else that we all do without thinking about it, is the extraordinary emphasis on safety, procedures, testing and retesting, constant ongoing research and investigation etc etc.

One of the bylines is "Safety is no accident".

Millions of highly qualified and trained designers, engineers, logistic specialists, crew and so on have only one objective: a safe operation. You probably have no idea of the degree to which the industry goes to achieve this, or the regulation which governments and the industry itself impose on aircraft manufacture and operations.

If a millionth of the effort and discipline that is involved in airline operations were to be applied to say road transport then perhaps one fatality per ten years on UK roads would be the norm, instead of 3500 per annum - and perhaps only a couple of thousand people would be licenced to drive based on ability and psychological profile!

So don't even think about the safety aspect, unless you worry about getting on a bus or getting hit by lightning. If claustrophobia is the problem I can't help - but C2H5OH probably is as good as anything else!

Re: frightened of flying!
 

Correct. When a big bird goes down your toast. That is something I like about flying the small planes. If I lose the engine I can still land it safely on a road or in a field. Although the commercial pilots do a lot of work preparing for a disaster what usually determines you surviving is if they panic or not.

Re: frightened of flying!
 

You guys really know how to reassure a person. :rofl:

Re: frightened of flying!
 

I used to be PETRIFIED of flying, to the extent that we almost cancelled our reccy. The thought of flying that distance to Oz scared me silly.

People told me to try hypnotherapy, but I dismissed it as I am a total sceptic about those types of things.

Anyway, desperation saw me book a session. The first session was about regression - trying to find the trigger in your past that made me scared. This I would say was what I though 'typical' hypnosis would be. I wasnt convinced it had done any good. I then had a second session where we did something called positive mental reharsal. That was fantastic. Basically, I was talked into a relaxed mood and then talked through the whole flight - from leaving the house, through check in and onto the plane, and all the time being told that I felt good, and excited and relaxed etc. This was to try and make it so that when we did go through the journey I would be thinking those thoughts, and not the anxious thoughts I would normally automatically think.

I tell you what - I absolutley loved the flights, I wasnt just no longer scared - I actually enjoyed the whole thing. There and back.

I cant recomend this enough to anyone that has a fear of flying. Look on the internet for a local therapist, I looked for one that was registered to work on the NHS as there are a lot of unregulated therpists our there that have had no proper training. Give one a call and ask them about mental rehersal. I thought it was fantastic.

Re: frightened of flying!
 

I make no comment about "davdah's" toast-post. However, I do think that most people are grownup enough to make rational choices when the facts are presented to them, and the fact is that being in an airplane doing 500mph at 6 miles altitude is more risky than standing in a field. But then so is crossing a road with traffic on each side. Or boiling a kettle.

The real fact is that the airline industry is incredibly tightly regulated, overseen and operated, and this makes it far and away more safe than virtually every other method of transport.

I can't remember where I came across a site giving numbers of fatalities due to thousands of seemingly innocous activities - such as getting out of bed, and tying your shoelaces - but it's quite unbelievable how many die each and every year just, well - living!

Now an astronaut - *that's* dangerous travel for you!

Re: frightened of flying!
 

Yeah, my daughter wants to be one:

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1306/...6525be2e01.jpg


http://farm1.static.flickr.com/132/3...4291364cde.jpg

Re: frightened of flying!
 

She'd better hurry up then - I think the shuttle only has a dozen or two more flights!

Re: frightened of flying!
 

Oh by the time she's through with Uni, and a few years in the Air force, NASA 'll be off to Mars or something.

Re: frightened of flying!
 

Tell her to have her kids before sitting in a sardine can for six months each way enduring the radiation, then!

Re: frightened of flying!
 

Search 'fear of flying' on amazon and you'll get a couple of audiobooks come up that involve hypnotherapy-probably alot more cost effective!:)-and you can take on flight with you. Take everything you can to make your flight more comfy-relaxing essential oil, eye mask, ear plugs, a pashmina that scented with a fave smell, Bach's Rescue Remedy (from Boots-spray on tongue when stressed) and turn up expecting your flight to be a smooth & comfortable one-dont expect the worse or you'll work yourself up. Finally a glass of fizz and keep thinking of your new exciting life!! All the best:thumbsup:

Re: frightened of flying!
 

She'll probably do the sensible thing and not have any. ;)

Re: frightened of flying!
 

comfy? relaxing? smooth? comfortable? what do I do with the kids? ;)

Re: frightened of flying!
 

Leave them in cattle class and make sure you get upgraded. ;)

Re: frightened of flying!
 

What a pragmatic lady!

Re: frightened of flying!
 

Wish they had air-nannies! Someone who would entertain them, walk them up and down the aisle every 10 seconds, take them to the toilet for the 50th time, open every carton/foil top/packet on their meal tray only for them to turn their nose up in disgust, let them lie full out all over you with a foot in your face, change the channel on the entertainment system for the 50th time in 5 minutes, calm them down when you realise you've left their favourite comforter back in the hotel/car/train .................

Galba

Re: frightened of flying!
 

That sounds rather like our flight with Korean Air actually. Our baby was hardly with us. :D

Re: frightened of flying!
 

Luckily they didn't think it was a puppy....