Flight Anxiety.Ways to deal with it?

[CKent]

Originally posted by: db
There really is a high level of anxiety for most people when they fly, though nobody admits it, or is always even aware of it about themselves.
Some people pray the whole flight; some get drunk; some try to divert their attention in various ways. But go back to the first sentence in this paragraph--it works.
Good luck.

Speak for yourself, I don't mind it in the least. What's funny is I actually have a strong fear of heights - not quite a phobia but a very real fear of them. It's only when I'm not safely in something (a plane) or strapped safely to something (a roller coaster seat), etc.

 

[Tab]

Light up a bong while in the plane...

 

[Azndude2190]

Eat some peanuts

 

[RCN]

Originally posted by: Tab
Light up a bong while in the plane...

surprisingly enough they frown upon such things.........


but really with weeds effects being uncertain and ranging from "man I'm high....nah really I'm high" to "oh sh!t I think that guy smells the weed. He must be an air marshall. Why does he keep looking at that foreign guy? Is that a bomb or a laptop in that case. Oh sh!t we are all going to die!" I wouldn't advise it.....

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

Originally posted by: RBachman

Originally posted by: db
There really is a high level of anxiety for most people when they fly, though nobody admits it, or is always even aware of it about themselves.
Some people pray the whole flight; some get drunk; some try to divert their attention in various ways. But go back to the first sentence in this paragraph--it works.
Good luck.

Speak for yourself, I don't mind it in the least. What's funny is I actually have a strong fear of heights - not quite a phobia but a very real fear of them. It's only when I'm not safely in something (a plane) or strapped safely to something (a roller coaster seat), etc.

Oh come on, woudl you feel more comfortable riding in a plane or driving yourself? Driving yourself. Come on. Just because you're "fine" with flying doesn't mean you're walking in fearless. There is some sort of fear in the back of your head too, and I've flown a billion times. It's not like I freak out, but I can guarantee you, there is some stress when you fly. I probably feel like I do when I drove down the Bay Bridge this week and they changed the whole exiting method and I was sorta confused/not sure how to get to where I was going.

 

[TallBill]

Originally posted by: jagec

Originally posted by: TallBill

Just realize that flying is much, much safer than rocketing around on the ground at 70MPH in tin can surrounded by other, incredibly incompetent drivers in other tin cans...

Actually, if you look at total time spent by a human in a plane and in a car, your chance of death/hour is almost identical.

Really? Got a link? I like to keep my facts in order when I can🙂

Ok, I was thinking wrong. Its deaths per miles that are close, not death per hour.

I've found varying statistics, but heres the best that I could find for now.

Risk by car, 1.12 deaths per billion miles
Risk by train, .88 deaths per billion miles
Risk by air, .87 deaths per billion miles

 

[Dunbar]

You guys are talking logically about the risk of flying vs. driving. The OP has an irrational fear of flying. I honestly think the best way to get past this fear is to actually do a lot of flying. Experience a panic attack on the plane and get past it. Beyond that, Xanax can be effective if somewhat habit forming. I would only use it as a last resort.

 

[TitanDiddly]

Take some Tylenol PM an hour before liftoff.

 

[RCN]

Originally posted by: Dunbar
You guys are talking logically about the risk of flying vs. driving. The OP has an irrational fear of flying. I honestly think the best way to get past this fear is to actually do a lot of flying. Experience a panic attack on the plane and get past it. .

I've done alot of flying and the fear has developed in recent years. As far as panic attacks they aren't something you just get past by experiencie.

 

[Dunbar]

Originally posted by: RCN
I've done alot of flying and the fear has developed in recent years. As far as panic attacks they aren't something you just get past by experiencie.

Speak for yourself.

 

[jagec]

Originally posted by: TallBill
Ok, I was thinking wrong. Its deaths per miles that are close, not death per hour.

I've found varying statistics, but heres the best that I could find for now.

Risk by car, 1.12 deaths per billion miles
Risk by train, .88 deaths per billion miles
Risk by air, .87 deaths per billion miles

Hmm, the statistics I found are quite different...in the Dartmouth study, it's 11.7, .88, and .87 respectively, in NTSB, it's .4 for planes and 8.6 for cars.

Originally posted by: DLeRium
Oh come on, woudl you feel more comfortable riding in a plane or driving yourself? Driving yourself. Come on. Just because you're "fine" with flying doesn't mean you're walking in fearless. There is some sort of fear in the back of your head too, and I've flown a billion times. It's not like I freak out, but I can guarantee you, there is some stress when you fly. I probably feel like I do when I drove down the Bay Bridge this week and they changed the whole exiting method and I was sorta confused/not sure how to get to where I was going.

Believe it or not, I have ZERO fear of flying. In fact, I'm one of the weird ones who enjoys turbulence. If the captain were to start doing sharp turns, climbs, and dives, it would put a grin on my face.

 

[Howard]

Listen... to a whole lot of... Pink Floyd, man.

Um, what was I saying?

 

[Descartes]

Originally posted by: DLeRium

Originally posted by: RBachman

Originally posted by: db
There really is a high level of anxiety for most people when they fly, though nobody admits it, or is always even aware of it about themselves.
Some people pray the whole flight; some get drunk; some try to divert their attention in various ways. But go back to the first sentence in this paragraph--it works.
Good luck.

Speak for yourself, I don't mind it in the least. What's funny is I actually have a strong fear of heights - not quite a phobia but a very real fear of them. It's only when I'm not safely in something (a plane) or strapped safely to something (a roller coaster seat), etc.

Oh come on, woudl you feel more comfortable riding in a plane or driving yourself? Driving yourself. Come on. Just because you're "fine" with flying doesn't mean you're walking in fearless. There is some sort of fear in the back of your head too, and I've flown a billion times. It's not like I freak out, but I can guarantee you, there is some stress when you fly. I probably feel like I do when I drove down the Bay Bridge this week and they changed the whole exiting method and I was sorta confused/not sure how to get to where I was going.

I fly 20-30 times a year and I can say I have absolutely no discomfort or fear whatsoever. I've actually come to enjoy the turbulence as it at least adds some excitement to the trip.

I have probably 3000% more anxiety driving down the highway in Atlanta at rush hour.

 

[Descartes]

Originally posted by: jagec

Originally posted by: TallBill
Ok, I was thinking wrong. Its deaths per miles that are close, not death per hour.

I've found varying statistics, but heres the best that I could find for now.

Risk by car, 1.12 deaths per billion miles
Risk by train, .88 deaths per billion miles
Risk by air, .87 deaths per billion miles

Hmm, the statistics I found are quite different...in the Dartmouth study, it's 11.7, .88, and .87 respectively, in NTSB, it's .4 for planes and 8.6 for cars.

Originally posted by: DLeRium
Oh come on, woudl you feel more comfortable riding in a plane or driving yourself? Driving yourself. Come on. Just because you're "fine" with flying doesn't mean you're walking in fearless. There is some sort of fear in the back of your head too, and I've flown a billion times. It's not like I freak out, but I can guarantee you, there is some stress when you fly. I probably feel like I do when I drove down the Bay Bridge this week and they changed the whole exiting method and I was sorta confused/not sure how to get to where I was going.

Believe it or not, I have ZERO fear of flying. In fact, I'm one of the weird ones who enjoys turbulence. If the captain were to start doing sharp turns, climbs, and dives, it would put a grin on my face.

I just said almost the same thing you did. It too puts a grin on my face. Sometimes when it's really jumpy I actually start laughing.

Have you ever gone through a storm where you saw nothing but cloud for a few minutes? If there is turbulence and you stare at the clouds long enough you can completely disorient yourself 😀

Good times! :thumbsup:

 

[soydios]

Dramamine, to deal with any motion sickness. It'll also make you very tired (time passes a lot faster if you're asleep).

Get a method of distraction. A laptop for work/movies, magazines/books, music, whatever. Get a good pair of headphones (either fat ones to block out noise or noise-canceling to mute it) to insulate yourself from the droning of the engines.

Leave yourself plenty of time. More time to check in, make connections, and check out means less stress. More time between connecting flights gives you more time to charge your portable devices.

One last tidbit about the safety of flying: you are more likely to be killed during the drive to the airport than you are in the sky. Take comfort in the fact that the airlines know their stuff.

 

[flexy]

i am not "comfortable" either...but then i totally love flying - just recently took a few trips back and forth again just very short fligths (not even an hour)...and totally loved it.

Just deal with the reality...that it is theoretically much safer than cars (there are thousands and thousands of people dying each year in car accidents)....and if you learn about the physics of flying.
Eg. NOT to expect it being a smooth ride and NOT freak out because of every small "bump" in the air etc....but see it as the nature of flying...basically the same as a ship riding the waves just that the plane rides whatever's up there.

Also...i dont know how old you are...but i usually get me some Heineken too to relax 🙂
(Not that i had time on my last flights to even finish those.....lol 🙂

Also..doing something which makes you uncomfortable at the end always should give you a good feeling about achievment. for me its still exciting and fascinating and dthats a good thing 🙂

 

[flexy]

Get a method of distraction. A laptop for work/movies, magazines/books, music, whatever. Get a good pair of headphones (either fat ones to block out noise or noise-canceling to mute it) to insulate yourself from the droning of the engines.

One last tidbit about the safety of flying: you are more likely to be killed during the drive to the airport than you are in the sky. Take comfort in the fact that the airlines know their stuff.

i actually dont agree with the whole 'ignore'/distract idea for the sake of getting more comfortable. Because if he has a rather non-logical "fear" it would be better to ) yes, just DO it...overcome the fear by doing it....and/or just learn a lot about flying too....eg the engine noise is NOT something bad....the shaking is NOT unusual....and it is NOT unusual to feel "weird" in the stomach when the plane takes some weird turns and flips to the side etc. Its just the nature of flying.
Understand it and accept it is (maybe) the better way than (forcefully) trying to ignore the current situation. D@mn yeah, you are FLYING...so..well..its unusual to a certain extent...but also fun and statistically VERY safe.

 

[NanoStuff]

Take into account that if you die, a lot of other innocent people will die with you. That should make you feel better.

 

[Alprazolam]

Alprazolam 🙂

 

[typerlover]

Thanks for the advice. I guess mainly what I was looking to see if it is possible to get a Rx for this. I am going in looking for something antianxiety and want to ask for it yet at the same time not seem like an addict.

 

[LtPage1]

Originally posted by: RBachman
That's one of the benefits of being severely, chronically depressed... I'd prefer to die... anyway, if a drink or five isn't working, talk to a doctor about it and see if you can't get a prescription for something or other.

Is it bad that I though this was hilarious? Totally Marvin from Hitchhiker's Guide.

Anyways, earplugs/good isolating headphones, sleep if you can, music, a good book, ALCOHOL 😀, talk to people.