Aviaphobia
Question:
All of the above, though I do believe that my fear of being out of control is the greatest of all. Claustrophobia is pretty bad, too. Thanks!
Have you ever flown? Or been inside of a modern jet airplane? Or do you fear what you *imagine* it would be like? Modern jets have these fantastic air flow jets that you can use to blow cool air directly on yourself; I find it a great way to eliminate that feeling of claustrophobia. Exposure therapy is the most reasonable/effective by far of the options available. http://panicdisorder.about.com/od/flyingselfhelp/ includes a link to a free self-help program as well as some other info. Can’t hurt. Also, call your local airport(s) to see whether they have programs or can direct you to those airlines that still have programs to address aviaphobia.
Response:
For me, double my normal Xanax dose the night before the flight and extra Xanax before the flight. Listening to the more soothing music during take-off and landing or at other times. Sitting in an aisle seat so that I felt I could move around. Drinking lots of water. I also have a bag with goodies such as hand creams, rosewater sprays. Magazines, books, neck pillow. Telling attendants. I find they can be very careful. Watching attendants if something makes you feel nervous. I figure if there was a significant problem I would be able to tell by their reaction. Focus on destination.
All good sugggestions. If flying on an American airline take food or you may starve <g.
Rumor has it that some people can live on sawdust.
Response:
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – For me, double my normal Xanax dose the night before the flight and extra Xanax before the flight. Listening to the more soothing music during take-off and landing or at other times. Sitting in an aisle seat so that I felt I could move around. Drinking lots of water. A lot depends on what *exactly* a person is phobic about. Some fear the plane crashing; others fear the claustrophobic environment; still others fear heights and so in an airplane as long as they don’t look down a window they may be okay, etc. I don’t have aviaphobia nor fear of heights. HOWEVER, I fear that some drugs or something bad will be found in my luggage, coming from nowhere. That’s an obsessive fear coming from my OCD. Not a big one to stop me, but the thought is present. Meryl, your case sound more like claustrophobia. Just wondering….
Mine came about after I developed panic disorder with mild agoraphobia. I had a fear of heights prior to this but flew OK. So I guess I feared the plane crashing, claustrophobia, heights and having a panic attack. Nowhere to go. I now fly OK. Meryl
Response:
"If flying on an American airline take food or you may starve" Correction Meryl: If flying on an American airline take food or you WILL starve. G
LOL and do not assume that your gate for your next flight will be near an open coffee shop at LAX. The fact that you have just flown for 14 hours is of no consequence. M
Response:
My dosage would not apply to you. I take 5 x 1 mg on a daily basis. Meryl – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Thanks, Meryl! I do have a prescription for Xanax, though it is really only a "security blanket" in that I carry it to feel safe. I have only had to take it twice in the 6 years I have had the prescription. How much do you take? For me, double my normal Xanax dose the night before the flight and extra Xanax before the flight. Listening to the more soothing music during take-off and landing or at other times. Sitting in an aisle seat so that I felt I could move around. Drinking lots of water. I also have a bag with goodies such as hand creams, rosewater sprays. Magazines, books, neck pillow. Telling attendants. I find they can be very careful. Watching attendants if something makes you feel nervous. I figure if there was a significant problem I would be able to tell by their reaction. Focus on destination. If flying on an American airline take food or you may starve <g. Meryl I am desperate! Who can tell me what REALLY works for fear of flying? I have tried so many different things that I just don’t want to spend the money (and time) again unless I have some hope that it will work! I sometimes feel guilty, too, participating in anxiety forums because my problem sounds so trivial compared to the great burdens some of the participants carry. However, it is ruining my life, not to mention my husband’s life! He is the most patient man in the world, but we are now getting to the point in life where travel is a real possibility, and I can’t even think about it. If anyone out there has any suggestions, please give them to me! Our oldest son is graduating college and looking for employment all over the country. It is my dream to be able to visit him! Thanks!
Response:
I had a terrible fear of flying! I am terrified of heights….. and didn’t think I would be able to stand being so high up. And I had this obsessive thought that I might somehow *freak out* and jump out of the plane! For years, people told me it was easier than I thought…. I’m sure you have heard all the same things. "Just like sitting in your own living room." At age 39, I attended a weekend flight-fear clinic sponsored in conjunction with American Airlines at that time. It was held in Raleigh, NC. There were 21 people in the group. The group sessions were led by psychologists, pilots, flight attendants. We sat in a stationary plane to see what it was like inside. We walked beneath the belly of the plane and the pilots explained what all the things were that moved and would make noise. We got lots and lots of information about the odds of anything going wrong. You stand a better chance of dying from being kicked in the head by a mule than of crashing in a plane. In mid-afternoon on Sunday we took a *graduation flight*. Of the 21 in the group, 18 took the flight. We flew on a regularly scheduled 727…. we all sat in one section of the plane… and we were surrounded by all those people in our group who had worked with us. The flight lasted 45 minutes. Then we flew back…. That was in October. The following February, my wife and I flew from Savannah, GA, to Raleigh… for a weekend. The following summer I joined my wife and kids for a trip to France….. my first…. and met my wife’s family after 17 years of marriage! 
Talk about an event! Wow! Since then I have flown across the Atlantic many times….. and have had the chance to travel to a few other places in the U.S. Yes, I use Xanax to help me keep calm. But you know what? It really is *just like sitting in your living room*…. except for the leg room. I love sitting by the window. As much as I *hate* high buildings…. and stay away from the edges…. I have no problem at all sitting in a plane at 36000 feet and looking out at the marvel below. Clouds from above are beautiful. I feel *safe* up there. Things I can suggest to help: 1. Tell the flight attendants you are nervous…. they can be very helpful. 2. Take along a CD player with music you like to listen to. 3. Take along things to distract you like crossword puzzles…. I take a Gameboy with me and love to play Tetris! 4. Take some Xanax to help calm you. 5. Have some magazines or light reading with you. 6. For your first flight, request seats over the wing, as the ride there may be smoother. 7. Read up on statistics about the safety of airline travel. 8. Practice relaxation techniques…. deep breathing…. everyday…. so that they become second nature and you can use them to help you. 9. Realize that the actual situation is not going to be nearly as bad as you have imagined it to be. 10. Think of your destination and all the fun you will have when you get there. 11. Watch the other passengers as they board the plane….. the older people…. the young families with children/babies… the business people… Where is each going? Where are they coming from? 12. Remember that your pilots have families…. and they want to return home safely to them! If you have any questions at all, please feel free to ask. I can tell you this much….. if *I* can fly…. *YOU* can, too! I once thought that I would NEVER set foot on a plane. But it IS possible! Oh….. and as for me going berserk and jumping out of the plane… I learned that the doors on the plan are actually sealed outward…. and as long as the plane is pressurized, they can’t be opened! Pmail me if you’d like! I don’t know of any current flight fear clinics… but I’m sure there must be some around! Take care…. MikeH
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -I am desperate! Who can tell me what REALLY works for fear of flying? I have tried so many different things that I just don’t want to spend the money (and time) again unless I have some hope that it will work! I sometimes feel guilty, too, participating in anxiety forums because my problem sounds so trivial compared to the great burdens some of the participants carry. However, it is ruining my life, not to mention my husband’s life! He is the most patient man in the world, but we are now getting to the point in life where travel is a real possibility, and I can’t even think about it. If anyone out there has any suggestions, please give them to me! Our oldest son is graduating college and looking for employment all over the country. It is my dream to be able to visit him! Thanks!
Response:
All of the above, though I do believe that my fear of being out of control is the greatest of all. Claustrophobia is pretty bad, too. Thanks!
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – For me, double my normal Xanax dose the night before the flight and extra Xanax before the flight. Listening to the more soothing music during take-off and landing or at other times. Sitting in an aisle seat so that I felt I could move around. Drinking lots of water. A lot depends on what *exactly* a person is phobic about. Some fear the plane crashing; others fear the claustrophobic environment; still others fear heights and so in an airplane as long as they don’t look down a window they may be okay, etc. I don’t have aviaphobia nor fear of heights. HOWEVER, I fear that some drugs or something bad will be found in my luggage, coming from nowhere. That’s an obsessive fear coming from my OCD. Not a big one to stop me, but the thought is present. Meryl, your case sound more like claustrophobia. Just wondering….
Response:
I am desperate! Who can tell me what REALLY works for fear of flying? I have tried so many different things that I just don’t want to spend the money (and time) again unless I have some hope that it will work! I sometimes feel guilty, too, participating in anxiety forums because my problem sounds so trivial compared to the great burdens some of the participants carry. However, it is ruining my life, not to mention my husband’s life! He is the most patient man in the world, but we are now getting to the point in life where travel is a real possibility, and I can’t even think about it. If anyone out there has any suggestions, please give them to me! Our oldest son is graduating college and looking for employment all over the country. It is my dream to be able to visit him! Thanks!
Response:
I am desperate! Who can tell me what REALLY works for fear of flying?
There are many ways to deal with this. 1. Just go through it and desensitize yourself to the experience if the phobia is minor/moderate. 2. Playing music tapes during the flight to distract yourself, especially if the flight is short. 3. A short-term, low-dose anti-anxiety med, like Ativan or Xanax, if a doctor prescribes it. I don’t know what else. I believe John Madden has the same phobia and travels on trains only. That may be another option. Personally, I would just take a .5 of Klonopin as it alone would take care of symptoms. The thoughts, however, will not be erased by an anti-anxiety med. Only desensitization will eventually erase the connection between flying and fear.
Response:
I am desperate! Who can tell me what REALLY works for fear of flying?
Don’t fly. The nasty treatment at the airport can be far worse than the actually flight itself. If you can handle the airport you can handle the flight.
Response:
For me, double my normal Xanax dose the night before the flight and extra Xanax before the flight. Listening to the more soothing music during take-off and landing or at other times. Sitting in an aisle seat so that I felt I could move around. Drinking lots of water. I also have a bag with goodies such as hand creams, rosewater sprays. Magazines, books, neck pillow. Telling attendants. I find they can be very careful. Watching attendants if something makes you feel nervous. I figure if there was a significant problem I would be able to tell by their reaction. Focus on destination. If flying on an American airline take food or you may starve <g. Meryl – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I am desperate! Who can tell me what REALLY works for fear of flying? I have tried so many different things that I just don’t want to spend the money (and time) again unless I have some hope that it will work! I sometimes feel guilty, too, participating in anxiety forums because my problem sounds so trivial compared to the great burdens some of the participants carry. However, it is ruining my life, not to mention my husband’s life! He is the most patient man in the world, but we are now getting to the point in life where travel is a real possibility, and I can’t even think about it. If anyone out there has any suggestions, please give them to me! Our oldest son is graduating college and looking for employment all over the country. It is my dream to be able to visit him! Thanks!
Response:
For me, double my normal Xanax dose the night before the flight and extra Xanax before the flight. Listening to the more soothing music during take-off and landing or at other times. Sitting in an aisle seat so that I felt I could move around. Drinking lots of water.
A lot depends on what *exactly* a person is phobic about. Some fear the plane crashing; others fear the claustrophobic environment; still others fear heights and so in an airplane as long as they don’t look down a window they may be okay, etc. I don’t have aviaphobia nor fear of heights. HOWEVER, I fear that some drugs or something bad will be found in my luggage, coming from nowhere. That’s an obsessive fear coming from my OCD. Not a big one to stop me, but the thought is present. Meryl, your case sound more like claustrophobia. Just wondering….
Response:
I really don’t know , – I wish I did. I have flown on occassion when I was in the service but never liked it even then and I was much tougher then too. Some people just have a inborn instinct for heights I suppose, Stalin "the iorn man" never flew because of fear of heights. As for my self, the main thought is that I may go "crazy" and proceed to kick the damn plane apart, – and that wouldn’t be appreciated my the others on the plane. I would think that a medical doctor could prescribe enough medication to cause the person to be able to fly. Others here should know more about this. – K
Response:
"The nasty treatment at the airport can be far worse than the actually flight itself. If you can handle the airport you can handle the flight." That is the first thing that Dan (but not THAT dan) has ever said that I agree with. Re flying. Just get a Valium prescription, take a good SSRI like Celexa in low doses for a month or two beforehand, and be working on this problem with a shrink. Yes, desensitization does work very well, for the people who it works for. 5 mgs of Valium works in 30 minutes after you take it. Get brand name version only. You must get a legitimate examination and prescription for this from a doctor, preferably one who knows all the medicines you are on, and all of your medical conditions. I am phobic of bees. Nothing but SSRI’s (only two actually, Prozac, and Celexa) and Xanax in combination were effective. Some things are just TOO FREAKIN’ MUCH for some people. Sometimes you just have to get sedated. Not a general rule of thumb, by any means. Dan is correct in saying airports are now far worse than airplanes ever thought about being. G – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I am desperate! Who can tell me what REALLY works for fear of flying? Don’t fly. The nasty treatment at the airport can be far worse than the actually flight itself. If you can handle the airport you can handle the flight.
Response:
"If flying on an American airline take food or you may starve" Correction Meryl: If flying on an American airline take food or you WILL starve. G
Response:
Thanks, but my anxiety (on a scale of 1 to 10) is a 20. I can NOT fly. That is the problem – I am so fearful that I can’t even plan a trip, so I never get to the point where I can pop a couple of Xanax and get on the plane!
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I am desperate! Who can tell me what REALLY works for fear of flying? There are many ways to deal with this. 1. Just go through it and desensitize yourself to the experience if the phobia is minor/moderate. 2. Playing music tapes during the flight to distract yourself, especially if the flight is short. 3. A short-term, low-dose anti-anxiety med, like Ativan or Xanax, if a doctor prescribes it. I don’t know what else. I believe John Madden has the same phobia and travels on trains only. That may be another option. Personally, I would just take a .5 of Klonopin as it alone would take care of symptoms. The thoughts, however, will not be erased by an anti-anxiety med. Only desensitization will eventually erase the connection between flying and fear.
Response:
Thank you. I had heard about the online course and plan to begin soon. A lot of airlines USED to offer courses, but I can’t seem to find one now that does and comes to my area. Anyone who knows of one which occasionally comes to Cincinnati, Dayton, or Louisville, please kindly let me know!
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – method of communication, so pecked out: Who can tell me what REALLY works for fear of flying? I dunno. I ran across this, and since it’s free – why not go through it? http://www.fearofflyinghelp.com/ I know that many airlines have courses that desensitize you and it’s professional and friendly. That would be my first choice, in that learning about planes and working up to sitting in a plane that isn’t going anywhere (just sitting on the ground) – and perhaps simulations – may be a good route to take. It’s therapy – exposure therapy, as well as how you perceive the different fears. I’m sure they’ve dealt with all of them. Contact your local airport and see just what they many have to offer. I believe they do and can help most people. — Elliott remove yourshoes to email http://www.unitedmedia.com/creators/ballardst/ If you want a new idea, read an old book.
Response:
Thanks, Meryl! I do have a prescription for Xanax, though it is really only a "security blanket" in that I carry it to feel safe. I have only had to take it twice in the 6 years I have had the prescription. How much do you take?
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – For me, double my normal Xanax dose the night before the flight and extra Xanax before the flight. Listening to the more soothing music during take-off and landing or at other times. Sitting in an aisle seat so that I felt I could move around. Drinking lots of water. I also have a bag with goodies such as hand creams, rosewater sprays. Magazines, books, neck pillow. Telling attendants. I find they can be very careful. Watching attendants if something makes you feel nervous. I figure if there was a significant problem I would be able to tell by their reaction. Focus on destination. If flying on an American airline take food or you may starve <g. Meryl I am desperate! Who can tell me what REALLY works for fear of flying? I have tried so many different things that I just don’t want to spend the money (and time) again unless I have some hope that it will work! I sometimes feel guilty, too, participating in anxiety forums because my problem sounds so trivial compared to the great burdens some of the participants carry. However, it is ruining my life, not to mention my husband’s life! He is the most patient man in the world, but we are now getting to the point in life where travel is a real possibility, and I can’t even think about it. If anyone out there has any suggestions, please give them to me! Our oldest son is graduating college and looking for employment all over the country. It is my dream to be able to visit him! Thanks!
