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I have to fly across country in 3 weeks - and I've already started to break out in hives? Any advice? Can't drink on the plane - as I wont be able to eat a few days beforehand when the real nerves kick in. Friends suggested fear of flying classes - but the closest thing I could find was in San Fran - which means I'd have to FLY there - besides I don't have time for that. In a perfect world I'd be put under anesthesia when I buckled into my seat - and wake at the gate in NY. Le sigh.....
I'm afraid to fly too, but I seem to do it an awfull lot. I found that reading some internet articles about airplane safety/turbulence and the like helped.t. I also read about the noises on the plane that used to freak me out, and now that I know what they are, I feel better. I can never sleep the couple of days before a flight, and maybe I'll always be that way, but I hope you can overcome your fear. It is no fun I know. Good luck.
I would recommend a medication for anxiety, I don't know he names of any specifically but I know there are some very mild ones now. You even start taking them a few days beforehand if necessary. If you are doing that though, of course don't drink.
Location: The Raider Nation._ Our band kicks brass
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It's not the flying part that bothers you. It's the dying part. So sit back, and listen to what I'm going to tell you. You are not going to die. Your plane is going to take off, fly across the country, and land without a problem. Just like the many thousands of flights do every single day. I know this, because it is my job, along with thousands of other fellow mechancs, to make sure that nothing happens. Your airplane is a multi million dollar piece of equipment that is maintained better than any other machinery in existence. Every single night we swarm our airplanes, we check all of the systems, we run numerous tests, and we perform preventitive maintenance. Airliners go into heavy checks, and are rebuilt to better than factory standards. Every single nut, bolt, and rivet is checked. Nothing is overlooked. We as mechanics know that nothing less than perfection is acceptable. Not only are our friends and coworkers on these planes, our wives and children are flying on them too.
Relax, enjoy the movie, and know that your flight crew, and your maintenance team are highly trained individuals that are devoted to getting you there alive, and cranky enough to complain about your lost bags. The person sitting next to you is probably one of our relatives.
I used to be terrified of flying....then I married my husband and he likes to travel - something I had not done a lot of.....well, we have so much darn fun when we travel....I try to concentrate on that part - the fun at the end of the plane ride.
I have an internal defense mechanism now I guess - I fall asleep almost as soon as I get settled in my plane seat - I am usually asleep or semi-conscious when the plan takes off - and I don't take any drugs...strange, I know.
About the dying part - well, we all die - at some point, we will die....guarantee you that dying in a plane crash is painless....so really, is dying the worst thing that can happen to you? No it isn't. Being paralyzed by your fears and failing to live a full and fun life - now that is the worst thing.....so give yourself a pep talk - if you die, you die - it would be your time to go whether you were sitting in front of the t.v. at home or on a plane (I really believe that)....concentrate on the positive aspects of travel - pat yourself on the back for being a jet-setter and live your life to the fullest. Have fun!
I want the person sitting next to me to be the AIR MARSHALL! LOLOLOL South Range Family - thanks for the post - it is very calming and I am printing it out to take with me. Now - can someone make me feel better about Air Traffic Control and Pilot error? LOLOLOL
About the dying part - well, we all die - at some point, we will die....guarantee you that dying in a plane crash is painless....so really, is dying the worst thing that can happen to you? No it isn't.
Wow - ummm....whoa...can't even formulate a sentence after reading that. But yeah - it would be the worst thing. My daughter is already on the East Coast - and the thought of leaving a 10 year old orphaned - yeah - pretty much my worst nightmare.
This is why it's a "phobia" - because it's an irrational fear. I should be more afraid to drive on Los Angeles freeways everyday - which statistically - have far greater chance of killing me. But - I'm not. And don't think I don't beat myself up over this constantly - I want to see Paris, Rome, Milan, Hawaii. But I'm doubtful that I ever will at this rate. Because when I am forced to fly somewhere - I'm miserable the entire trip because I'm fixated on the return flight.
By constantly telling yourself that you are miserable when you fly - that you will be miserable if you fly, etc....you are re-enforcing your fears. Really, whether you fly or not is in your control. Whether you fly with or without anxiety is in your control. Your fears are in your control. You can choose to fixate on the misery of flying or you can choose to fixate on the fun you will have at the end of the plane ride - your choice. If you can't control your thoughts and fears, get professional help....but please don't continue to re-enforce your fears, anxieties and phobias - not healthy on any level for you or those around you. You probably have other fears and anxieties as well - not enjoyable to live your life like that but you do have a choice.
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Wow - ummm....whoa...can't even formulate a sentence after reading that. But yeah - it would be the worst thing. My daughter is already on the East Coast - and the thought of leaving a 10 year old orphaned - yeah - pretty much my worst nightmare.
