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People who have anxiety disorders/panic attacks can have a challenge with flying that people without anxiety over it would probably never understand. Even people without major anxiety issues can have a lot of dread and unease relating to air travel.
People who have anxiety disorders/panic attacks can have a challenge with flying that people without anxiety over it would probably never understand. Even people without major anxiety issues can have a lot of dread and unease relating to air travel.
I used to get terribly anxious when I flew, starting weeks before the flight. I was sure that it was going to crash. I did it anyway because my in-laws were in Florida and that's how we went to see them, but I would be irrationally terrified.
My cure was 9/11. I was in the WTC. For a little while that morning it seemed as though I really WAS facing the moment of my death.
I don't know if I used up my lifetime supply of fear that day or what, but ever since then, I've had the "knowledge" that we are going to die when we are meant to die, and to my delight, the next time I flew after the attacks, I realized I wasn't afraid anymore. Not only wasn't I afraid, I ENJOYED it.
I flew to Europe for the first time in 2015. Longest flight I ever took. I was absolutely fine, looked forward to it with anticipation, loved landing and taking off and looking out the window.
If my time comes when I am on an airplane, well, my last views will be amazing. Except if it's night, of course and I'm over the ocean.
But you are correct. Anxiety about getting into a metal tube and hurtling through the air seven miles above the earth is very real.
I used to get terribly anxious when I flew, starting weeks before the flight. I was sure that it was going to crash. I did it anyway because my in-laws were in Florida and that's how we went to see them, but I would be irrationally terrified.
My cure was 9/11. I was in the WTC. For a little while that morning it seemed as though I really WAS facing the moment of my death.
I don't know if I used up my lifetime supply of fear that day or what, but ever since then, I've had the "knowledge" that we are going to die when we are meant to die, and to my delight, the next time I flew after the attacks, I realized I wasn't afraid anymore. Not only wasn't I afraid, I ENJOYED it.
I flew to Europe for the first time in 2015. Longest flight I ever took. I was absolutely fine, looked forward to it with anticipation, loved landing and taking off and looking out the window.
If my time comes when I am on an airplane, well, my last views will be amazing. Except if it's night, of course and I'm over the ocean.
But you are correct. Anxiety about getting into a metal tube and hurtling through the air seven miles above the earth is very real.
Thanks for sharing your story. I know something like that would have to be very very scary to say the least. I'm happy that it actually ended up helping you be LESS afraid of flying. I can't imagine flying to Europe, but maybe baby steps. I've flown only twice - round trip, Chicago/Phoenix. I was VERY anxious and felt I was going to die, taking off and landing both ways, especially when there was turbulence, but I did enjoy the views on the rest of the flight. A lot of people don't understand how real anxiety is.
Now I would dress in an evening gown and high heels, tiara if necessary, to experience air travel like it was prior to 9/11. And I don't even own a dress!
Sometimes the good ol' days really WERE the good ol' days.
...
I don't understand how anyone could site something that takes 30 seconds (like taking off shoes) as a factor that makes flying so horrible. I didn't comment on whether you'd rather drive or how expensive your Rolex is, I specifically referenced the very short time it takes to deal with shoes and a laptop. I don't understand, it seems ridiculous to me that your threshold for aggravation is so low.
...
I hear you man, gotta take your shoes off and all. It's like 10th level of hell doing something that we do every morning anyway, and ruins the entire day.
No. You hear nothing.
Taking shoes off is STUPID in the extreme, especially when it's sandals.
It must be great to have no ego. How about bending over and being.. oh yeah, it's just 10 seconds, and doctors do it all the time. You gotta do it eventually, right man?.. so why let it ruin your day?
You have no idea what the difference is between the civilized experience air flight was before those mofos ruined it for everyone so your baseline for comparison is root canal?
I fly. I love flying. I hate the de-humanizing experience that flying has become.
So kill me.
Those are solid fears but they don’t justify not flying.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Griffland219
Why do so many people HATE air travel?
One word: anxiety
People who have anxiety disorders/panic attacks can have a challenge with flying that people without anxiety over it would probably never understand. Even people without major anxiety issues can have a lot of dread and unease relating to air travel.
People with anxiety or heart problems should not be getting on planes.
Because I remember when I could keep my dignity and didn't have to undress and stand in my socks or bare feet in a public place.
Because I remember when I didn't have to upend my bag and spill the contents onto a table for all to see and then have to rush to jam everything in to get out of the way.
Because I remember when I used to be relatively comfortable in my seat.
Because I remember when people used to be civil to one another on the plane.
Because I remember when I didn't feel like the meat of a sandwich when sitting in my seat. Even when the front seat is not in recline mode, very little space is becoming the norm.
Because I remember when obesity wasn't the norm, so I had a good chance of having the space of my own seat to myself. With seats decreasing in size and people increasing in size, no matter how hard large or tall people try, they spill into and out of and beyond.
Because when I have a choice, I tend toward refinement and avoid the crass. Air travel has become a crass affair. So much of it is dehumanizing, and that is demoralizing for me. I have no anxiety nor fear of flying. In fact, I used to look forward to any airline trip. It was just so...fun - every bit of it, including the taxi ride to the airport. I can deal with the procedures necessary (but just barely) since 9/11, but combined with decreasing space inside the plane adds insult to injury. I can do one or the other, but not both.
I LOVE air travel. It's the fellow passengers that dont have a clue, that I hate!
This!
(Though I also hate flying while sick, like I had to do on Monday. Holy sinus pain batman!!)
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