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Original poster

Fear of flying - your top tips for combatting it

40 replies

TabbyMcTabster · 16/04/2024 19:12

We've booked to go to the Seychelles in November and I'm already feeling anxious about the flight when I think about it!

I say 'flight' .. wish it was just one flight! It's actually two flights - one to Doha then onto the Seychelles

No idea where the fear of flying comes from. I've never been particularly keen tbh and I've never flown long haul. When I've been to Portugal / Turkey etc I spend a large amount of time just gazing at the flight attendants to see if they seem nice and calm!

Anyway - I'd like diazepam I think but doubt I'll be able to get it prescribed so in the absence of that - what can I do?

The thought of being in the air just makes me shiver - am I going to be on the plane that crashes?!!

Please - no horror stories

OP posts:
Dontsayyouloveme · 16/04/2024 19:15

A private GP will prescribe diazepam fir fear of flying! I really recommend it! I don’t think I’d be able to fly without it.. I did a fear of flying course too which really helped me understand about how planes work.. the noises they make.. how safe they are etc! But diazepam all the way x

Noadvertising · 16/04/2024 19:18

I can highly recommend emdr treatment. I had massive fear due to being in a crash landing many years ago but I can comfortably get on a plane now. Also the chances of being on the plane that crashes are incredibly low. I don’t think it could happen to me twice.

LiberteEgaliteBeyonce · 16/04/2024 19:18

I was able to get 4 diazepam pills from my gp for exactly this reason.
2 things to bear in mind:
Try a diazepam before the flight to test its side effects
Keep the prescription with you. Seychelles may not be cool about you taking in this medication in their country.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

Flying Holidays
ElleDeeCB · 16/04/2024 19:19

Try the ‘Overcome the Fear of Flying’ hypnosis with Glenn Harrold. You can download it as an app. You just need to listen to it in a quiet room ideally with headphones on every day for a few weeks ahead of the flight. You could try sooner and listen once a week. It helped me a lot. Also convincing myself that my feeling of fear were actually excitement. My GP also prescribed me diazepam which does take the edge off.

JoleneTookHerMan · 16/04/2024 19:21

What exactly is your fear?

If it's the flight itself (as in being in the air), to get some perspective, watch Flight Radar or the arrivals list of any airport and see just how many flights there are at any one time and zero mention of accidents in the news.

LiberteEgaliteBeyonce · 16/04/2024 19:21

And then, yes to watching the cabin crew chilling when there are turbulences. Perhaps a prompt sheet to remind you of how safe air travel is could be helpful to challenge unhelpful thoughts.

Focusing your thinking on other things could help ie look around you and ask your self: whose hairstyle/ clothes would you adopt if you had to? Things like that. It's distracting and could be fun!

Cornflakes44 · 16/04/2024 19:23

Honesty, I just have a few drinks. Much better in my experience than diazepam, which I have previously got from the gp for flying. I also play games on my phone to distract myself during take off or any turbulence. I usually do escape the room games. It works quite well. And sit in the middle of the plane. It's the least bumpy bit. I feel like that makes a big difference.

GiveYourHeadAWobble · 16/04/2024 19:26

I asked my GP for diazepam for my most recent flight and she said they don’t give them out for fear of flying at that surgery (although they used to as I’ve had them in the past). I found that a couple of drinks works just as well as diazepam though.

Cozytoesandtoast00 · 16/04/2024 19:27

My private insurance company doesn’t prescribe diazepam for flying anymore. Not many do.
I’ve just come back from a very long haul trip and feel cured from my fear of flying.
familiarise yourself with normal flying sounds and movements. When going through clouds (ascent & descent) you will feel some turbulence. When initially going over land or sea, you will feel turbulence.
The loud noise is the wheels coming down or going up. These regularities helped me.
Also, remind yourself of how safe flying is. Planes do not fall out of the sky. Look at all of the houses & towns below the plane. They never experience issues with planes.
You will probably be on a massive plane for long haul and these are generally a lot smoother than other planes.
Kalms tablets and magnesium glycinate also help!

Fancyfencepost · 16/04/2024 19:33

Someone gave me an Alan Carr self help
book to conquer the fear of flying. I was very sceptical but it has worked for me and 15 years later I still take it with me (second copy, first fell into the swimming pool, and I’m far less worried now. Good luck, it is far better not to have arrived on holiday and spend the next two weeks worried about going home.

user1471453601 · 16/04/2024 19:34

I really disliked flying. I suspect I know why, but I'm not here to increase your unease @TabbyMcTabster so I won't go into that.

It was the take off and landing but mainly.

I had someone working for me who identified some training that sounded helpful in his job. It was Neuro Linguist Programming. One night, we were out as a team celebrating a success we'd had and we got chatting and I mentioned

long story short, he said he'd help me using NLP. We spoke for about ten minutes. That was that.

shortly

user1471453601 · 16/04/2024 19:36

Sorry, somehow pressed send.

as I was saying, afterwards I went on holiday. I remember ed what he said to me, and I was completely fine.

If I were you, if give it a try

mrsrobin · 16/04/2024 19:42

I recently went on an extremely long flight on my own. Because of issues with my ears I bought some noise cancelling headphones. Absolutely fantastic - not only could I not hear all the noises in the plane (which do sometimes unnerve me) I could hear the films and music crystal clear so could get stuck into those. They won't solve your nerves but I think they will certainly help.

clareykb · 16/04/2024 21:04

I did the BA course ..online as was post covid. Was worth every penny..flew to and from Mexico afterwards schilled as my g and t!

Original poster
TabbyMcTabster · 16/04/2024 21:39

@JoleneTookHerMan not sure! I don't like taking off one bit and I'm scared of turbulence. Had it once going to Stockholm and to my eternal shame I think I screamed. My husband didn't know where to put himself 😬

I like landing as this means I'll soon be out of the air!

I can just feel my heart beating faster and I really do spend a lot of the flight in a small state of panic

OP posts:
Original poster
TabbyMcTabster · 16/04/2024 21:41

Thank you all!

Some amazing ideas

I do have access to a private GP so I will try and get some diazepam there. I did ask my own GP for it before I went to turkey. The answer was 'no' and I was made to feel a little like a drug addict!

I've had it prescribed once before for a bad back in spasm and was given 2 tablets. It gave me a bit of a relaxed floaty feeling and I think this could help

OP posts:
Original poster
TabbyMcTabster · 16/04/2024 21:46

@clareykb didn't realise there was a BA course online! I'll look into that

Doesnt help that last time I flew, the plane jolted upon landing and this was enough to make me nauseous- this then unfortunately led to me having to be sick in my handbag as I just didn't have time to grab the paper bag!

So thinking about it .. my fear is the plane crashing, turbulence and it making me feel sick!

I'm also leaving my kids behind. Now that's not as dramatic as it sounds as they're 18 and 25 (although one doesn't live at home but will come back for the duration) so that'll
Play on my mind on the flight too.

OP posts:
rewilded · 16/04/2024 21:55

The book Soar and a few glasses of wine. I have terrible anxiety and have flown little until this book and then I needed to fly long-haul. It pretty much cured it for me.

Fear of flying - your top tips for combatting it
Nomorebeer22 · 16/04/2024 22:02

Try asking for propranolol from Dr instead. It stops your heart rate rising so puts a stop to the physical panic feelings. Then a few drinks to calm the mind and really good noise cancelling headphones.
The above recently got me through 2x5 hour flights.

Original poster
TabbyMcTabster · 16/04/2024 22:02

@rewilded I'll give that a go!

I'm also going to use a private GP for diazepam, consider an online fear of flying course and maybe some NLP programming

OP posts:
ginoclocksomewhere · 16/04/2024 22:02

There's a guy on TikTok- I'm so sorry, I don't recall his name, but if you search 'flying noises explained' they'll probably show!- but he made a video explaining all of the different sounds you hear during take off and landing (eg, clicking noises, engine noises changing etc). It's SUPER informative and he said it helps people panic when they know what the sounds mean.

It's not a cure, but it might also help to stay calm?

Original poster
TabbyMcTabster · 16/04/2024 22:03

@Nomorebeer22 I'll look into that too, thanks

Can't drink alcohol unfortunately. Well, I can but I'm just not a drinker at all - bar the odd cocktail a couple of times a year - so one glass of wine will probably have me puking

OP posts:
Crapuscular · 16/04/2024 22:05

Diazepam

Cicciabella · 16/04/2024 22:10

I'm ex crew. I recommend telling the purser when you get on board.