To be absolutely freakin petrified of flying

[Pinkbutterfly31]

I'm off on holiday next week! All good, yes? Well, it would be if I wasn't absolutely fecking petrified of flying. To make matters worse, we are taking a grand total of 7 flights in the next two weeks.

I did the virgin flying without fear course a few weeks ago, and it helped a little bit. In fact, the flight at the end of the course was the first time I've been on a plane for 10 years.

Does anyone have any helpful tips or hints, because instead of looking forward to the holiday of a lifetime, I'm just dreading it :(

I used to love flying but more recently, since kids, I have become progressively frightened. Its more to do with knowing that there is just one of me to try to look out for two of them. Im not so scared of flying as scared of drowning, or the kids drowning, if we went into water and no one was able to help me get life jackets on them. I have nightmares about that for weeks before a holiday, but usually am absolutely OK on the actual flight.

Hypnotherapy can sort phobias check out rob Kelly's thrive for more details. If you're west london pm me for a contact there.

Perhaps one way to get over your fear is to download the free app that shows you all the flights over the world at any given time. There are thousands of flights a day and no accidents. Ryanair has flown 90million passengers with no accidents.

I am also a fearful passenger. I drink to much and take rescue balm. I also sit in the aisle and tell the stewardess that I'm a wreck. It's awful but you will be fine Easy to say. I know it.

Thanks everyone, it helps.

Having done the flying without fear course, I know how safe flying is etc. I've had it explained by a pilot. It's just so irrational! I do also hate the claustrophobic feeling. I think the fact that I haven't done it for so long certainly doesn't help (other than my brief virgin course flight).

I think what didn't help on the flying course was that as we were taxi-ing up the runway, a woman FREAKED out. She started screaming "LET ME OFF LET ME OFFF" and was trying to break her way into the cockpit. It took three people to hold her down. We ended up having to go back to the ramp to drop her back. I could've got off there and then! And it also didn't help that as we were taking off, everyone sat on the plane had a look of 'omg we're going to die' written across their face. Not as reassuring as I thought it would be!

The worst part for me is three of the flights are in small prop planes. I can just about cope with the thought of big commercial planes...but the small ones gulp :(

Oh Pink I feel your fear!!! I hate flying with a passion. I've been doing it but getting worse and more panic stricken with each flight.

I know every single mechanical reason and noise and rational thought as to why it's all perfectly safe but I was still freaking out (internally, only my nearest and dearest ever knew, apparently I looked totally outwardly calm).

I'd tried valium but did nothing for me in fact it made me knackered but didn't stop my mind from working overtime just made me so tired I couldn't move with a racing brain full of fear. I tried hypnotherapy... Pile of poo ime!!

So this year I saw someone (counsellor who works with airline pilots to deliver courses at airports but I saw her for a private 2 hour session). She taught me a few things that I think have helped (not totally magic wand fixed, but helped).

First thing is, you need to calm your fight or flight response, when you freak out it triggers adrenaline, if you can calm down i
that will be absorbed within 3 mind, if you focus on it more adrenaline is produced it's a vicious cycle. So first thing (3 Ds) is Dispute.... Dispute the thoughts coming in your head, you know they are so unlikely, have some are flying stats etc at hand instead. Not too much detail but enough to dispute the fearful thought.

Then its Destress... Not the easiest if travelling with small children but if you can get meditation, relaxing music, relaxation tape and focus on breathing calmly, happy scenarios.

Then when you are calmer, Distract, keep your mind off it. It needs to be something that will engage your brain eg reading provably won't cut it, sudoku might, something with your DC's might but it needs to stimulate you not just physically occupy.

Then repeat the 3Ds as required in whatever order throughout the flight.

Sorry to ramble but as I say it didn't fix me but it did substantially help. PM me if you want more details or to talk through.

Good luck, it's hateful to go through and apologies in advance for numerous typos on my stupid backup phone (main one bust)

*3 mins not mind

Apparently NLP can work wonders for this, temazepan has been brilliant for me on flights, drinking has not helped me as I have just ended up as frightened but then a bit drunk as well and even less rational. Maggie's advice looks good.

I feel your fear! Fr me, the worst parts are takeoff and landing, but whenever I feel scared generally, I have to concentrate hard and count in my head or aloud to take my mind off it. It's not rational- I know the statistics, I know it's safe, but I can't get over it easily, but it can be done- also advise hypnotherapy, helped me so much!

I build these planes for a living, as long as it's not Boeing you're ok :p

My friend was terrified of flying and had done the fear of flying course etc. She tells me that the fact that I get on them like buses and describe it as totally boring has helped her - and once she'd done one flight (with tranqs from the GP) she was better with the next and the one after was even easier.

I've flown thousands of hours, and it really is boring. Turbulence in the tiny planes is a bit yuck, but not dangerous, and if you push down with your arms it makes it feel much better