To ask for your flying advice?

[outsider12]

I'm due to go on holiday tonight around midnight. The flight is about 5 hours long and I'm such a nervous flyer.
I thought I'd be okay but now I'm beginning to feel really unwell with the thought of it. An absolute ball of nerves - even the thought of the airport.
Last time I flew was about 6 years ago and I wasn't as nervous then. I do have diazepam but I'm scared to take it incase anything bad happens.
Please give me your tips/advice on how to make this easier!

Take the diazepam

@bouncingraindrops what will it do???

Did you not ask what it would do when it was prescribed ?

I did but I'm just really nervous about trying it. All the doctor said was it would calm me down and give it a shot

I'm a nervous flyer.
When I went on holidays I was sat next to a Mum & her 4ish year old (my husband was sat with my 2)
And when we had turbulence , he asked why was the plane shaking and she said "oh darling we're just Bouncing on the clouds"
& for some reason, totally made me feel better , probably the fact I was trying to hold it together in front of him aswell, not to scare him
Also Earphones and download a film /series, made our flight go by much quicker!
You'll be fine! Take the tablet. Or half just incase if it makes you feel better

Diazepam is great!

How about a calming meditation you do before you fly? I use several of this woman's other meditations; she's really good.

www.fragrantheart.com/cms/free-audio-meditations/relaxation/flying-effortlessly-part1

Diazepam is fine only lasts an hour or so,you just feel more relaxed.

You could ask to go into the flight deck quickly before the flight. Most flight deck understand that some passengers are nervous and won’t mind a bit. Lots of people have said they found that helpful and it’s more common than you think to be nervous.

Other than that, turbulence is completely normal. The pilots will do their best to avoid it and if you do go into any it’ll be either clear air turbulence which is nothing to worry about, just annoying, or it’ll be because you’re bouncing off the top of clouds or going through one. The pilots can see areas where severe turbulence is and will avoid it.

Hope that helps x

I'm not a particularly nervous flyer - I just get a bit claustrophobic after a short while. I travel regularly for work - usually long haul. I take diazepam as I sit in my seat a put my seatbelt on,

Also depends on the strength (I have a low dose) and how many your doctor has given you.

If a low dose you could take one just before you get to the airport. If a higher dose wait until you board.

It will just relax you tbh and probably help you sleep. As your flight is at midnight I'd be tempted to take it once you're at the gate - that way if nothing else you'll have a good snooze.

Noise-cancelling headphones are also a God-send - to help block out the incessant noise of the terminal and on the flight.

Take the diazepam OP. You'll be fine.

take the diazepam. only pop it once you have checked in.

alternatively red wine - or both.

and try the cognitive approach. the most dangerous part of your trip is the drive to the airport.

I was a very nervous flyer and watched lots of videos on YouTube by pilots explaining various parts/noises of air travel and that helped me too!

hope you have a good holiday!

It doesn't only last an hour. It can affect your driving ability the next day.
It's very mild, and a bit too nice. It won't hurt you and may make flight much more bearable.

Take the diazepam

You're not alone, I'm also a very bad flier but take heart, over 100000 planes take off and land safely every single day, it's still the safest way to travel.

TAKE THE MEDS, I take them too and they just take the edge off, think relaxed and a little bit sleepy. DON'T drink on them though

My best friend and I go away every year for a weekend and she's exactly like you. Take the Diazepam and sleep the flight away. She's always done it and woken up serene like she's had a hundred year sleep, while I sit there being kicked by the tiny despotic child in the seat behind and leave the plane looking like I've been wrestling snakes.

Thank you all. I think I shall just take it then and at least just sleep. It's only 2mg, there's not any bad side effects is there? I panic incase something happens like I have a reaction and die on the plane. It sounds insane but yeah, that's where my head is currently at.

Diazepam is best thing ever on flights! Take the happy pills and enjoy 💊💊

Full blown panic mode now. Do I take this on the flight or before?

Take it as soon as you get into your seat. 2mg will hardly do anything though, if you're really panicking you may want to take two.

Take a trial dose before you travel. Diazepam makes me hallucinate, something you wouldn't want to happen on a plane!

(Most people are fine on it, but like any meds some will react badly.)

Agree with NoBaggy. Try first. Take it in advance, at airport. Check you can take a second one when on board if needed.

I have taken Xanax for flying as I was getting sick of the first day of my holiday either being drunk, or hungover as I usually have to get 5 double G&TS before getting on a plane.

Xanax was lovely, I felt calm, dozy but not sleepy, less anxious and although I still hated take off, it took the edge off.

I was really surprised to be walking down the travelator at the destination airport, when all of a sudden I seemed more wide awake, it wore off without drowsiness and quickly.

I can't get Xanax now in the UK, so I am back on the gin.

Oh and OP, tell the flight attendants you're a nervous flyer, most are very sympathetic. On my last flight in March, one came to tell me that some turbulence was expected, so if the belt light comes on to not panic and the turbulence wasn't expected to be bad. It helped me when the seat belt light came off 5 minutes later.

Good luck.