Fear of flying

[SnugWriter]

I love travelling, but I’m terrified of turbulence. I have a phobia, an irrational fear, specifically during turbulence. And it is getting worse every year.

When turbulence hits, my breathing becomes rapid, and my vision starts to blur. It’s like one of those movie scenes where everything goes dark and there’s a high-pitched buzzing sound. I can’t hear what anyone around me is saying, I struggle to breathe, my whole body trembles and shakes, all my muscles start twitching uncontrollably; and no amount of rational thinking helps to calm me down.

In that moment, I honestly feel like I’d rather die than feel that level of fear. Usually, my husband or child will hold my hand, but if I’m flying alone, I grip the armrest so tightly I worry I’ll break it.

Once the turbulence passes, I calm down too and then feel incredibly embarrassed in case anyone noticed. Despite this fear, I still manage to take over 10 flights a year. It’s a bit ridiculous, isn’t it?

Please talk some sense into me… I’m just so scared. The recent crash news hasn’t helped at all, it’s made the fear worse. I know flying is statistically safe, but my body just doesn’t believe it.

Fly without Fear by Captain Keith Godfrey was recommended on here and I bought and read it and it did make sense. I am just like you, fly and hate it unless long haul as I somehow think the heavier plane is safer and hoping to put into practise what I have read.

My husband was the same. He read the Allen Carr fear of flying book it's totally sorted him

There was a thread recently where someone likened turbulence to driving on an uneven road - bumpy but completely safe. That's a good analogy.

Start practicing Box Breathing so that you can do it naturally before you get on your next flight - that will regulate your oxygen and stop most of the symptoms. And if you need something to concentrate on, do your damndest to break that armrest (you will do it zero damage!).

I have that book too. Really helpful and I always bring it with me when I fly.

Thanks @FishPie2 and @skippy67 for the Captain Godfrey book, I will try to find it. Also @Maddy70 for the Allen Carr book, will try to look for that as well. @Eyesopenwideawake yes i understand about the bumpy road but i was afraid that the 'bumpiness' breaks the plane!

Also ask your doctor for some diazempam or if they won't get some CBD gummies as a relaxant

Do those gummies really work.

I'd second diazepam. My son takes it. Hes tried hypotherapy. Therapy. Exposure. nothing worked. Till diazepam. It works .

I also have a fear of flying and hate turbulence. I did the British Airways flying without fear online course and vividly remember seeing a picture of a plane in the testing hangar- they talked about the strenuous testing aircraft undergo before being certified as fit to fly. The wings are bent upwards so they are almost touching over the top of the plane, that’s how much pressure they are designed to withstand! Turbulence is never going to do that to a plane so really helped me see how safe the planes are.

also- never in history has a plane fallen out of the sky due to turbulence!

finally- try a beta blocker like propanalol, really helps keep the anxiety symptoms under control and allow you to think rationally.

I hate flying for so many reasons. One of the things that actually really helped with my general anxiety was going into the cockpit during a flight and to get it all explained to me. I also downloaded a light tracker app so I could see the sheer number of planes in the sky at one time, it gave me a little perspective I think.

I feel the same. I know all the statistics and know it's safe but it doesn't help. We're trying to book a holiday for later in the year and I just can't bring myself to do it, although I do end up going every year it eats away at me the whole time