fear of flying

[mumof2000]

im going to america in under 2 weeks and am terrified of flying , can anyone help suggest anything to help me , anxiety and fear .

thanks .

Have you flown before?

Yea lots of times , i have always hated it ,i get in a right state , i usualy have a few G & Ts that helps but this is a 9 hour flight , cant drink myself silly that wouldnt be good .. i get very scared and with recent terror threats im evon worse .... i think its because im out of control , im the same when im driven anywhere , i never get taxis etc ..

silly i know .

looking forward to going disney etc will be fab

Avoid alcohol if you can as it makes you more anxious in the long run. Get some rescue remedy or see your gp who may give you something, maybe a beta blocker like propranalol.

Breathing exercises are also very helpful and try to keep occupied. If you do get panicky repeat in your head " I am calm and relaxed" and lengthen your exhalation.

I usually find turning left when I get on the plane helps too.

Have a great holiday.

ha ha yep i hope so to , i have done the US flight before and really couldnt look right at all ..

i prefer to believe its only me and my family on the plane not the other 100 or so ...

i went to doc , who knowing me didnt recomend any tablets as with jet lag and time difference would make me worse ..

I had to read some fear of flying books before I went to America on a plane. Seemed fine when I was younger, but as I am older every little sound and engine thing really gets to me.
It helped me to look out of the window and see how amazing it is to get up in the air and think of it as an adventure. I know this sounds barking probably, but once I am up I am ok. It's the take off and the landing that make me more anxious. The books I read were able to let me know that noises are completely normal. I have to tell you that I am scared of dying in a plane crash for some reason - but once I was on the plane and felt comfortable I told myself that if I was going to actually die, then it was better to have tried to get to america for a wonderful holiday than sit in the house worrying myself to death and not see any of the world just cos I am scared to fly.
I am a control freak too.
I hope this helps you just a little bit? And you know what - the best feeling of 'I did it' happens when you get off at the other side, feel the heat and get to spend money in the shops and really have fun xxx