What are my options for help with fear of flying? Medication?

[PolyAnn]

Will my GP prescribe me something? Does anyone know what my options are and how they may effect me? I'm flying alone so don't want to be 'out of it'. 5 hour flight.

Hypnotherapy doesn't work for me, I tried it previously for something else.

I take one diazepam tablet 2mg. I am petrified of flying and my anxiety starts at the gate so I take it about half hour before then. My GP prescribes it for me. It makes me calm and happy but not sleepy or out of sorts. It lasted for a whole 11 hour flight.

diazepam may work, may not. Being 'out of it' is a bad idea anyway.

have you tried a fear of flying course?

if not - it is never essential to fly, especially given that you have to fly back so the fear will wreck the trip in between.

I am not fearful of flying but was prescribed beta blockers for another situation. They didn't totally take the fear away but definitely took the edge off and I still felt normal, not away with the fairies or anything. As a long term fix though a fear of flying course may be a good idea as someone else mentioned.

For me it's claustrophobia resulting in a panic attack. Would a course help that?

Hypnotherapy helped me

Which airline?

I have suffered all sorts of anxiety issues, including claustrophobia and flying.

I have done a course of CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) and found it worked really well, because I now have the skills to talk myself down from the impending doom scenario.

I recently flew and whilst I didn't like it at all, I was able to manage my feelings of anxiety as they were rising, and avoided full scale panic.

I also try to practice mindfulness...it really helps too with the general state of my mind.

Search on YouTube...there are LOADS of guided sessions...find one you like and do it every day.

Diazepam can help too, but take one at home to 'practice'. Some people can get more wound up on it.

Good luck.

Look at CBT and/or enrolling on a fear of flying course.