Any help for the flying jitters?

[constructiondude]

I'm a bit of a wimp on planes; any suggestions on some great ways to relax (besides alcohol)?

[Atomica]

If you're able to, think about purchasing a portable DVD player - it really makes the time go quicker being able to watch something you enjoy and distract yourself at the same time. We bought one in the summer, and I can't imagine flying without it now. What's worse than having to watch a movie you don't like? Having to watch it twice in 9 hours because their second movie 'broke'. Longest flight from London ever :)

I've never really been afraid of flying, but I'm not a fan of takeoff. I usually distract myself by buying a magazine & reading that. I'm sure you'll get lots of helpful suggestions here!

[Italy52]

I see you are from WA. Will you be flying Alaska Air? If so, rent one of the DVD players and watch a movie. DH and I always do the crossword puzzle. Passes the time quickly for us. Or, if you are a reader, read a book. When I fly, I am most comfortable when I have the aisle seat - middle and window make me feel too closed in. Try to relax and just think of that wonderful vacation that lies ahead.

[constructiondude]

Yeah, I'm flying Alaska, so I will check into that. And I'm also in the aisle seat.....it might sound strange, but I don't like it when the plane turns or banks and I notice it less when I'm not near the windows.

Great suggestions.....keep them coming.

[kiwichick]

I am also a bit of a jittery flier and find that a few drops of Bach Flower "Rescue" Remedy (a homeopathic preparation you should be able to buy from any good health food shop or pharmacy) helps to take the edge off. Hope this helps, and have a safe flight!

[WeLoveCruising]

ConstructionDude,
I dont like to fly either. Here's a pretty good website / message board that should help you:

http://www.fearofflying.com/message.htm

[hammybee]

Yeah, I'm flying Alaska, so I will check into that. And I'm also in the aisle seat.....it might sound strange, but I don't like it when the plane turns or banks and I notice it less when I'm not near the windows.

Great suggestions.....keep them coming.

I have more than 3 million miles into flying and am still not comfortable in the air. Too bad that pilots do not announce what they are going to do before, doing it. My dentist does and it makes a world of difference.

For me it's turbulance and I recite my mantra," planes do not fall out of the air due to turbulance". When flying over large bodies of water, I do the "bubbles up" routine to remind myself of how to get out of the plane, after we fall into the drink. Plunging is never an option, in this delusion.

I use a combination of distractions, M&Ms, reading, sucking on ice, making lists, drawing, playing cards, using the personal DVD player and (this is sick) profiling all the other passengers to determine who the terrorists are and my gameplan once they go into action. I so envy those that can buckle up and go to sleep. SLEEP ! I cannot imagine nodding off for a second. Then what?

Fear of flying is irrational and all about control and as passengers, we have none. So go get yourself a huge bag of M&Ms, bring along whatever distractions you need and remember, when all else fails, it will be alright in the end. The statistics are with you. Oh yeah, praying is also good.

[CDRMark]

I have no personal knowledge, but I have talked to people who swear by those noise cancelling headsets. They said the noise reduction really helps them relax. High noise levels exacerbate stress.
They can be pricey I think, but worth looking into.
Cheers
Mark < loves to fly

[Sea King]

no easy answer to "fear of flying"

suggest you see your doctor and ask for "something to take"

either that or consider alternatives such as Amtrack or even Greyhound

best of luck

[Robin7]

suggest you see your doctor and ask for "something to take"

I am not a good flyer. After 20+ years of having me dig my fingernails into his thigh, my husband suggested I ask the doctor for some Valium. I take it as soon as we board and settle in, and it kicks in just before take off, usually during the safety demonstration. :D I will sleep hard for about an hour then wake and actually be pretty comfortable as long as there's no turbulence. My dad, who is even worse than I am, takes Ativan. Works wonders for him. I so wish I'd gone the Valium route years ago.

Robin

[SweetP2]

Ativan...ask your doctor. It is a nice relaxer without knocking you out. My DW is frighten of flying, even cannot stand watching a plane fly from the ground! She flew first time last summer, used Ativan and she made it thru 6 flights. Still has a fear, but those little pills kept her calm. Plus, she prefers flying in daylight, and watches the ground using binoculars, seemed to comfort her.

Good luck!

[Randyk47]

I don't particularly have a fear of flying but I don't care to just because it's such a hassle. To pass the time, and this might work for you if the DVD doesn't work out, I have a small MP3 player (iPod like device) and a set of the noise cancelling headphones (they really work and you don't even have to buy the "knock your socks off" Bose version). Once they say "you can use electronic devices" the headphones go on and I just sit back and listen to relaxing music. For me it cuts the longest flights down to size and makes the time pass very quickly....usually causes me to snooze for quite a bit of the time. :o

[Judyjay]

Take the train. My son and I did last year, from Cleveland to San Diego. We loved it. He said would rather spend 2 1/2 days on a train than 5 hours on a plane.

[Robin7]

Just to clarify, I am suggesting constructiondude do as Sea King suggested and see his doctor, explaining his fear and asking if there is something that could help him with that fear. I am not a doctor (nor do I play one on TV:D ) and I would not presume to tell somewhat what drug he should put in his body. Consult your doctor if you fear flying is all I am saying. Whew.

We drove to the port one time--12 hours each way. The ride back in the car nearly ruined the relaxation of the cruise for me. It was very stressful. I am thankful I can fly (mostly) comfortably now!

Robin

[waiting2retire]

I'm not really uncomfortable flying, just a little nervous on takeoff and landing. At both times, I close my eyes, remind myself that thousands of planes take off safely every day all over the world, and do the 911 (emergency) "God keep me safe" prayer.

During times of turbulence or unusual noises (can't believe how many of those there are!) I find a flight attendant to watch. If they don't seem nervous, then I know it is nothing out of the ordinary.

And I always find that immersing myself in a good book makes the time pass more quickly. Good luck and have a great flight!

Bonnie

[arzz]

I used to have a profound fear of flying precipitated by a rather scarey close call during my second ever airplane flight. I am much better now (true -- it has been about 40 years since that second flight)

First, I never let my fear get in the way of my love for travel -- I went ahead and scheduled the trips anyway and my DH has the fingernail holes in his hands to prove it! (There was that time when our plane made a quick stop-over in Oakland after a lot of bumping across country for four hours on the way to San Francisco -- I believe that time DH physically held me on board -- I was ready to grab a cab and meet him at our hotel in SF as I felt that I had had enough -- but I stayed on board and all was well)

Over the years I learned that I fly better on the aisle (less claustrophobic and I also cannot see outside easily so I am unable to imagine calamities that result from that plane that just took off 30 seconds before we did, or aren't we a bit too close to that mountain peak? etc)

Using earphones are wonderful to distract me with quiet music or, better yet, I find I really enjoy listening in to the cockpit transmissions on planes that allow it -- instead of frightening me I find I gain a bit of control by knowing that there is "some chop" ahead or that the plane has just been instructed to make a turn. Fewer surprises. It is the surprises that really scare me. I think that control is a major issue with fear of flying -- not only are we not driving ourselves, we cannot even see those who are. The information that you gain by listening to the pilots is really useful here and sometimes extremely interesting. You will also know exactly when you will touch the runway.

I take bonine to fly as I found that it greatly reduces the internal discomfort that I feel when my inside of the plane world looks right side up but my inner ear world tells me that we are half way to upside down. A side effect of bonine for me is that it is also a little calming.

The other factor that has helped me is that the older I get the more spread out my family is -- add that to increased travel and I fly more often. That really helps the anxiety because it becomes more routine.

The last thing that I think helps is the confidence to know that a lot can go wrong, and be corrected. Over the years I have been through turbulence so bad that the drink carts dumped over and we were told that it was OK to put our beverages on the floor and let them spill -- I have been on more than one plane that had to abort a landing due to traffic on the runways, as well as other issues. I have been fortunate and it always has come out OK. Airplanes are no where near as vulnerable as my fears used to tell me. Bottom line is that the pilots want to get home to their families as much as we do -- they are superbly trained and very cautious. It is OK to let them have control of the aircraft.

These are only my phobias and my defensive tactics but I do hope that they help.

[navybankerteacher]

Fear of flying is emotional rather than rational, so it helps to work on the emotional level.
Since flying a given distance is proven safer than driving that distance, try congratulating yourself on your wise decision to fly. Remember that the pilot (who has far more experience than you) does not want anything bad to happen, so he will be very careful.
If the rational approach does not work, consider the purely emotional: say a quiet prayer prior to take off if praying is part of your existence; otherwise, try meditating - breath deeply, think of something that you find beautiful and peaceful. If neither prayer nor meditation works, try focusing on something mechanical, but slightly complex to ocupy your mind and divert your attention --- close your eyes as soon as the plane starts rolling back from the ramp and start counting by threes.
If all else fails, you can sedate yourself with anxiety medication as prescribed by your doctor.

[hammybee]

I find I really enjoy listening in to the cockpit transmissions on planes that allow it -- instead of frightening me I find I gain a bit of control by knowing that there is "some chop" ahead or that the plane has just been instructed to make a turn. Fewer surprises. It is the surprises that really scare me.

Thank you for a wonderful idea. I have no idea why I never thought to do this. It would feed the need for control over an a situation I do not control.

[Chivalrygirl]

Enroute from NZ to UK one year, we were boarding the aircraft in LA for a first stop in Houston, as we entered the cabin a lady sitting in a business class seat, stood up and announced to her husband and anbody in ear shot that she didn't think she would fly today she would go home and get the car and drive......................by golly that really steadied my nerves let me tell you. :eek: My mind was taken off that little event by my 13 yr old son who was hysterical, and trying to say to us how long is that going to take her.:)

I did a 2 1/2 hour flight on a tiny cessna on the big island of Hawaii in October, I was terrified, so I chewed constantly on a tin full of strong peppermints, my husband recokoned I just about knocked the pilot out as the smell of the peppermints was very strong. However it did the trick and seemed to steady my fear and I am so glad that I was brave enough to have this amazing experience, it was an amazing flight. So I guess if you want to do something bad enough in the end you can overcome your fear.

[kikiwik]

I also have a fear of flying. I take an ativan from my doctor as soon as i get to the airport and by the time i get to the plane i'm nice and relaxed. I have to sit near the window and always have my bottle of water with me to help with the dry mouth and i also make sure the vent is blowing cool air on me to help. I also use the portable dvd player atomica was talking about. I tried it once without taking anything and man o man will i never do it again. I highly recomend going to your doctor and getting atvian to help take the edge of and relax. Also when i get on the plane i tell the stewardess that i'm nervous and they are always really good at keeping me calm and talking to me. I've also talked to the pilots the 4 times i've flowen and thats helped alot to. My first flight i actually had the stewardess talk to me and atomica the whole time and that was a great distraction. I also pretend that i'm driving the plane during take off i know that sound funny but you just sit back and put your hand up like you have them on the steering wheel of a car and put your foot on the pedel and it helps me. I also went to the fear of flying website and that helped out alot to.

[Ryndam2002]

I'm a bit of a wimp on planes; any suggestions on some great ways to relax (besides alcohol)?

If you do go the Valium or Atavan route suggested by some, take it from someone who tends to have side effects from drugs and try it out first at home (not at 30,000 feet) so you know how you will react to it.

I personally don't like feeling sedated on flights (in case of emergency) so I use relaxation methods such as guided imagery or meditation to mellow me out if I am feeling stressed inflight. I, too, bring enough reading material to last the flight but have never tried a DVD player.

Hope this helps.

[lawyerrose]

Xanax. I have bad claustrophobia and flying is difficult, especially if the plane is full. Xanax's only side effect (for me) is sleepiness, which is a plus when I'm flying. Xanax was made for anxiety and/or panic attacks. Ask your dr. The distractions, like music, good book, movie, etc., also help. For me, though, not quite enough. Good luck!

[Lachase]

I use to alway be afraid to fly. It was the loss of control factor. I remember one time sitting with a magazine before takeoff trying to be okay and feeling panicky like I had to get out of there. Then I became a true believing Christian and it all changed. When I turned my fate over to the Lord, it was amazing how the anxiety all went away, just a total change of feelings flying. Now, I can sit, look out the window, enjoy the flight, the scenery, have peace, the worry factor is totally gone, peace instead. Good luck with your situation. I know that it can change because I've been there.

[Sailorgirlseattle]

Ok, I'm just wondering where yall have been when I've been flying! :D I feel like the ONLY person on the plane having a freak out and that everyone is staring and laughing and/or annoyed at me. I try to be quiet about it, but my poor hubby's hands go numb from me squeezing them, I flip through a magazine like a madwoman, and I've even been known to let out a little scream or two during turbulence. :eek: Distractions? I've tried them but they just don't work. Although, I do have to say that I like listening to the pilots on the headset .. that IS very calming to hear that everything is "normal" ... whatever that means for a metal tube hurtling through the sky at 500 mph.

[constructiondude]

I downplayed my fear when I started this thread, but since everyone else is coming clean I might as well too. I don't care for the takeoff either and usually cover my face with my hands....one time the flight attendant thought I was going to pass out, she got up as soon as she could and brought over a glass of water....it was not a pretty sight. Normally I'm the person in the family that everybody turns to for guidance and support but not on a plane!!

Listening in to the pilots would make it worse for me and I'm glad they can no longer keep the doors open. Watching the flight attendants used to calm me but not so much these days.

One question though-is a cd player considered an electronic item when it used batteries? There is no radio on it, it is not receiving a signal from anywhere. What about an MP3 players? Because I have to have something for the takeoff; it could be the difference between freak out and calm.

[bdcbbq]

I used to be scared of flying, but after 9/11 I decided the terrorists weren't going to keep this American on the ground Took a flight the following April and have been flying 3-4 times a year ever since. I did get a prescription for xanax and valium for the first few flights. Not a problem anymore.

[bankerbabe]

My DH tends to panic on flights, he talked to his doctor and got a prescription for Xanax. It doesn't seem to make him tired at all, just very relaxed. He takes them about a half an hour before we get on the plane and doesn't seem to have a problem navigating the airport once we get off the plane. It has made a world of difference in him.

CD, DVD, and MP3 players are all considered electronic devices, so I don't think that you can use them during takeoff. I bought my hubby a PSP for his birthday one year and it helps him a lot during flights. He can watch movies, listen to music, or play a video game and totally forget where he is. Were it not for the stale pretzels and warm soda he would forget he's on a plane!

[Juanita462]

I used to be petrified of flying - on my first trip overseas I hyperventilated and would have got off that plane if it hadn't been taxiing down the runway.
What cured me was a trip in the company jet - the pilot invited me up to sit behind them and see everything that was going on. I didn't tell them that I almost needed one of those little bags at the very thought of it - I did sit on the jump seat and watched the pre-flight preparation. those men were meticulous, checking and rechecking everything and it dawned on me that they wanted to get home just as much as I did. I even stayed behind the pilots for most of the flight and since then have not had any problem flying.

Like Lachase, I believe that my life is in God's Hands and when the time comes for me to leave this earth it will only be to "go home"

[hammybee]

One question though-is a cd player considered an electronic item when it used batteries? There is no radio on it, it is not receiving a signal from anywhere. What about an MP3 players? Because I have to have something for the takeoff; it could be the difference between freak out and calm.

It is thought that the devices emit radiation that has the potential to interfere with instuments, so airlines do not allow use during take-off and landing.

It's M&Ms or medication. BTW, how did you manage a flight to France?

[constructiondude]

Very carefully. I flew Northwest from Seattle to Amsterdam-over the pole. Amazingly, they kept you busy the entire time: snack/drink, dinner, coffee, movie, midnight sandwich, movie, snack/drink, movie, breakfast...it was 11 hours and one of the quickest flights I've ever had. Mother nature also put on a show for me with the Aurora Borealis...for a couple hours I felt like I was the only one on the planet seeing it. Bottom line: a lot of distractions.

Without music I guess its the usual bury my face in my hands routine....I'm in the back this time and few people will see me.

[bepsf]

Without music I guess its the usual bury my face in my hands routine....I'm in the back this time and few people will see me.

If you're discrete, you can leave your iPod running - just keep the volume low and wear something that will camoflage the cord (like stripes or a white shirt)

Otherwise, hold hands with the person sitting next to you - it really does help.
(I don't think she'll mind...)
;)

[kikiwik]

I didn't realise how many people are afraid of flying. I thought i was the only one afraid. My boyfriend keeps telling me half the plane is probably taking somthing to relax them or is just a nervous as me. I'm still not a fan of flying but taking an ativan 0.5mg before i fly just realxes me enough to take the edge off. I may never fly any further then from vancouver to calgary but at least i can say i'll be there quicker then driving. But then again i'm the one that wants to go on a disney cruise in 2008 so i better start thinking about getting on a longer flight.

[bankerbabe]

You could always just picture everyone around you naked - that'll have you laughing so hard you'll forget you're flying :)

[SnorkelBear]

Just remember, you are NOT afraid of flying. You are afraid of crashing. Now work the odds. It is more likely you will die in a car crash on the way to the airport than in a plane crash. If you really thought the plane had a reasonable chance of crashing, you would not get on it. So, in your mind you have already decided the plane is not going to crash. Relax and enjoy your trip.

[sail7seas]

Beats me how anyone can put the words flight and enjoy in the same sentence.

I don't care if you fly first class or back of the bus. Airlines have made it impossible IMO to enjoy anything about what we experience in airports/airplanes these days.


JMHO........

I'm not afraid of flying; I simply hate it like poison.

[kryos]

Xanax. I have bad claustrophobia and flying is difficult, especially if the plane is full. Xanax's only side effect (for me) is sleepiness, which is a plus when I'm flying. Xanax was made for anxiety and/or panic attacks. Ask your dr. The distractions, like music, good book, movie, etc., also help. For me, though, not quite enough. Good luck!
I use the same thing. In fact, I go against doctor's orders and mix it with ONE drink as soon as we are airborne. Especially on long flights, this puts me into a "zone," and lets me sleep for most of the flight.

My problem is certainly not a fear of flying ... it's a fear of being closed in with people on my left, my right, in front and behind ... all closing in on my personal "space." Especially on a long flight (coast-to-coast) this can be unbearable for me. So, on those flights I use the Xanax with one alcoholic beverage to make them bearable.

Blue skies ...

--rita

[kryos]

Beats me how anyone can put the words flight and enjoy in the same sentence.

I don't care if you fly first class or back of the bus. Airlines have made it impossible IMO to enjoy anything about what we experience in airports/airplanes these days.


JMHO........

I'm not afraid of flying; I simply hate it like poison.

Amen!

Blue skies ...

--rita

[bdcbbq]

This clip of "Dean Martin and Foster Brooks on Airline Pilots" (http://pageperso.aol.fr/marcbrecy/deanmartin.html) should provide you with enough laughs to keep those flying jitters under control. .