Flying Anxiety

[gadocd]

heyyy guys, I’m leaving for a trip in two days and planes make me super anxious. I always get really bad anxiety once I board a plane and it’s hard for me to think of anything other than the possibility of the plane crashing. Any tips on how to reduce my anxiety?

[nicolen]

I am exactly the same way. Honestly just thinking about how unlikely it is to crash helps me like how people on planes do it every single day. And honestly they are safe, there’s a higher chance of you getting in a car accident than a plane crash.

Also idk if you are catholic or not but praying really helps me and just listen to calming music!

[gadocd in reply to nicolen]

thanks for the advice I’m definitely gonna try and keep this mindset when on the plane! I do usually listen to music and it helps when in the car (I get severe anxiety when driving in stormy weather) but it doesn’t seem to really help on planes because of turbulence.

[b1b1b1]

Ask your doctor for a tranquilizer prescription. Ativan works very well for this purpose, and usually a fairly low dose taken about 15 minutes before takeoff will do the trick.

[gadocd in reply to b1b1b1]

I usually don’t take pills but I’ve been considering it lately, I just don’t want it to make me droopy...

[pink83737]

Try making a playlist of songs on spotify you like or ones that calm you down you can also search for some

[gadocd in reply to pink83737]

thanks for the advice!

[Ironj]

Take 2 mg of Xanax headphones with relaxation music and fall asleep

[gadocd in reply to Ironj]

thanks for the advice!

[Ironj in reply to gadocd]

No problem hope you try it it works.

[Florida1959]

I take arnica, my brother takes a Benadryl, music, calm exercises , good luck, please enjoy x

[gadocd in reply to Florida1959]

thanks!!

[Passionatebutterfly]

Lorazapam which is ativan is a great medication for those afraid of flying but if u oppose to medication and want to go hollistic then you can go over to the website eDreams which is a global travel site that points nervous travelers to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) data that states some statistics. Being educated is one way of calming ur anxiety. 96 percent of travelers survive plane crashes and its safer to be in an airplane then in ur own home. Stuff like that. If that doesnt calm ur anxiety then educate yourself on the physics of flying and how planes work, in general. Understanding the basics of flying-like the phases of a trip and the sounds that planes make can help. In addition to educating yourself, you can also work to combat all of those "worst case" thoughts. If you tell yourself the same thing over and over again, you may eventually believe it, which breeds to anxiety. This technique is called release and replace. You take a thought like, "Im afraid to fly because i think the plane will crash and replace it with something like, "i am aware that flyimg freightens me, but i believe i will be fine and the plane will not crash. By doing this exercise repeatedly, you will feel less anxiety because your positive thought will override your negative thought. Other positive affirmations could be, "i am safe, i am fine or i am in good hands." Repeat thise phases over and over again.

There is a great video on youtube called flying without fear from virgin atlantic that illustrates typical sounds and movements on takeoff and landing.

Distract yourself with a good book, always bring earphones and listen to soothing music or any music that u love that will keep u out of your head. Or even watch a movie, by the time the movie is over the plane ride could be over and time went by fast. Write in a journal or color with adult coloring books and gel pens or doodle or practice lettering or calligraphy while listening to music. Or do any hobby that u love. I always carry around an anxiety bag so that i always have things to turn to when i start to feel a panic attack coming. That could be your carry on. Just a bag of goodies that will help me be distracted. Never leave home without that bag when flying.

And consult with a physician if its that bad. Also let the flight attendent know of your anxieties ahead of time.

I hope these things help. Goodluck, u will be fine. Just keep telling yourself that.

[Passionatebutterfly in reply to Passionatebutterfly]

Omg i forgot the most important one. Pray, pray, pray. Pray the night before, the morning of, when ur about to board and while u r on the plane. Pray that God will remove your anxieties and keep u safe. Ask God to give u strength and peace and to be calm. Stuff like that. Let us all kniw how ur flight went and how u did and if you came up with any coping skills on ur own. I cant wait to hear how ur flight went for u.

[gadocd in reply to Passionatebutterfly]

I always pray that’s usually my go to strategy, and yes I will definitely do an update!

[gadocd in reply to Passionatebutterfly]

Thank you so much I will for sure visit the videos and website mentioned and take all of these into consideration!

[Hidden]

I love to fly due to convenience, but I get nervous too(I have crippling driving anxiety). I get 4 low dose Xanax from my psych doc . They kick in quickly and wear off quickly. They don’t take over your whole day. As long as they are used sparingly, Xanax is safe.

[gadocd in reply to Hidden]

thanks I have been considering talking to my doctor about taking medication since therapy doesn’t seem like an option for me...

[mdesignme]

I get anxious also about flying. Maybe a melatonin just 5mg will relax you and maybe a little sleepy. Melatonin 5mg you can puchase at any Rite aid ,CVS or Walgreens no prescription needed. It just brings you to a Exed state

[gadocd in reply to mdesignme]

thanks I’ll keep this in mind!!

[Samson1953]

Hi I always get very anxious n nervous b4 flying. I hv to take half if a 5 mg valium about 1 hour b4. it helps. I also carry my rosary then I pretend I'm just getting on the bus. I hate the take off but sometimes the Valium has kicked in and I fall asleep. I think about my destination n what fun its going to be once I land. take a book to read. there's movies there too if flight more than 2n Half hrs. don't think about flying until the day of. Hope this helps!

[gadocd in reply to Samson1953]

Thanks for the advice!