Tips for dealing with panic disorder while abroad and on plane

[GingerFish]

Hi I suffer from panic disorder and I've tried a few different kind of antidepressants and benzos but find that I do better just dealing with it on my own, therefore I'm not on any meds or in therapy. I'm a lot better than I was (I used to be suicidal and housebound) and now I'm far from that but by no means cured.

Anyhoo, in just under a month I'm flying from Scotland to Dublin to meet some friends. One of my friends over in Limerick committed suicide earlier in the yr so I'm going over to see his family as I am close to his brother. I'm looking forward to this but getting nervous about the flight, being out of my comfort zone and dealing with crowds/transport etc. The flight is short which is good but when I come off I've gotta get a bus which takes an hr to get to the Dublin city centre aand then a 2 hr train journey to Limerick.

I've been on a plane twice before and that was to Iceland last year and I was ok, a bit panicky here and there but nothing major. My panics in general then weren't as bad as they are now, well they were at there worst a few months back when my friend and cat died and my papa and stepdad took ill.

I'm just looking for tips to deal with the flight and transport and crowds. How do you deal with panics while abroad?

Thanks

[miss_moose]

Hi there, I recently flew to new York, it was a 7 and a half hour flight and I cried pretty much the whole way there, but I did find comfort in taking my tablet, you can buy them cheapish now, under a £100, so that could be something you could do, and watch some of your favourite TV shows on there with noise cancelling headphones, and download some fun games, anything to keep your mind occupied.
If that's not an option then make your hand luggage a comfort bag, full it with puzzle books, magazines and a favourite book, and put music or TV shows on your phone to drown out any noise. This will be helpful in the airport too, not just on the plane and train.

Also make sure you have some snacks and drinks, I've only flown a few times but I make sure I have a bottle of water to help me if I feel sick and nervous, I carry one with me until security then after security buy one straight away so I'm never more than 10 minutes without a drink.

Good luck xx

[GingerFish]

Thanks for your reply :) I leave three weeks today and right now I am more excited than nervous but no doubt that will change nearer the time! Lol

[GingerFish]

I leave in 6 days. I'm getting a little bit nervous but I'm not in full blown panic mode...yet! :P

[Modestaustin811]

I have to fly tomorrow morning, so I feel your pain. Freaking out a bit, worried about my trip, ugh.

[GingerFish]

Hope you have a good trip. Where are you off to?

[Modestaustin811]

Hope you have a good trip. Where are you off to?

Thanks! You too! flying from Toronto to Calgary, 4 hour flight. Actually waiting to board right now haha.

[GingerFish]

Thanks! You too! flying from Toronto to Calgary, 4 hour flight. Actually waiting to board right now haha.
How was your flight? Were you ok on it? :)

[GingerFish]

Starting to get really nervous for my flight on Monday now :(

[Sunflower2]

Try not to think about it and just take one step at a time. Just need to pack. Just need to get up on Monday. Just get a taxi to the airport, check in, get through security, do some duty free shopping, sit in the departure lounge, wait in some queues, sit on the plane, then before you know it you'll be flying and it'll be all over and think how proud you'll feel knowing you achieved it. I was on planes a few weeks ago and I thought I might get nervous but I was fine! If/When you start to panic just remember how you cope in any other situation which makes you panic and remember it's very safe, much safer than the taxi to the airport!

[Oosh]

I always dread flying when going on holiday because I can't rest until I'm in my seat without any trouble.
It's always me worrying though because nothing ever goes wrong.
I always end up in a decent seat, no problems and enjoy it.

I love it. So exciting stepping off the plane in a new place.

Being on planes with a cuppa, a movie playing on your phone and the gorgeous views below is really snug and relaxing.

[Sunflower2]

The last two flights I had there was screaming kids all around me, but I managed to block them out with some loud music and candy crush on my iPad! If you can get on a bus and train you can get on a plane, it's the same thing! Except much cooler cause the view is great! Where are you off to?

[raggamuffin]

Push my tongue onto the roof of my mouth. Abdominal deep breathing in through nose - hold - then out slowly through pursed lips. Keep your mind distracted. Do mental arithmatic, read a book etc etc. Usually helps to calm me down.

Ed

[Modestaustin811]

How was your flight? Were you ok on it? :)

Hey sorry! Flight was fine! I'm in Calgary still. I made it, you will too!

[GingerFish]

I'm flying tomorrow! Have any of you guys ever used Earplanes? I'm thinking of buying them today along with Sudafed to try and prevent earache during landing

[GingerFish]

Well that's my trip to Ireland over now. I never panicked at the airport or on the plane up until the second we took off then boom, panic, panic, panic, panic. It was only a 30 min flight but it felt like forever. That was the worst panic attack I had ever took. I used to get panic attacks all the time, regardless of where I was, who I was with, what I was doing etc but they have stopped now and the plane attacks are the only attacks I have had recently. I was determined not to be that bad on the way back again today. I panicked like hell at the airport this time and burst out crying a lot and then I realised I shouldn't let one bad experience put me off flying all together, especially when I have bet panics attacks in other situations and now no longer get them in those situations I was once scared of. I never panicked once on holiday and it felt great to not have a single panic attack. The anxiety only started when it became time to go to the airport again.

I did have a minor panic on the way home which last a few secs. I went to grab my arm rest and grabbed the guy beside me arm by accident. He was ok with it and understanding and told me he used to be scared of flying too. That was nice but it could have easily been someone who wasn't understanding. That attack happened just a min or two after take off while we were still climbing and the heavy to light, floaty feeling brought it on. I felt a bit on edge for the rest of the flight but nowhere near as bad as that.

Tips I can personally give now for nervous flyers are -
*Don't sit in the middle of the cabin. Either sit right at the front or right at the back, this will give you more room to move about and feel less trapped
*Sit in an aisle seat. When you do feel panicky, you do sometimes want to walk about to burn off for some of the energy, plus it sometimes makes you want to go to the toilet too. If you sit on the aisle seat, you don't have to worry about disturbing someone by asking them to get up and then let you back in. You can go as many times as you like if you sit on the outside. This will make you feel less trapped and smothered.
*I wore special ear plugs on the way over to Ireland as I had ear ache before we left and was worried about pain when landing. I wore them right from the start of the flight and although I never felt any pain during the flight, I felt increased pressure in my head which made the slightest turn or move of my head feel amplified which can also make you feel more scared or sick.
*Eat before you fly, even if its just something small if you plan to have dinner on the plane. Low blood sugar and hunger can make anyone feel horrible and jittery and you don't want to feel that if you are already nervous about flying. Also avoid caffeine. That can cause palpitations and your heart will already be beating fast enough as it is.
*Tell the flight attendants as soon as you board that you are nervous. They deal with nervous flyers every single day and most of them will be compassionate and understanding. They wont stand over you the entire flight and hold your hand but it can help to know there is someone out there looking out for you who has dealt with things like this before.