In-flight terror!

[Dying_Swan]

Evening all :)

I know there are lots of threads about this but I'll do one too :D

I got back from Rome last night after completely freaking out on the plane. I don't know what is wrong with me! I thought I was getting better on planes but I've never been as bad as I was last night.

I used to love flying when I was younger - it was my favourite part of the holiday! Then about 6 years ago I had a horrible flight from Fiji to Los Angeles, right over the Pacific Ocean. The plane had been broken down for 3 days, was 10 hours delayed and was then so turbulent, people were screaming and things were flying about the cabin.

Since then I have hated flying. I've carried on because I want to go abroad, but I really hate it. I've had a couple of relatively bumpy flights back from the US, which hasn't really helped. My fear is the turbulence. Having spoken to numerous air stewards and pilots, turbulence isn't actually a problem. But then you hear these horror stories of planes dropping 10 thousand feet etc, and well yuck. I know that the most dangerous points of a flight are take off and landing, but those bits don't bother me too much. I've just become hypervigilant with turbulence....any little jolt makes me freak out.

Last night was a pretty smooth flight. Nothing much at all, but I was shaking and crying! I broke the seat in front of me from gripping it so tight :blush: The cabin crew were really nice and gave me lots of Brandy (pretty good considering it was free, on Ryanair!). I'd already taken 1mg Lorazepam but it didn't touch it. I know I shouldn't have mixed the two but the brandy did help a bit. The descent was rough and the plane was rocking all over the place, but I didn't care by that point because I just wanted to land, even if it was a crash landing! When everyone had got off the cabin crew called me to talk to them and they were very sweet. They explained all about turbulence, and then I spoke to the Pilot and he apologised for the descent! They were really nice, but the thought of it still makes me feel sick. I have to fly twice more this year :whistles::scared15:

Has anyone got any advice? I've tried distracting myself - doesn't work. I just can't. I spent the whole flight glued to the window to find a point of reference - a light on the ground somewhere, so I could see that the plane wasn't nose-diving into the Alps.

Also wondered if anyone has done one of those fear of flying courses? If so, are they any good? I feel if I knew more about it I'd feel better. What I'd really like is to spend the entire flight in the cockpit so I knew what was going on. Sadly not possible.

Would be really interested to know if anyone has any advice. I am not prepared to stop going abroad and just want to go away without a freak out session at the beginning and end of each holiday!

Thanks :D and sorry my threads are always so long!

xxx :flowers:

[erialc]

Hey,

you could have been typing about me here lol
I am completely insane on flights now - dunno y.I have flown for 10/12hrs in the past and been fine but now even a flight to Dublin freaks me.

Hub has to talk to me the whole way there and his poor hand gets finger marks in it (am suprised he ever takes me anywhere lol)

Saw your pics, looks like u walked the same path as us lol

I loved Rome but was spoilt by me being ill, so have to go back again, if only for lovely shops

XXX Claire

[pooh]

Hi!
I love the take off and the landing BUT can't stand being stuck 35000 feet in the air with no option to get off when I want to hence the reason why I panic.
I've found (if you can find someone patient enough) being talked through breathing exercises really helpful. I've also resorted to the old diazepam to calm me down and spent almost 5 hours once on a flight trying to convince myself i wasn't really flying at 34000 feet it was only 4000 and i could easily jump to the ground and live from there! LOL
Seriously...I can completely empathise with you and I have been considering one of those fear of flying courses myself...one I researched went through a day of reassuring talks and a 1 and a 1/2 hour flight with a doctor on board if required.
On a wee funny note swan... like you I've panicked and cried but at least we haven't done what my cousins husband did on a flight back from Spain. Said cousin and hubby were seated at the back of the plane and just shortly after take off the plane dipped down in an air pocket and apparently at the top of his lungs from the back of the plane he screamed..."we're all going to die!"
And the enviable bit... the wee woman who popped her head round from the seat in front and as CALM as you like says.." well son, if we're all going to die you're in good company!"
Anyway..good for you for continuing to fly even with the fear... I'm just gonna have to figure out how to survive a flight to australia to visit my sister when she moves there at the end of the year.

Pooh x

[erialc]

Pooh lol - I have done the shouting out bit too lol - was on the flight to my wedding abroad, the plane dipped suddenly, so I shouted out (well more of a girly scream) my whole family were on the plane and were highly embarrassed lol.

I hate it but have to fly cos I need my holidays.

tc Claire xxx

[Mystical]

Depending where you live claire, lots of the airports are now holding classes for in-flight phobics like yourelf; they are very good in reducing the stress and calming the anxieties that are the foundations of the phobia....

We all need our holidays - right enough and well - if we want em bad enough we'll go whether we suffer during the flight or not.. Take care

[Dying_Swan]

Thanks guys :)

Claire - I flew around the world by myself and didn't bat an eyelid. It's so frustrating that a 2 hour flight sends me into utter panic now!

Pooh - that is a good story, and that lady was so calm! I think I would actually pass out if that happened to me. In fact, that wouldn't be so bad. I've often wished they offered General Anaesthetics for flights.

I was reading about turbulence last night (very silly). I also started reading about fear of flying courses. Virgin do one which looks good, and even has a class called 'why turbulence is totally safe', which is what I need! It's £200 which is so expensive, but if it made a difference it would be worth it, so might see if there are any more around.

I flew to the Isles of Scilly last year on a helicopter and coped with that - was a weird experience!

xxx :flowers:

[Dying_Swan]

P.S. Claire - you must go back to Rome, especially since you threw a coin into the Trevi fountain!

I really liked it, minus the rude Romans, disabled beggars everywhere and the sheer price of everything (2 cans of ice tea was £5 - I had many an angry outburst). But it is a beautiful city with loads of fab shops!!

Book yourself a holiday to go back there!

xxx :flowers:

[pooh]

Swan! We need the A Team! They always knocked BA Barraccus out with an injected sedative when he had to fly lolol Or as I was saying the other day in chat..... if I could sit with a parachute strapped to my back I'd feel like I had the option to get off so probably not panic so much lol.

Pooh x

[Dying_Swan]

Lol Pooh!

A parachute would be good. I'd also like to sit right next to the exit, ready to go at any point! I suppose the trouble with that would be, that the slightest little bump and I'd be out the exit and parachuting down into the sea, while everyone else sat safely on board with no trouble at all!

I just phoned my mum to ask her what she thought about me doing a fear of flying course. She just said don't bother spending the money, which disappointed me a bit as I'd thought it might be a positive step. I might still book onto it though as I think it would be worth it.

Ho hum - the A Team is what we need!

xxx :flowers:

[nomorepanic]

Swan

I hate flying cos I am claustrophobic and hate being shut in.

I don't care how it gets up there or stays up there - I just don't want to be there!!

I did the Thomson Fly "Flying with confidence" course 3 times but I got it cheap as I worked for them.

It is a really good day though and well worth it to be honest.

Maybe worth the money if it helps you?

Did you read the link I posted on the aviophobia website page as well?

[Dying_Swan]

Thanks Nic :)

I think I read it a while ago but I will definitely have another look.

I've been reading all about turbulence - wind shear, clear air turbulence, wake turbulence, jet streams and convection. So now I feel like a physicist but it doesn't make me feel any better about it!

I realised I can't book onto the Virgin course I found as there is the slight hitch of a certain meet up in Long Eaton on the same day :winks:

I'm definitely still thinking about it though, on a different day. To be honest, £200 would be worth it if it made the difference. Better start saving!

xxx :flowers:

[nomorepanic]

Swan

When I did the course loads were scared of why the plane stayed up there and how it flew and yes turbulance.

Me being a panic sufferer had far more concerns of how to get off lol.

All the people that went on the course came off feeling more confident as the captain talks all the time and explains every noise, bump etc so it reassured people.

The last time we went Alex looked down the runway and saw the clouds and thought "oh sh1t" and we took off and hit it and everyone on the plane was screaming and crying. I hate it too but I can just about cope as I trust a plane to stay up there.

Not sure I am helping lol

[Karen]

Hi Swan

I think you are doing brilliantly to manage to continue flying when you still have this fear of flying. Recognise your achievements :yesyes:

The courses sound good and worth the money if you can afford it. Well worth a go.

Another idea is hypnotherapy. I wondered whether you had considered or tried it. This Overcome Fear of Flying (http://www.hypnosisdownloads.com/downloads/phobias_fears/fear_flying.html?1388) hypnosis download could be a real help.

I've used other downloads from this company and found them useful. Maybe worth considering as an option :shrug:

Karen xx

[Mystical]

Hi there,
Tho' I ain't exactly 'flavor' of the month for some folk, I am a duly qualified and accredited HYpno-analyst with a fairly decent success record on Flight phobias; the mid-meet day might be one for someone - draw a straw - to have a FREE from PHOBIA freebie session to allow me to prove my words, since some of late have doubted both my empathy and my abilities. If you guys ask Lea (Leo05) she will tell you whether or not my methods of calming ppl's anxieties works or not! As for the Flight phobias it is the taking off and landing that usually freaks ppl; the in-flight phobias are usually based on the construct of claustrophobia, so are more difficult to deal with.

As for turbulence, so long as one is strapped in their seat the cabion staff are well abel to calm most ppl's fears at that stage; it is a form of motion sickness usually so taking dramamine (names change from uK to US and elsewhere) is a prudent thing to do when any travelling is proposed, even a short hop into town on the bus... for every step take in facing that fear will take you a great leap forward in conquering your Flight phobias. Mystically yours .... Hope to meet some of you peeps at the mid-meet and help you any way I can. Of course there are those whom will never believe that - I'm a therapist after all is said and done - presently depressed or not!!

[pooh]

Nicola! just read your reply about being on the fear of flying flight. I've been sitting here laughing my head off probably through sheer nerves at the thought of it lol Do the pilots sit in the cockpit in hysterics listening to everyone screaming?
That's it.... I'm gonna have to figure out the shortest land/sea with more of my feet on land, but not on a train or a motorway, route to visit my sis when she moves to Australia...lmao

Swan... what about hiring John Travolta he's been a pilot for years and has his own private jets...now that'd be a distraction indeed lol

[Dying_Swan]

Lol yes Pooh, he was flying Qantas 747's a while ago. I found out as I was sitting aboard a Qantas 747 and panicked!

Mystical - I would definitely be up for hypnotherapy if it would help. I know there are lots of success rates with phobias. I think it would be important for me to fly soon after though or I might lose confidence? Or does it not really work like that?

Karen - thanks hun :hugs:I will look into it. I have been reading about air disasters which isn't really productive! So might read something that will actually help.

Nic - I understand the claustrophobia thing. I've never had a panic attack as such on a plane, but I have had the feeling of wanting to get out there and then, and obviously not being able to. I can cope with clouds as long as they don't go on forever and aren't really bumpy. I worry that the pilot might not be able to see that there is another plane in the cloud....yea I know they have radar lol.

I couldn't believe it today - I went on a course about infant resuscitation etc, and they started giving all these statistics....strangely enough, a lot of them seemed to be about plane accidents! I wanted to write on the evaluation form, 'please don't talk about plane crashes because you've made my phobia worse', but since I'd already written that I thought biscuits should be provided, I didn't mention it. Something gave me the feeling they might not think I was taking it seriously :winks:

Pooh - Australia is a fab country and I really hope you go! Just go with a decent airline that gives you video games to distract you. I flew to Oz and it was fine. The only hitch was when I lost my hairbrush and uprooted 2 rows of passengers to find it!

xxx :flowers:

[nomorepanic]

Swan

I forgot to say that the only reason I got back on the plane for the flying with confidence course was cos I had hypnotherapy - so it did work for me and got me on there.

I just hate it!!

[samsara]

Hi there, I really sympathise with you, must have been hell, the only advise i can give is is its nothing to do with the plane, its what you are saying to yourself which is the key. Nothing bad will happen to you its safer up there than on the roads down here. I have learn that turbulance is nothing to be scared of its normal. all easier said than done!!!! try the fear of flying course, what have you got to lose!!! best of luck Janet. ps love the quote from Winston Churchill he had his problems too.:)

[nok_tok]

im going o new york on mon and am really scared of being stuck for over 8 hours...wish i could afford 1st class...grr

[Dying_Swan]

Hey Kitty.

New York! Cool. Flying to the US I don't find too bad - you get a TV screen with a map of where you are (plus lots of movies :winks:) and for some reason I find it doesn't seem as long as it is. I like following the map. One minute you're over the sea, then Greenland, then sea, then Canada and then you're there!

I've found it is a good thing to tell the cabin crew that you are nervous. On flights where I've told them, they have been really nice and they kinda keep an eye on you.

Have a fab time :)

Sam - thank you for your support. You are right, that it is very safe and the roads are of course far more dangerous.

I read about flying....it was written by a pilot and said 'we don't do things unless it is 100% safe'. Then on this course yesterday, they gave statistics about 'why 99.9% isn't good enough'. If it was, there would be a major plane accident every three days. Since there isn't, I guess it kinda reassures me that it really is safe!

thanks folks

xxx :flowers:

[panicdiva]

oh pooh!!!! Having just read your comment about your cousin's husband shouting we are all going to die, I have now stopped laughing & wiped away my tears. I think I laughed for about 10 mins, I could just picture it!!!! I know it is really no laughing matter; I hate flying now 2, and even the thought terrifies me..... so much so that I just can't bring myself to book our families fllights to America for this summer... one of my fears is that I make a complete fool of myself if I loose control!!! Yet I don't think your husband's cousin made a fool of himself, just gave people a laugh. So it makes me feel a llittle better that if I did shout out something that people would not think I'm an idiot, people would understand and accept that we all have fears of some kind. Thanks for sharing that with us.