impending flight causing panic

[mlondon]

Tomorrow I am flying on my own to Holland and then travelling overland for about an hour to meet a friend to stay with for the weekend. This is really big thing for me as I work in a job which will one day lead to travelling and I used to travel quite a bit until I had the attacks. I think I am feeling quite a lot of pressure. Yesterday I was talking about the trip with my mum and then after the conversation had a slight panic attack in the street. I have had CBT. I sat down and did some breathing and managed to get over it though still felt the after effects (dizzy, hazy) until I got home. but now i keeping thinking,how am I going to do to the flight when I had a panic attack 10 mins from my home. Any words of advice?

[Marginalia]

Tomorrow I am flying on my own to Holland and then travelling overland for about an hour to meet a friend to stay with for the weekend. This is really big thing for me as I work in a job which will one day lead to travelling and I used to travel quite a bit until I had the attacks. I think I am feeling quite a lot of pressure. Yesterday I was talking about the trip with my mum and then after the conversation had a slight panic attack in the street. I have had CBT. I sat down and did some breathing and managed to get over it though still felt the after effects (dizzy, hazy) until I got home. but now i keeping thinking,how am I going to do to the flight when I had a panic attack 10 mins from my home. Any words of advice?

I know how you feel ;) I'm scared of heights and once I have a flight booked I spend ages getting worked up about it and imagining scenarios and then trying not to. But when I'm actually on the plane in many ways I quite enjoy it. However when I am feeling more fragile it can be more difficult to use those rational thoughts (flying is much safer than driving etc. etc.), so I confess last year when I was flying to the USA I asked the doctor for something I could take suring the flight just so I didn't have to worry I'd get a panic attack during the 8 hour trip (I can manage shorter trips because I can stave off the panic when I'm less tired). He gave me a valium pill to take, one for each flight (I had six flights but I only took 2 pills). Whether it had any effect I don't know, but firstly it meant I didn't have to worry about having a panic, and secondly I felt like 'normal calm me' all the way through.

I think I might try that again when I'm flying across this year, if I still feel nervous.

I suspect in your case you'll find you've had all the anxiety beforehand (if you're like me that is) and when you get on the plane you'll be fine. Remember that some of the length of your flight is just taxiing in the runway and stuff, so it's shorter than it says on the ticket. Here's what works for me:

(1) keep talking yourself out of that panic. CBT works. (I find some prepared phrases help - hard facts like as I said, that flying is so much safer than driving - things like pilots are incredibly well trained, and if the Wright Brothers could fly a plane then it can't be as improbable as it looks anyway)

(2) feel really in control by having travel sweets, ipod/book/tissues/games etc.

(3) bring a book on panic/anxiety with you (reassuring about any elavated heartrate/dizziness being the effect of adrenaline, gives tips on dealing with panic attacks)

(4) keep yourself busy - the in-flight meals always help pass the time I find, but if you've done the take-off rigmarole and the faffing about stage is over, don't let yourself have a long period of time with nothing to do... I find walking to the toilet (even if I don't need it) is useful

(5) if the pilot offers to let you see the cockpit, take up the suggestion. It's fun, and it's great to see the flight staff being so nonchalent - they do this every day.

(6) Think of it like a bus, only safer. This is a normal method of travel for many people. There are thousands of flights going on all the time. Your flight is not something special and significant in the scheme of things.

(7) Talk to the person next to you, if you can. It's something to do.

(8) [I haven't tried this] Let the flight staff know you're a little apprehensive and might panic. They will be used to this and have probably been trained how to deal with it. If you're worried you might start behaving oddly, I'd have a word with them.

(9) Don't think of yourself as a panicky person. Role play someone who is really cool and does this stuff all the time. (You know that person is in there) Think ahead to all the fun things your journey is empowering you to do.

That's all I can think of for now. I'm flying to America in August, so I'll be reading this thread for more tips myself. ;)

Marginalia

[mlondon]

Thanks loads Marginalia