Panic in Plane - Only with take off and landing

Hi all,

I have been reading on these forums for some time and just wanting to share some info about my situation with you. I have a form of Emetophobia but it is a bit different then the other people who have this problem. I only have it when I am in a environment in which I can't escape with lots of people. So that is actually only with 3 things ; A bus, plane when take off or landing ( because need to be seated and seatbelt on when landing )

In a movie theater, meetings etc etc. I don't have it or very little as I know in the back of my mind I can always go to the restroom. But just with these 3 situations I get pretty have panic attacks. Although I never got sick once on a plane and I know I can always "run" to the toilet even if the seatbelt sign is on it is some kind of mental barrier i suppose that as soon we take off or land I cannot go at will.

Now this makes me think and hopefully some people can help me. Is it really the fear of getting sick in a public environment and not being able to "go" if it really needs to in a safe environment? As i assume it is also a shame factor of what will people say or think of you get sick in public. Or is it a control issue and more towards a clausterfobic factor?

I hope this story makes a bit sense. Thanks for all your help and I am happy that I am not the only one out there. :blush:

You are not the only one out there, spooky, this is a situation I have learned to cope with (taking off and landing). In the end two things helped.

First discussing my fear with my therapist. I didn't want to be sick on a plane. Like you it would make me feel ashamed.
Til 10 years ago I wouldn't even have a passport so no-one could ever make me go on a plane. Then I gave in & went on a holiday abroad.
My therapist helped me see that the likelihood of me getting sick was low. Additionally, according to statistics, the chances of being on a bad flight & other people being sick was low too. I had to work on absorbing the information so i really could believe it. Well.... Now I do.

Since then I have been on numerous transatlantic flights. Strapped in on landing & takeoff (& when there has been turbulence). I have also completed in excess of 40 flights for work. In all these flights I have never felt sick.

On just 2 occasions turbulence caused a passenger to be sick & this was only when it was exceptionally rough. I am emetophobic myself & I did not feel the passengers should feel any shame. I felt sorry for them having to experience something unpleasant & scary.

On the plus side, I was also on an hour & a half flight which was turbulent throughout its whole length, I was fine even though I felt quite scared. all the other 200+ passengers on the plane were fine too.

What you describe sounded just like me before I looked into the facts and faced my fear. What I have experienced bears out 100% what my therapist helped me to see and to believe. She was right.

In the end the best thing is to get out there and do whatever it is you feel scared of because what they say about "feel the fear and do it anyway" is true.

For me facing my fear of flying (including the sick thing) has helped me experience some wonderful things, I have been privileged to visit some amazing places too. None of which would have been possible I'd I hadn't faced my fear.

Thus why I recommend you go for it :-)

---------- Post added at 17:37 ---------- Previous post was at 17:35 ----------

Oh meant to say, I appreciate where you are coming from re: buses. I have been on hundreds of bus trips and coach trips. Hundreds over my lifetime. Yes on just 2 occasions someone was sick. I didn't like it and I am sure they liked it a whole lot less.
But my point is that's twice in literally hundreds of trips. I get what you say about feeling shut in with other people, but don't let your fear stop you doing things in life because mostly our fears are just that. They often don't materialise as a reality & if they do...l we cope. You would cope.

Actually I don't particularly like to talk about this stuff as I prefer not to overthink it but it's worth it if it I'll help someone else to overcome the fear & be able to do something & it does me no harm to repeat the statistics as this reinforces my healthy balance of thinking :-)