Hi everyone, I usually frequent the health anxiety section but I have a new worry, and I'm actually quite glad it's taken my mind off my health haha.
Well, my whole life, I've loved flying. I come from a family of aviators and must have flown hundreds of times. It was always the highlight of my holiday. I've always taken panic attacks though, but never associated them with flying. But when I was 17 I developed agoraphobia, and barely left the house for months. Getting on a bus or a train was unthinkable and flying was out of the question. Since then however, I've gotten alot better and flown another few dozens of times, but it's still something I dread and fret about for days leading up to it. I even did an 11 hour flight to the States in March and survived.
However, since I had the agoraphobia, my fear isn't flying itself but taking a crazy, out of control panic attack on the plane. I'm flying to Europe this coming Friday and already I'm so worried that I'll panic because I'm stuck in and can't get off. The flight is only 1h30mins which is nothing and I have valium but I don't like taking it. I've had "moments' on all the flights so far but I've managed to talk myself out of it most of the time by kidding myself on that we're landing in 5 minutes and we can stop anytime. (which obviously we can't but it helps!!) What's really scaring me is the thought of flying over the North Sea with no land in sight! I just don't understand how I've flown so many times, over so many oceans yet I'm still so scared of the panic attacks.
Just wondering if anyone else has this and what they do to combat it? I sometimes find that when I'm on the plane I can enjoy it, I KNOW this is all in my head and down to how I'm feeling.
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sounds silly and I don't know if it is true but it helps to reassure me!
It's just that I've already been to so many doctors and therapy and my anxiety is now largely under control. I know just about every relaxation routine and breathing technique there is! I've got an issue with control, I don't like not being in control it's like if I was flying the plane I'd be fine! I hate it when they shut the doors and we start taxiiing. I usually find I'm ok when we're in the air, and that's when I can sort of talk my self out of it. It's really the last thing that I have to conquer, I can get on a bus or train now and be abroad without a second thought, but I've taken panic attacks in the past when I've completely lost control and started shouting and screaming and I really don't want that to happen on planes!! I know the chances are that it won't but I wonder if I'll ever get over this last hurdle completely. Like I won't eat for about 3 days before a flight either incase it's turbulent and I get sick! Arghh!
