Fear of flying/panic attacks

[bubbleblitt]

Hi-just interested in your opinions on this-I have a long haul flight booked to go on holiday with all my family and as the day approaches I am SO scared.I managed a flight by myself in March to gatwick and back in a day which was tough but doesn't seem to have relieved the fear at all! Now I am wrestling with shall I not go on holiday as the panic attacks are so bad again.My husband, who alternates between being cross that I am stressing the family out so much and occasionally being sympathetic is now saying that I don't have to go.He says he can go ahead and take our son and my daughter and her two small children are going too.But now I have to make a decision which I have to stick too.I will feel guilty if I don't go!
Would be gratfeul for any advise Bubble

[domino]

Ah i am total with you on this one, in past post i,ve mentioned that my husband wants to take me to new zealand for my 50th birthday in november, i would of course love to go, but of late have had second thoughts,you did great traveling on your own even if it was a short flight,my signature below is something that pops up in my head quite a lot lately.Please go you will reget it if you do,nt.I would go to your g.p. and get him to give you meds to help through this ,just for the flight, i take diazapam and i find that it helps me. I have cancelled that many hols i,ve forgot. My life is on hold at the moment ,i will get ther in time,i,ve managed to get on a train twice by myself to see my daughter., and i must admit that when i got off i was soo relieved ,but you know what i did it, and you will too.

[bubbleblitt]

Hi-I'm still stuggling with the fear about the flight which is in two weeks now.The panic attacks are happening daily and I feel stressed all day.I am so tempted not to go but there is the guilt going on about letting everyone down. Sorry to ramble on but for those of you who suffer from this I am sure you will understand the dilema, Bubble

[honeybee3939]

Hi Bubble

Here are some links that may be of interest to you hun, hope they help.

Flying
Flying
flying
anxious need some reasurance from my friends here
plane tommorrow
How to Stop a Panic Attack when it is happening?

Love

Andrea
xxxxx

[bubbleblitt]

Hi Rickards and Andrea, thanks for your replies.I am still struggling with this one! I am really so tempted to pull out of the trip! I have flown so many times and really fancy giving this one a miss.The pressure of guilt is tremendous though.If my family just said they were ok about me staying home then I'd cancel.Actually, I have never been alone and had some 'me' time in 30 years of marriage and I think that may be part of the problem.Also, I feel as if my family may want me to go to make it easier for them (look after the grandchildren, ferry people about in the hire car etc) does that sound really mean that I'm thinking like that? Bubble

[domino]

Hi bubblebitt, you are not mean, you are just feeling really anxious,and as time is getting neareryou feel worse, have you been to see your g.p. yet? i really do know what you aer going though, really i do. i want my husband to say "if you do,nt want to go then we wo,nt" but i know that it is a step backwards and i want so much to get back to normal, someone once said to me that it is within your reach , and it is within your reach. maybe all of us should join together and make that flight. we will be with you , please go it,s you you will be letting down, tell yourself that this the first day of your recovery, this demon will not win, hope i,ve had helped you in some way, remember you are not alone here.sending you loads of hugs IT IS WITHIN YOUR REACH DO IT .XX

[kate]

We went on a big extended family (18 of us) trip to Florida a few years ago and I was so tempted to not go.

I went to the doctors and he gave me some Valium for the flight which did help take the edge off the nerves.

Kate

[domino]

Totally agree with kate, i have been to florida 4 times now and needed diazapam to get me through the flight, just read a thread and someone said leave you anxiety at home. try that , you are packing your case, and there are things you know you will need on this holiday, and your anxietyis,nt one off them so leave it at home go on this trip and have the best time ever.
IT,S WITHIN YOUR REACH, keep telling yourself this.

[belle]

Hi there...

I would say - you have to do what feels best for you. You need to seriously take into consideration all the pros and cons. Yes, you'll probably panic, because thats what we do - could you cope "long haul" panicking? You don't want to get the other end and spend the duration of your holiday stressing and panicking because of the journey home. If you decide NOT to go, then you'll feel disappointed and upset....but also after that come the wave of relief.

I had my first proper panic attack waiting to board a plane to Australia!!!! I stood there and dropped my bags and told my mother i wasn't going (i was 21 at the time). She said "Fine, she you in 6 weeks" and boarded without me. I had NO choice but to fly. Yes i was scared, but with a mixture of the most amazing travel sick pills (that sadly didn't make me sleep), i endured the 26 hour journey in one piece. Funny enough, i was my mother freaking out! However, it was the 3 hour internal flight on a 737 that REALLY tested me. I actually got out of my seat (while on runway) and insisted that the hostess let me off, she looked at me an said "SIIIIIIIIIIIIT DOWN". Great. I spent that journey shaking and biting my nails, trying not to look at the sea under me, although the Barrier Reef from 35,000 ft is quite special.

Perhaps if you do decide to go, get to your doctors and ask for some medication to calm you in emergancies. Focus on the fact that you did really well and made a flight only a matter of weeks ago, i couldn't do that. I can't even leave my house far enough to get to an airport....lol!

GOOD LUCK

x

[Dave777]

Hi Bubbleblitt
I haven't flown for some years now, had a big PA waiting to take off at Stansted.
It wasn't the fear of flying, it was more to do with being in a controlled situation in a confined space.

I hope to overcome this by taking a private flight in a small aircraft.

One thing that may help you is to have Valium or similar prior to the flight.

Let me know how you get on.

best wishes
Dave x