Hi all. I'll get straight to the point (thread title): what tips / techniques do you all have to overcome a fear of flying? I've never flown before, and I'm terrified to do so, yet I'm simultaneously excited about flying in the (hopefully fairly near) future. It certainly eliminates a lot of the hassle of driving, especially on a long trip. For example, we went to Florida for vacation in July, and it was a 10-12hr drive. We could easily fly there in 3 1/2-5 hours ... so less than half the drive time! And when you consider the cost of a rental vehicle + fuel costs, among other things, flying is probably often cheaper as well.

Still, the mere thought of flying instills some fear / anxiety for me. My fiance has flown several times in her life, and so has her 10yr old daughter. My dad flew countless times during his life. And so many people fly every single day, many of them even on a regular basis (e.g. jobs that require frequent travel all over the States).

I honestly don't know what exactly it is that I fear about flying. Having anxiety, could it simply be the lack of control on my part? Is it the terribly miniscule risk that comes with flying, because anxiety causes us to exaggerate and catastrophize? Is it just because I've never done it before, and flying can feel intimidating until you've done it once or twice?

I have mildly elevated blood pressure (runs in the family, on both sides), and one episode of afib in 2016. Otherwise, no indication of less-than-good heart health. Once upon a time I thought the BP and / or afib episode disqualified me from flying. Google, however, says otherwise, but of course I'd check with my doctor to get her opinion since she knows my history and state of my current health, and she knows me far better than Google ever will.

For those of you who fear flying (or used to fear it) how did / do you overcome it? I know many people take a Xanax, Ativan or similar, and I'm perfectly okay with doing so, if needed. What else can help work myself up for flying so that I can enjoy it rather than being terrified when I finally decide to give it a go?

Thanks much! I'm sure you all will have plenty of tips to share... 😁