26 year old woman with crippling flying anxiety; no help from doctor; Benedryl?

[WINTER]

Why give up & just limit yourself? Sometimes people want to get past their fears (however rational or irrational) and be able to do enjoyable things in life.

My father has severe claustrophobia and wouldn't fly cross-country to do an Alaskan cruise, 2 hrs to FL was his max. My mother pleaded with him, offered Xanax & he had a few bloody marys on the plane and he slept the whole way. A 5 hr flight went by in a blink for him.
He loved the cruise & admitted many times that week he was so glad he went.
Now that he knows he can do it, they are joining us on a Med cruise. He's of Italian descent & is finally getting to Italy.

If you keep limiting yourself, there's so much of life that is missed. JMHO.

I don't suggest to just give up and limit yourself but I don't think tea and benedryl will help someone who is sobbing, shaking, and gasping. Sounds like its more serious.

 

[Mama Who]

Benadryl actually causes anxiety in some people. Make sure you know how it affects you before you try it.

This.

I suffer from anxiety and take meds for it but took benadryl for an allergy attack and found myself groggy and panicked. Not a happy combination. Do check before you get in the air. I was able to just crawl into bed and twitch, but had I been in that state on an airplane I'd have been pretty miserable.

 

[vikkii19]

I can totally relate, I hate flying. For me it's a tremendous fear of heights and when in the plane I can't stop thinking about how high up I am.

My doctor has prescribed me Ativan, but they don't really work that well. They only take a slight edge off. I've recently started watching youtube videos on hypnosis for fear of flying. I'll let you know in about 3 weeks if they work. Other than that, I usually bring crosswords or sudoku to keep my mind from thinking that I'm flying.

Good luck.

 

[Wood Nymph]

I've always taken Dramamine when I fly because I get motion sickness really easily. I am also claustrophobic. I discovered that I can handle the claustrophobia when I take the Dramamine. It knocks me out enough that I don't feel anxious. I tried not taking Dramamine on a recent flight because it was a short flight and the weather looked good, and that was when I discovered that I really needed the Dramamine for the claustrophobia, too. It makes me drowsy and I sleep most of the time. It is great for me. The only downside is that I am sometimes drowsy when I land and can't make any important decisions for awhile.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

I don't suggest to just give up and limit yourself but I don't think tea and benedryl will help someone who is sobbing, shaking, and gasping. Sounds like its more serious.

This is true but at least she's trying.

Hopefully we'll hear back how it went.
To me it's kind of like having a baby. When it's fresh in your mind, you want to forget the pain & try to focus on the happy part. Then in time you do forget the pain. That's why we're not all only-children.