Fear of flying

[liesauk]

ok here goes

I am absolutely undeniably petrified of flying!!
I have booked our 3 weeks for october but I am so scared that I am going to freak out at the airport!

I feel sick when I see a plane and I feel like I am in a vacuum when I get near a plane.

I have flown up until in my 20's all over the world without a single problem, ( just used to laugh at turbulence)

What am I going to do??



liesa
xx

 

[silver apple]

Hi Liesa,

Don't worry - you are not alone. I developed an increasing fear of flying from when my eldest dc was born. It got to the stage of me not being able to fly at all.

We eventually booked a holiday to Florida with friends last April, and decided to do a course with virgin (www.flyingwithoutfear.co.uk) and it was marvellous!! I may never love flying, but I am no longer terrified

It wasn't cheap (£250ish), but it was worth every penny and I would definitely consider doing this type of course, because life is too short to be held hostage to fears.

I hope you find a solution and can relax and enjoy a great holiday.

Lorna x

 

[liesauk]

so how long before you flew did you do the course lorna?

Liesa
x

 

[silver apple]

I did it the month before, but i have flown a few times since and have been fine. I have even become a bit of a flying bore, with all of my new found knowledge

 

[buzz182]

Hi,
Snap, I am exactly the same as you, never used to bother me. Would just get on a plane like I was getting in my car, but since our trip in 2001, when we got married at Disney world, which was a couple of months after 9/11 and a month after a flight crashed in New York, I was terrified

When I know my DH has booked the flights for our hols that's when it all begins, worrying, thinking about what can happen etc, but one day someone had posted on here that they too had a fear of flying and I tell you what, UKDEB, one of the mods for this board gave the person some really great advice about facing the fear herself and I have always remembered that post

So Deb, if you see this post, I know it was probably a good 2/3 years ago when you gave that advice for another poster, but thank you from me, as it helped me loads

Just an example the noises that the plane makes, eg, landing gear going up and down, these are meant to make a certain noise, there are breathing exercises that you can do throughout your flight. Also how the engine sounds during takeoff as they have to stick to noise pollution rules.
I am still very scared when the plane takes off, but when the seatbelt sign goes off and we are allowed to get up and walk around then I am fine.
I still fly cause I know I wouldn't be able to get to my happy place without flying and just look forward to what's at the other end

I'm sure many people on here are not great flyers and more people will be able to give advice. Hope Deb can find the post that helped me from all that time ago.

Karina

 

[liesauk]

see the problem with me is,
I am fine with the takeoff and the landing (as I am at that point closest to the floor!!)
Its when the seatbelt sign goes off and the pilot announces over the tannoy that we are flying at 35,000 feet the panic really sets in. I just cannot get past the 'this is a tin can flying' issue.

I mean I MUST get over this because I NEED to get back to WDW, haven't been since i was 18 and I am missing it so much.

I just need to find something that will help.

I booked a holiday with my mum and sister and friends to go to prague, I paid for it all, got to the airport took diazepam and even got to the stairs when I saw the plane I FREEKED I mean really really.. i sobbed all the way home while they went off for a fantastic holiday...

sighs

liesa
xx

 

[~Piglet~]

Hi Liesa, I am exactly the same with flying - taking off and landing, no problem. It's the actual being up there and knowing you can't just open a door and get out that I don't like.

Here is a site I have bookmarked (but not looked at yet!) http://www.fearofflyinghelp.com/

We are going back to Florida in 2010 and I already break into a nervous sweat if I think about it, at the moment I am pushing it to the back of my mind. Nearer the time to my hols (and money permitting!) I might book myself on to one of Virgins courses, as there is no chance of me dropping out - I am due to get married

 

[mark&sue]

I can't do the take offs. There is absolutely no way I would do a connecting flight if there is direct one. I too was ok until I had my daughter 15 years ago.

I have the books and the tapes, apparently hypnotism has worked for a work colleague of mine, and would try it if I was so bad that I could not take a flight. I manage to fly to Spain three times a year but much prefer it when we drive over in the summer. Such a shame we can't drive to WDW!

I feel your pain.


Susan

 

[craigs bride]

my dad has the same problem and he actually had to cancel their holiday last yr to Las Vegas so not sure what will happen in sept when we all fly over to Orlando for my wedding.. ..hopefully he can make it..!

 

[~Piglet~]

my dad has the same problem and he actually had to cancel their holiday last yr to Las Vegas so not sure what will happen in sept when we all fly over to Orlando for my wedding.. ..hopefully he can make it..!

Fingers crossed for you My sister got married in the Dom. Republic in '07. For months I put off booking and felt like I was stuck between a rock and a hard place, and with 50+ family & friends flying out there was no way I couldn't not go, then I was asked to be a bridesmaid....