Which type of alcohol relaxes you?

[luvavacation]

I will be flying soon, which means I will be shaking and sweating and tearing off the armrest with my fingertips soon. I am not a calm flyer. Yes, my brain knows how safe flying is, but I have a strong desire to be in control, and I do not give up control to others easily. I mean really, wouldn't it be more helpful for the pilot if I was in the cockpit, pointing out every hazard in the sky he/she may not see, and why not let me do the walk-around before flight, making sure all doors are shut and locked and rivets tight and no signs of metal fatigue? But even then, I would probably still be a nervous flyer.

This does not keep me from flying, as I will still get on a plane if I have no choice. However, my fear tells me that every flight with no crash brings the odds closer of my next flight crashing. Yup, bad rationalization, I know!

I have tried drugs, but all I do is work myself up into such a fear of not being able to save my family if the plane crashes because I am too out of it, that the drugs do not take effect until the plane lands. That is not helpful.

I can't listen to music to drown out the engines because we can't have electronics on during take-off, and take-off is the worst for me! And my heart is racing as I type this. See, I have issues!

So I was wondering, is there a particular alcoholic drink that makes one calm? I have read on here about people having a drink before a flight to calm nerves, and I thought that, since I haven't tried that, maybe I should?

I am not much of a drinker, though I do like a Mudslide or Mojito when on vacation. I just don't think they relax me. Would wine do it? If so, which type of wine?

I do not wish to become inebriated and pass out, because hey, how do I save the family then? I just would like to keep the armrest attached to the seat!

So what relaxes you?

 

[Pixiedust34]

Have a glass of wine. Red or white is fine--whichever you like better. Wine makes me a little more sleepy/relaxed than beer.

Try not to worry about the flight. Air travel is safe, and I always feel safer in the air than on the roads with the crazy ways people drive.

Have a good trip!

 

[Chuck S]

Contact your doctor, explain to him/her the problems you had with the last round of meds and ask if there is something that may be more effective.

I doubt seriously that alcohol will work for you, unless you get totally plastered, which would not be pleasant for your family or other passengers. Plus, if it is a morning flight, getting that drunk in the morning would not be a good thing at all.

I really don't like flying all that well, and I used to really enjoy it, until I was on a very turbulent flight several years ago.

 

[Robinrs]

Rubbing alcohol...

 

[java]

I think a Xanax might be a better way to go vs liquor. Really if you take it early enough you should be good.

Of course. All of that is according to my friend, since there is no way I am getting on a plane anytime soon.

 

[Kae]

I think a Xanax might be a better way to go vs liquor. Really if you take it early enough you should be good.

Of course. All of that is according to my friend, since there is no way I am getting on a plane anytime soon.

Or Valium a friend of mine said that Valium gave her less side effects. I would go to your doctor. she takes it starting 48 hours b4 her flight.

Kae

 

[Gigi22]

Drinking before a flight only "works" if your flight takes off during normal bar hours. If you have an early a.m. flight, there are often no bars open at the airport. Opening hours depend on the liquor licensing laws at your airport. To get you through the fun and games that check in and security have become these days, you really need an open bar on the other side of security. What if you get through security only to find that the bars are closed?
See your doctor for a prescription.

 

[furb & dez]

I think a Xanax might be a better way to go vs liquor. Really if you take it early enough you should be good.

Agree.

 

[disneymarie]

I think a Xanax might be a better way to go vs liquor. Really if you take it early enough you should be good.

Of course. All of that is according to my friend, since there is no way I am getting on a plane anytime soon.

I agree, my first flight I swore they would drag me on board. The PCP understood and gave me xanax for the flight down and back. Worked like a gem. Just the one pill worked wonders. I had one I took at the parks too one day, I actually rode Space Mountain!

I have valium for muscle spasms, and do not feel the relief for flying like the xanax. I also have ativan for panic attacks, really not very effective. It helps on the long car trips like 5 hr drive to see dsd in NY.

Wine would only make me sleepy, and a panicked tippsy person. (that is me, because of the anxiety level).

Talk to your doctor, be specific about the armrest attacks etc. It is your vacation and you really want to be relaxed and have fun.

 

[Buckalew11]

I'd have to agree with the xanax. It has really helped me overcome a lot of the fear of flying and I sometimes do not even feel the need to take it anymore. And if you knew how I used to be about flying you'd think that was a miracle.

 

[bumbershoot]

Might sound wimpy compared to everything else suggested here, but you might try Rescue Remedy. It's a "flower essence", and that sounds like nothing, but it actually is amazing. We started using it after it was suggested for our *cat* who freaked out on 4th of July. We put a drop in her water, and she was CALM for the first time during fireworks! DH and I then started using it on ourselves, and then with DS who was very very little at the time. The stuff is like a miracle. It can really calm a person down and get their brain settled. Maybe try some in anxious moments well before the flight, see how it works...



I once took a flight from DC over to WV, going over some really "bumpy" mountains. It was a tiny plane, just a curtain to the cockpit, not even a door. The air currents made the ride VERY miserable and scary. I had to find a way to calm myself down, and finally I started looking at the flight attendant and the co-pilot (since I could see him when the curtain shifted). I decided that if THEY started getting nervous, then I had a right to be. But if they were calm and cool, there was no need for me to worry. I continue to use that method (though I haven't been in that small of a plane since). Watch the professionals, and find the business flyers to see how they are reacting.

 

[Navychica]

I hate taking drugs, and I'm seriously a lightweight, so 1-2 drinks usually works amazingly. If it's an early morning flight, get a bloody mary. If it's later in the day, that mudslide sounds delicious!

 

[knitster]

I have general anxiety disorder and can have some wicked panic attacks, so I've tried lots of remedies for anxiety. Having a drink does nothing for me but to make me a sleepy anxious person, which is no fun. Ativan works for prolonged periods of anxiety, but not for something like a flight - for that I use xanax and it works wonders. Rescue Remedy doesn't work for me because my anxiety levels shoot through the roof, but for a normal person - like my husband - RR works quite well.

 

[Bluestars]

I find drinking a Bailey's and coffee is very relaxing.

 

[Lintasare]

Just remember you can be denied boarding if you appear drunk. I would second seeing your doctor and trying a different med. And take it at least an hour before your flight.

 

[hereyago]

OP: as long as whatever you take doesn't make you do this (from bridesmaids)



http://youtu.be/BP2zVb8Ufsw


Talk to your PCP as others have said, do not mix with alcohol and keep yourself busy to not think about the plane or what could happen. Don't laugh, but I enjoying drawing or coloring (sometimes DD13 does it with me, but that girl falls asleep at take off)

 

[luvmy3]

Which type of alcohol relaxes you?

The kind that gets me drunk

 

[Wadecool]

A shot of Makers Mark chased by an ice cold Bud Light. Guaranteed to cure what ails you.

 

[peacelover]

I took a flight about 5 yrs ago where I started to get anxious, so I ordered a drink, and I swear it made the anxiety worse.

 

[mommadebbied]

I am the same exact way! My flight to WDW is not until September 2013 and anytime I think about it my heart speeds up a bit I plan on seeing my doc before the flight and hopefully getting something to calm me down and get my bum on that plane! My fear of flying has kept me from visiting my sister in HI and my brother in Germany. A free trip to HI or Germany and I can't take it because I'm a big wuss!!!!