I wasn't certain where to put this on the forums figured it could be considered "mental fitness." I estimate that in my 30 years of life, I've flown in at least over 60 different planes, and four of those were coming to/returning from Europe. This past summer I visted Jamaica and was a little anxious but overall fine. I flew back home this past holiday and was much more anxious than before. When I returned home yesterday I had to take two planes. I became very upset upon landing in Wash. DC in the first plane and cried. This led to feeling overcome by feelings of anxiety and crying in the airport. I really did not want to get on the plane and considered walking out of the airport and renting a car. I finally succumbed to the pressure I got from my mom over the phone and got on the plane. Has anyone else experienced anxiety from flying? I think about a lot of different airline crashes I've read about our seen on TV over the years. I think about how each of the people on that plane must've felt as they were plummeting to their deaths. It's terrible but I just hate the idea of being cognizant of your impending death and having to live with it until you die minutes later. I hate not being in control of the plane. I know the statistics and that air travel is much safer than other modes of travel but it makes no difference. Does anyone have any ideas or suggestions? I feel very embarassed about my little episode yesterday.
:smt043 i've flown all my life. my dad used to work for an airline, so we had $1 flights anywhere in the country and we took advantage of it. i still hear a plane overhead and will watch it with envy and wonder where the people are flying to. i love travel. i noticed that once i had my children i started to get nervous when flying. my favourite part of take off now leaves me sick to my stomach and i find myself counting to 20 because i heard that if your plane is going to crash upon take off, it will happen within the first 20 seconds.
I get more nervous about a long car trip. There are so many crappy drivers. I think after you fly a few times you quickly lose the big fear. Nothing is certain in life. Can you get your doctor to give you some "doggie downers" for taking before you fly??
The first flight I remember taking was going off to school a few states away when I was too young and naive to understand very much of anything about air travel. Since then, I've flown all over the world. I've ridden in helicopters and even jumped and repelled from perfectly working aircraft when I was military (try to get me to do that now...lol), but I thought I had that "S" (Superman) on my chest back then and never gave it a second thought. Apprehension first set in on a commercial flight... a twin engine prop commuter that flew straight into a thunder storm. Lightening hit the plane and knocked everything out. As we were free falling or gliding (my seat belt was the only thing keeping me from kissing the cabin ceiling), I remember thinking "So this is what it's like to die".... It may have only been seconds but an eternity later, the pilots got the engines going again and regained control of the plane... When we landed, I took a rental car and drove the remainder of that trip.... These days, I try to minimize air time and avoid trips longer than 4 continuous hours in the air... Once we're clearly airborne, I don't think about it and try to keep my mind numb and busy... I refuse to fly coach if I have any option whatsoever because I feel too closed in and trapped. I try to avoid long layovers and multiple connections. On long flights, I stay up the day (even two days) before and try to sleep for the duration of the flight. But above all, I try to keep in mind that it's a temporary condition that will pass soon...
If it makes you feel any better, you can put your fears to rest knowing that you can die at any moment and are more likely to die from something else than a plane flight crash. :smt023
it's common knowledge that the best pilots are in the military.. just don't count all of those Osprey crashes:smt095
I recently went through the same thing when I went to Jamaica and Canada over the summer. The Jamaica trip was the worst because I so afraid that I couldn't even get up to use the bathroom. I suggest taking half a melatonin and just knocking out for the trip. That's what I plan to do for my next trip to Costa Rica.
Yeah I know, how you feel...after some awkward experiences, I started to feel like that, too. Not so much that I wouldn't enter a plane anymore (at least in Europe,US and Australia), but I don't feel nice, I cannot relax anymore. Within Africa, I always travel back to Europe and start from new to my destination (the same in Russia- or if it's not possible, I prefer to travel by car). Never i.e. I'd fly from Uganda to Kongo, or from Angola to Senegal. I don't know, what to do against it, some people told me, it will leave sometimes again. Taking a pill to sleep, is an option, but it's a problem, because of stealing (I always travel alone).
Hey all, thanks for your responses I feel a little better knowing at least I'm not alone. It appears that the ignorance of youth was what got me through all those years of flying. Nocturnal- Your experience was insane! I'm impressed you can still get in a commercial craft! Dark Knight- I think the worst thing about flying to Jamaica (Montego Bay) was the fact the runway is literally right off the ocean. The plane kept descending over the water and I was screaming in my mind, We're crashing! We're going in the water! Where's the runway?! Lol. It didn't help much when we left and I knew the ocean was at the end of the runway upon take-off. Thanks again, everyone.
