Fear of flying -- reporting back

Welcome back, Matti! I'm glad it all worked out for you!
You'll have to explain to us what exactly "In-flight Yoga" involves? Now I'm curious! If you found it helpful, pls do post so we can suggest it for the future...(For those of us who don't actively use the handy "Search Box" in the Upper right hand corner! LOL!)

Never feel embarrased about your fear of flying or any other fear. Everyone is fearful of something, whether they like to admit to it or not...

Safe Travels,

F/A

Here are couple of links another poster forwarded to me:

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0NAH/is_n6_v27/ai_21253048

http://www.yogajournal.com/health/1016_1.cfm

http://www.aviation-health.org/news/browse.php?action=shownews&category=&id=27&topicid=24429

They would probably be useful to someone who didn't have fear of flying, too, just to deal with holding still in a small space for so long.

Glad you posted back, glad you found some techniques that worked for you.

I'm glad you found something that worked and I'm glad you updated us, too.

FA, there are lots of yoga poses and exercises that can be done while in flight. And they not only occupy your mind but also help you maintain flexibility while doing all of that sitting.

Eli, you're definately not alone! We F/A's encounter Passengers just like you on practically each and every flight!

I really hope you are blessed with a patient and supportive crew on board each leg of your flights. I've been told many times that our support can and does really make a difference for fearful flyers. Good F/A's try to maintain a rapport during and throughout the flight. Sometimes all it takes is friendly conversation to help put a Passenger at ease. I love flying, everything about it. I live for "wheels up" but also realize that not everyone does.

I've seen a lot of great tips posted here on this topic. Keep searching through old threads and hopefully you'll find some advice that will make good sense to you!

Safe Skies,

F/A

Eli,

Maybe you might consider paying a visit to your Doc who might be able to prescribe you something a little milder?

I hate to see Pax (passengers) heavily sedated. It's just not safe. It would seriously impair your judgement and ability to preform in an evacuation. It's all about safety at 37,000ft. I won't start ranting, I promise. Regulars here know that I'm really very safety conscious about my Passengers and Crew...

Don't worry so much about Mechanicals, they are just like bumps in the road. They slow you down but you can keep going...
Crew blame "Mechanicals" for just about anything. I'm being completely honest, here. They are often pretty routine, to me. Try not to worry so much about that. And as for Osama's new threat...Don't spend too much time thinking about that, either. I don't.

Hi Eli,

You have my sympathy since this is a severe problem and I continue to deal with it myself. Personally, I have been presribed meds by my doctor which didn't work. I have tried two fear of flying cds (yes, they are corny). They do help, so if you send me a PM I'll let you know what I've tried.

I've noticed an unfortunate tendancy for people to tell me horror stories when I reveal that I have fear of flying. People: listed up, this is not helpful!

I'd rather hear from people who love flying an who have had good experiences. Flight Attendant: you say you love to fly. Could you please explain why? Thanks!

One of the great thrills of my life was while deadheading and being asked to liberate my seat to accomodate a sick child. I was asked to take the jumpseat in the cockpit for the duration of the 5 hour Trans-Atlantic flight. That was amazing!

I remember reading in Rick's book something about touring a family's Vineyard(?) and hearing the family member talk about it with pride during a tour. Rick said something about that man being fulfilled. I can relate to that feeling. Becoming an F/A, an Incharge, was and still is my dream come true even a decade later.

Flying, for me, is addictive. Just think of something you REALLY like doing and makes you feel truly at peace and fully alive! That's how I feel about flying!

get your doctor to give you a script for xanax. They take out all the anxiety yet you still can function a true wonder drug for fear of flying

Xanax? I will try that and maybe a few days before I go to test the effect. Activan seems to leave me groggy and unable to function properly. According to my kids, I look "weird." They even took pics of me and I didn't recognise the dead eyes and strained look on my face. That was after they shook me to tell me that we were going to be landing in 10 minutes.

Matti and Eli,

I do not have a fear of flying, but I do have an inner ear/balance disorder (Meniere's) that can make flying extremely uncomfortable for me. So why do I fly anyway? Because I refuse to allow my temporary discomfort keep me from enjoying my favorite pastime--traveling, especially to foreign countries. Luckily, long flights don't affect me as badly as short flights do. Unfortunately, I don't live near a major hub so I have to have at least one short flight to connect to a hub OR drive 3 1/2 hours to GET to a hub. Still, I have learned how to cope with it by allowing extra time on layovers to recover from the short flight and my kind ear, nose and throat doctor gives me additional medication (Xanax as it happens, though not for anxiety). I used to love flying before this cropped up, now it is simply a necessary evil. :-) Oh, and another coping mechanism--a travel partner who will talk to me when I am in a rough patch on landing (the worst time for me physically).

Xanax didn't do a thing for me, not even when I doubled the dose.

Congratulations Eli! You are brave and I hope you had a wonderful trip.

Eli (and Matti) - I am one of those who has promoted Xanax on this website as the "cure" for my fear of flying. Eli - I think the way you described it, that you still wanted to panic beneath the calming influence of the drug is a good way to say it. "Normal" flyers get a little nervous with turbulence too - so the drug doesn't completely wipe you out and make you feel "high". It just relieves the overwhelming anxiety that can almost paralyze those of us with the irrational fear.

FA - my fear is SO irrational that I don't have to take anything at all in order to sit in the cockpit of a small jet! I have loved the few times I've been on a private plane and sat upfront. I can talk to the pilot, I can look at him and see that he is not at all nervous so my mind tells me that all must be well. But put me in a regular passenger jet where I have no control at all - and there I get panicked.

Eli - one more thing. I probably mentioned this on a prior post, but I have to say - if you found Xanx to be helpful then continue to use it even for short domestic flights. After 10 years of flying with Xanax I basically don't need it anymore. I even forgot to put it in my carryon when we flew back from France in March. Bottom line is that I have been reinforcing good feelings - or at least - not completely panicked/sick feelings by using the Xanax for all my flights. My body no longer reacts as violently even though my mind is saying "wow, are you sure you can fly without your drugs?". Happy to say the answer is YES -though I will continue to ask for a small prescription each year - it has become my "rabbit foot". I feel better just knowing that I'll be able to take them if I really need to!

Just wanted to chime in. I love flying but I hate the elevator sensations, turbulence, etc. I also can't stand inactivity, I always want something to do, hate sitting for long periods.

I have taken Xanax for the past 8 years flying and it's always worked for me. One usually will calm me down enough to be relaxed but not zonked. On the last flight I took from Osaka, Japan to San Francisco I had to take another pill halfway through the flight as it was getting bumpy and I was getting a little jumpy myself. It doesn't cloud my memory or make me feel too drugged, but just calm.

You are fortunate Xanax worked for you--as I said, it didn't do a thing for me. I'm glad it works for others....