I am actually very relieved that there are so many other people who share the same phobia as me!
I get very fearful weeks in advance of my flights and always find myself thinking of the worst when we are flying. I find myself thinking completely ridiculous and absurd thoughts while in-flight such as; oh no what if the laws of physics suddenly stopped working and the plane begins to fall! Or what if the plane just disappeared and I started plummeting to the ground!
I know that these are impossible but I somehow manage to freak myself out on every flight.
The only thing that has ever helped me with my flight anxiety is Xanax but I am afraid to ask my doctor for some because I think he will assume I am a drug abuser. When I am flying, I am never able to stand up because I feel insecure and am afraid that the second I stand up there will be a vicious bout of turbulence.
This sometimes gets so bad that I become very frustrated when I have to stand up for others to go to the bathroom. It has gotten so bad that I never go to the bathroom while flying because I just feel so weird standing in a tiny room trying to urinate while 30,000 feet in the air. I finally called it quits when one time I mustered up the strength to walk to the bathroom and then could not make myself urinate entering the bathroom.
I know it sounds funny but it is really quite annoying because it forces me to monitor how much I drink before and during long flights.
I have found that making a playlist for the entire flight also helps me to relax because music puts me in a different place when I close my eyes. I used to be afraid to even look out the window and would literally stare at the seat in front of me for the entire flight but now I have found that looking at the ground during take-off is actually quite relaxing.
I think that my anxiety from flying is a combination of lack of control, fear of heights and claustrophobia and it really angers me that I allow my emotions to control me. When flying I need to constantly tell myself 'mind over matter, it may feel weird but everything is fine'.
My one advice is, don't become superstitious! I had literally convinced myself that if I took my hands off the armrests that the plane would lose control. I have relieved my bad habit since then and now I am able to use my arms freely (thank god!).
Well I feel much better after getting all of this off of my chest and I am actually become excited for my flight from Newark to Holland this coming weekend!
I wish all of you the smoothest and safest flights for the rest of your lives!!
Happy trails
-B
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