Anxiety attacks..!?
Ok.. When I was 19 y/o I once experienced an anxiety attack while on the way to the airport, and not knowing what it was I thought I was having a heart attack but I was just about to get on a plane, I did not, instead I went to the ER. They told me I had an anxiety attack and gave me something for the time being. Now, everytime that I go to an airport, or even get on a plane, I get the worst panic attack, I try to avoid it and sometimes it’ll go away but sometimes it won’t. I’m flying on Wed with my babies, 8 hr flight and all I worry is about this. I don’t want to take any meds bc I don’t regularly get them, only when I fly. Is there something I can try that can relieve me from even the thought of it? I just fear the "being trapped in a plane on the air" part, and if I get sick of something there’s no going back, dumb feeling I know! I’m scared of having one bc I won’t even be flying with my husband, just me and the kids and I fear the unexpected!
Would appreciate some advise:)
Filed under: Anxiety Attacks
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I would be nervous too if I were to fly without my husband.
The thing is that you’ll be OK. Just relax, I would recommend that you take your meds
Last but not least, leave everything in God’s hands. Let Him take control.
I’ll be praying for you!
Let me start off by saying that you are more likely to be involved in a car accident on the way to the airport than being involved in an aircraft incident/accident.
I’m going to venture in guessing that since you’re flight is 8 hours, you’ll be flying on a larger aircraft, or a "heavy" as it’s known in the aviation industry. Heavy aircraft are typically the most comfortable to fly in because it’s not affected nearly as much by turbulence as a smaller aircraft would be. Commercial aircraft are routintely inspected and are designed to handle the stresses of turbulence. Even the most steel gutted, frequent flier would be sick to his/her stomach before most aircraft would be damaged due to turbulence.
For example, the Boeing 777′s wings are designed to flex more than 8+ feet in either direction before encountering any structural damage to the aircraft. That’s ALOT of travel up and down if you think about it. If the flight attendants don’t look worried, you have no reason to be either. They fly for a living, and are usually attuned to when it’s going to get rough.
A few people get a bit un-nerved by the sounds an aircraft makes. Within seconds of becoming airborne, you might hear two successive small thuds. This is just the landing gear unlocking and returning to it’s transit position. Usually within a minute or two later, you’ll hear another sort of thud/dull pop sound followed by the small whine of hydraulics. This is the sound of the flaps coming up into the wing. Once again, nothing to be alarmed about.
Depending on the route of flight, your aircraft will make a few turns while in flight. This might be to take advantage of the winds up at altitude, or just a procedural part of the flight to route traffic into or out of your destination and/or arrival airport.
Any other questions, feel free to contact me.
I don’t know if there’s anything you can do about it in only a few days, but it seems like you have a phobia of airplanes. People have phobias of all sorts of things, so don’t even worry about it. To solve the problem, I would suggest seeing a psychiatrist. They can treat you with something called aversive conditioning, where they slowly and gradually get you accustomed to the feel of being in an airplane (or whatever the phobia is) so that when the time comes to do it on your own, you’re prepared.
Hope this helps. Good luck!