So my entire journey w/ weightloss began in hopes of wearing a bikini to my dream destination of Turks & Caicos Island. Now comes the real problem of my irrational phobia of flying... I can definitely pull off the bikini but the thought of ever getting on a plane again gives me heart palps. I'm petrified.

I know the stats, I know the safety, I know the odds of a crash are slim to none. I know it's irrational. My first flight ever when I was 13 was HORRIBLE and I haven't been ok with it since. I would still fly on rare occasion but I had to be with my Mom and take medication. My Mom passed in 2007 so that option is out. After I watched 9/11 forget it, I haven't flown since.

I NEED to travel..it is my dream to see Europe as well. I don't want to go to my grave with regret but I also don't want to go to my grave in a firey, 300mph vertical dive either.

Anyone ever deal with this and get over it?? I'm thinking about maybe taking an online course.

Thanks.

Can you try to talk to your doctor and see if you can get something to relax your nerves? I think that would be a workable solution.

They have online courses for fear of flying? I guess it is true... You do learn something new everyday... People I have known that have had this same issue had some pretty good results by undergoing some desensitivity training... It involved learning relaxation techniques while sitting on an airplane that wasn't going anywhere... I have other friends that just use medication and that works for them...

I love to fly... I've had to fly sometimes 2 times a week or more... I once had a job where I had to fly back and forth between New York and Rome twice a month for over a whole year... I could probably live in an airport... and be fine with that...lol....

Oh, and you don't have to fly if you really don't want to... I've done the transatlantic crossing several times between New York, Southhampton, Cherbourg, and Hamburg... But than again I'm not sure how you feel about sailing on ocean liners...

But hopefully it won't come to that if you don't want it to...

I have meds available but I need more than that...like exposure therapy, and I suppose the only way to expose is to fly. This is probaly one of those suck-it-up-and-just-do-it situations. I was just looking to see if anyone had this issue and overcame it. I suppose having a job that required me to fly several times a month would do it. I guess online course it is.

I also have intense fears of bad thunderstorms and you think living in the midwest I'd get over it. Not so much..

I took a cruise to Turks and Caicos... Doesn't solve the root problem but maybe it's a temporary workaround!

I agree about talking to a doctor. It's not like you would need a pill everyday, just something during/before the flight. Of course, some therapy or the class you mentioned would be a longer-term fix.

I know after visiting Japan twice and enduring 4 12+ hour flights, the only thing I hate about flights is being uncomfortable. I don't know how long your flight will be, but we got to watch movies on those flights, or play games, so I was distracted. Do you have a book you're immersed in and could distract you maybe? Maybe some calming music, paired with sleep pills, so you can sleep?

I was intensely afraid of flying. The ONLY thing that helped me was... flying! I know how scary it is, I still have my moments where I can feel a panic attack coming on. The main thing that has helped me is practicing deep breathing techniques, watching a movie (if you have an Ipad or tablet, you can watch one of your own), talking to the flight attendants (they are usually very nice about anxious flyers!), and reminding myself that people get onto planes every day and as you said, there is VERY little chance of anything happening. Talk to someone who has flown a lot and have them tell you all of the normal things that planes do that might frighten you- such as weird sounds from the wings, when the wheels pop out and back in, and about how turbulence is very normal and perfectly fine. Those huge Boeing planes can even do barrel rolls, so don't worry about a little turbulence! It also helps to remember that your anxiety is stopping you from having fun, seeing new places, and living your life. I've always found for some odd reason, that flying alone helps me more. Why? Because when I am with other people that I know, I am more likely to turn to them when I am anxious. When I am alone, I don't have anyone to turn to so I have to be brave as I do not want to embarrass myself by freaking out on the plane!

Best of luck to you. Turks & Caicos is verrrry worth it!

I haven't flown in quite some time, but I am terrified of heights & it makes flying a real joy

Usually what I do is not sleep 4 a whole day before and then I am so exhausted that I don't get as ramped up about it. And then take some benadryl right before getting on the plane, usually half the adult dose. For me, it's the taking off and landing that I have the hardest time with, especially on smaller planes!!!

I have taken the fear of flying desensitivity course with relaxation tec. and it works well. That being said... I MUST have meds as well (like Xanax). I do both and it works. YOu could probably easily download a hypnosis app to help you with this fear and start listening to it daily plus get the meds- life is too short to be miserable and it is too short to stay at home!!

I have an intense fear of flying and my doctor prescribed Valium. And in all honesty, I doubt I could fly without it. I've read books like "Ask the Pilot" which was fascinating but doesn't help because my fear isn't rational and I know it. But I have intense panic attacks when I try to fly. I have a trip coming up in December and need to make a point to head to the doctor for an Rx soon.

I was prescribed xanax for a flight once and it worked. I would feel the panic coming on and then it would just.. stop.

It's true though, that the only way you're really going to stop fearing it is to do it. I fly at least 5 times a year now, and it's not a big deal to me anymore... I was terrified when I hadn't done it in years, but once I started having do it more, the fear went away.

An anti-anxiety med might help, but reality checks might, too. Jumping on a trampoline, swimming in a pool, walking down a sidewalk next to a four lane road, riding a bike in traffic, and certainly sitting in a car... All these activities have significantly higher mortality rates than flying on a large plane, or even a small charter! It is THE safest mode of transportation, with the least amount of injuries and certainly death. While a little trepidation during takeoff and landing is normal, fear beyond that point is irrational and inappropriate.

For me, at last, treating my fears like that (I have a fear of spiders and open ocean!) helps me keep the panic cycle under much better control. Deep breaths and reality checks can really go a long way. If I just don't give into the racing emotions and what-if scenarios of terror, even the worst fears are usually manageable. But. It is definitely mind over matter. I find that a better solution than drugs, but that's me!

Good luck

Well...i had an intense fear of flying and the first thing i did was take a Gravol(to help relax me) ...Then i stuck some headphones on my head and watched a movie on my laptop and immersed myself in watching a really good movie. Sometimes when i would worry about the turbulances.. i would picture a kid taking our airplane in his hand and flying it around a room and playing with it just like a kid would do..it helped me to kind of just laugh and think of it in a different way..

As far as therapy goes...the only other thought would be to try hypnosis therapy with a doctor maybe?

One thing I do when turbulence hits is look at the flight crew. If the flight attendants don't look concerned, and particularly if they are still up and moving around and not strapped in, then it's nothing to worry about. If they strap in, then I know it's going to be bumpy. So far I haven't seen one look scared. I imagine that would freak me out.