Poo scared of flying

[Guest Guest5035]

We are off to the Uk for a while soon, i'll be coming back by myself and leaving my wife there with her mum and she will return later in November/December. Now my wife is absolutely poo scared of flying by herself, i'm thinking of going back to bring her home, but just wondered how if flying by yourself how you get over this, Any thoughts??

 

stevo

[Guest Adelaide_bound]

I watch the flight stewardesses like a hawk and tell myself that if they aren't paniced I shouldn't be either.

 

Also, its the getting up and getting down that is dangerous, the rest is easy, so they are the only times I freak out now, and again watch the flight assistants to see what they are doing - usually chatting about their weekend.

 

Or take a tranq

[Guest guest3462]

Diazepam???

No seriously, you can book chaperones with many airlines that offer different levels of service from flying the whole way with you or meeting you at the airport gates and staying with you during your stopover. You will also get airport executive lounge facilities and early boarding priviledges. I'm not too sure how much it costs, I bet its quite costly, but its worth it if she is that frightened. Alternatively, if you didn't want to go all the way back to the UK again, could she be brave enough to get to Singapore alone she could inform check in of her fear of flying and the stewards will keep an extra eye on her) and you meet her there? Cheaper that way.

[Misplaced]

Tell her she's a big girl now and to grow up!!! Only kidding - hypnotherapy?

[Guest loopylisa]

Gonna stick in my psychologists two pence worth here. If she has a phobia then she can get CBT(cognitive behavioural therapy) for her phobia on the NHS. Go to her GP and they will refer you to primary care 'low intensity' therapists trained in CBT, it might include things like keeping thought diarys focusing on her thoughts about flying and then having sessions with the therapist to challenge these thoughts. Its not a quick fix but imho by flying over there and 'rescuing' her in the long term you are only serving to fuel her phobia as she will essentially learn she is incapable of doing it herself which further entrenches the phobia.

 

N.B CBT is highly evidence based for phobias.(i.e research shows it works!)

[jimmyskinner]

We are off to the Uk for a while soon, i'll be coming back by myself and leaving my wife there with her mum and she will return later in December/January. Now my wife is absolutely poo scared of flying by herself, i'm thinking of going back to bring her home, but just wondered how if flying by yourself how you get over this, Any thoughts??

 

stevo

Diazepam definitely, i take them everytime i fly ,plus they help you sleep

[Guest loopylisa]

Yeah GPs usually do doll out pills alot more than therapy... Benzo's( e.g. diazepam) are addictive but if you only use them on occasion shouldnt be a problem.

[Guest Guest5035]

re the phsyco bit, we fly in 3 weeks and the nhs don't exist over here, i'm doing the physco bit myself, but then my lad says not to take pills as they knock you out and then in the event of a emergency she'll be left by herself!!!!

 

stevo

[Guest Adelaide_bound]

rbut then my lad says not to take pills as they knock you out and then in the event of a emergency she'll be left by herself!!!!

 

stevo

In the event of a real emergency you are all probably dead anyway (that sounds harsh, but a plane either goes squish, or it is fine - the nature of the beast really) - you are incredibly lucky to be one of the ones that gets out if its one of those cases where there are a few survivors (I work on the 'when its your time, its your time' basis to keep myself sane on that front).

[Guest AlisonCarlton]

I used to have a phobia of flying, to the point that on my husbands 40th birthday we were supposed to fly to Rome for a few days. Got on the plane but was absolutely hysterical and had to get off!! I tried hypnotherapy (didn't work), drugs (helped a little), then i saw a counsellor who really helped (he made me realise that i was being totally irrational and that instead of getting on the plane thinking it was going to crash i had to convince myself it wouldn't). I wouldn't say i am completely cured, i still get a bit panicky when there is turbulence but i can talk myself out of the panic now. I think the CBT suggestion would probably be a good idea but it really is mind over matter and facing up to the fear. Unfortunately going on a plane is not something you can practise doing everyday which i think would help.

 

Alison

[Guest kenmcfadyen]

You can get your GP to refer you to a psychologist via Medicare. I'm not sure how many bulk bill, but I did when I lived in Adelaide.

[Guest wyles family]

Hi, stevo and lynn, last year we all went to adelaide for a reccie and i am really scared of flying, i didint think i would ever think i could emigrate to the other side of the world! On the plane i was in a state and nearly got off, the stewards helped me alot and i was ok there and much better on the way back, its mind over matter, drugs dont work for me, but wine helps alot...

 

I think it would be good for lynn to try and see if anyone is going to adelaide at the same time that she could talk to and sit next to on the plane this would take her mind off and make the time go quicker, its true if you come and meet her then she will think she cant do it!!!

[steveliane]

get very very very drunk

[Anne B]

As someone else said, watch the cabin crew. I don't suffer from a fear of flying, but once I got really scared flying in a small 40 seater plane in the Caribbean, it was typical tropical weather with big storm clouds everywhere. There was a loud thud in the cabin and the plane just dropped like a stone out of the sky - this wasn't ordinary turbulance, it just went on and on dropping for what seemed like ages, I remember thinking I was going to die with a can of coke in my hand. I then looked up and saw the crew and the pilot (there was an open door to the cockpit) and they were all laughing and smiling like this was totally normal - so I relaxed and stopped thinking I was about to die!

 

Also think of all the planes in the sky which safely fly day in day out. We used to live near Stansted Airport in the Uk and there were planes landing and taking off all day every day, without incident. That's just one airport - multiply that by all the airports in the world and there are thousands and thousands flying safely each day.

[Guest Guest5035]

well she took off from Heathrow about now 7am sunday adelaide, just spoke to her at the departure gate, shes abit shaky, told her i'll talk to her in Singas then in 24 hours in Adelaide. So proud of her.

 

stevo