Hi guys, I'm new here and this is my very first post. I've been reading LYN forum for quite sometimes now but I have not been registered as a member. Anyway, regarding this post I'm not too sure whether its in the proper thread? Forgive me if I post at the very wrong place. Well, as the topic's title stated, "flying phobia" I've developed this phobia/anxiety for a while, about 4-5 years back? The funny thing was I fly since when i was very young and quite frequently, says around 2-3 times a year? Of course when I was young i never really had the anxiety, it all started when i didn't fly for a while around 3-4 years and the next time i fly i was 17. Well, since then I've been flying at least once in a year, be it domestically or internationally. Now the problem is throughout the flying journey, Ive been feeling uncomfortable and unpleasant mentally rather than physically. I don't get air sick at all, just feeling some anxiety above the sky. It gets worst especially during turbulence when the plane shakes, I'd start feeling stress, nervous and panic. However, I don't think my anxiety is extreme at the moment cause no matter how stress am I, I'd try to calm myself down and say some prayers. I don't scream or shiver. So I think my anxiety is not so serious and can be cured easily. Furthermore, i think the root of this problems could be I am afraid of height, easily distrust people as I am putting my life in the hand of pilots and I am not in control of my own life and destiny. Well, I actually do read a lot on how to cure flying phobia but mainly the solution would be visiting a psychiatrist. So, i hope any LYN communities could advise me on my predicament and recommend me some good psychiatrists in Malaysia as I really love travelling a lot and I hope flying wouldn't be a stumbling block in the future. Thank you!

u try to get yourself to sleep during the flight
thats the best

Well TS.. mine problem was as similiar than you.. i remember when i was going back to msia from HK & that time it was raining quite heavy.. Gosh imagination starting to playing in my head.. bad wheather.. thunder.. & i was holding my seat so tightly when i was take off. As you do i was feeling nervous too during turbulence & plane shakes. But the only relax me was listening to my favourite music.. Try shut your eyes & enjoy the music.. try to sing it with your heart.. or keep yourself busy with watching movie / playing game / reading magazine. Also.. keep yourself busy when planning by jot down what you need to do 1st upon arrival .. If u're in the way to vacation especially free & easy type.. plan by writing down the places that you like to go first.. what things you would like to buy for your love 1 & so on..

Well FIY i been watching alot of "Air Crash Investigation" at astro but it doesn't really bother me actually.. Just think that the pilot is a very experinces pilot.. there are nothing to be afraid of.. I'm going off to vacation & this thing i shud be happy about. Just think that way & i believe slowly u'll overcome it. I think there no need for you to see a psychiatrists.. it will cost u a bomb honestly. Even if you see a psychiatrists it wont help you much either coz the brain is yours.. you must overcome it before you realize that u're not afraid of it anymore. It's all depend on yourself TS.. Cheers..

Hey, thanks for your feedback! I do appreciate it a lot. However, all the things that you pointed out don't seem to work for me. For instance, you suggested that i keep my mind occupied and i did try that by listening to songs, watching movies or doing something else to keep myself busy like playing Big 2 but all those that don't seem to be working during the journey. My minds just cant get off the fact that I'm like 30,000 feets above the sky and shits may happen ie plane crash?. During the journey when the plane is stabilize and flying smoothly, my mind will be at ease and I wont be feeling that worry. The feeling of stress and anxiety started to kick in when the signal for seat belt is on and the announcement that we are going through a bad turbulence really scares the hell out of me especially when the plane shakes pretty bad. You see, for one i do talk a lot to people in aviator industry about the safety measurement for an airline and i have been told that the possibility of an air crash is extremely low in comparison with other mode of vehicles. I really did my homeworks about flying and do know for a certain amount of knowledges regarding flying cos Ive been told that the more i know how a flight function will help me in curing my phobia but all that doesn't seem to work. Furthermore, i have read somewhere that pilots are extremely professional unlike the bus drivers in malaysia. All in all, I do know and acknowledge that flying is an extremely safe method of travelling. However, I just can't help to think a lot and feeling nervous when turbulence happens and my imagination will be running wild, i tried to distract myself from thinking about turbulence but i just cant help it. I know this is a psychological factor and if you ask me to avoid thinking about it, i just cant do it. I'm a person who thinks A LOT and fear death! You know some people just don't fear death but I do, ALOT. I guess my personality plays a big role for the cause of my anxiety. Lastly, another solution would be flying a lot to cure this anxiety. They said the more you fly the more confident you'll be with the plane, but I only fly like 2-3 times a year and its at the end of the year. So, I am at wit's end on curing this anxiety. Any advices? My last resort is going to see a psychiatrist if I still can't get rid off this phobia. Thank you for your time!

This post has been edited by jeffreytsk: Mar 1 2011, 04:02 AM

talk to someone...keep talking.....enjoy the movie..

The best way of getting rid of your flight phobia is to overcome them. In your case, I would suggest you distracting yourself away from your imagination. Try watching movie and enjoy their in-flight entertaintment. At least that's what I have been doing during my flight journey. Secondly, bring your MP3 along and enjoy your favorite music. Or either way, try drinking a glass of wine so that you're able to sleep peacefully and comfortably throughout your journey.

TS,
u r not alone. u travel 2-3 times and myself one time..
there's just no solution to this. I can tell you one thing of my own observation.. When comes to turbulence, u will see some remain cool and some holding to their seat grabbing to the side . my bad experience is not the turbulence but the air pocket they call it, a sudden drop of pressure causing the plane to drop. all passengers just jump out of the seat and it happens with rain and thunders.

I still worry of it everytime i go into the plane.

Than i start to remind myself of the World War pilots who engaging in dog fights with old propellers and god knows how many had died crashing their planes. How bout japanese kamikaze pilots. Than i realized that how amazing these pilots were, with so much courage manning the cockpit and go thousands of miles and across oceans with old centennial design.

Than what about these air stewardess and pilots travelling thousands of hours for the past 10 to 20 years in their career. These are ladies in skirt and been doing the men's work with courage serving customers above the sky.

These altered my fear a little bit and i also begin to realize that there are thousand of ways a person could died. To ease your worry, i suggest you watch this movie Sixth Feet Under. Every single episode, a man or woman will die in any accident whether it's a Freaky one or cause by someone of someone .. when Dr Death wants u, he will just take u away in any method u will never imagine. u could be choking or hit by a construction brick or even a coin thrown from a condominium.

hope it helps.