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Airplane Flight

13 years ago 0 +0 / -0 1665

Davit: You are not alone facing your operation. I am there with you - let me know the date and I will be with you in spirit. I will meditate and think of you. Can you visualize me beside you, holding your hand? I promise I will be there. I will hold lavendar. Do you have some lavendar? Lavendar is a relaxing scent and that's what I would like you to remember when I am holding your hand with lavendar in my other hand for you.

Hope you don't think I'm a crazy person, I'm really very conservative, but I do believe the mind is a powerful thing and I want to be there with you when you need me.

Suggestion, if you don't have any lavendar can you buy some before the op. and use it often before you go in.

Here for you, Sunny

13 years ago 0 +0 / -0 1665

Hi Cleo and Teebs: Gee, I couldn't have said it better. Davit is right. A little push maybe is all you need. That is a push from the firm belief that you will be just fine - nervous, yes - and needing to use a mild tranquillizer, but so what - that's the purpose of these tranquillizers. Many people use these when needed who do not live with an anxiety disorder. A few times of use is not abuse and non addictive. Your reward will be an exciting and happy trip with loved ones. You could talk to your doctor about which med would be best suited for you.

Having said all the above, you know as Davit writes, that we care about you and will support and understand any decision you make. We just want to be encouraging, to show you that there is a way, to trust the program and yourselves, trust your body, believe. We are much stronger than we think.

I flew last year, actually in October, hadn't flown for several yrs. and I was nervous too. When I felt the anxiety come, I used the breathing exercises and it worked for me. I kept thinking about my reward at the destination, waiting for me were happy family members and friends. Another tip, is to just watch the t.v. monitor the whole trip, or bring a really good book to read. I loved watching the monitor where it shows how far the plane has flown - shows the distances from departure to arrival. Really neat.

Your friend, Sunny

13 years ago 0 +0 / -0 6252

Cleo, Teebs

If you do not do this what will you think next time you try? You can reinforce negative just the same as you can reinforce positive with exposure. Are you strong enough to say, "I am not ready" and really believe it? Or is it going to be an excuse to use in the future? I'm not pushing you to do something you can not do. Cleo I can understand you not wanting to fly alone and you do have a compromise. Teebs correct me if I am mistaken, you will be going with a safe person and you have medication if you need it. In fact you could stay medicated the whole time if, and I say if, you had to. (you know you would not have to be). This is just my personal thought based on my experience but I think the benefits from doing the trip far out weight not doing it. I will still be your friend and I will still be here for you, I just want you to think this over carefully and rationally, not through the eyes of fear. Fear is what you are trying to overcome here. And now a secret here. I have an operation I have to go for and for the first time in my life I'm scared. I am scared because I like it here and want to be here. It would be so easy to just not do it, I won't die if I don't, it is just something that will improve my health. But with all operations there is a chance, slight as it may be. I know because I have signed the release fourteen times before. I have a lot of anxiety but no panic and I am going to try very hard to do this because I need to, I can not live in the shadow of my anxiety, I have come to far. But and here is the big but. I am going to most likely use Valium that day because I truly feel for me I have to do this. I will not feel bad because I used a drug I will feel good that I did something I want to do but am afraid to do. I truly think it will make all the other things that give me anxiety easier to deal with. And those I can now do without medication even though at one time I could not.

I had to post this because I really feel you will benefit from the trip and I feel you may actually enjoy yourself it you allow yourself to. You did say you want to do it.

What ever you decide I am still your friend and maybe Cleo is right, maybe you are not ready.

What ever you decide, keep posting, do not hide from us, I would miss you.

Here for you,

your friend I hope.

Davit.

13 years ago 0 +0 / -0 538

Hi Teebs,

Obviously I'm not qualified to give you any advice, not having flown for over 20 years, but I certainly understand sheer panic. If just looking at those airline tickets caused you such anxiety, maybe you are not ready ...yet...maybe some more exposure therapy beforehand?

Here's to commiserate with you: My hubby is going away for over 6 months this coming winter, in the middle of which he gets either a trip home or we could meet at some exotic place for the week. All paid pretty much. Of course, he would love for us to spend that time together somewhere ....but I'm too scared to fly....yet! So, before he left for this last little trip we came to the agreement that flying for the first time in all these years by myself isn't right for me, just yet, but I agreed that next year I will fly with him, to Vegas, or Toronto, wherever, a 4 or 5 hour flight, just to start. And him being with me. I'm scared, but not panicked by that thought, as I was by the idea of flying alone. I'm telling you this, because maybe there is some comprimise you and your partner could come up with that eases you into flying slowly?

Here for you,

Cleo

13 years ago 0 +0 / -0 286

We looked at airline tickets last night - didn't book anything yet - but just looking at them started getting me worked up

I want to be the kind of person that can go and enjoy this trip, but I still wonder if it is too much too fast.

I was supposed to have a meeting with my counselor this morning and I was going to talk to her about all this, but she had to postpone....which hasn't really helped my feelings of loneliness this week! She has told me before that going into situation that make you anxious is good practice, but going into situations that produce terror is not good for "unlearning" your anxiety. Right now just thinking about being on a plane makes me feel pretty terrified!

13 years ago 0 +0 / -0 1665

Hi teebs: Hope you do buy those tickets. Try and think about it as an investment for your future. Nobody knows what the future holds anyway, as Davit wrote, believe and have faith that you will have a wonderful time. Maybe you can see your doctor about a mild tranquillizer to be used before the flight. A one-time use is ok. Try the visualization before the flight, relax yourself well first, then visualize the plane and getting aboard, how the seat feels, having some bottled water, watching the monitor/movie, bring a book to read maybe, whatever you think you may do during the flight. Think of the positives of the destination, what a happy occasion you are celebrating, the happy people you will see, etc. This will be your happy goal.

Good luck and cheering for you,

13 years ago 0 +0 / -0 6252

Teebs

That is a clear concise forceful answer! I really believe you do! Now can you be the same with the actual trip? Can you believe you can do it enough to do it, with or without medication? Can you believe it is going to happen so the lead up is not worth thinking about? Remember it is in the future and the future doesn't count till it becomes the now. Enough time to think about it then. So buy the tickets and forget about it till the day. If you do this exposure it will reinforce your positive belief. Even if you need medication. The point is to enjoy yourself and the negative thoughts will fade. When you have second thoughts, and you will, use the positive "what if." "What if it is the best I can make it" "What if I really enjoy myself" Then all the negative thoughts are just as false as you believe. There is that word again. Such an important word. Just like faith. I have faith in you, I believe you can do this. Been there too.

I'm sure I'm not wrong.

Here for you

Davit.

Ps. I once had to ride a Lear jet air ambulance. The thought terrified me but the actual flight was fantastic and yes I did use Ativan and Gravol but I could do it now without. (I'd just take it along just incase, just my agoraphobia dragon raising it's ugly head)