Panic Flying

Hi JT,

Firstly, well done for managing a flight

When I fly, I am generally flying to somewhere I know and with my parents - mainly to see my brother in Montreal, Canada - but I fly to Boston, MA first and me and my parents drive up from there.

Before I go to the airport - although my parents generally book a hotel the night before - so we're not travelling at 'stupid' o'clock or rushing to get there and getting stuck in traffic - I also read through everything with Mum and triple make sure that I have got everything I need - and with things like medications etc. (I am on a lot), I make sure they can be seen in alphabetical order, and with the most current prescription I have, and in all the right boxes - I take my empty 'dosset' boxes with me so I can sort them when I get to the hotel after the flight - and then do the same on the return trip.

I am generally OK, once I am actually in the air and can concentrate on something like a film or reading my Kindle, but I am a complete bundle of nerves until just after take off and just before the plane descends to land.

In the actual terminal, during the baggage drop off and security checks, I get very nervous just standing in the cues waiting to get to the desks. I think it's the waiting in an already 'tense' atmosphere and crowded queues that doesn't help. Thankfully, I can 'mask' quite well, so as not to make the security suspicious, but I also have started wearing Loop Earplugs and they do help tone down all the sounds around me.

My Mum has disabilities herself, she has started using priority booking so she is able to get a wheelchair down to the security desks and again to the actual gate number itself. She also makes sure that she books one of the airport lounges, so it's not such a stress on me as well - I can just relax and chill out with my Kindle and Loops (these are a newly welcomed godsend to me), plus it makes it nice for my parents as well.

For the plane trip, I make sure I have some fruit sweets to hand and my 'weighted' cat toy (one you can actually heat up in the microwave - like a wheat bag), is sitting on my lap (can't and won't fly without her - despite me being in my late 30's). When the plane is about to take off, I just tense my hands on the arm-rests and don't relax until the in-flight entertainment comes on, or I am allowed to switch on my Kindle - then I can just lose myself until the plane starts descending - and then read the same in reverse lol.

I've only flown ONCE on my own - and that was when my parents went to Australia and I was flying directly to Montreal to spend a few days with my brother. I used the same techniques as above, but I also explained to the cabin crew that I was a nervous flyer, and they were really understanding and made sure I was doing OK, on both journeys.

Sorry, this has turned into a very long post - but I do hope this has helped you JT.

Mweekie xx

Hi JT,

Firstly, well done for managing a flight

When I fly, I am generally flying to somewhere I know and with my parents - mainly to see my brother in Montreal, Canada - but I fly to Boston, MA first and me and my parents drive up from there.

Before I go to the airport - although my parents generally book a hotel the night before - so we're not travelling at 'stupid' o'clock or rushing to get there and getting stuck in traffic - I also read through everything with Mum and triple make sure that I have got everything I need - and with things like medications etc. (I am on a lot), I make sure they can be seen in alphabetical order, and with the most current prescription I have, and in all the right boxes - I take my empty 'dosset' boxes with me so I can sort them when I get to the hotel after the flight - and then do the same on the return trip.

I am generally OK, once I am actually in the air and can concentrate on something like a film or reading my Kindle, but I am a complete bundle of nerves until just after take off and just before the plane descends to land.

In the actual terminal, during the baggage drop off and security checks, I get very nervous just standing in the cues waiting to get to the desks. I think it's the waiting in an already 'tense' atmosphere and crowded queues that doesn't help. Thankfully, I can 'mask' quite well, so as not to make the security suspicious, but I also have started wearing Loop Earplugs and they do help tone down all the sounds around me.

My Mum has disabilities herself, she has started using priority booking so she is able to get a wheelchair down to the security desks and again to the actual gate number itself. She also makes sure that she books one of the airport lounges, so it's not such a stress on me as well - I can just relax and chill out with my Kindle and Loops (these are a newly welcomed godsend to me), plus it makes it nice for my parents as well.

For the plane trip, I make sure I have some fruit sweets to hand and my 'weighted' cat toy (one you can actually heat up in the microwave - like a wheat bag), is sitting on my lap (can't and won't fly without her - despite me being in my late 30's). When the plane is about to take off, I just tense my hands on the arm-rests and don't relax until the in-flight entertainment comes on, or I am allowed to switch on my Kindle - then I can just lose myself until the plane starts descending - and then read the same in reverse lol.

I've only flown ONCE on my own - and that was when my parents went to Australia and I was flying directly to Montreal to spend a few days with my brother. I used the same techniques as above, but I also explained to the cabin crew that I was a nervous flyer, and they were really understanding and made sure I was doing OK, on both journeys.

Sorry, this has turned into a very long post - but I do hope this has helped you JT.

Mweekie xx