Scared of flying

Dancer

This probably seems really silly and might not make sense but I'm becoming scared of flying. My mum likes to put on TV shows to do with plane incidents like crashes. I know what most of you would say- go into a different room when it's on but it's not as easy as that. My mum wants me to go on holiday with her in November but I don't want to fly. I know that these incidents are very rare and flying is normally very safe but these horror stories get too much.

Amy22

Hi @Dancer Thanks for reaching out on here. This is totally not silly at all and is actually a valid thought and worry of yours therefore it isn't silly. Actually I used to have a fear of flying especially the take off and still do and I think for a lot of people too they can find flying scary and daunting. It definitely sounds like this has been worrying you a lot especially as I hear that your mum tends to watch a lot of plane crash investigation programmes and wants you to go on holiday too. I can understand why you may want feeling anxious about going on holiday. I think sometimes those shows as well often display plane crashes in quite a severe way which they genuinely are but sometimes tv does tend to dramatise it to make it seem more scarier and horrifying. I'm always here if you ever wanna chat anytime . Also, I was wondering if you were able to have a conversation with your mum about the shows she watches maybe and explain that you do find them triggering so then she can kind of understand your perspective on it too.

I hope you are doing ok,

Sending virtual hugs,

Amy22

ameliaJayne

Hi @Dancer ! I hope you are well.
This isn't silly at all and I am sure so many people will have experienced similar feelings to this at some point in their life. Flying is a really crazy experience especially if you haven't done it much before.

I think if you feel comfortable maybe you should share with your mum how you have been feeling. You might feel a sense of relief or weight off your shoulders once you tell her about your worries. She then might also be able to support you in some way.

In the mean time here are some positive facts about airplanes:
-According to research by Harvard University, flying in the US, Europe, and Australia is significantly safer than driving a car.
-Flying in Europe is at its safest level since records began, according to new research from the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
-Turbulence isn’t dangerous, and there are ways to reduce your chances of experiencing it
-Airplanes have always undergone an extraordinary amount of testing, and that has only increased with time, with several components of aircraft design being subject to increased scrutiny in recent decades.

I've also attached a link to a video of a woman giving an analogy for how turbulence works and why you don't need to worry if you experience it (you might have seen the video before). https://www.newsweek.com/woman-jelly-trick-cured-fear-flying-15-million-views-1716464

I hope this helps! Feel free to reach out if these worries/anxieties are still bothering you! We are always here.

Dancer

The show is back on again. I don't like it.

Maisy

Your feelings are not silly at all. I don't like flying either, and definitely wouldn't want to watch shows about plane crashes (and not before a holiday either!)

Is flying the only way you can get to your holiday destination? With some places, you might be able to go on a ferry, or a coach or train. If it's possible to use other transport, you might want to mention that to your mum.

As for the shows you mum watches, perhaps you can ask her to not put them on when you are in the room? Or she can watch them when you aren't around or aren't aware that she is watching them? If you have to sit through it, perhaps you can do something else to take your mind off it, like read, do a puzzle or play a game. It's good that you know plane accidents are relatively rare, but also keep in mind that we don't know how true these programmes are. Some might be made to be more dramatic for entertainment. It can also be reassuring to know that there are a probably a lot of safety plans in place too, which they might not always show or talk about in the programme.

Dancer

Thankfully it`s not back on until Saturday night so at least I have a couple of nights that I won`t have to worry about it.

issie

Hey @Dancer, this sounds very anxiety-inducing! I'm also scared of flying, so I can really relate to this. I wouldn't like watching plane crash programmes either, especially if you know you have a holiday coming up. I've written a list of things that have helped me with flying below, in case they help!

Tips for when you're flying:

- Listen to familiar music or download familiar shows to watch while flying! This has been super beneficial to me, especially during parts of the flight that I find the most anxiety-inducing e.g. take off or landing

- Using Turbli ( https://www.turbli.com/ ) This is a super helpful free turbulence forecaster. I always use it to check the flight conditions ahead of my flight so I know what to expect! Even if it's says there is going to be turbulence, I'm prepared. Often I'll take a screenshot of the forecast so I can check back during the flight for reassurance!

- Bring a hobby! Something like knitting, drawing, writing, gaming, whatever you like doing Personally, I like playing games with my travel buddy!

Videos I found really helpful:

Video on the strange noises aeroplanes make during take off - https://tiktok.com/@riyadhkhalaf/video/7347818941085011232?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7348386859502159392

Video on the strange noises aeroplanes make during landing - https://tiktok.com/@riyadhkhalaf/video/7353322659972697376?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7348386859502159392

This is a link to the TikTok account dial a pilot. They have lots of very informative videos with practical information on aeroplanes - https://tiktok.com/@dial_a_pilot?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc

I hope this helps. Let us know how you go