Airplane Panic Attacks

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Airplane Panic Attacks

In my experience, airplane panic attacks were among the most challenging and frightening of all the panic attacks I ever had.

I think that there were two main reasons they were especially acute.

The first was because of anticipatory anxiety and getting all worked up prior to the flight

The second was because during an actual panic attack it felt like there was nowhere to go.

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I had at that point learned to cope with panic attacks by taking actions such as going for a walk, or just calling a friend and talking about anything else other than the symptoms of panic and anxiety being experienced. But on an airplane those options were not as readily available to me.

Fortunately I was eventually able to learn to enjoy flying, and look forward to it.

It was only after I had practiced relaxation techniques for some time and had become fairly good at inducing the relaxation response, that I really learned to relax and calm the physical symptoms of having a panic attack on an airplane.

There were a couple of things that I found very helpful as I was learning to overcome panic attacks:

I would think positive prior to the flight. I would always reassure myself that flying was actually much safer than driving, and that there were experienced professionals were flying the plane

Thinking rationally was very helpful. I had flown dozens of times prior to the upcoming flight and had always been safe after each one of them

I learned to practice deep breathing techniques, on the plane when sitting in my seat, and often times would simply relax and drift off to sleep

Letting go was particularly helpful. I thought 'let go' to myself, and at times would practice saying some affirmations

I'd let myself get some sleep. By practicing relaxation techniques such as deep breathing and visualization, I'd eventually relax. Once relaxed I'd let myself drift off to sleep and enjoy the flight.

Having a sense of adventure was also helpful. Instead of fearing airplane panic attacks, I focused on the adventure of flying and how much fun it is. I'd try my best to be positive and enjoy the excitement of it, and really try and be excited about flying. I enjoyed flying when I was younger, so why not enjoy it as an adult.

Distraction was useful. Learning to find things that would occupy my attention was very helpful. At times I'd listen to music, have some light reading materials, or just really focus on an in-flight movie.

Anytime I started to feel anxious I'd just focus on a few key things: Thinking rationally about the anxiety I was experiencing, relaxing through controlled deep breathing, and telling myself that everything was alright.

Eventually with airplane panic attacks, I didn't even care whether or not I'd have one. I thought to myself, if panic attacks can't hurt me, and the odds are strongly in my favor that I'll be safe, then I don't care whether or not I have a panic attack. I thought to myself, I've dealt with them before, and I am stronger than they are. Bring it on was the best attitude for facing the fear of an attack for me.

Oddly enough, as soon as I removed the fear of having a panic attack on an airplane, the panic attacks were much less intense, shorter in duration, and much easier to cope with.

As I developed more experience (through practice) with coping with panic attacks on an airplane, I learned to overcome them completely.

This is what worked for me, and everyone is different. You should speak with a professional (your doctor) and have them assess your situation.

Talk to your doctor about airplane panic attacks and see what advice he/she has to offer.

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