First flight in a couple weeks and am anxious, details in caption.
Hey y’all. Used to be a lurker in this sub but haven’t been on in years. I am 22 and about to graduate college in a few days. My girlfriend’s parents had gifted us a flight from Newark NJ to Aruba for a few days as a graduation gift.
Though I want to be excited since I never had the opportunity to travel growing up, my brain is solely fixated on the flight and I have been anxious for months now because of it (though admittedly the anticipation anxiety has gotten better overtime).
I have told myself for a long time I’m afraid of flying but at the same time, I don’t really know because I’ve never flown. For me, I’m not really anxious about crashing, turbulence, or being hijacked, and more afraid of being afraid. I’m afraid that when I get on the plane and it takes off, I am going to hate it, and I am going to freak out and have no escape. I do not like the idea of takeoff either, I do not like the feeling of acceleration.
When I talk to people about this, they all say basically the same thing like “Oh it’s nothing” or “You don’t even know you’re in the air/it feels like being on the bus.” But that confuses me… how do people not sit there and think about the fact that they are 35,000 feet in the air and traveling 500 mph and not get freaked out? That is not a normal human experience to have.
Yes I have told myself girlfriend about this multiple times, even over a month ago in the past. She has told me to “focus on the destination more than the trip” and I really do try, I try as hard as I can, but my brain is solely focused on the flight and what could happen. People usually plan out how the trip is gonna be, but I’m stuck here solely thinking about the flight.
My brain has also been convincing me that I’m not even gonna go because I’m so scared. I’ve had a history of just backing out of things if it makes me too anxious rather than facing it. My brain is literally plotting to just back out anytime beforehand.
I tried talking to my doctor about medication for the flight, but honestly she made it worse because she said she didn’t want to give me anything until after I get results from my heart examination, and I don’t think at this point I can get an examination booked and get a prescription in time beforehand.
I really just do not know what to think. How can people sit on a plane for a flight and not think about the fact that they’re stuck there?