Flying scared on the 22nd and 26th

Re: Flying scared on the 22nd and 26th

feeds@kickapps.com (UndueBurden) — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 15:34:25 PST

I always feel better knowing when someone else flies the same airline, same route, same flight number! I fly that route frequently for business. The trip on Continental is so easy (I use Southwest a lot, too, but Continental has more flights/better schedule into Houston -- and I like IAH better than Hobby for the car rental situation). Anyway, it is a great flight. Express Jet is a great carrier, and the EMB-145 is very comfortable. It is not a long flight; just under 2 hours. It will be a breeze. Have a fantastic ski vacation -- the only thing you really need to worry about is how to find the hot tub:)

Re: Flying scared on the 22nd and 26th

feeds@kickapps.com (Capt Tom Bunn MSW LCSW) — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 10:14:49 PST

TERRAP is a really great program for agoraphobia. TERRAP used to be a lot bigger than it is now, and we used to have a lot of TERRAP people in SOAR back when we were doing "live" courses with groups. It was a treat to have them in the program because they already knew the pitfalls of avoidance, and trying to get relief by making the world smaller.

They came into the course with a very impressive "forward momentum" and were an inspiration to others in the course who we still not sure if they wanted to go forward with flying or not.

But TERRAP, as you say, isn't designed to get people on a plane. The problem is this: the strategies you use to deal with anxiety on the ground, such as control, reassurance, and a way out if things go badly, don't work in the air because you have no control, no reassurance unless seated by a pilot, and no way to leave the plane.

So, we have to build INSIDE the automatic control needed to deal with...

Re: Flying scared on the 22nd and 26th

feeds@kickapps.com (kkepner3) — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 12:53:37 PST

Thanks Capt Tom. I appreciate the response and tonight I plan on watching the free help videos. The therapy program I was in was call Terrap. I thought it was pretty good, but obviously didn't get me on the plane. Right now I am feeling good that I will get on the plane, but once on is where I'm having my doubts. Luckily, I will have 7 people around me that no I'm scared and want me to make it through.

Re: Flying scared on the 22nd and 26th

feeds@kickapps.com (Capt Tom Bunn MSW LCSW) — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 17:09:58 PST

Therapist will try to help with CBT, but it doesn't work very well for flying. It was because nothing worked that I went to grad school and became a therapist myself by flying for UAL. Now we can help. We can give you the means to automatically control the feelings when you fly.

The 737: there are more 737s in the world than any other plane, by far. So, no wonder there are more accidents with the 737. The accident RATE is excellent. The ERJ is fine.

Don't expect taking a couple of flights to get rid of fear of flying. Once it starts, it only gets worse. This is because we get our ability to deal with uncertainties between the ages of zero and two, and all we do after that is try to make up for what we don't have by using strategies such as control and escape.

So when you fly, you have neither control nor escape to make up for not being given enough automatic calming when you were tiny. We can, fortunately, give it to you because we developed...

Flying scared on the 22nd and 26th

feeds@kickapps.com (kkepner3) — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 14:04:02 PST

Going on my first flight in over 5 years. The last time I tried to fly I had done therapy to try and get over my fear, but backed out on a trip with my wife the morning of. That was over a year ago and I am ready to try and tackle this again with what I am hoping are good results. My wife and I and 6 of our closet friends are flying Continental from Hou to Albuquerque to go on a ski trip. I want to go so bad and am planning on going.

The flight is supposed to only be a 2hr flight. Heading there we are flying a 737-300 and back it is a ERJ-145. I know the 737 has been in service for awhile at which I used the airsafe statistics and saw they've had a lot of accidents over the years, but I know the number they show is nothing compared to all the flights these planes have flown or fly on a daily basis. Actually, I realize that the statistics show I'm risking my life 1000 times more by driving home from work today.

The return flight is on a very small...