Hi,
I wanted to quickly share my story and hope it helps anyone out there who's considering taking the course.
I had a couple of bad flights in the summer and fall of 2006, but my worst ones were in December of that year on a very short flight from LAX to Las Vegas. The outgoing flight was so bad I considered taking the bus back, or renting a car one way. But I braved the return flight, which was such a horrible experience I was never as happy as that day when the plane touched ground. I wrote off my flying days as OVER. This coming from someone who used to LOVE flying, considered it part of the trip or vacation, not just the means to get there. I lived in Japan for a year after college, traveled to Thailand, China, went to Europe 3 times in the span of 2 years, Australia via New Zealand, on and on and on. For this to happen to someone like ME was incomprehensible.
My very concerned and understanding boyfriend was the one who actually found the fearofflying.com website (he was the one who had to hold my clammy hand for 45 minutes and talk my ear off about Motorcycles in an effort to distract me), and I'd put off ordering the program for fear it wouldn't work and I'd truly be grounded for life. But I finally ordered it and after 3 weeks of watching the videos and practicing the Strengthening Exercise diligently, I took my first flight in 16 months to the very place that started it all - Las Vegas. I was so proud of myself and couldn't believe I was actually on a plane again. Three days later I was on a plane again to visit my niece in San Francisco. No more 6 hour drives!
I just am so glad to have life back, literally. I almost still can't believe I've flown 4 times in a week. It's not perfect yet, my pre-flight Anxiety was terrible the first time, and I did the 5,4,3,2,1 exercise like crazy. It truly feels like a leap of faith to believe that all that anxiety won't lead to a melt-down when you are actually on the plane, but it doesn't. I'm hoping to fine-tune some more bits and pieces of my anxiety (which is entirely based on feelings of claustrophobia, loss of control, panic -- luckily, I couldn't care less about turbulence).
So, to anyone out there lurking on the board like I did for more than a year, it works!
Thank you Captain Tom for changing yet another person's life - mine :-) Sorry to be so corny, but I truly mean it and appreciate that you have put this program out there.
Thank you!
I wanted to quickly share my story and hope it helps anyone out there who's considering taking the course.
I had a couple of bad flights in the summer and fall of 2006, but my worst ones were in December of that year on a very short flight from LAX to Las Vegas. The outgoing flight was so bad I considered taking the bus back, or renting a car one way. But I braved the return flight, which was such a horrible experience I was never as happy as that day when the plane touched ground. I wrote off my flying days as OVER. This coming from someone who used to LOVE flying, considered it part of the trip or vacation, not just the means to get there. I lived in Japan for a year after college, traveled to Thailand, China, went to Europe 3 times in the span of 2 years, Australia via New Zealand, on and on and on. For this to happen to someone like ME was incomprehensible.
My very concerned and understanding boyfriend was the one who actually found the fearofflying.com website (he was the one who had to hold my clammy hand for 45 minutes and talk my ear off about Motorcycles in an effort to distract me), and I'd put off ordering the program for fear it wouldn't work and I'd truly be grounded for life. But I finally ordered it and after 3 weeks of watching the videos and practicing the Strengthening Exercise diligently, I took my first flight in 16 months to the very place that started it all - Las Vegas. I was so proud of myself and couldn't believe I was actually on a plane again. Three days later I was on a plane again to visit my niece in San Francisco. No more 6 hour drives!
I just am so glad to have life back, literally. I almost still can't believe I've flown 4 times in a week. It's not perfect yet, my pre-flight Anxiety was terrible the first time, and I did the 5,4,3,2,1 exercise like crazy. It truly feels like a leap of faith to believe that all that anxiety won't lead to a melt-down when you are actually on the plane, but it doesn't. I'm hoping to fine-tune some more bits and pieces of my anxiety (which is entirely based on feelings of claustrophobia, loss of control, panic -- luckily, I couldn't care less about turbulence).
So, to anyone out there lurking on the board like I did for more than a year, it works!
Thank you Captain Tom for changing yet another person's life - mine :-) Sorry to be so corny, but I truly mean it and appreciate that you have put this program out there.
Thank you!
