Flight day after tomorrow. extremely anxious!! plz help!

[Loik]

hey everyone. i have a flight wednesday evening and i am going alone on a 5 hour flight. I have never been like this before but lately i have been having panic attacks and feeling really claustrophobic. even when i travel by bus or train i sometimes get a flash of a panic attack but i try hard to make it go awway by talkin to someone else or keeping myself busy. The only way i start to panic is if im thinking about panicking, i cant control my mind sometimes and i just think about how bad it would be to panic right now and then i will start panicking! im really anxious about this flight and having panic attack. i am like 100% sure its gonna happen when im on the flight. i am not scared of the plane crashing or anything like that, just the feeling of being kindof trapped! plz help, is there anything i can do between now and then to make them stop! i thought about sleeping but it would be difficult unless i didnt sleep all of tuesday night. i do not take medications and there is no way i could have them by then. please help me!!

[tlpl]

Can you try some soft relaxation music (there are certain types of relaxation music that you can buy) and play it on a headset. In canada we have Shoppers Drug Mart and they always have a little tiny section with some cd's and tapes and ALWAYS have at least 1 or 2 relaxation cds or tapes. Hope that helps.

[spade22]

I would recommend xanax for your situation.  "If" you have a panic attack, it will stop it dead in its tracks.  Sometimes the knowledge that you have something on you "just in case" can really help in these stressful situations.

I dont see why you cant get a prescription before you leave.  Here are a few things to try if you are worried about getting an appointment:

1) Call your regular doctor/nurse and explain the situation.  They may call in a prescription for you.
2) If you cant see your regular doctor, then call around or even go to a walk-in clinic.  "Someone" will be able to see you before you leave.

If you cant go to the doctor because of insurance issues, then you need to decide if the expense of the out-of-pocket doctor is worth it - only you can make that descision.

You can also talk to your phamacist about OTC things you can try which can help you relax.

Non-medication ways of getting through this are standard relaxation techniques such as: deep breathing exercises, mediation, music (as the previous poster suggested), relaxing baths etc.  These can help you calm down before your flight and also during it (deep breathing, music etc.).  

You also mentioned talking to someone helps take your mind of a panic attack.  You can do this on the plane but also make sure you take some items with you that will keep you busy such as headphones so you can watch a movie, listern to music), some books, puzzles etc.

Finally, the good thing about planes is they have bathrooms.  I find it sometimes helps to get a little alone time, or just being able to get up and walk around in the plane can really help.

[sparkeler]

Suck it up & get an rx for Xanax.  Sounds like you need it.  I'm sure you can get a doctor's appointment especially if you tell them how anxious you are.

[slcjimmy69]

No matter what I do or what I take, I can not sleep during a flight. However, when I do fly, I have to get up and walk around every now and again for a different reason than anxiety. Might sound odd or funny but I seem to get over anxiety by talking to myself. Never underestimate the Power of a Higher Power to help you :)

[ahirs]

I find benadryl very helpful on a plane, and it's over the counter!  It has a drowsy effect that slows down my mind so I can't worry as much.  Take it from someone else who hates flying