We have to fly to Texas

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

If it's the adrenalin that is the issue, really and truly, you might need a beta blocker. (Take it from someone who has to take one every. single. effing. day...) It stops that sh!t cold. No addiction, few side effects, not an upper or a downer. Cheap as chips so the NHS is happy to dole them out to people with anxiety issues.

[ajames79 0]

Good luck with over coming your fear.

I have never been scared to fly but I can't sleep on the plane AT ALL.

Tried sleeping pills once and ended up being much much sicker for it. Still no sleep but I felt like vomiting for the last 4 hours!

Never had much luck with the drinking on the plane as well. Makes me a bit sick too!!

[cheeky^Wolf 0]

I did wonder how you planned to get back to Texas when you said in the fear of flying thread that you dealt with it by not flying.

You've obviously dealt with it in the past, I'm sure you can this time.

There's always a boat.

[Candace 2]

If your fear is bad enough that the medication and other solutions you have been offered aren't going to help, as cheeky^Wolf said there *is* a boat option. You can sail often from Southampton to New York or Florida and road trip the rest of the way? I know that both Royal Caribbean and P&O sail the routes, of course there's the Queen Mary too (if you fancy pushing the boat out, pardon the pun!) and I am sure other companies.

Although if you have time, getting some non-medicinal help with conquering your fear may be the best option.

Best wishes.

[homesick_american 1]

What is it that you have a fear about.... maybe going to talk to someone about that fear would help...

Kez

What I've done since developing the fear in 1996:

• Flown frequently (didn't help)
  
• Saw therapists in Austin and Dallas (didn't help)
  
• Went to the airport to watch aircraft take off and land (didn't help)
  
• Took various anti-anxiety medications (didn't help)
  
• Took two fear of flying courses here in the UK (didn't help)
  
• Hypnotherapy (didn't help)
  
• Read about 10 books on the subject (didn't help)
  
• Watched DVDs generously provided to me by BMI and Virgin Atlantic (didn't help)
  
• Gone on short flights with a pilot friend (didn't help)
  
• Took the controls of pilot friend's single-engine Piper, executing maneuvers 1500 feet above Yorkshire (didn't help)
  

Tell me, is there something else you think I should be doing? :crying: :crying: :crying: :crying:

[homesick_american 1]

Rather than self medicating, how about dealing with the real problem, i.e. why you have an such an irrational fear of flying?

Have done. I had a nervous breakdown in college...spring semester 1996. When I was recovering from it in summer 1996, TWA 800 blew up on my 21st birthday. I immediately and instantaneously developed a fear of flying. Flying was an activity I had previously enjoyed and I even had plans to get a private pilot's license after I finished college. Several licensed psychotherapists in the US and the UK have failed to help me deal with the real problem and I have no hope that anyone will ever be able to fix it, and I'm tired of throwing good money after bad. If someone wanted to help me for free and only accept payment if they were successful, I might do it again. This sh!t is too expensive.

[smoke20 0]

What is it that you have a fear about.... maybe going to talk to someone about that fear would help...

Kez

What I've done since developing the fear in 1996:

• Flown frequently (didn't help)
  
• Saw therapists in Austin and Dallas (didn't help)
  
• Went to the airport to watch aircraft take off and land (didn't help)
  
• Took various anti-anxiety medications (didn't help)
  
• Took two fear of flying courses here in the UK (didn't help)
  
• Hypnotherapy (didn't help)
  
• Read about 10 books on the subject (didn't help)
  
• Watched DVDs generously provided to me by BMI and Virgin Atlantic (didn't help)
  
• Gone on short flights with a pilot friend (didn't help)
  
• Took the controls of pilot friend's single-engine Piper, executing maneuvers 1500 feet above Yorkshire (didn't help)
  

Tell me, is there something else you think I should be doing? :crying: :crying: :crying: :crying:

YES, xannax. i'm telling you, it is made for this.

[homesick_american 1]

Although if valium is all they wanna give you, I can understand that. It's not like you can pull a bar of Xanax outta your butt, and if you could would you take it anyway? Makes me worry about when I move over to the UK if I will be able to get anti-anxietey meds

I wouldn't count on it. Trying to get drugs like Xanax and Valium out of NHS GPs is like trying to get blood from a stone. Most of the time, my mother sends me Valium tablets through the post which is illegal, but if you're continuously on anti-anxiety meds I would count on problems here if I were you.

I did wonder how you planned to get back to Texas when you said in the fear of flying thread that you dealt with it by not flying.

You've obviously dealt with it in the past, I'm sure you can this time.

There's always a boat.

I haven't dealt with it in the past; in the past I've been drugged up, then dragged kicking and screaming onto aircraft by family members and by my husband.

Tickets for the Queen Mary II for June 26th are already sold out. If we took the next westbound crossing on July 12th, we would have to find accomodation for THREE WEEKS.

[smoke20 0]

"I wouldn't count on it. Trying to get drugs like Xanax and Valium out of NHS GPs is like trying to get blood from a stone. Most of the time, my mother sends me Valium tablets through the post which is illegal, but if you're continuously on anti-anxiety meds I would count on problems here if I were you."

have you tried herbal anxiety products?

[homesick_american 1]

"I wouldn't count on it. Trying to get drugs like Xanax and Valium out of NHS GPs is like trying to get blood from a stone. Most of the time, my mother sends me Valium tablets through the post which is illegal, but if you're continuously on anti-anxiety meds I would count on problems here if I were you."

have you tried herbal anxiety products?

No, I don't take herbals at all because they're unregulated/untested and some people have suffered extremely serious side effects. I'd rather take something that had been through at least the most rudimentary clinical trials.

I did once try Bach's Rescue Remedy on the advice of a tight-fisted British doctor who refused to prescribe any anti-anxiety meds at all (I switched GPs soon afterwards) but it didn't work at all.

[Mags 112]

I know you shouldn't HAVE to, but perhaps you could see the GP as a Private Patient and offer to pay for the Xanax? If they see it isn't coming out of their budget they might be more forthcoming with the meds.

Again, you shouldn't have to pay as it should be available on the NHS, but if it is for this time only it might be worth swallowing any indignation (which I would feel too btw) you may feel and just paying.

[homesick_american 1]

I know you shouldn't HAVE to, but perhaps you could see the GP as a Private Patient and offer to pay for the Xanax? If they see it isn't coming out of their budget they might be more forthcoming with the meds.

Again, you shouldn't have to pay as it should be available on the NHS, but if it is for this time only it might be worth swallowing any indignation (which I would feel too btw) you may feel and just paying.

Over the years I've developed an OK rapport with my GP. I have not asked for any meds since 2005, though I have a stash of Valium that my mom sent me that I dig into occasionally. It was piss easy to get in the USA; my GP over there wrote me a scrip for a giant bottle of it. She also told a white lie to my insurance company for me to get them to cover a particular medication. She was ACE. :thumbs: Too bad she's in Austin; otherwise I'd totally use her as my doctor again.

But getting back to my GP...if I begged and pleaded and generally made a nuisance of myself as I usually have to to get anti-anxiety meds, I might be able to convince her. She knows I've been extremely stressed recently...my grandmother died in December, my grandfather died in April, and I developed abnormal uterine bleeding in January purely due to stress. No other reason. It has only now eased off; this was my first menstrual cycle since December without mid-cycle bleeding. She's aware of this. She must know that since the stress has manifested itself this way and also is aggravating the several autoimmune conditions I have (interstitial cystitis, lichen sclerosis, asthma among them) then I think she doesn't have any other choice than to prescribe me something to help me cope.

[natty bumppo 297]

I'm getting sick with fear at the thought of having to fly. I hate flying.

google it ... there is an alternate way. You don't need to fly.

go here ...

http://maps.google.com/maps?tab=wl

select "get directions"

enter starting location "London England"

enter ending location "dallas TX"

now ... select "get directions"

[homesick_american 1]

I'm getting sick with fear at the thought of having to fly. I hate flying.

google it ... there is an alternate way. You don't need to fly.

go here ...

http://maps.google.com/maps?tab=wl

select "get directions"

enter starting location "London England"

enter ending location "dallas TX"

now ... select "get directions"

My arms would get tired.

[no name 1]

Why did you start this thread agan? So you could moan?

Many people tried to help you & you won't have it.