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Trouble Flying

I am not ashamed to admit that I have trouble flying on airplanes. I have not done any digging to find where this stems from. I feel the same about airports and hospitals. I would rather not be in either place. Both take a toll on me. I assume that it has something to do with not liking the crowds and being an empath. Being an empath can be very overwhelming at times. Read more about living as an empath here. (coming soon)

It takes a lot to get me on a plane and even more to be comfortable on one.

Fear of Flying

Early on, I said that I have a fear of flying. At one time, I am sure I did, mostly due to the unknown and having never done it, in the beginning.

I had a hard time, wanting to be in control of things, not having any control, and spiraling into panic. How did I overcome this? I leaned on my faith.

Faith

I do not have the typical fear of flying. Due to my journey and healing, I have developed tremendous faith that carries me through situations such as these. I do not want to die but I do not fear death. Having faith in God is more liberating than I can explain. This is what my most helpful tool was on my recent flights.

I found immense comfort in letting go and letting God handle this situation. I am sensitive to movement and tend to get dizzy and sick easily. I believe this is a trauma response to anxiety symptoms. What is a trauma response? Read more bout that here. (coming soon) Being sensitive to motion also stems from that lack of control issue I mentioned earlier.

But, you say you have healed your anxiety…

Yes, I still deal with this even though I am in a much better place than before. Although you can heal from anxiety, that nosy anxiety monster still tries to weasel his way back in where you are most vulnerable. I have learned to expect it and now come prepared. The good news is that as we heal, it is much harder for anxiety to take control. We become resilient, and our tools become weapons to defend against anxiety. My greatest weapon will always be my faith.

Did I have trouble flying this time?

Let me start by saying the last time I flew, I only made it through by telling myself I never have to do it again. I was so sick and nearly threw up on the plane. I am sure I caused quite a scene by breathing so rapidly. I am surprised I didn’t hyperventilate. Every fluctuation in movement was excruciating. I couldn’t understand how people can be so nonchalant about flying when I felt so terrible.

Well, what do you know, here I was again faced with flying. I could have let that traumatic experience shut me down and just given up. Instead, I became empowered. That last terrible experience was several years before the height of my anxiety and panic. In fact, I didn’t even realize until recently that my experience was likely caused by anxiety. I made the decision to face the situation head on.

Was it challenging? Yes. Did I survive? Yes. Am I proud of myself? Hell Yes! Would I do it again? Also yes!

Several things that helped my trouble flying

1. Prayer -I prayed daily in preparation.
2. Noise cancelling earbuds -I listened to my praise playlist, which I titled “My Strength” and it was nothing short of it!
3. Focused breathing -read about my favorite technique here.

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I prayed, I praised God and… I did it!

(Coming soon) Click here for more on how to prepare to fly with anxiety.

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