slangevar

I like to call Rick Steves the "Bill Gates of travel" (which he is in so many ways) and would probably be embarrassed to ever be seen with one of his guidebooks, but I downloaded some of his podcasts onto my iPod and I swear they actually alleviated my chronic flying anxiety.

Maybe it's just the sound of someone reading/speaking to me that I find soothing, but something in that man's nerdy, happy-go-lucky, mid-western cadence was like taking an anti-anxiety pill.

Anyone else have an interesting treatment for travel anxiety?

zeppole

Some years ago I had a very frightening flight and runway landing in South America, and didn't fly as a result for several years. One afternoon, I happened to be taking a walk on a mountain that had a view of nearby international airport, and I found myself watching planes land. I began thinking how much I was missing by not flying -- and the rest is history!

I later read that therapists who treat people with flight anxiety take them to airports to watch take-offs and landings.

I once heard Garrison Keillor do a comedy routine about how everytime his mother drove away from the house for the summer family vacation, she spent a moment imagining the house burning to the ground in their absence in a freak electrical accident. He joked that until she went through the mental ritual of total, utter complete disaster, her superstitious self wouldn't let her drive away.

I'm a bit the same way. Before I go on a trip, I imagine how awful it's going to be -- it will rain, I'll lose my passport, I'll be robbed, the hotel will have lost my reservations, I'll get sick, my cats will die....

My trips are always much better than I imagined, so I'm happy.

FilmNoir

Not unique, however it works:
Xanax.

gruezi

A good sedative works wonders.

gruezi

MomDDTravel

Xanax for me. Dr. gave me valium last time I flew and it made me slightly dizzy and a lot more sleepy. The Xanax just seems to calm me.

caroltis

Xanax.

qwovadis

find kavalactones(natural kava kava)
good for anticipatory anxiety none
of the withdrawal hangover addictive properties or seizures associated with
the benzos like valium xanax.

MomDDTravel

I am fairly confident that a half of a Xanax on a flight will not create an addiction or seizures.

Bailey

Slangevar,
Me too!! Not Rick Steves...but watching/listening to my iPod. I have to be careful, I become so engaged that I have to tune into the real world every once in awhile.

Zeppole....very funny! Sounds as if you'd fit right into the Sedaris family!!

gruezi

The benzos are used to treat seizures not cause them.

They are only habit forming if taken every day not just for occasional flying...even if used every day, you can slowly wean off of them without withdrawal symptoms. Just ask your doctor for advice if you have a problem there...

I use a very mild one called Klonopin. I only take .25 mg and it nicely relaxes me for a short flight. For a long flight I take .25 mg 45 minutes before boarding and .25 mg about a 1/2 hour before I want to sleep. Usually I'll sleep for about 3 hours.

Not so unique, but for real anxiety it works.

All those other things (ipods, kava kava etc.) are helpful, but don't quite do the whole trick for me.

gruezi

suze

another vote for xanax

wouldn't fly without it

suze

slangevar~ I do agree though, there is something strangely hypnotic at Rick Steves' voice... comforting like a bedtime story.

slangevar

So strangely comforting! Like the travel lover's Garrison Keillor (aka the "comfort food of radio&quot. But this Xanax sounds pretty good, too. ;-)