# Fear of Flying



## markzee31 (Jan 5, 2010)

So on Monday, I had a couple flights scheduled to head out to St. Louis from Columbus, OH for a job interview. Normally, I would be having extreme anxiety about the flights and really not want to do it. I am fairly new to clinically diagnosed dp/dr but I flew better than I ever have before. I ended up having to take 3 separate flights because of weather and be on planes and in airports for 13 hours (should have taken 3 if it would have all worked out as it should). It was a pretty awesome experience in spite of the way I have been feeling lately. I do not know why I was okay with flying, or if it is just because the unreality I have been living in had me distracted or withdrawn from the fact that I was doing something I was normally terrified of. I'm not really sure what the point of this is, but I guess I just want to say thank you to DP and DR for making those flights the best I have ever had. Anyone else have any experiences like this where you were able to do something effortlessly in dp/dr that would have been extremely hard if you weren't feeling this way?


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## jay2008 (Nov 6, 2007)

I've had this similar experience with DP/DR. I always had a phobia about flying and it was made 10x worse when I started experiencing panic attacks (the days prior to DP). I was freak out and barely make it through a flight.

Since DP/DR, I've flown about 10 times or so for both business and vacation. All of the flights were relatively anxiety free as I was just "zoned" out and didn't really care. I leave next week for a quick business trip so I'm hoping my flights go the same way. Both of my flights are direct and less than 3 hours. I usually distract myself as best I can while I'm flying to avoid thinking of anything negative. Good, old, Klonopin doesn't hurt either if I need it.

You fly out of Columbus - are you from Ohio too?


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## pancake (Nov 26, 2009)

*My epic moment of normal stress response DP rather than the disorderly variety:*

Time does wait for some. I was in secondary school and running at full tilt from the cloakroom towards a test I was going to be late for. The very moment my feet left the ground to jump down three slippery vinyl steps, I knew I was going to fall.

Skin tingling electrically: The cacophony of school sounds around me dulled to little more than a whisper. I push out of myself. Looking on from above I upraise the situation, an autonomous observer. Subjective time slowed giving me the opportunity to calmly adjust the alignment and angle of my various body parts. I ponder the capabilities of my mind, having freed itself from the constraints of time. I wait. Later, I hit the ground running. My mind is sucked back into my body and time returns to its usual schedule.


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## markzee31 (Jan 5, 2010)

jamieinohio said:


> I've had this similar experience with DP/DR. I always had a phobia about flying and it was made 10x worse when I started experiencing panic attacks (the days prior to DP). I was freak out and barely make it through a flight.
> 
> Since DP/DR, I've flown about 10 times or so for both business and vacation. All of the flights were relatively anxiety free as I was just "zoned" out and didn't really care. I leave next week for a quick business trip so I'm hoping my flights go the same way. Both of my flights are direct and less than 3 hours. I usually distract myself as best I can while I'm flying to avoid thinking of anything negative. Good, old, Klonopin doesn't hurt either if I need it.
> 
> You fly out of Columbus - are you from Ohio too?


Yup, I'm from Columbus. I flew on Monday, the day of the blizzard, took me 13 hours to get to St. Louis. Had to connect in cincy and spent a good 4 or 5 hours there trying to find a different flight (mine was cancelled). Instead of flying columbus>Cincy>St Louis ended up Cols>Cincy>Chicago>St Louis, such a blast... Just happy I was able to smoke in the airport haha.


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## PassingCloud (Feb 24, 2010)

Hello. I am new to this forum but have been watching it for some time. One day soon I'll tell my story of almost 40 years of DPDR, but first of all I'd like to respond to this 'fear of flying' subject. It has surprised me that I have not come across the subject of flying as a problem for DPDR sufferers anywhere else on this site.

Ever since I had DPDR I have dreaded flying, and I can not imagine that someone with DPDR can even sort of enjoy it. Being in a plane simply makes my DPDR (distant, feeling unreal, out of body) much worse. It is not the fear of crashing. Hell, there are more dangerous ways to travel. It is this sensation of utter and unbearable unreality that has kept me grounded for so long. My last flight was 30 years ago and I have sworn never to put myself in that situation again, unless my DPDR would subside (which it did not).

Anyone else had the same experience?


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