Interesting to see that some of our most respected members and
prodigious flyers are sufferers.

Back in the olden days my reactions to getting on an airplane were
much like what Palal describes. But at some point a trip on a full,
un-air-conditioned J-31 triggered an "11-on-the-dial, full-panic"
attack, and ever since, I've lived in fear of them. I've never had
one in an aircraft smaller than a 50-seater, but have come pretty
close on full 737 flights. What works for me has been a combination
of the methods described by others on this thread: desensitization
(taking an average of 1.5 commuter propeller flights a month for
the last several years), having no caffeine (easy for me) or
theobromine (difficult for me) for a couple days before a trip,
access to adequate hydration, and Benadryl on a day that promises
turbulence. Alcohol for me tends to prevent anxiety as well,
but that is obviously not true for everyone.