Intuition or fear of flying
Jan 9, 2016, 1:18 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 4
Intuition or fear of flying
Hi all,
I am hoping to get your thoughts on my current situation. I am flying to cuba next week and have this overwelming feeling that the flight will crash. I have always had a low level of anxiety with flying, a sense of feeling out of control, but nothing about the fate of the flight. When i initially booked the flight i was anxious about the duration of the flight (15hrs), as my longest flight to date is only 4hours. However, over the past couple of months that anxiety has turned into absolute belief that something bad is going to happen. I have considered changing flights, but i feel like whichever flight i pick will have the same fate. It feels like i have accepted that this is my fate to a degree but i dont want it to be at the same time. Has anyone had anything like this?
I am hoping to get your thoughts on my current situation. I am flying to cuba next week and have this overwelming feeling that the flight will crash. I have always had a low level of anxiety with flying, a sense of feeling out of control, but nothing about the fate of the flight. When i initially booked the flight i was anxious about the duration of the flight (15hrs), as my longest flight to date is only 4hours. However, over the past couple of months that anxiety has turned into absolute belief that something bad is going to happen. I have considered changing flights, but i feel like whichever flight i pick will have the same fate. It feels like i have accepted that this is my fate to a degree but i dont want it to be at the same time. Has anyone had anything like this?
Jan 9, 2016, 3:00 am
#2
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Canada, USA, Europe
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Posts: 31,452
I can't help you with your fear of flying or the intuition that theatre will be a crash, but I'm wondering where you are flying from...I can't think of anywhere 15 hours away that is a direct flight to HAV.
Jan 9, 2016, 5:59 am
#5
Formerly known as Tim Farrell
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: GLA
Posts: 93
I once talked myself into a fear of drowning after a particularly bumpy boat trip I'm Europe.
My advice is to work out the reason behind your fear and get on that flight. You will know that flying is statistically safe and also most problems arise during take off and landing, so really the biggest risk from your long flight is developing DVT - choose an aisle seat and take regular walks
My advice is to work out the reason behind your fear and get on that flight. You will know that flying is statistically safe and also most problems arise during take off and landing, so really the biggest risk from your long flight is developing DVT - choose an aisle seat and take regular walks
Jan 9, 2016, 12:23 pm
#6
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: SEA
Posts: 2,556
Jan 9, 2016, 12:26 pm
#7
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: AVL
Programs: DL DM MM; Hilton Diamond; Hertz 5*
Posts: 706
Intuition or fear of flying
Are you asking if your "bad feeling" is intuition or just irrational fear? If that is the question it is irrational fear.
Intuition is the subconscious picking up on cues that escape the conscious. When you walk into a room or meet someone and something doesn't feel right. You can't articulate what it is but there is "something wrong." That is your subconscious detecting cues that your conscious self missed. I suggest always listening to that.
But a week out - there are no cues to predict. So this is just the irrational mind. Maybe you can parse your fears and find the source(s). But it's not intuition.
Intuition is the subconscious picking up on cues that escape the conscious. When you walk into a room or meet someone and something doesn't feel right. You can't articulate what it is but there is "something wrong." That is your subconscious detecting cues that your conscious self missed. I suggest always listening to that.
But a week out - there are no cues to predict. So this is just the irrational mind. Maybe you can parse your fears and find the source(s). But it's not intuition.
Jan 9, 2016, 1:24 pm
#8
Join Date: May 2009
Location: South Park, CO
Programs: Tegridy Elite
Posts: 5,678
While I don't have any issues with flying, my general anxiety sometimes becomes so strong that I'm nearly convinced that it's not anxiety but I somehow "know" the bad thing will happen. As others have mentioned, try to get your mind around the rational facts - or lack of facts as the case may be. If there's time perhaps try and see your doctor for some medication to calm you if need be.
Good luck, I know things like this can be difficult to deal with.
Good luck, I know things like this can be difficult to deal with.
Jan 10, 2016, 6:29 am
#9
Join Date: Oct 2013
Programs: AA, UA, SPG, Marriott
Posts: 80
Intuition or fear of flying
Of course it's an irrational fear of flying - certainly on these forums. If you're still not sure there's really only one way to know and that's wait a week...
FWIW, flight 7 runs an A380 which has 4 engines.
FWIW, flight 7 runs an A380 which has 4 engines.
Jan 10, 2016, 1:38 pm
#11
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Brexile in ADB
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Have a look at flightradar24.com
zoom out and see how many aircraft are in the air, it's pretty much like that 24 hours a day, every day. At any one time there are more than a million people flying.
I hope that is some reassurance.
zoom out and see how many aircraft are in the air, it's pretty much like that 24 hours a day, every day. At any one time there are more than a million people flying.
I hope that is some reassurance.
Jan 10, 2016, 1:40 pm
#12
Suspended
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You're more likely to die while bowling than dying from a flight.
You're more likely to die driving to the airport than from a flight.
My suggestion? Knock back a few and call it a day.
You're more likely to die driving to the airport than from a flight.
My suggestion? Knock back a few and call it a day.
Jan 11, 2016, 10:53 am
#13
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Baltimore, MD USA
Programs: Southwest Rapid Rewards. Tha... that's about it.
Posts: 4,331
Hi all,
I am hoping to get your thoughts on my current situation. I am flying to cuba next week and have this overwelming feeling that the flight will crash. I have always had a low level of anxiety with flying, a sense of feeling out of control, but nothing about the fate of the flight. When i initially booked the flight i was anxious about the duration of the flight (15hrs), as my longest flight to date is only 4hours. However, over the past couple of months that anxiety has turned into absolute belief that something bad is going to happen. I have considered changing flights, but i feel like whichever flight i pick will have the same fate. It feels like i have accepted that this is my fate to a degree but i dont want it to be at the same time. Has anyone had anything like this?
I am hoping to get your thoughts on my current situation. I am flying to cuba next week and have this overwelming feeling that the flight will crash. I have always had a low level of anxiety with flying, a sense of feeling out of control, but nothing about the fate of the flight. When i initially booked the flight i was anxious about the duration of the flight (15hrs), as my longest flight to date is only 4hours. However, over the past couple of months that anxiety has turned into absolute belief that something bad is going to happen. I have considered changing flights, but i feel like whichever flight i pick will have the same fate. It feels like i have accepted that this is my fate to a degree but i dont want it to be at the same time. Has anyone had anything like this?
You said that when you initially booked, you were anxious about the duration of the flight. Are you claustrophobic? Fifteen hours in a plan cabin can certainly aggravate even mild claustrophobia.
I guarantee you this: If you don't speak to a licensed mental health professional and come up with a plan to deal with it, something bad WILL happen - you will spend at least part of the flight in misery, desperate to relieve the anxiety. On the other hand, a single conversation with a good shrink can help you to overcome the anxiety, and a professional will be able to determine whether you need medication or can overcome it with some calming techniques.
So, yeah, there is no intuition involved here. You're just scared. You need some professional help to determine why you're scared and how to deal with it, but it's not necessarily something that will take years of therapy. Sometimes, just talking it out for an hour helps you get a handle on it and get past it.
Jan 11, 2016, 3:01 pm
#14
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: 6km East of EPAYE
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IIRC you are 10,000 times MORE likely to win an Olympic gold medal than die in a plane crash*.
* Source: Upright and Locked Position By Mark Gerchick
* Source: Upright and Locked Position By Mark Gerchick