Help/Support ► Anxiety and planes...

[Mason Stark]

Ergh, I don't really want to post this, but I'm lost ;; Help would be much appreciated!

Let me explain the situation a bit first:
- Wants to meet reallyreally awesome boyfriend (Yay! ;v; )
- Plan on flying up in March and spending a few days hanging out with him
- Unfortunately has anxiety problems, isn't very independent, is kinda scared about being on my own
- Mom refuses to let me go because of anxiety (Refuses to let me go in general...) yet says she supports me and wants me to go
- Can't go unless I prove that I won't have a panic attack
- Can only go alone currently
- Next chance to go is only vaguely possible. It's either right now or possibly not until January of next year. Blargh.
- But wants to meet boyfriend more than anything. You has no ideaaaaa D:

So, I kinda want to prove her wrong. I CAN do it and I won't give up 'til I get there!

If you have tips on how to naturally overcome anxiety or how to become more independent, that would be very much appreciated! ;v; (If it helps, I'm scared of driving on my own, but that's something I'm working on. I know that, if I can be out more by myself, either driving or being at stores 'n stuff, that will help me a LOT.) But what I specifically want to ask, in this case, is how I can not be scared of being on my own or, more specifically, being on my own in an airport.

Planes don't scare me. However, airports... do. I know that's sounds strange, but it's an enormous place with lots of people that I don't know and then it's kinda scary andandand... yeah. *headdesk* It would be easier if my mom could go through security with me, but I dunno if that's possible. :<

tl;dr how'd i not get scared/anxious of being in airports or on airplanes, especially by myself? :C I'M SCURRED. But I want this so badly and I won't give up 'til I get there. Any help would be very much appreciated! ;v; Thank yewwww~

 

[Luap]

Because you have anxiety with airports, I'd say try to get a close friend to actually go with you out of town, because you will be in an airport off the plane, and when you come back (also, I'm assuming you've known the boyfriend for a while, but even though, if it's your first time meeting him, better safe than sorry). If you can't get a friend to help you out, maybe a sibling.


Also,

Registered: May 2004
Age: 11

wat?

 

[Wehrmacht]

fyi rena's like close to 20 now iirc the age thing is a lie

anyway, i can kind of see where you are coming from. recently i had to make a trip from the south of brazil (where I live) to Utah entirely by myself. i'm not terribly independent either, and it was the first time i was making such a massive trip entirely on my own, so i was kind of nervous about how it would go. i had a lot of problems with the first trip (not anything that was actually my fault, just a bunch of miscellaneous unfortunate events that made me 2 days late), but the return trip went off without a hitch. so maybe i was rightly worried, but once you get past the first time, you won't have any problems making trips like that again.

from someone who's been to airports a lot, i can tell you that most of the people in airports are too busy minding their own business to care about you, so unless they're airport staff or you're ordering food or something you won't need to talk to anyone or do anything out of your comfort zone.

As far as being on your own or doing independent things in general, the best way is just to go for it and put yourself in a situation where you have to do everything yourself. when i was making the trip to utah and when i got there, i was essentially on my own a lot of the time. I had money and support from relatives while i was there, but for the most part, I had to go everywhere by myself, order/buy food for myself, do my own laundry, talk to people, chase after shit i needed to get done, etc. it seems really scary at first but you'll be surprised at how easy it is to do it once you have no choice. you just sort of slip into it.

 

[inasuma]

Take it from someone who has suffered from anxiety for a long time; if you go, you will feel better. In the past year I've gone to Minneapolis and Pennsylvania and both times (more so Penn) I was a little skeptical due to riding the train across the country for the first time.

You need to think in terms of goals. It will be a stepping stone for your fears. Trust me.

As for tips to overcome anxiety problems, consider that most people don't really care who you are or where you're going 99% of the time. A handy exercise would be to drive further and further away from your home every week or every month until eventually you can make it an hour or two away with no problems. Then go shopping in some random mall somewhere (something I actually ended up doing last summer). As for the airport, if it's close to you, try going in for five minutes one day, then the next, ten minutes. Then the next day, 15 minutes, etc.

 

[Taochan]

I actually share the same anxiety for airports and flying in general. I went on my first place ride a couple of years ago for a volunteer trip, and on the return flight I ran into some issues which caused me to have a massive panic attack. I still made it home on time and everything was okay, but for me there was nothing I could do to calm myself down or pretend like I wasn't totally afraid the whole trip.

However, what did help me was finding several airport employees who helped me find where I needed to go. The best advice I can give to you is to ALWAYS ask if you find yourself unsure when you're dealing with flying. Even if the employee is reluctant (one was with me), don't take no for an answer if you really need their help. And if it helps you can write down some "instructions" for you to remember when you're in the airport, so you'll remember how to get yourself through checking and baggage without a problem.

I hope you go through with it! It's never easy at first but every time you do it will be less scary than the time before, and eventually that anxiety won't be as suffocating.

 

[Reflection]

GOGOGO RENA GO <3

just think about how much you love yo MAN and how much you wanna see him and it'll be just fine! good luck~~
:3

 

[Enchanted Rose]

GOGOGO RENA GO <3

just think about how much you love yo MAN and how much you wanna see him and it'll be just fine! good luck~~
:3

Damn straight!

But seriously, make sure your mother accompanies you for as long as possible, and then you'll feel settled in the airport environment before she leaves. Make sure you know the procedure and actually what you have to do when you're at the airport - perhaps write it down in a list form e.g. check in, security, passport control etc, so you can see that it's not that overwhelming, it's just a few little steps.

I used to get a little nervous making trips back in the day, and that was partly because I was always worried something would go wrong. Once you build up the confidence to ask staff/other people questions (and for help if necessary), it's not so bad. You'll have your cellphone on you whilst you're at the airport, so you can always call someone if you feel like you're getting anxious and need calming down.

Best of luck. I hope you get to meet your boyfriend.