Worried and needing reassurance..

So I have a TERRIBLE (and irrational) fear of planes.

My mom is going on a trip tomorrow morning and I can't stop myself from panicking. I almost literally can't breathe. I know she'll be fine but I can't convince myself she will be.

Ugh I just want her to get where she's going safe and sound.

Do you have any good reasons why planes are okay? I just want to hear other stories about plane trips... Please only good ones - I need the reassurance.

I fly 4 times a year and never have problems. They are very relaxing and peaceful for the most part. I always just want to nap because of the planes quiet hum.

My step mother used to fly all the time - would literally be on at least two planes a week for years. She never had any issues with the flights.

Planes are statistically one of the safest ways to travel. Also i actually really enjoy flying and have done it many times, I've never experienced any problems other than crying babies and barking dogs. I hope that you'll find a way to calm yourself (I understand irrational fears I have a lot myself) but just try to think positive thoughts and have your mom call you the minute she is back on terra firma so you can stop worrying. :)

So I'll throw some hastily Googled facts out for you in the efforts of comforting you:

of 32,000,000 flights in 2013, only 1/3,000,000 was fatal. I only studied English so my math is probably wrong but that's like, a 10% chance or something (the website says 1 in 11 million. Close enough). And apparently 95.7% of passengers will survive in the event of a crash. So the likelihood of harm falling upon your mother is like this big

-

So then here's a list of a bunch of weird stuff that you're more likely to die from than a plane crash:

Food poisoning (1 in 3 million chance)
Falling off a ladder (1 in 2.3 million chance)
Falling off a bed or a chair in your house (1 in 2 million chance.. okay what do these people have next to their beds that kills them when they fall like 3 feet????)
Taking a bath (1 in 685,000 chance. Think about that next time you visit LUSH)
Fireworks (1 in 615,488 chance. How close are you getting to these fireworks? Are the sparks hitting and killing you, or are you trying to set them off and they explode on you?)
Getting struck by lightning (1 in 136,011 chance. I bet it's higher if you are a tree)

Statistically your mother is going to be A+ but worrying is natural. Try not to let yourself think about it too much until she's actually there, and then I would suggest making a deal with her that she has to keep you updated on everything and contact you by X time to let you know she's okay. I have a very bad habit of worrying about everyone when they're driving, especially during winter, so I tell myself that from the time I know they've left until the time they should reasonably be at their location, I'm not allowed to worry. After that, if they haven't texted or called, I'll reach out to them and try to confirm that they're okay. If I can't get ahold of them i freak myself out until I can. BUT, that cuts your stress time way down because you should only be concerned for the short time between Point A (when she SHOULD be landing and contacting you) and Point B (when you get in contact with her assuming something stopped her from contacting you in the first place)

TLDR Tell your mom to call you at an agreed upon time, don't let yourself think the worst until that time has passed with no contact.

If you need anyone to talk to to keep your mind off of it feel free to message me. :)

I fly every month - so far my worst outcomes are crying babies (ditto above) and a sinus infection that made my ears not want to pop (ow!). And I missed my plane once. It pretty much feels exactly like being on a long bus ride to me. I've flown across the Atlantic a couple of times as well (as a passenger, for clarification). No more reason to be afraid of a plane ride than a car ride or walking out your front door :)

@losteh 10% chance is 1/10, silly goose. 1 in 3 million equates to a 0.000033% chance ;)

Last edited on 2016-03-01 at 22:38:18 by Demure Dutchies (Jenneth)

I've flown multiple times since I was a child and have never had any serious issues nor have I witnessed any. The worst for me with flying are my ears, I have really sensitive eardrums and hearing issues (I had chronic ear infections as a baby, they put in bi-lateral tubes) but as long as I take medicine before I fly i'm fine. If I don't my ears hurt like heck when the plane descends.


Nonetheless, you're mom should be fine and you shouldn't worry, as others have said flying is one of the most safe ways to travel. Try to relax and see if your mom can call you when she lands to try and ease your worries.

I've flown multiple times, From Cali to Michigan and back, Cali to Texas and back, and Cali to South Carolina and back. The only bad experience I had with planes, is the smell of the little ones, it kinda stinks. haha. Other than that, I've never had a bad experience. Plus, when you're high in the sky, and you look out the window, the view is gorgeous! Specially at night when all the cities are lit up. ♥3

I love flying have done so many times through out the years in all kinds of weather and never had anything bad happen on the flight itself. Maybe do something you can really get into so you aren't thinking about things while your mom is flying :)

Hugs to you!

things statistically worse than flying: math

What is "LUSH". This confuses me.

Lush is a company that sells bath bombs and stuff... xP

Ahhh. Ok. That makes sense now.

Thank you all for the stories/advice! It really helped me get through the morning. She arrived safely and I can breathe for now.

Thanks so much :)