Need Advice

Hi All -

I've decided to confess to R.A.P. that I am in need of some help and advice.
I have lost my passion and confidence of flying.

Since February, for the first time in my life, I started to suffer from
symptoms of anxiety. At first, I didn't really know what was wrong, just
that I didn't feel 'right'. My best guess as to the cause of it? A
monumental change in my life occurred at that time, the ending of a 6 1/2
year relationship. While I've moved on to seeing another person, that's
been kind of rocky all summer. So that side of my personal life hasn't been
stable one bit.

Just to be sure, I went to my doc, had all kinds of blood test done, etc..
Squeaky clean. He said I appear to be the healthy 28 year old he's always
known.

I'll try to describe the symptoms... I've been flying with a safety pilot
at least once a month to keep at it. Short flights such as pattern work
seem to be OK. I felt like I was finally starting to come around, when I
decided to do a 50NM XC. After getting aloft, and realizing there wasn't
much 'busy' work to do like make radio calls, etc, I started to get the
symptoms: sweat, shortness of breath, dizziness. I had to constantly fidget
and talk to the other pilot to keep my mind off it. Once the destination
airport was near, they went away.... Same thing happened on the way
back....

This also occurs in the car on occasion.. Notably, if I stop at a red
light, and there is nothing to do but wait for the light, and there was no
escaping. ('Fight or Flee' mode I think is what they call it). Or if I
ride as a passenger, it would occur more.

I picked up a book on ways to _naturally_ fight anxiety and panic, and it
seems to describe my issues perfectly. I have already started doing a few
things it suggests, such as abdominal breathing, relaxation techniques,
cutting out the boatloads of caffeine that I used to ingest.. I think I've
made a remarkable improvement, now that I understand it a little better. I
haven't had a full-out 'attack' hit me ever since I started reading the
book. Sometimes I can feel the anxiety coming, but if I encourage it to
'bring it on', it goes away. It only affected me the most when I tried to
fight it away.

So, what does this young pilot and aircraft owner ask of the group? I'd
like some feedback and stories if anything like this has ever happened to
you, or someone you know, and what was done to overcome it.. I am extremely
conservative when it comes to safety, so this has absolutely grounded me
from flying. (without at least a pilot rated pax). Even with the co-pilot,
it just doesn't seem to be fun anymore, because of this problem. I wish so
bad to get back to the days where I was excited about flying 3 times a week,
and exploring new airports... Surely, there must be hope.

Please let me know if you have any words of advise. Thanks,

--
Ben
C-172 - N13258 @ 87Y

I've decided to confess to R.A.P. that I am in need of some help and
advice. I have lost my passion and confidence of flying.

You are not alone; http://www.apa.org/pubinfo/panic.html or simply google
"panic attack".

Good luck!

On Thu, 7 Oct 2004 09:36:16 -0500, "Ben Smith"
wrote:

I'd
like some feedback and stories if anything like this has ever happened to
you, or someone you know, and what was done to overcome it..


Ben,

I can pretty well relate to your dilemma. I purchased my airplane
with the help of the person I thought I was going to spend my life
with. That didn't work out and the association of her with the
airplane really gave me problems. Flew it for a year, but never had
fun, always worried about something serious going wrong (anxiety), and
was generally dispondent about aviation in general. Knew in the back
of my mind that I didn't want to give it up, but couldn't get
comfortable flying it.

So what did I do? I walked away for a while. I kept it tied down,
would go every three or four months to check for trees falling on it,
etc., and had a couple "ramp mates" committed to telling me if
something happened to it while tied down. I still paid the insurance,
but was completely uninvolved in aviation. This allowed me to do
other things and just get on with my life. There were also other
uncomfortable situations as you describe like work, but it was easier
to handle what I had to do without forcing myself to do what I like to
do. Flying is a very involved activity and you need to be up on your
game to do it well. A 500 mile cross country takes alot more work
than a trip around the patch. The additional mental weight of a long
cross country could definitely cause an anxiety attack.

Anyway....Two years later I woke up one morning with such an urge to
fly it was rediculous! I went and rented my favorite plane at a local
FBO (a J-3). Needless to say it was wonderful! Over the next few
months I worked on getting my plane back to the condition I like to
keep it, and when I thought it was ready went for an annual. Now I'm
back in the saddle, working with a commercial student, flying as much
as I can, and loving it!

Life is a journey of many crooked roads. You seem to like flying very
much. You will not let go of that if you really are passionate about
it, but there is nothing wrong with taking a break. It also seems
like you've got alot of stuff still unresolved in your mind about your
ex, etc...Give yourself some time to deal with it. Airports will
always be there, and they'll always have planes to fly. Get to it
when your ready and you'll really enjoy it. If you keep forcing it
you won't have any fun, will spend alot of money, and might possibly
loose interest completely.

Sorry to be so long winded, but I hope it helped.

z

Two thoughts came to mind ...

1. Just as drinking alcohol to excess isn't "the problem" with alcoholics
(it's a symptom of an underlying issue), I wonder if you're basically just
lacking confidence in yourself - and the situations that require you to push
yourself harder (or give you time to realise you've got to think something
through rather than just rely on learned reactions) are what bring those
self doubts to the fore-ground in the form of anxiety? Thought of talking it
through with a professional? Personally, I don't think that aviation is "the
problem" in your case.

2. I think sometimes we do things like aviation for so many years - we've
been caught up in it for so long - we never really stop long enough to sit
back and ask ourselves "Do I really still enjoy this"? or "Why do I still do
this" - I've been feeling a bit that way recently. After a while when you've
seen the same old airports in the same old areas for so long it just doesn't
seem as exciting as it once did.

Good luck working through this - let us know how you get on.

Cheers,

CC

I'm not a doctor, but I can act as if I were on Usenet...

Sounds like half of your brain is distracted by outside events and the other
half realizes that you aren't completely in control (or as safe while flying
as you should be) as a result. Hence the anxiety.
Time, and confronting your distracting issues is my Rx.
Good luck and fly safe.
--
Jeff 'The Wizard of Draws' Bucchino
Cartoons with a Touch of Magic�
http://www.wizardofdraws.com
http://www.cartoonclipart.com

all the previous advice seems good...
but beware.. if a doc prescribes drugs for your anxiety.. most of those are
ground able items.. many of the same drugs are prescribed for depression..
and that is a ground able item...
to get your medical reinstated.. you will have to be off the drugs for some
period.. and statements by various doctors that you are "cured"

be careful.. and good luck...

BT

"Ben Smith" wrote in message
...
Hi All -

I've decided to confess to R.A.P. that I am in need of some help and
advice.
I have lost my passion and confidence of flying.

Since February, for the first time in my life, I started to suffer from
symptoms of anxiety. At first, I didn't really know what was wrong, just
that I didn't feel 'right'. My best guess as to the cause of it? A
monumental change in my life occurred at that time, the ending of a 6 1/2
year relationship. While I've moved on to seeing another person, that's
been kind of rocky all summer. So that side of my personal life hasn't
been
stable one bit.

Just to be sure, I went to my doc, had all kinds of blood test done, etc..
Squeaky clean. He said I appear to be the healthy 28 year old he's always
known.

I'll try to describe the symptoms... I've been flying with a safety pilot
at least once a month to keep at it. Short flights such as pattern work
seem to be OK. I felt like I was finally starting to come around, when I
decided to do a 50NM XC. After getting aloft, and realizing there wasn't
much 'busy' work to do like make radio calls, etc, I started to get the
symptoms: sweat, shortness of breath, dizziness. I had to constantly
fidget
and talk to the other pilot to keep my mind off it. Once the destination
airport was near, they went away.... Same thing happened on the way
back....

This also occurs in the car on occasion.. Notably, if I stop at a red
light, and there is nothing to do but wait for the light, and there was no
escaping. ('Fight or Flee' mode I think is what they call it). Or if I
ride as a passenger, it would occur more.

I picked up a book on ways to _naturally_ fight anxiety and panic, and it
seems to describe my issues perfectly. I have already started doing a few
things it suggests, such as abdominal breathing, relaxation techniques,
cutting out the boatloads of caffeine that I used to ingest.. I think
I've
made a remarkable improvement, now that I understand it a little better.
I
haven't had a full-out 'attack' hit me ever since I started reading the
book. Sometimes I can feel the anxiety coming, but if I encourage it to
'bring it on', it goes away. It only affected me the most when I tried to
fight it away.

So, what does this young pilot and aircraft owner ask of the group? I'd
like some feedback and stories if anything like this has ever happened to
you, or someone you know, and what was done to overcome it.. I am
extremely
conservative when it comes to safety, so this has absolutely grounded me
from flying. (without at least a pilot rated pax). Even with the
co-pilot,
it just doesn't seem to be fun anymore, because of this problem. I wish
so
bad to get back to the days where I was excited about flying 3 times a
week,
and exploring new airports... Surely, there must be hope.

Please let me know if you have any words of advise. Thanks,

--
Ben
C-172 - N13258 @ 87Y

Thanks to everyone for the responses. (Both on and offline)

--
Ben
C-172 - N13258 @ 87Y

"Ben Smith" wrote in message
Please let me know if you have any words of advise. Thanks,

I'm the opposite. I fly to escape from anxiety and pressure, but I have a
friend who does not fly solo to this day because of a lack of
self-confidence. That person just kept at it. She found pilot friends who
made flying enjoyable. As long as she has a pilot next to her, she enjoys
flying. The fact is that she flys just fine but I can't convince her of
that.

D.

"Ben Smith" wrote in message
Please let me know if you have any words of advise. Thanks,

I'm the opposite. I fly to escape from anxiety and pressure, but I have a
friend who does not fly solo to this day because of a lack of
self-confidence. That person just kept at it. She found pilot friends who
made flying enjoyable. As long as she has a pilot next to her, she enjoys
flying. The fact is that she flys just fine but I can't convince her of
that.

D.

You need to create positive asociations with the airplane. I suggest sex in the
plane while on the ground.

Rather than give up flying for a while, give up women for a while. Of course,
AFTER you have sex in the plane.

Demonick