Anonymous wrote:He has never been on an international flight and peoples go to is to drug him? He will think that every time he flies, he will need a drug. Figure out what his anxiety stems from when it comes to the flight then we can help you.

Where did the OP say that DS had never been on an international flight?

He has never been on an international flight and peoples go to is to drug him? He will think that every time he flies, he will need a drug. Figure out what his anxiety stems from when it comes to the flight then we can help you.

Have the air sickness bag handy. Make sure the kid knows it's there. Just in case. As a child I was afraid of flying but was also afraid of throwing up and threw up a lot. There was no way my parents wouldn't have made me fly. As a family, we needed to fly often and sometimes on very small planes. I remained afraid of flying well into adulthood. Was especially afraid when I had my own kids onboard. I had this fear that I was puting them in harm's way. Again, tried not to show it. I'm an empty nester now and when flying alone I am not afraid and choose to fly often.

Anonymous wrote:Talk to their doctor about anti-anxiety meds. A xanax for the flight to avoid an anxiety attack may be worth it. Lots of times and opportunities to help them manage their anxiety through other means, that aren't on an international flight.

But try Xanax before the flight. My teen took Xanax before a difficult-for-her medical procedure and it had a paradoxical response -- causing way more anxiety and dysregulation.

Do they want to go? Can they stay with a relative or friend?

Ativan.

Talk to doc about Xanax.

Don’t drug your kids and force them to fly. If they’re old enough for forced drugs they’re old enough to stay home.

Meds.

Talk to their doctor about anti-anxiety meds. A xanax for the flight to avoid an anxiety attack may be worth it. Lots of times and opportunities to help them manage their anxiety through other means, that aren't on an international flight.

It is not an uncommon fear there are training programs and therapists. I also agree with short, practice flights.

Prep well for the flight (headphones with music he likes, a book he's been dying to read or movie to watch etc). Snacks.

Ask her what it is that makes her anxious? I hate turbulence so I focus on tools that help me understand that better . Another tip has been to talk to the pilot and hair host when you board- they are super accomodating when it comes to help/ease anxiety. Lots of resources/apps available on this topic now as well!

Anonymous wrote:My teenager is naturally anxious and is nervous about our upcoming vacation, which involves an international flight.
Any advice?

My dc is also anxious and one of the things we did was practice shorter flights, which helped.

My teenager is naturally anxious and is nervous about our upcoming vacation, which involves an international flight.
Any advice?