Do you have suggestions for supplements for flight anxiety, something to make flying bearable without heightened breath, etc, or is that out of the supplement realm?
I also have physical tension and fear the worst. Any kind of turbulence or warnings of turbulence makes me extremely nervous.
K asked this question on one of my blogs and I responded that this is very much in the supplement realm! And what we use depends on the type of anxiety someone is experiencing.
I would first consider serotonin support before and during flying – tryptophan or 5-HTP – because she fears the worst and feels extremely nervous. With low serotonin there may also be worry and fear leading up to the trip, as well as feelings of panic and imagining the worst during the flight.
GABA support – using the amino acid GABA or theanine – should also be considered for the more physical symptoms of heightened breath and physical tension. With low GABA there can be other physical symptoms such as excessive sweating (like the palms), a racing or pounding heart and a dry mouth. These amino acids could also be used leading up to the flight and during the trip if needed.
Read on for more on my insights on using these amino acids in a situation like this, additional information about fear of flying and a success story with GABA.
Serotonin and/or GABA support for fear of flying
In an ideal situation I would want to address both low serotonin and low GABA before flying and have her use extra during the flight, as needed. It’s very likely that many of the low serotonin and low GABA symptoms are present in some way in her day to day life too.
This means she can be methodical about doing a trial of the respective amino acids and figure out the optimal dose of each in familiar surroundings – using powder, capsule opened, sublingual, chewable or liposomal.
As always we trial one at a time so we know which one is working best. Keep in mind some folks do better with tryptophan and some do better with 5-HTP so both may need to be trialed. The same can be said for GABA and theanine.
Once the product and dose of each has been figured out, she’ll need to find a suitable option for use while traveling i.e. a sublingual or chewable tablet
It’s always a comprehensive approach
It’s a comprehensive approach – amino acids AND diet so I recommend eating real whole food, quality animal protein, eating for blood sugar stability, going gluten-free, sugar-free and caffeine-free, eating healthy fats, organic vegetables and fruit and fermented foods. My book “The Antianxiety Food Solution” is a great place to start when you are new to the amino acids and other anxiety nutrition solutions like gluten/sugar/caffeine removal, blood sugar control, gut health, pyroluria etc.
During travel it’s important to be prepared with healthy travel foods and drinks. I share some ideas here.
The definition of a specific phobia such as the fear of flying
The fear of flying is called aviophobia and it’s one of many common phobias about something specific. According to this ebook
Specific phobia is an anxiety disorder characterized by excessive and irrational fear of a particular object, situation, or activity. The anxiety response goes beyond normal apprehension and leads to avoidance behavior. The intensity of the fear is often disproportionate to the actual danger posed by the phobic stimulus.
Common examples of specific phobias include fear of heights (acrophobia), fear of spiders (arachnophobia), fear of flying (aviophobia), and fear of needles (trypanophobia). People with specific phobias may experience intense anxiety or panic attacks when exposed to the feared object or situation.
This Australian article reports that “One in six people have a significant fear that prevents them from flying, and about one in five regular flyers use alcohol or prescription drugs to “help” them through a flight, according to Victoria’s Department of Health.”
Using the amino acids to address low serotonin and/or low GABA addresses the root cause and does away with the need for alcohol and antianxiety meds (and the associated side-effects).
Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) and exposure therapy is often recommended for aviophobia but doesn’t always help, and doesn’t address the biochemical imbalances.
A success story with GABA before and during a flight – cool as a cucumber
Melissa started using Source Naturals GABA Calm in anticipation of holiday travel and holiday gatherings and shared this:
I’m glad I saw the post about GABA on your FB page a couple weeks ago. I bought Source Naturals GABA Calm and have been taking 1-3 per day for two weeks.
I’m glad I bought it before travelling home for Christmas – I was cool as a cucumber at the airport and was much calmer when visiting family and friends compared to last year! The true test of its efficacy will be in two weeks when the semester starts. For now, I notice a general calmness and am sleeping well.
Notice that she started using it in the 2 weeks leading up to her trip and not on the flight itself.
Additional resources when you are new to using tryptophan or GABA and other amino acids as supplements
We use the symptoms questionnaire to figure out if low serotonin or low GABA or other neurotransmitter imbalances may be an issue for you.
If you suspect low levels of any of the neurotransmitters and do not yet have my book, The Antianxiety Food Solution – How the Foods You Eat Can Help You Calm Your Anxious Mind, Improve Your Mood, and End Cravings. I highly recommend getting it and reading it before jumping in and using amino acids on your own so you are knowledgeable. And be sure to share it with the practitioner/health team you or your loved one is working with.
There is an entire chapter on the amino acids and they are discussed throughout the book in the sections on gut health, gluten, blood sugar control (this is covered in an entire chapter too), sugar cravings, anxiety and mood issues. The importance of quality animal protein and healthy fats is also covered.
The book doesn’t include product names (per the publisher’s request) so this blog, The Antianxiety Food Solution Amino Acid and Pyroluria Supplements, lists the amino acids that I use with my individual clients and those in my group programs.
If, after reading this blog and my book, you don’t feel comfortable figuring things out on your own (i.e. doing the symptoms questionnaire and respective amino acids trials), a good place to get help is the GABA QuickStart Program (if you have low GABA symptoms too). This is a paid online/virtual group program where you get my guidance and community support.
If you need serotonin support, the Serotonin QuickStart Program is a good place to get help. This is also a paid online/virtual group program where you get my guidance on using tryptophan and 5-HTP safely, and community support during 5 LIVE Q&A calls. You can sign up to be notified when the next live launch of this program is happening.
If you are a practitioner, join us in The Balancing Neurotransmitters: the Fundamentals program. This is also a paid online/virtual program with an opportunity to interact with me and other practitioners who are also using the amino acids.
Have you had success using serotonin and/or GABA support for your fear of flying (or other phobia/s)? If yes, which amino acids have helped you?
Did you have any success with CBT or exposure therapy or other approaches?
Feel free to share and ask your questions below.