Conquering your Fear of Flying

Louise from Texas writes in to ask:

“My boyfriend and I really want to move overseas for a while but I just can’t make the move because of my fear of flying. I love travel but I always hate the flying so I try not to fly very often. If we moved overseas, I wouldn’t want to miss family get togethers like Christmas. I need to conquer this, but I have no idea where to start.”

Conquering the fear might be easier than you think. One in three people have a fear about flying, but many people have learned how to conquer their fears. Here are some basic but solid steps to get you started:

Discover the real fear.

People aren’t usually afraid of flying. They are afraid of falling out of the sky, the height, the total loss of control, or of the confined space, to name a few.

Once you have discovered the true fear, then you can address that fear.

For example, if you hate feeling a loss of control in a situation, look at why you hate losing control and how this anxiety can be changed.

Re-programme how you feel about flying.

Using the example above, focus on the positive aspects of handing control over to someone else. If you were once anxious that the pilot might not know there is a strange hum on your side of the plane, now you can focus on the high technology and many hours of training and practice that make the pilot aware of much more than you can imagine. Sit back in your seat with a sigh of relief that for this part of your journey you can turn everything over to someone else.

Ignore the media.

There is no such thing as ‘disasters happen in threes’ or anything like that, so don’t watch for air disasters on the news. Instead, remember all the millions and millions of safe flights that are not reported.

Learn what to expect.

Knowing some of the basics about how airplanes work will help reassure you when normal sounds and movements occur on the plane, such as a series of beeps, the movement of flaps on the wings, or the causes of turbulence.

At the airport.

Leave with plenty of time so you aren’t rushed. When you arrive, choose a quiet area. If you can afford it, paying extra to be in a quiet lounge available at some airports may well be worth it for you.

Learn relaxation techniques.

As oversimplified as it may sound, deep breathing and focusing on positive aspects of a situation will help bring you back from irrational thoughts that take over your mind, spinning you into the panic attack and phobia zones.

Bring an iPod to help you with relaxation—either meditation or hypnosis tracks or simply relaxing music. A recording of a funny book or a stand up comedian is also useful—it is difficult to feel fear and amusement at the same time!

Fantastic professional help includes:

• Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP)
• Hypnosis
• Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
• Programmes set up by airlines

Drugs

There are drugs that relax you but taking these is not always recommended because you are not treating the problem, only the symptoms. The problem still exists. Why not address the core of the fear and get rid of it totally?

However, drugs may have the benefit of taking the edge off the fear and help you to practice the relaxation techniques and other techniques listed above, developing more effective lifetime habits. Try Bach Flower remedies and Passiflora tincture as gentle alternatives.

Alcohol

Alcohol is not recommended for several reasons:

• When nervous, it is easy to overdo the alcohol making you ill, aggressive or causing you to pass out.
• There is already a lower oxygen level in the cabin so side effects from alcohol are magnified.
• It will be more difficult to recover from Jetlag.
• You will have poor judgement in any change of plans or emergency.
• If you are intoxicated this will potentially ruin the excitement and/or need to be focused and alert in the first few hours of your arrival.

Further Resources:

• Anxieties.com
• SOAR
• Fear of Flying Tips
• Guide to Psychology
• British Airways
• Virgin Atlantic

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