Fear of Flying
For many people, traveling by plane is a business necessity, a way of life, or the best way to rush to that favorite vacation hideaway. For many others however, the flight attendant may as well be a burly executioner robed in back and raising his ax for the final blow. Aviophobia (or the fear of flying) is actually quite common and affects over 40% of all adults with only 6.5% affected to the point of debilitating anxiety, according to the National Institute of Health. Aviophobia can affect people in many different ways such as disallowing the person to board a plane, watch a plane in the air, or even to drive close by an airport. Some people feel anxiety during take-off and landings only, while others still may experience it during turbulence or when hearing unidentifiable noises in the cabin. It is important to note that not all airplane related fears are categorized as Aviophobia. Some fears are more characteristic of Acrophobia, the fear of heights, Claustrophobia, the fear of confined spaces, and the fear of asphyxiating among others. While all of these are very stressful conditions, the focus here will be on the fear of flying itself as well as it’s psychology, symptoms, flying conditions, and how to get help. So sit back, relax, grab a bag of your favorite roasted peanuts, and don’t forget your passport.
Whether we realize it or not, our fears, rational or irrational, dictate many of our conscious and unconscious thoughts. Fears are self-supporting and can surface without warning to substantiate vulnerabilities and give irrational ideas validity and purpose. Some psychologists believe that the fear of flying is not of the possibility of a crash or some kind of accident, but of the reality of human vulnerability and the loss of control. The reason for this theory is that it is well known that statistically speaking, flight is 29 times safer than driving or riding in an automobile. Therefore, if people feared flying for safety reasons, then with this statistic in mind these same individuals would be walking everywhere and not doing very much vacationing let alone buying anything in bulk.
Symptoms
The symptoms of Aviophobia are both psychological and physiological in nature. The most common psychological symptoms are:
- memory loss
- poor or cloudy judgment
- confusion, increased negativity
- depression
- persistent or nagging feelings of dread
- panic or frustration
- inability to think logically or rationally
Common amongst physiological symptoms includes:
- gastrointestinal distress
- increase in heart rate and irregular breathing
- heightened blood pressure, muscle tremors and shaking
- chest pains
- nausea
- vomiting
- dehydration
- profuse sweating and dizziness
Causes
Acquiring a fear of flying does not involve some kind of psychological roulette or karmic punishment. The fear of flying stems from real anxieties of those mentioned earlier or it can even occur later in life after a traumatic or uneasy travel experience. For many people, it is the current state of airline safety that causes a high level of stress and distrust of flying. For almost ten years now, fear and anxiety has plagued the masses through government squabbling and constant media coverage of terrorist activities, thwarted plots of attack, and criticisms of which airlines are overprotecting and which are not protecting its passengers enough. Not only have those with pre-existing anxiety been affected and given reassurance of their self-rationalized fears, but people who used to enjoy flying are now hesitant, fearful, and some may even find themselves unintentionally profiling their fellow American, apprehensively gauging their own safety. It is really no wonder that the fear of flying is afflicting so many Americans with our constant focus on terrorism, fear mongering, and let’s not forget–the retina burning images of plane crashes and tortured wrecks that haunt and grant us the delusion that these tragedies are a common everyday occurrence.
Overcoming the fear of flying
So what are we to do? How are we to function as fearless, free birds? Some of us may never become completely stress-free but there are a lot of resources to help take the fear out of flying and the anxiety out of aviation. So before you beg your best friend to slip something in your drink pre-flight, take a look at the services and programs available. Many airports offer fearful flyer courses that are taught by psychology and counseling professionals which employ group counseling sessions, tours of grounded airplanes, and a graduation flight to a nearby destination. Others avenues to explore are the user friendly, self-help methods that usually involve books and CDs or DVDs that talk through the fears and help to rationalize what the brain cannot alone. There are also a multitude of discussion boards and online support groups of fearful flyers moderated by professionals that work together to talk about what makes them fearful, what they have tried to ease their fears and techniques that worked or failed from the comfort of their home computer and fuzzy bunny slippers. Another more unconventional method is hypnotherapy. This method employs a hypnotist who is trained to relax a person and bring the fear out of their subconscious through relaxation and lowered inhibitions. The most conventional method of alleviating the fear of flight is to see a therapist that can work with you to gradually accept that your fears are irrational, find the true source and eliminate the negative thoughts through breathing exercises, relaxation techniques, desensitization, and building confidence. For severe cases of phobia or anxiety, an anti-anxiety medication may be recommended in addition to regular psychological treatment.
Overcoming the fear of flying is a complex task and realizing those fears are irrational is the most difficult to admit. Imagine the freedom, the feeling of soaring high above the clouds or the child-like thrill of pretending you are Godzilla and squishing buildings between your fingers as they become mere specks below. Whatever your motivation, patience and confidence are the keys to trading in that anxiety and fear for two tickets to paradise.
