People with a fear of flying experience intense anxiety, mind-numbing distress, and in many cases an inability to operate efficiently. Their ability to function has been impaired by this phobia.
In many cases, they display extreme manifestations of their fear — panic attacks, violent reactions, vomiting, and even a complete shutdown of their motor functions.
What’s even more troubling is that flight fear affects approximately 60% of the population, to a certain degree. This nervousness has no root cause in many cases. It can be something that was passed on genetically or simply that person’s inability to surrender control over their life.
Today, we’re going to give you some tips on how to overcome a fear of flying.
Aerophobia affects more than 20 million people in the UK alone. For some, even thinking about flying or boarding a plane causes panic attacks.
This phobia is a type of extreme anxiety disorder associated with many factors and common situations experienced during a trip — rending control to someone else (a pilot), being enclosed in a crowded place, the unease of turbulence, the sensation of taking off.
In many cases, people who have aerophobia most likely also have other fears. Other anxiety disorders are triggered by flying. They might be afraid of heights, enclosed spaces. They might have several social anxieties.
Some have been exposed – thanks to the media – to footage of plane crashes or other incidents at an early age.
Sometimes working on these specific phobias can help resolve a person’s fear of flying.
In many cases, if we want to deal with flight fear, it’s important to understand its symptoms. The physical manifestations of this phobia present themselves as:
Cold hands.
Trembling.
Nausea.
Vomiting.
Irrational thoughts.
Choking sensation.
Increased heart rate.
Shortness of breath.
Any of these symptoms can be extremely limiting and, unless treated, can short-tail your life, curbing your potential, your wanderlust, and hindering your ability to travel.
There are numerous ways to get over your fear of flying. Right now, there are dozens of treatment options to help you deal with a fear of flying.
A psychiatrist can get you to understand the root cause of your fear of flying and, to a degree, how to manage it. Through methods like hypnosis, an expert can help you overcome your fear of flying and manage acute anxiety.
Other more radical and modern methods include exposure therapy through the use of virtual reality equipment and cognitive behavioral therapy.
These types of therapies are helpful because they make you face your fear and more importantly assist you in creating tools that can help you overcome that phobia.
Therapy can help you understand, identify and even deal with your triggers. Managing these triggers is key when learning how to deal with your fear of flying.
Another way of getting over your fear of flying is to use medication. Anti-anxiety medication – in most cases SSRI or an SNRI compound – is also a temporary solution.
These are helpful pharmaceuticals that can aid a person deal with their fear of flying. Drugs can help before boarding a plane but they have little effect on reducing anticipatory anxiety.
Group therapy sessions, right now, are all the rage. They help you relate to other people that have fear of flying and many are even spearheaded not only by a psychiatrist but by aircraft engineers.
The latter can help educate a person on the dynamics of flight and the safety of the plane itself — on its sound structural design.
These sorts of programs meet at different airports, are sponsored by airlines or the Federal Government, and can be found in numerous locales. They are extremely helpful in overcoming anxieties associated with the anticipation of the flight — reducing pre-flight jitters by almost 70%.
A private flight can also contribute to your efforts to overcome your fear of flying. In part, our anxiety and phobia branch out from other social disorders we have. Fear of heights (acrophobia); fear of crowds (agoraphobia); fear of losing control (dementophobia); fear of tight spaces (claustrophobia).
We might also be dealing with small social anxiety disorders. All of these factors can be erased by booking a private charter plane.
A private plane limits your exposure to triggers. You’re not surrounded by panicky passengers or crowds and you’re able to participate and feel included during your flight – since the pilot and crew members are at your beck and call.
You’re no longer confined to a tight space, but one that’s more open with a better seating plan.
A private charter plane can help you overcome, or at the very least, control your fear of flying. It can help you manage your phobia by putting you in the “driving seat” and giving you more authority over what is happening during your flight and how to deal with it.
Fear of flying can lower your standards of living. It can limit your ability to travel and expand your horizon. It is nothing to be ashamed of.
More than 80% of us suffer anxiety when we fly. A huge number of celebrities, amongst them Woody Allen and Arsenal FC footballer Dennis Bergkamp are famously known for their fear of flying. You are not alone.
Studies have reported that with a few modifications and emotional tools people can reduce their anxiety levels by around 80%. Small tweaks and alterations can help out. You might not overcome your fear of flying altogether, but you will be able to manage it.
