Flying Phobia: How To Treat It?

Aerophobia is the fear of airplanes. It can manifest itself in different ways, although in most cases it includes not being able to travel.

In this article we will tell you more about the phobia of flying and how to treat it.

Flying phobia: symptoms and causes

The fear of traveling by plane is more common than we think. One in three passengers has aerophobia.

For this reason, there are many airlines that have created courses (several of them free) so that you can face the fear and overcome the phobia.

It can be a phobia itself (flying in an airplane) or a manifestation of others, such as claustrophobia (fear of closed spaces) or acrophobia (fear of heights).

Aerophobia receives more attention than any other because of the implications it has.

Many people with fear of flying do not go on vacation to distant destinations (which cannot be reached by road or sea), do not visit relatives who live in another country or continent or even do not advance in their professional careers because they do not make business trips.

Although air transport is the safest in the world, the problem for those who have a phobia of flying lies more in not being sure what happens on takeoff, flight and landing.

In addition, the fact of not having “feet on the ground” in itself already generates an increase in anxiety.

Possible fears

Within aerophobia we can differentiate different fears:

• “The plane will crash.”
• “I will have a panic attack.”
• “I will not be able to escape.”
• “I will be claustrophobic.”
• “There will be turbulence and strange noises.”
• “They will not be able to assist me if I have a heart attack.”
• “I will fly on top of the water or at night.”
• “I will never be in control of the situation.”

A trauma from the past can add to the phobia of flying.

For example, if someone you know or family member has died in an accident, if the first time you traveled there was a lot of turbulence or it was necessary to make a forced landing, if movies about air disasters were seen, etc.

The media can also be a trigger for aerophobia. The news programs often show plane crashes and indicate the number of victims as shocking news and not as something isolated.

It is good to know that more people die from traffic accidents than from airplane crashes worldwide.

How to treat a phobia of flying

Those people who cannot travel to remote places, who cannot plan a vacation or who cannot grow in the workplace because of their phobia of flying should undergo therapy that allows them to overcome their fear.

Some methods that can be very helpful are:

1. Learn about airplanes

You don’t have to become a pilot or flight attendant to know how airplanes work.

Learn how it works when taking off or landing, what happens during the flight, what are the security measures that are taken before leaving, what is taken into account during the trip, how many controls the planes must pass before taking off, etc. .

It would also be good if you knew how the wings and each of the parts of the airplane work.

Aircraft are continually evaluated and maintained. Before the pilot takes off everything must be in perfect condition.

Also, for every hour that the airplane will be in the air, it must go through 11 hours of maintenance to make sure everything is working properly.

2. Compare air safety

It is true that when there is an accident with an airplane most of the occupants die. However, an aircraft is less likely to crash than a car accident.

Look up statistics to be calmer. Although in the news we can see several cases of airplane crashes, the truth is that the media show it because they are striking cases and not because they are common.

3. Prepare for typical movements

In many cases, the phobia of flying is based on ignorance.

What happens when there is turbulence, what happens while the plane takes off, why do they make us buckle up?

When something changes our sense of security, we immediately assume that it is because of something bad. However, it does not necessarily have to be this way.

For example, you must be prepared to:

• That your ears are plugged (due to the change in air pressure).
• That empty feeling in your stomach (because you have to go at high speed to take off).
• The movements of the wings (to change direction or to be able to fly when there is wind).

4. Don’t worry about turbulence

Although you may think that it is the worst moment of the trip, it is actually something very common.

• Especially if you make a long trip, of more than 6 hours, at some point the plane will move a little more.
• This happens when the aircraft passes through an area of ​​low pressure and then one of high pressure. It is somewhat similar to driving on a stony road or with holes.
• Passengers are asked to fasten their seat belts for safety reasons, nothing more.

5. Manage anxiety

You must bear in mind that, no matter how nervous or scared you are, the flight does not depend on you. This means that you should not worry about something that is “out of reach. “

You can practice relaxation or breathing exercises the moments before takeoff or even during the trip.

Imagine where you will go, what places you will visit, who you will see when you arrive. Watch movies, read a book, listen to music, do Sudoku puzzles or chat with your partner next door.

That way you won’t pay as much attention to what’s going on around you.