Every day thousands of planes take off and land at airports in different countries around the world. On every ship, more than half of the passengers experience fear of flying. Only some of them know how to cope with their fear, the rest are in excitement throughout their entire stay on board. To know how to overcome the fear of flying on an airplane, you should first find out the reasons for the fear.
The fight against fear begins with identifying the cause
What is aerophobia?
Aerophobia includes a whole range of fears:
- fear of unusual sensations during takeoff and landing,
- fear of heights and falling,
- fear of a plane crash,
- fear of feeling bad in a confined space,
- fear of death.
Also added to the cocktail called “aerophobia” is the fear of confined spaces and loss of control over the situation.
Despite the fact that aerophobia is characteristic of all categories of the population, it is worth noting that pregnant women and elderly people are more often susceptible to it.
What is the root of the problem
To combat aerophobia, it is necessary to determine the source of such panic. Today, with the development of the media and the Internet, people have gained greater access to information and can observe that every day some disasters occur in the world, incl. and aircraft accidents.
Moreover, the brain doesn’t care at all - it simply senses that something happened to the plane, be it an emergency landing, small private airliners missing from radar, etc. As a result, it gets into your head that planes get into accidents regularly.
In addition, fear is also associated with the subconscious - everyone knows that it is almost impossible to escape when a plane crashes: there are not many cases of happy survival. Basically, the plane crashes with all its passengers on board. And then there is the fear of the unknown. After all, it is not clear what you will feel at this moment, how painful it will be, etc.
How does aerophobia manifest itself?
The first manifestations of fear and anxiety may appear several days before the flight.
A person develops excessive fussiness, nervousness, and begins to have problems sleeping. He frantically searches for confirmation or refutation of his fear on the Internet, in communication with friends and acquaintances.
The surprising thing is that aerophobes quite often have information about flight safety , accident statistics, and logically understand that the risk of dying is extremely minimal. However, in a moment of panic, all this knowledge does not work; a person simply cannot use it adequately.
It seems to him that right now and precisely to him, the very thing that is written about in the newspapers and filmed in the news will happen.
Before boarding the plane, a person suffering from a phobia tries to find reasons to cancel the flight. During this period, he can become extremely superstitious and suspicious, look for “signs” in the surrounding space, and analyze dreams.
To reassure those who had a “prophetic dream” before the flight, I will say that our emotional state is always reflected in our dreams.
By experiencing anxiety and not being able to cope with it, you yourself “deteriorate” the quality of your dreams.
On an airplane, mild discomfort can give way to real hysteria. Especially if some unplanned, unfamiliar sensations appear.
For example, during turbulence, changes in the sound of the engine, and even retracting the landing gear during takeoff.
Causes and conditions related to fear of flying
As mentioned above, fear of flying is often accompanied by other fears and phobias.
In such cases, a person experiences increased anxiety. For example, fear of flying is often associated with fear of enclosed spaces. A person does not like the closed and crowded space inside an airplane, and this can lead to a feeling of being trapped from which it is impossible to escape. Fear of flying is often associated with fear of heights, or acrophobia.
Aerophobia can also be caused by social phobias, for example, the need to sit close to strangers during a flight.
Certain physical conditions are also associated with aerophobia. People who are prone to colds, dizziness, sinus problems or other nasal problems, or tinnitus problems may all experience fear of flying due to increased symptoms during the flight.
Disorders such as deep vein thrombosis (DVT), which is common in people with cardiovascular disease, can also cause patients to develop aerophobia.
Fear of flying is usually not associated with any medications or treatments. But the appearance of this phobia can be caused by a set of other factors:
- injuries from flying in the past,
- the possibility of seasickness associated with air turbulence,
- news stories depicting crashed planes, terrorist threats on planes;
- and so on. causes.
All of these can lead to the development of symptoms of fear of flying. The condition is hereditary, meaning children are more likely to develop it if their parents suffer from the phobia.
When is it necessary to consult a specialist?
- If you realize that under the influence of fear you are capable of behaving inappropriately (or such cases have already happened)
- You feel intense irrational fear in the days before you fly
- Fear a few days before the flight does not allow you to do everyday activities and deprives you of legal capacity.
- You avoid flying by plane, preferring land transport even when it is long, expensive and inconvenient
Fear of flying on an airliner
So, you have determined that you have not one of the phobias, namely the fear of flying, so the topic is “I’m afraid to fly on an airplane, what should I do?” remains relevant for you.
Alternatively, in Russia there are psychologists who specialize in the treatment of severe forms of phobias, including aerophobia. In their practices, psychologists attract aviation personnel for whom constant flights have become an integral part of their lives.
Psychologists teach their patients to fight their fears. There are also some specialists who use hypnosis as a treatment for this disease.
A person can fight mild types of phobias on his own.
But what to do if you are afraid to fly on an airplane, bad thoughts and fears do not go away? We encourage you to try different relaxation techniques. In this situation, reading and listening to the sounds of nature can help.
You can try to distract yourself from what is happening . In this case, tasty food, such as chocolate, can help as a sedative. As a last resort, you can take a sedative or herbal tea.
To cope with anxiety, you need to occupy yourself with something distracting, pleasant
also close your eyes and focus on breathing . Breathe deeply and calmly, inhaling and exhaling until rhythmic breathing is restored. In the process of restoring your breathing, you need to relax all the muscles of your body as much as possible and think about the purpose of your trip. You need to think about all the positive things that the purpose of this flight will bring. Imagine in detail the details of everything that happens in the future (promotion at work, meeting with loved ones).
We must not forget that the plane is a safe mode of transport! Just like a car that confidently drives down the road, an airplane floats in the sky with the same confident ease.
Approximately 65% of people suffering from aviophobia feel intense fear from processes such as turbulence or overheating of an airplane in the air. To help such passengers understand these processes and overcome their fears, you can remember the laws of physics, and also read the article on our website about “How an airplane takes off and flies.”
I would also like to note that all Russian airlines that transport passengers have safety and quality certificates according to international standards .
Therefore, people’s opinion, accepted since the 90s, is that Russian aircraft for transporting passengers is a wreck, and the pilots and other personnel suffer from alcohol addiction.
Russian airlines are members of the largest international alliances.
Aeroflot is the owner of the youngest aircraft fleet in Europe, one of the most modern in the world. Transaero is one of the 15 safest and most reliable air carriers in the world.
If the plane is, for example, Saratov Airlines, this means that it is completely safe for flights. It should be remembered that all aircraft undergo strict and mandatory technical checks, and air carriers have an appropriate quality certificate. This suggests that flying is quite safe!
Also, you don’t have to worry that the plane you’re flying on may be ten, fifteen, or even more than twenty-five years old . In Russian airlines, unlike other airlines in the world, such equipment is very rare. The operation of such aircraft is a normal phenomenon, since the resource reserves of this equipment are very large and reliable. All equipment is monitored very well and equipment is checked every day.
As for the reliability of aircraft, I would also like to note that they have at least two engines, and the probability of engine failure is too low. According to technical and safety requirements, if one of the engines fails, the aircraft remains in the air without descending. All aircraft systems are duplicated.
The cost of the engine is approximately ten million dollars. This part is the most expensive. Therefore, it is subject to very serious care and monitoring of serviceability.
For those who are afraid of flying, the best thing is relaxation techniques
How to deal with the problem
How to get rid of aerophobia is one of the main questions today. After all, this problem seriously poisons the life of modern man. Experts recommend following a number of simple rules that will minimize panic. The list includes:
- Taking a course of sedatives immediately before the flight - it is better to select medications together with your doctor
- Early arrival at the airport for immersion in the atmosphere
- The right choice of clothing for a flight - you should pay attention to loose options that will not restrict movement and additionally “suffocate”
- Choosing a travel companion - if possible, it is better to fly with someone
- Using self-persuasion: you need to convince yourself that airplanes are less dangerous than cars, and the risk of getting into an accident on the road is significantly higher
- When checking in, you should choose seats away from the window; it’s better to be next to the flight attendants who are serving food - this is calming
- It is worth refusing to buy seats in the back of the plane, because... there's a lot of chatter there
If simple measures do not help, you should visit a psychologist and undergo a course of treatment with him. Also today there are a huge number of different online trainings and courses with which you can try to cope with the problem.
On an airplane, if you feel an approaching panic, you need to close your eyes, turn on the player with music and try to distract yourself from depressing thoughts. Alternatively, for your own peace of mind, you should download your favorite movie to your device in advance, which you can distract yourself with during the flight.
When is treatment needed?
A person experiencing an uncontrollable fear of flying experiences serious mental and physical stress. If you do not learn to control your own emotions, mind and body during a flight, very adverse consequences for the body can occur. In such cases, it is better not to delay treatment and seek help from experienced specialists.
Methods
Aerophobia is treated by qualified psychologists and psychotherapists. The treatment course uses different techniques.
Treatment methods for aerophobia:
- individual sessions with a psychologist;
- drug therapy (sedatives);
- neurolinguistics;
- hypnosis sessions;
- psychotherapy.
The treatment method for aerophobia is selected individually.
Do not ignore this problem and do not hesitate to seek help from experienced psychologists if you are haunted by an uncontrollable fear of flying, accompanied by various symptoms. The doctor will select a treatment plan and help you overcome aerophobia so you can calmly perceive heights and air travel over any distance.
