How to get rid of aerophobia yourself. Why does aerophobia arise and how to get rid of it? Causes of aerophobia
Fear of flying is a psychological disorder from which, it is believed, almost 30 percent of the world's population suffers to one degree or another. About 10 percent of people have never flown an airplane precisely because of intense fear. The German Center for the Fight against Aerophobia (Deutsches Flugangst-Zentrum) in Düsseldorf is approached by different people. The youngest participant in the training was 10 years old, the oldest was 78.
Context
But, according to experts, Germans aged 30 to 40 are more likely to suffer from stress and are more interested in getting rid of the obsessive state of aerophobia. After all, such people often have to fly on business trips.
Some airlines are sympathetic to the aerophobia of passengers. Lufthansa, for example, does not charge a refund of purchased tickets if a passenger suddenly starts to panic on the eve of the flight. True, this rule applies only with a certificate from a doctor. Well, what if you don’t want to or awkward to contact him? For those who want to get rid of pre-flight fear on their own, the experts of the Center for Combating Aerophobia have prepared 10 tips:
Stress-free start
Minimize pre-flight stress. If possible, go through online check-in the day before, print your boarding passes at home, take a taxi or express to the airport. Try to do without luggage: you do not have to arrive in advance and stand in long lines with hand luggage. Get some sleep and rest before your flight.
Choose your seat
The most comfortable seats in the aircraft cabin are in the front and near the wings. There, passengers feel less shaking and reversals. On the official websites of airlines there are aircraft layout diagrams, from which you can find out where the most comfortable seats are located. For example, if you are flying an Airbus A320, it is better to have 8-15 rows, in a Boeing 737-800 - from 12th to 18th. And do not sit in the rear of the cabin: it is quite possible that there will be seasickness.
Dress comfortably
Tight ties and buttoned collars are not compatible with long flights. The same goes for narrow bracelets, rings and watches. Choose comfortable clothes and shoes, grab an inflatable neck pillow.
Trust the professionals
Don't be afraid to share your fear with the flight attendants. If possible, meet the pilot. When boarding the plane, tell the flight attendants about this, they may allow you to enter the cockpit for at least a few minutes. According to psychologists, during this time you will have time to get an idea of the aircraft commander and make sure of his professionalism.
Have fun and be distracted
On long flights, you will be invited to watch movies or listen to music on board. But it's better to take care of the entertainment yourself: make a playlist with your favorite songs, take an interesting book or tablet with games. Experts consider audiobooks to be the ideal option.
More fluid
Try to drink as much non-carbonated water or juice as possible, as the air in the cabin is very dry. A glass of champagne to celebrate the start of your long-awaited vacation won't hurt either. Just don't take alcohol as a way to deal with your fear. You don't have to go overboard with strong drinks on the plane.
Do not stay too long
Who said that you have to sit on the plane all the time? Walk around the cabin, stand on your toes, make several bends in different directions. Such exercises will help restore blood circulation. If you are embarrassed to warm up in front of other passengers, rotate your feet and hands while sitting in a chair, straighten your back and straighten your shoulders.
Find an interlocutor
If panic does start to overwhelm you, try to start a conversation with the flight attendant or with the passenger sitting in the next seat. Better to communicate directly that you have a fear of flying and are having a hard time getting over it. Perhaps a new acquaintance (or acquaintance) will tell you something interesting and distract from frightening fantasies.
Forget about medications
It is best to avoid using potent anti-stress medications during flight. These medicines may work differently at altitude than on the ground. Remember, the fear of flying is not a disease that needs to be treated with medication. Psychologists advise paying attention to homeopathic remedies that are not addictive and are sold without a prescription in any pharmacy.
Learn materiel
If all of the above tips do not help, then it is necessary later, already on Earth, to figure out how airplanes actually fly. You can watch documentaries or go to a special center with flight simulators. After such training, during the flight, you will no longer be disturbed by incomprehensible sounds on takeoff. You will learn that turbulence shaking and a missed approach while landing are standard situations that do not put your life in danger.
Have a good flight!
See also:
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Expanding the boundaries
The new wide-body Airbus A330neo is equipped with improved engines that reduce fuel consumption by 14% and emissions by 10%. An innovative LED lighting system allows you to paint the aircraft cabin in any color: the palette includes 16 million shades. The vessel is designed for 252 or 310 passengers, depending on the layout. A330neo is due to start shipping in 2017.
The future of passenger aircraft
Crystal clear
According to the creators of Fresh Lavatory, this restroom is capable of cleaning itself: after the passenger leaves it, ultraviolet lamps disinfect the cabin, and water automatically rinses the sink. The air toilet is equipped with sensors, which allows you not to touch the tap and other buttons. No germs!
The future of passenger aircraft
Lunch at altitude
Due to air travel safety rules, only plastic cutlery can be used in Economy Class. This does not stop the designers: all the same, everything should be beautiful.
The future of passenger aircraft
Like in the movies
Now on the plane it is not necessary to take a laptop or tablet with you: soon the developers promise to introduce new systems of entertainment on board. The diagonal of the touch screen in the back of the chair in front will reach 26 inches, and movies or TV shows can be watched on this built-in TV from your own USB-stick.
The future of passenger aircraft
In touch
Installing Gogo allows you to enjoy high-speed Internet in flight up to 100 megabits per second. Unlimited Wi-Fi, streaming TV and music will appear on many planes in the not too distant future.
The future of passenger aircraft
Meat or fish?
Let's get back in time for lunch. All the onboard food is prepared on Earth, then it is cooled and warmed up on the plane. Unsurprisingly, after that, the food is not always to the taste of the passengers. To keep airline customers happy with their food, new technologies are introduced every year, such as the sous-vide cooking method and the first induction hobs for aircraft.
The future of passenger aircraft
Sleep in a capsule
The first onboard loungers were developed in 2014 for Quatar Airways' first class A380. Now the design has changed: this is not just a bed, but a real capsule that closes on all sides.
The future of passenger aircraft
More space
Seat spacing is a perennial issue for designers and developers. On the one hand, it is necessary to accommodate as many seats as possible, on the other, to ensure the comfort of all passengers. In such a cabin, you will sit comfortably - both for yourself and for the passenger in front.
“My name is Elena and I have aerophobia” ... so, probably, a greeting in some community of anonymous companions would begin.
There was a period in my life when I felt the terrible fear of flying on an airplane. I am still a little afraid, but after the work done on myself, the fear has greatly diminished. And I think that you probably also have a fear of the "iron bird", otherwise you would not read this page.
WHAT IS AEROPHOBIA?
This is the fear of air travel. The degree of such fear can be completely different, it can be both slight discomfort and isolated disturbing thoughts, and the strongest fear, because of which a person will not get on the plane even at gunpoint.
HOW DOES AEROPHOBIA APPEAR?
I'll tell you about myself, and perhaps in this story you will learn something about yourself too.
You can say that I am from an aviation family. My mother worked for very, very many years in the former Ministry of Aviation Industry of the USSR. In the 80s of the last century, the safety of air travel was much lower than today, and aviation accidents happened periodically. Did my mom suffer from the fear of flying? No. Moreover, every year we went on vacation to the sea and often returned back by plane.
My family, returning from Novosibirsk, got into strong turbulence. Did they become afraid of flying after that? No.
Many years ago I also came back from vacation. My plane took off from Simferopol in heavy rain, and we got into decent turbulence. Did you have any discomfort? Yes. After that, did I become afraid to fly on an airplane? Not!!!
A few years later, I quite calmly got on the plane and went to. But she returned home already so scared that she had to take it on her chest for courage. The fear continued to progress. And already two years later, I had to drink a whole bottle of liquor at the airport bar before I could even get on board.
Nevertheless, I had a chance to fly several times a year, and once I made 8 flights in a month. At some point, I realized that the fear of flying begins to poison my life, and if nothing is done, then one fine day I, apparently, will stop flying and change to a train, shaking in exhausting multi-day trips, but about some directions and have to forget altogether.
5 YEARS HAVE PASSED SINCE THEN.
I board the plane calmly, although I am still a little afraid of turbulence. But I hope that with time this will pass.
What lies at the root of aerophobia?
Fear of death. The instinct of self-preservation is present in each of us, and in real situations, when something threatens our life, it helps us to be saved. But the whole problem is that aerophobia is an irrational fear, that is, fear based not on a real threat, but on the assumption of this threat, which exists in our head in a distorted form.
According to statistics, the plane is one of the safest means of transportation.
The probability of a serious aircraft accident is one in ten million. But why do so many people still prefer to travel 3000 kilometers by car instead of flying it by plane?
However, they probably know that the train and car are much less safe. The point is that illusions come into play again. The train does not take off the ground, and therefore seems more reliable than the plane. It seems unnatural to a person that a multi-ton "iron bird" rushes through the air.
Is there a chance that the plane you are flying is in a serious accident? There is. But the likelihood of such an incident is hundreds of times lower than being hit in a car accident, a terrorist attack and even a blow to the head with an icicle.
Unfortunately, the fear of flying can significantly reduce the quality of life, leaving a person in its backyard, while he could enjoy it, traveling and discovering new horizons. In the existing physical body, life is given to a person only once, and while a person is 20-30 years old, he can probably afford aerophobia.
But when he turns 75 years old, and he suddenly realizes that because of aerophobia he missed a lot of opportunities, and life did not turn out the way he wanted, it seems to me that you can be very sorry.
Below I've compiled my own 12 steps that I hope will help you. But if you want to add anything, do not hesitate and be sure to write in the comments.
Most importantly, know that you are not alone. A lot of people are in one way or another subject to the fear of air travel. Do not think that something is wrong with you. Everything is absolutely normal with you.
Then how to get rid of aerophobia?
1. STOP WATCHING NEWS.
This advice can cause a storm of indignation in many people. How?! How, then, will I find out about what is happening in the world? Trust me, you will never miss any significant events. But as for watching the news, about 90% of them are overloaded with negativity, which creates the illusion that living in this world is bad and dangerous, and also hard, life is filled with disasters and dangers, and the worst of them is to fly by plane ...
Any aviation accident is taken and sucked until your psyche connects all this news together and instead of one incident, a dozen are born in your head.
Why doesn't the same news show a car accident in some Mukhosransk? Because such events happen often and do not attract a sensation. But here's the plane ... that's what can raise the channel's ratings. The main thing is to show it correctly.
What do you think caused my aerophobia? Why did I fly calmly, and from - shaking like an aspen leaf? I think you guessed it yourself. The reason was the viewing of a large amount of news in the hotel room, which described all the details of the 2004 terrorist attacks to me with gusto.
You can understand the news channels - unfortunately, good news is not in demand, but which channel wants to become unprofitable. But you must be aware that by looking at tons of negativity, you are programming yourself for a negative perception of life, and this often happens on a subconscious level.
At some point, you just need to decide for yourself what is more important: to be in the know or to live in peace. Unfortunately, these concepts often lead in different directions. You can also develop as a person from other sources, believe me. I have not watched the news for over 15 years and my personal growth continues, but from other sources. So there is nothing to regret.
2. ALWAYS TREAT AEROPHOBIA.
If you speak English, the whole world is at your feet! On the Internet, you can find just a bunch of information, courses, etc. - and a lot of it will be free. In the West, this work has been going on for at least 25 years. I will say that my fight against the fear of air travel was precisely with their help (for example, videos on youtube by Virgin Atlantics, Fearofflying courses, etc.). The most effective are face-to-face trainings, but even those who know the language need to get to them somehow.
The good news is that you can get rid of aerophobia in more than 90% of cases.
In Russia, for a long time, this problem was simply forgotten (we, as you know, have many other methods of psychotherapy). But today I finally found on the Internet a rather interesting project "We Fly Without Fear", created by a pilot and an aviation psychologist. On the site I saw an opportunity to take a test, buy a DVD course on getting rid of aerophobia, and even sign up for a full-time course. I haven't tried it myself, but I think it makes sense to get to know each other.
If, for some reason, it is not possible to take a course of getting rid of the fear of flying, you can work out this issue with a psychologist, if funds allow. However, this is not always possible, because the services of a psychologist are not cheap. One hour of consultations costs, on average, 2000 rubles, and such sessions may take 8-10. In addition, the psychologist will need to get to know you, which means that the first two sessions may not be spent on solving your problem, but on filling out tests, forms and stories about yourself.
And if it turns out that at the moment you also cannot work with your fear with the help of a psychologist, the most important thing is not to try to "score" on the problem or try to solve it using traditional national methods.
If you already have a rather serious form of aerophobia, when you cannot even board a plane and are already traveling to hot countries by train, then in this case it is better to contact the center of Gervas.
3. CONSULT A PSYCHOLOGIST FOR WORKING WITH OTHER ASPECTS OF YOUR PERSONALITY.
Aerophobia often occurs in people with certain personality traits - as a rule, hyperresponsibility, perfectionism, anxiety, a desire to control everything, etc. But a person cannot control everything in his life, moreover, most events are completely beyond our control.
And even more so, not a single person can predict when his hour will strike, but a person can ruin his life. Aerophobia, as it progresses, can add other phobias, for example, panic attacks, claustrophobia (fear of enclosed spaces), agoraphobia (fear of open spaces), etc. No one voluntarily wants to bring himself to a state where he will be afraid to go out, but nevertheless, neurosis in the end can lead to this and other troubles.
4. DEVELOP AN OPTIMISTIC ATTITUDE TO LIFE.
This has already been proven not only by psychologists and metaphysicians, but also by the most real physicists that thought is material. This means that what you think about, you to yourself and attract at the physical level. If your thoughts are composed of negativity and irrational fears, then you will attract relevant events to yourself. To change the attitude towards life, both working with a psychologist and reading literature on positive psychology, as well as applying recommendations in practice, are suitable.
Read classical literature and positive books instead of news, try to listen to classical music more often instead of hard rock. For example, I really like listening to thrash metal, but I know that heavy music sometimes overloads the brain with adrenaline, so I try to do it infrequently. The same applies to watching programs and films that increase the level of anxiety.
If you love them, but after watching you notice an increase in anxiety levels, I recommend reducing the dose of such views, at least for a while.
5. CONTINUE FLYING THE PLANE.
If you have a severe form of aerophobia, it is unlikely that you need to commit violence against your personality, trying to shove yourself into an airplane, if you absolutely cannot do it. This will hurt yourself even more. Get treatment first. But in milder forms, when you are still able to fly, albeit with discomfort, do not succumb to fear and do not transfer to the train. Continue flying while receiving aerophobia therapy.
6. LEARN TO RELAX YOUR MIND.
This is generally an invaluable acquisition that will help you a lot in life, from getting rid of insomnia to getting rid of aerophobia. The practice of meditation and relaxation will help you calm down the running of thoughts in your head. And it doesn't have to be classical meditation. I personally have not been able to master it. I do not know how to stop thoughts, just looking at the fire, but I really like the audio CDs with relaxation recordings and the accompaniment of the announcer. Meditative discs by Natalia Pravdina, Alla Alekseeva and others have a good effect.
Relaxation and meditation should not be practiced while driving and other situations that require concentration. But when you have already come home from work and are going to relax, instead of watching TV, try at least 30 minutes a day (this is so little) to listen to these discs and learn how to relax. It may not work at first, but after some practice, you yourself will notice what benefits you have brought to your body. You will get rid of sleep problems, stress, anxiety, calmer, etc.
7. Fly with goosebumps.
I discovered this method for myself in 2015 and used it at first for completely different purposes. But as I already told you, many problems and fears have one “parent”.
The method that I am talking about is called ASMR (Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response), the beginning of the method was laid in the West. Translated into simple language, these are special videos that work on the principle of sound therapy and are watched with headphones.
These videos are recorded using special principles (slowly, quietly, etc.) using the so-called triggers that cause a state of relaxation and goosebumps.
At first glance (and only at first) the videos look strange, some aunt (or a man) is sitting there and, for example, scratching a ceramic flower vase. But if this video is recorded correctly, and listen to it with headphones, then this sensation gives quite pleasant to the ear, and with the help of these sensations the body turns off the emergency mode of stress and increased anxiety.
I discovered this method due to the fact that as a result of prolonged chronic stress, I was very unpleasantly and for a long time sick. And these videos served me very good support at that time: instead of worrying about my condition, I listened to these videos every evening, and my emotional background returned to normal.
Later I got up the courage and began to record my own videos of this format, which I want to offer you. Why am I talking about this in connection with aerophobia?
As I already mentioned, the root of the problems with anxiety and aerophobia often lies in the same plane. Together, this will help you to relax and think about life easier (this has been tested for myself). Once it helped me avoid depression, typical for my diagnosis, but now I just watch these videos when I'm tired, or I have some boring activity on the computer, at this moment I turn them on in the background.
In 2015, I also used them to fall asleep when my house was insulated and kept awake in the morning. When the bed was over, I turned on the ASMR video and could get some more sleep without worrying about trifles.
This method is especially suitable when you don't have a heart for traditional meditation and relaxation. I used to do meditation for a very long time, but then I quit because I am a rather dynamic person and I got bored. And as a result, I lost the ability to manage stress over time.
ASMR videos usually give the brain pleasure, unlike meditation, for example.
And finally, closer to the topic of air travel.
At the end of 2016, I flew from Turkey and decided to try for myself the effect of listening to ASMR videos on board. And it turned out that the effect is just amazing. After listening to a couple of videos, I was already really purple, who says that they say whether I have stress, whether there will be turbulence, my state was like "full zen", there was calmness in my head, goosebumps ran through my body, and there was no more stress (and our flight was delayed by 2 hours).
WHAT IT HELPS FOR:
1. Anxiety.
2. Insomnia.
3. No mood.
4. Any traumatic and stressful factors (fears, insecurity, breakdown of relationships, feelings of loneliness, etc.).
Contrary to the common fears of some of my readers, if the videos are recorded by an adequate person, then they do not and cannot be any methods of 25 frames, harmful hypnotic attitudes, zombies, sectarianism. The risk of this is no greater than when watching news on TV, other videos on the Internet and just navigating the network. The same safety principles apply here.
WHEN IT'S NOT SUITABLE:
1. Not suitable for severe forms of aerophobia.
Like all other methods mentioned here. If you are no longer able to fly, you need to get treatment first.
2. With mental disorders.
This is not said directly anywhere, as a rule, but I believe that the same restrictions may apply here as when listening to meditation and relaxation videos: for mental disorders, epilepsy, taking psychotropic and other potent drugs, these videos cannot be watched.
Even if you have a mild degree of fear of flying, I recommend watching ASMR videos in conjunction with other measures.
4. It is necessary to carefully choose the ASMR-type.
It is important. For my videos, I answer that I have nothing in them that goes beyond adequacy. I write different videos, trying to satisfy the needs of different people: there are creative, satirical and simple ones. However, they are all adequate.
It is important to understand that ASMR is a pleasure for the ears and the brain. There is no sex in them (this is exactly the excitement). Not all ASMRists understand this difference. And also because there is no censorship on YouTube and no minimum input requirements for ASMR-tists, almost anyone can shoot and upload videos. I saw that already nine-year-old children began to shoot such videos. I also saw a girl with a clear bias in the occult. There were also instances filming videos in underwear, drunk, and frankly inadequate people came across.
Therefore, it is necessary to observe safety precautions, and in this case, too, and at the first suspicion of inadequacy, leave the channel of its authors.
4. You cannot listen while driving.
And in any other situations that require attention and concentration. Everything is the same as with meditation.
5. It is not a medical device.
This means that it does not require professional qualifications, does not impose responsibility and does not cancel the visit to the doctor. This is more related to the entertainment genre, the nested effect of which is to help with the above. However, if your condition requires supervision by a specialist (depression, severe aerophobia, etc.), you should definitely contact him.
Finally, ASMR is a method that needs no criticism. Either it suits you or it doesn't. And if it doesn't fit, then you just need to try something else, for example, meditation. And if it fits, this method can help in many ways, I say this from my own experience and the experience of viewers of my channel.
I offer you my own video for testing. I recommend that you put on your headphones right now and listen to it. If you don't like him, the artist may not suit you, it also happens. I make videos with consecutive translation in 2 languages, because I have many viewers who do not speak Russian.
Try another one. If you don't like anything, it will not be clear, it will seem strange, then the method is simply not yours.
That being said, you can always try another time. Not so long ago, I thought that the video format was not mine at all. I love reading articles. Who would have thought that quite a bit more time would pass and I would be so carried away. Everything in life is changing so rapidly.
and I'll post one more here without words, perhaps this one is more suitable.
I officially allow you to download my videos to your computer so that you can take them with you on the plane if there is no Internet there.
8. CHOOSE A RELIABLE AIRLINE WITH A GOOD REPUTATION.
This says a lot. An indicator of reliability is the absence of aircraft accidents for a long time. Resist the temptation to save a couple of bucks by flying to someone unknown.
9. ALWAYS BE BAGGED IN THE PLANE.
Turbulence is not a hazard to the aircraft, but you can be injured if you do not strap on your seatbelt and hit something.
10. DURING THE COURSE
to get rid of the fear of flight, you will most likely be explained the basic principles of the aircraft, so you will no longer be intimidated by the hydraulics of the aircraft and the outgoing flaps.
However, in order not to indulge in restless thoughts on the plane, take with you a dark blindfold and an MP3 player with relaxation music (the player cannot be used during takeoff and landing) and you can have a great time in flight, especially if you practice with meditation practices in advance and listen to meditation discs. Classical music is also well received. Hard rock, heavy metal and rap are not recommended.
11. DO NOT TAKE ALCOHOL OR ANY TRANQUILIZER BEFORE FLIGHT.
Unless your doctor tells you to. In a state of stress, alcohol, most likely, will not intoxicate you, but will only relieve stress a little (in my case, after a bottle of liquor, I was sober as glass). But this is harmful to health, since alcohol greatly dehydrates the body. In addition, frequent alcohol consumption is addictive. Do not drink coffee or black tea during the flight; instead, drink still mineral water or herbal tea. Black tea and coffee also dehydrate the body, and in addition have a stimulating effect on the brain, after which you will start to worry again. In general, try not to consume caffeinated products (coffee, tea, cola, some types of carbonated drinks, chocolate, cocoa, etc.) before and during the flight.
If you have a laptop with you, you can watch some good and kind movies on it. But it also cannot be used during takeoff and landing.
12. IF YOU ARE A BELIEVER, READ PRAYERS ABOUT YOURSELF.
This is necessary to calm the mind and stop the uncontrolled running of thoughts, as well as to feel the protection of the Creator.
13. TAKE THE TAIL OF FEAR OF FEAR.
Sometimes you may not be afraid so much of flying as the fact that other people will see your fear. This is already some kind of fear of fear, forgive the pun. After all, if other people see what you are afraid of, it will not make you worse in their eyes. Quite the contrary, only strong people know how to recognize fear. And what is more interesting, with other people you just fly together, and then each go about their own business. Therefore, whether they see your fear, whether they see - does not matter. They are just strangers to you. And even if close people see that you are a "weak person" and are afraid, so what? The world will not collapse, believe me. Perhaps, on the contrary, your fear will bring you closer.
I was able to identify several main causes of aerophobia.
- Hereditary predisposition.
- Suspiciousness, suspicion.
- Conducting associations with specific stories seen on TV with lists of victims.
- Fear of turbulence (many passengers are sure that the vibration of the aircraft is already a deviation from the course and the approach of danger).
- Mistrusting your life to the pilot and crew.
- Experienced emotions in childhood, which later grew into a phobia.
How to overcome the fear of flying once and for all!
Treating aerophobia with education
To overcome your fear of airplanes, you must first confront your fears face to face. Try to learn as much as possible about airplanes, how they work, perhaps your fears were exaggerated.
Find only information that motivates the flight, do not watch the news about the crash of aircraft. For a complete victory over aerophobia, you have to learn as much as possible about aircraft construction ... Most of the well-known facts are myths.
It is important to know that great attention of the staff is paid to caring for the "iron swallow".
Every hour the vehicle is in the air is compensated by 11 hours of maintenance on the ground. Before each flight, the aircraft undergoes technical checks, the cabin is thoroughly washed, and all personnel undergo medical care.
Psychological therapy
More often than not, all our problems come from the subconscious, so you need to be able to cope with fear. Relaxing activities (meditation, walking, massage) can help reduce fear. By remembering the pleasant sensations of relaxation, you can come back to thinking about them in stressful situations, thereby becoming calmer.
Here's another pretty simple way to reduce anxiety: do not drink coffee during the flight ... Caffeine in its composition increases anxiety.
There are specially designed programs based on psychological knowledge and knowledge of piloting. It is argued that with the help of these techniques, aerophobia can be overcome in 97% of cases.
Treatment takes place in a way of discussing the problem. Group seminars are held for 1-2 days, depending on the degree of the disorder. At these seminars, they gradually give information that a person must analyze - statistics of actual accidents, and also talk about aviation.
Next comes an attempt thinking renewal in a person with a phobia. As a result, he must perceive the plane as a space where there is no danger. At the next stage of the seminar, participants listen to the experiences of others in order to analyze the thinking of these people to understand the reasons for their anxieties.
On the second day, the person is ready to try immerse yourself in a frightening situation ... To come face to face with the object of fear - this can be called exposure therapy. The simulators will simulate the feeling of flying, but only all this happens on the ground.
Having knowledge and skills, able to control his thoughts, his behavior, a person finds himself in a similar situation as on an airplane. And here he is able to completely control his emotions, to use all the knowledge he has gained. This is the therapy.
Drug treatment
If you can't deal with anxiety on your own, see a counselor. Only a doctor can choose the right treatment for you. Drug treatment is usually used in exceptional cases and only in the case when other methods did not help to cope with the fear of flying .
Mostly antidepressants and sedatives are used for treatment. But sometimes a person cannot control his fear, and fainting, tantrums and others appear among various symptoms. In this case, more serious drugs (tranquilizers) are prescribed.
Some statistics in the end
Flying an airplane is the safest form of transportation, and statistics only confirm this.
Below are some interesting facts that will help you fight your fear of flying.
- A plane crash kills 1 person in 11,000,000. For comparison: 1 in 5,000 dies in a car crash, 1 in 3,000,000 dies from food poisoning.
- All aircraft systems are repeated twice, in case one fails.
- The plane has 2 engines. The likelihood that the engine will fail is negligible. But, even if this happens, the pilot will be able to fly on one engine. According to statistics, both motors are damaged every 2,000,000 flight hours, that is, every 228 years.
- The average engine price is $ 10,000,000. It is not profitable for the airlines that such an expensive unit is often out of order, therefore, the most attention is paid to caring for the aircraft heart.
- Every year the number of air passengers increases by 10%, and accidents have decreased by 15%.
My husband and I got rid of this problem and are very happy about it. Now we are not afraid of flights in heavenly space. We have the opportunity to quickly, without fear and restrictions.
Aerophobia - what is it? How to overcome your fear of flying?
Flight delays, which are common on popular destinations, can greatly increase the fear of flying. Whether or not your fear of flying turns into a phobia, it has a devastating effect on your quality of life anyway.
What it is?
Aerophobia is the fear of traveling in any type of aircraft. The considered type of uncontrollable fear can be a separate phobia or be a manifestation of other phobias, for example, fear of confined spaces (claustrophobia) or fear of heights (acrophobia).
Why does aerophobia occur?
Each person has their own story of dislike for flying. Although many people are asked: "Why aren't you flying?" and there will be no answer, because they will not be able to clearly articulate the reason for their fear. Nevertheless, all aerophobes have some common reasons because of which they closed the sky for themselves:
- The person has not had a personal negative experience of flying, but he has heard about disasters, or watches too many films of the relevant topic, or does not miss a single negative news;
- The memory of psychological trauma under similar circumstances: for example, a person once flew in an airplane, but the flight for some reason was not easy for him, perhaps the car got into a turbulence zone or made an unsuccessful landing - all this was deposited in the mind of an impressionable passenger on for a long time;
- A person in flight is hampered by other phobias - fear of heights or death, fear of an enclosed space or turbulence;
- He became infected with fear from those around him: a minute ago, nothing foreshadowed psychological discomfort, but one glance at a neighbor in the cabin, who was clearly nervous, did not allow the passenger to go up into the sky.
If you understand the causes of fear, you can understand how to get rid of aerophobia in order to exclude all its unpleasant manifestations from your life.
Symptoms
In most cases, a person does not immediately realize that he is inclined to experience a fear of flying. Initially, he diagnoses himself with mild anxiety, which he attributes to stress, fatigue, new impressions, etc.
Over time, the symptoms become more and more, a person always takes a sedative with him on a trip. If the disease worsens, it is necessary to prescribe a treatment that combines medication and work with a psychologist.
In people susceptible to this disease, it is noted:
- increasing pain in the region of the heart;
- nausea, stomach cramps;
- increased heart rate;
- Strong headache;
- pallor (or vice versa, a sharp flow of blood to the face);
- uncontrolled trembling of hands and feet, convulsions;
- severe loss of strength, fatigue;
- nervousness, irritability.
Scientists have found that some people are prone to developing this phobia. Most often, it affects people who have suffered some kind of mental illness, severe stress, depression, disorder. Fear is very often experienced by people with violent imagination, easily suggested and impressionable types. In many cases, illness is a harbinger of claustrophobia. Genetics, living conditions, educational level, and various social factors play a significant role in this.
Diagnostics
There are no laboratory or instrumental methods for the diagnosis of aerophobia. The diagnosis is made on the basis of the patient's complaints and interviews with a psychologist or psychiatrist. During the consultation, the specialist tries to establish the reasons for the development of fear, which will allow choosing an effective therapy. It is important to correctly differentiate aerophobia from other fears (claustrophobia, fear of heights, fear of death, turbulence), and if concomitant phobias are identified, they are treated in parallel.
If, during the diagnosis, a person is diagnosed with diseases of the cardiovascular system, autonomic disorders or problems with the functioning of the vestibular apparatus, he is sent for a consultation with a neurologist and cardiologist.
How to overcome aerophobia?
Most cases of aerophobia go away quickly without medication. If the anxiety disorder lasts more than six months, and the fear of flying does not subside, despite the efforts made, it is worth seeking help from a psychotherapist. You should consult a specialist if:
- Aerophobia causes constant, intense, disabling fear, which turns into panic as the time of the event (flight) approaches;
- The person realizes that the fear of an airplane is excessive, unfounded, selective and surpasses the adequate excitement in frequency and intensity;
- A person begins to consciously avoid flying on an airplane, always trying to find and use an alternative, but often time-ineffective, method of transportation.
Today, there are many effective techniques with which you can quickly get rid of aerophobia. The following has been successfully used in the treatment of this anxiety disorder.
Almost any practical area of psychology is actively working with phobias. The phobia is quickly corrected within the framework of:
- cognitive behavioral therapy;
- emotional imagery therapy;
- hypno-suggestive therapy (provided that the phobia has no "second bottom");
- Rogerian therapy.
How is the treatment going?
Anxiolytic drugs are usually not required. To heal the fear of an airplane, it is enough to talk with a doctor, explain the actual nature of physiological symptoms and draw up an individual program to overcome / correct / get rid of the fear of flying.
The physician's task is to provide an accurate logical explanation for the somatic symptoms associated with the phobia. For example, the patient must understand that heart palpitations are not a sign of cardiovascular disease, but the result of an exaggerated response to a stressor. It is necessary for the aerophobe to completely get rid of the uncertainty and ambiguity of what is happening to him and have a clear plan for reducing anxiety.
About the means at hand
We have described how to cope with aerophobia within the framework of treatment, now let's see what you can do on your own. To begin with, it is worth recognizing that there are situations in life in which we are powerless. Therefore, worrying about a disaster while sitting in an airplane at an altitude of 10 km is simply pointless, after all, you are not a pilot, are you?
You can also fight the disorder by simply discussing your fear: our psyche is so arranged that by verbalizing (expressing) our fears, we conditionally share them with someone and thereby lower the level of stress. And finally, do not get carried away by watching programs about disasters, and then you will not have to think about what the fear of flying is and how to get rid of it.
What will happen if you do not treat?
In its extreme manifestations, aerophobia is dangerous to humans. The mental state with each flight becomes more and more unstable, a person begins to feel panic states more often, even when he is on the ground.
He is haunted by nightmares in which the aircraft falls, killing all the passengers on board. As a result, insomnia may occur, the patient becomes nervous, irritable, and stops doing everyday duties. Relationships with loved ones deteriorate, problems arise at work. Holidays are of the same type, within the limits of rail or road. In terms of health, the picture looks no better. Phobia sufferers often have problems with the cardiovascular system of the body. They are more likely than others to suffer strokes and heart attacks and undergo treatment with a neurologist.
If a person suffering from panic fear of flying still has to use this type of transport and does not recognize pills, then alcohol is the only way to calm the anxiety. Frequent use can lead to alcoholism, for which treatment is rarely effective unless the cause is eliminated. That is why among alcoholics there is a high percentage of people suffering from various types of fears.