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Medicine for Flying Anxiety

Every year in the U.S., 19 million people suffer from anxiety with 6.3 million of those suffering from a specific phobia such as "aviophobia," or fear of flying. Some individuals might not visit family and friends because of the intense fear, which can harm relationships and take an emotional toll on the person.

  1. Identification

    • If you take a look at the symptoms of your fear (e.g. shortness of breath, suffocation, faintness, trembling, chest pains, etc.), these are the same symptoms as when faced with a life-threatening event. This panic is a misinterpretation of an event, which leads to physiological and chemical reactions known as "fight or flight."

    Considerations

    • The most important fact to remember is that a panic attack will not kill you; understanding that it is your brain's interpretation is a good way to catch your breath. Your body can not stay in a panic state for long. Even if you were to do nothing, your body would adjust itself to balance oxygen and carbon dioxide levels and rid excess adrenaline from the blood stream within, at most, 10 to 15 minutes, but usually only a few minutes.

    Natural Prevention

    • If you feel anxiety coming on, try to slow your breathing to about 10 slow breaths per minute. Breathe in through your nose very deeply, from your diaphragm as opposed to your chest. Saying a mantra in your head, such as "relax" or "it's OK," is helpful.

    Natural Solutions

    • MindSoothe is a natural herbal remedy composed of St. John's Wort and Passiflora that can help relieve stress and anxiety and improve overall mood, which will make panic attacks much less severe. Skullcap and Valerian are also natural remedies that may help calm the mind.

    Prescribed Solutions

    • Drugs such as Xanax and Prozac are antidepressant and anti-anxiety drugs that are prescribed by a doctor after a diagnosis is made. These drugs can help immensely; however, they can have potentially severe withdrawal symptoms.

    Alternative Solutions

    • Chinese acupuncture has a type of remedy called "Emotional Freedom Therapy," in which pressure is applied to certain areas of the body to "release" the phobia.

      In homeopathy, the root of the shrub gelsemium is used to soothe the nerves, aconite is used to treat panic disorders, and argentum nitricum is used for treating claustrophobia.

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