Flight Anxiety Treatment

Imagine that you are miles above the earth, hurtling through the air in a confined space with no way out. It sounds unlikely, but for someone who is afraid of flying, this is how they might imagine what could be a leisurely flight in an airplane. Many people have this common fear; after all, flying is hardly natural to humans. With a little work and bravery, even the most frightened traveler can learn to fly the friendly skies with ease.

Knowledge is Power

• Familiarizing yourself with the common bumps and noises of flying will keep you from panicking during turbulence and seat belt warnings. Also, learning the facts about commercial airline safety is important. You may have heard that flying is safer than driving, but learning the statistics may better convince you. According to a study done at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the chance of being in a fatal accident on a commercial airline is one in seven million. You are nineteen times more likely to be killed in a car accident. According to this probability, you would have to fly every day for nineteen thousand years before you would die in an airplane crash!

Outside Help

• Because the fear of flying is so common, there are plenty of therapists who have found successful ways of helping someone with this specific phobia overcome their anxiety. The best psychiatrists and therapists that can help you are probably those who specialize in anxiety disorders. After all, aviophobia, or fear of flying, is medically recognized as an anxiety disorder. Besides licensed therapists, there are plenty of books, classes and online courses that can help you overcome your fear of flying. Fear of Flying is written by a former employee of American Airlines, Dr. Duane Brown. He has taught many classes and seminars about overcoming this fear. For a free online course to help you get over your fear of flying, visit the second link under "Additional Resources." This website is written by an experience airline pilot and has been featured on MSNBC, USA Today and the San Francisco Chronicle.

Gradual Exposure

• One technique that you may learn in therapy sessions is gradual exposure. This is also something that you can try on your own. The trick is to approach your flight with small steps. At first, you may just sit in the parking lot at the airport, watching the planes take off. The next step may be to go inside the airport and walk around. You can gradually work your way up to taking a trip with a person you trust and feel comforted by. Eventually you will be able to fly by yourself.

Relaxation Techniques

• Your fear of flying is an anxiety, and luckily there are a lot of relaxation techniques that can ease anxiety. Calming your mind and body will allow you to think more rationally and be less fearful. Deep abdominal breathing works by taking slow deep breaths that seem to fill up your stomach and then slowly releasing them. You can also try progressive muscle relaxation, which lets you tense and relax each muscle group until you are totally relaxed. There are also a variety of relaxation audio tapes that you can listen to throughout your flight.

Medication

• If these techniques are not enough to take the edge off of your anxiety, perhaps some medication can. Your doctor can prescribe a mild sedative that will help calm your nerves and relax your mind. Sometimes, even an herbal tea that contains naturally soothing ingredients like chamomile and Valerian can be enough to help.