|  | Mental Health | Anxiety Disorders

Help for the Fear of Flying

If the idea of boarding an airplane causes you fear or anxiety, you're not alone. Though few studies exist, many self-help organizations site a Boeing report from 1980 indicating that 30 percent of Americans are fearful of flying. Taking a sedative is one way to avoid coping with panic, but this could actually backfire---tragically. In a 2007 report, The World Health Organization (WHO) indicated that the risk of developing a dangerous blood clot increases when seated for four or more hours. One sedative could knock you out for a full seven hours.

  1. Immersion Therapy

    • Immersion therapy is a technique most popularly used with obsessive compulsive disorders. The goal of this treatment is to eventually introduce the individual to the very cause of his fear. In this case, after several sessions in which the person will discuss and analyze her fear, the therapy will actually lead to taking a flight. For this kind of therapy, many counselors will accompany the patient. On the flight, the person will then be asked to rate his fear and to practice relaxation exercises that were taught in therapy until his anxiety comes down to a manageable level.

    Get the Facts

    • Some people fear flying but will do so anyway. There are others, however, who avoid flying to the point where they will drive thousands of miles just to avoid being 30,000 feet in the sky. Interestingly, that same WHO report found that 6 percent of people thought that flying was unsafe. An article published in a 2003 issue of American Scientist found that flying from New York to Los Angeles is 261 times safer than driving. And these statistics even include intentional tragedies, like those that occurred on 9/11. Further, in 1990 researchers from The University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute found that even for low-risk drivers (those with a good driving record), a non-stop flight is safer than driving 303 miles on a rural highway. They also calculated that flights with stopovers were much safer than car trips two and three times longer on a rural highway with a low-risk driver.

    Medication and Therapy

    • Those with a mild fear of flying may take flights, but do so reluctantly. A physician or psychiatrist can prescribe an anti-anxiety medication like Klonopin or Ativan. These drugs, known as benzodiazepines, are used to treat panic disorders. Other individuals may be able to overcome their fear with cognitive therapy. This treatment is based on the belief that our thoughts cause our feelings and behaviors, according to the National Association of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapists. You and your counselor can address your fears about flying and come up with various techniques for you to cope and manage your anxiety.

Anxiety Disorders - Related Articles