According to statistics, every third of those who read this text is afraid of flying. The same statistics show that almost all of them could get rid of their fear. Aerophobia can be successfully and fairly quickly treated – you just have to want it.

What is aerophobia

This is one of the most common mental disorders in the world - about 30% of the population is affected to one degree or another. This percentage is absolutely the same in all countries of the world, regardless of local statistics on plane crashes, because aerophobia, like any other phobia, has nothing to do with real risks and dangers.

Aerophobia is not about airplanes at all; they only serve as a trigger for panic. Fear is irrational, and there is no more logic in the fear of flying than in the fear of heights, darkness, clowns or mice. If you think it’s normal to be afraid of airplanes because flying is dangerous, you’ve just discovered that you have aerophobia.

Why does it occur

The reasons for this irrational fear are an unstable psyche and a lack of trust in the world, increased anxiety, perfectionism, suspiciousness and other psychological problems that have nothing to do with aviation. Fear of flying is just one of the manifestations of these same problems caused by psychological trauma, stress, lack of emotional closeness with parents in childhood, thinking errors, and so on. By the way, in about half of the cases, the object of fear for an aerophobe is not the plane itself and its possible fall, but his own state on board - fear of a heart attack, loss of self-control and panic attack, associated shame and condemnation.

At the same time, with aerophobia - especially in the initial stages - a person does not recognize the problem in himself and tries to find a logical justification for his panic, associating it with “high risks” or “the bad state of affairs in aviation.” Defending its fear, the consciousness finds a counterargument for each argument, passing off the norm as a case, and the case as a norm. This is why aerophobes are not reassured by any reasonable arguments.

How is it treated

Aerophobia has long been well studied and responds well to therapy. Moreover, in most cases it can be cured in a couple of days. The most effective therapy is complex, it includes three main elements: first, an educational program, during which the laws of aerodynamics, the structure of the aircraft, safety systems and other aviation details are explained to you; secondly, psychological support to help relieve anxiety and understand what you are really afraid of; and thirdly, work on removing the “airplane = fear” reflex, for which they use professional pilot simulators, virtual reality simulators and joint flights accompanied by aerophobia specialists.

In Russia, such programs are offered by the “Fly Without Fear” center, founded by active pilot and aviation psychologist Alexey Gervash. Here you can take an online or offline course, group or individual therapy. In mild cases, it is enough to watch the video course to get rid of the fear of flying forever.

What's the problem then?

Mainly that aerophobes avoid not only flying, but also treatment. Due to that same suspiciousness and lack of trust, each of them is sure that nothing will help him. In addition, people who are accustomed to living with fear and refusing interesting work and travel are often simply not ready to admit that they were wrong and have been limiting themselves for nothing all their lives. Paradoxically, throwing away your fear turns out to be even worse than continuing to be afraid.

Ways that don't work

Instead of undergoing treatment, aerophobes prefer to avoid frightening situations - physically, by refusing to fly, or mentally. Alcohol, tranquilizers, and attempts to “talk out” or “read out” your fear are used. But what we are trying to hide from immediately becomes a mega-dangerous event for the brain, simply because we are trying to evade it. Fear intensifies. The circle closes. Aerophobia is like a mutant cat: the more you feed it, the larger it grows and the more food it requires.

How to relieve a panic attack

If you're already in trouble, alcohol and sedatives won't help. Panic is a physiological thing. When you get scared, you automatically take a deep breath: “Ahh!”, and this starts the adrenaline chain. The brain receives an SOS signal! and releases a portion of adrenaline into the blood. The heart begins to beat faster in order to pump this blood through the entire body faster, increasing the reaction rate. The body tenses, ready to jump or fight. In a normal situation, when, say, a maniac is chasing you, the brain immediately receives a release. You punch the maniac in the eye or run away. The danger disappears. You exhale with relief, and the reverse process begins: the person calms down. On the plane, there is no detente. The consciousness distorted by aerophobia continues to signal danger. The brain releases a new portion of adrenaline. And so, round and round, you go into a panic tailspin.

To get out of it, you need to run the process in the opposite direction. Close your eyes, lean back in your chair, take a calm and shallow breath, and then slowly exhale through your nose, repeating to yourself syllable by syllable: “Relax.” And really relax, go limp, releasing tension from your legs and arms, stomach and cervical region. And hold the new breath a little and again try to breathe calmly and shallowly. The exercise must be repeated until the heartbeat calms down. This will not cure aerophobia, but it will help you calm down.

How to help a person with aerophobia

It is important for friends and relatives of people suffering from aerophobia to understand that what is happening to your companion is not a whim, not stupidity, not coquetry, not a desire to attract attention to oneself or to find an excuse for an extra glass before a flight. It's a disease. Trying to reassure an aerophobe with reasonable arguments is like treating the flu with lectures about how being sick is harmful. Even worse are jokes and banter, which do not relieve panic, but, on the contrary, drive one into complete despair. Yes, for you it looks as if he, with tears in his eyes, admitted that he is afraid, for example, of the table in the kitchen. But if you treat the aerophobe next to you well, never laugh at his fears while you are on the plane.

About 30% of the population are afraid of flying to one degree or another. About 20% experience serious psychological discomfort on board. 10% reach a state of panic, hysteria and horror. 6% end up giving up flying altogether.

The calmer you behave, the better the panicker in the next chair will feel. It’s better to try to distract him from disturbing thoughts - ask him questions about those areas in which this person is well versed. Try watching some exciting movies together. Girls are perfectly turned on by the offer to look through the catalog of duty-free goods and choose a gift for themselves. And for girls in love - an invitation to kiss whenever turbulence occurs: then they will wait for air pockets not with horror, but with a sparkle in their eyes. Tested in practice.

What happens if…

...turbulence will begin Turbulence is the most absurd fear in the world: not a single plane has ever crashed because of it in the entire history of civil aviation. These are just small fluctuations associated with non-uniform air temperatures. The overloads that the plane experiences are much less than those encountered by a car on a rough road. And there are no air pockets at all. The feeling of falling into a hole occurs when the plane loses only a little vertical speed, without losing horizontal speed. It’s just that our vestibular apparatus, not accustomed to sensations in 3D format, perceives this as a sharp fall.

...the engines will fail It is not the engines that keep the plane in the air, they only create acceleration, and the car flies thanks to the difference in pressure above and below the wing: approximately the same force lifts your hand up if you try to put it out the window of a moving car. If all the engines fail, the plane will not fall down like a stone, but will only begin to slowly descend, sliding along a cushion of air. After all, under the belly is not emptiness at all, but a gas that has a certain density - the higher the speed and the lower the temperature outside, the higher this density. Thanks to its aerodynamic properties, the plane can glide, slowly sliding down the air slide for more than 40 minutes - usually this time is enough to find some airport and land calmly.

...won't graduate landing gear The plane will land either on a plowed dirt strip or on concrete filled with special foam, slide on its belly for some time and stop.

...the plane gets hit by lightning This happens all the time and does not lead to any incidents. When designing the aircraft, the possibility of a lightning strike was taken into account; the discharge passes through the aluminum skin and is discharged into the air without causing any damage.

...the wing will fall off This is impossible. It is completely normal for the wing to vibrate during turbulence and landing. Flexibility is precisely what guarantees that the wing will not fall off - just like a flexible tree will not break in a storm. The wing, like all other parts of the aircraft structure, is designed in such a way that during testing it can withstand loads many times stronger than during a real flight.

...the pilot will fall asleep Most of the flight is not controlled by people, but by an autopilot. In addition, there are always two pilots. They even eat different foods to eliminate the possibility of simultaneous poisoning.

...the weather will turn bad Fog, wind, hail, and heavy rain are not considered bad weather. Modern airports are equipped with an automatic landing control system, thanks to which the plane can land even blindly, and pilots constantly undergo special training for flying in adverse conditions. If the weather is too bad, the plane will simply not take off or land at another airport.

Illustrations: Elena Perfilova

Applications for aerophobes

“Fly Without Fear”: The free app provides basic information about the nature of aerophobia and basic knowledge about aerodynamics and turbulence. Ideal for those who would like to start treatment, but are hesitant to purchase the full course.

SkyGuru: It's as if a professional pilot was flying next to you and explaining everything that was happening in real time: why the plane shook, what that sound was, whether these clouds were dangerous, and so on. Provides a professional aviation weather forecast for your flight and a forecast of turbulence zones. Tells you what to do if panic sets in.

#No_Fear: A quick and clear tool for working with irrational phobias and panic attacks. The application consists of two parts: “learning” and “training”. The first part is information about the nature of fear and the causes of phobias. The second is a gradual immersion into frightening situations using virtual reality.

Take me up: The opportunity to be in the cockpit in 360° video format and get an explanation of all the frightening phenomena and situations on board.

Memo for an aerophobe

Prepare for your flight in advance. Gain knowledge about aviation, the physiology of fear, download applications.

Stop poring over plane crash statistics to try to figure out the safest airlines, airports, and aircraft models. Stop reading the details and eyewitness accounts, and especially the opinions of “experts” about the reasons; in 95% of cases, these arguments are profanity and fantasies, unrelated to reality, which only strengthen your fears.

Do not study the weather forecast on the eve of departure, do not try to read signs of anxiety in the faces of flight attendants, and do not listen to sounds and vibrations. Control yourself and your behavior, not the plane. The plane will be handled by professionals.

When you panic, don't let your body tense up. Do not press your head into your shoulders, do not grab the arms of the chair, do not rest your feet on the floor, on the contrary, try to take the most relaxed position and make sure that your breathing is calm - this will become a signal to the brain that everything is in order and will help you calm down faster.
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Approximately 140 thousand passenger flights take place in the world every day, 16 thousand of them in Russia. The percentage of accidents in our country does not differ from the global average.

Of the 48 million flights that take place each year, only 5-10 crash.

Statistics on deaths in plane crashes are about 300 people per year. Taking into account the annual flow of 5 billion passengers, this works out to less than one in 15 million. There are many more people who have died of a heart attack during sex, broken their necks in the bathtub, or choked on a bone during dinner.

The chance of dying in a plane crash is equal to the chance of winning first prize in Euroloto or the chance of getting pregnant with a gear. Any child randomly selected at any US airport has a better chance of becoming president than dying on that flight.

More than 50% of those involved in plane crashes survive.

Insurance companies do not consider the professions of pilots and flight attendants to be associated with increased risk, and do not provide any premiums for them - unlike, for example, insuring truck drivers, elevator operators and construction workers.

At least a third of the world's population suffers from aerophobia - the fear of air travel. About 14% do not dare to board a plane at all, another 10% make a serious effort. And this despite the well-known fact: airplanes are one of the safest modes of transport. According to statistics, the real probability of dying in a plane crash is estimated at 1 in 45 million. In addition, it is a very convenient transport, allowing you to quickly get to anywhere on the planet. It is not surprising that many people with aerophobia dream of not being afraid to fly on an airplane.

Features of aerophobia

Aerophobia is a mental disorder that can be an independent process or part of another phobia (fear of closed spaces or heights). The fear of flying on an airplane is often the result of some emergency situation that has affected the subconscious.

The severity of fear may vary. For some passengers, it is enough to drink a little alcohol, and they gradually get rid of the fear. But sometimes the phobia is so intense that a person simply cannot force himself to board an airliner. For many, the fear of flying manifests itself in stomach cramps, nausea, and the urge to vomit a few days before the flight. At the airport, your hands and feet become wet and cold, sweating appears, and on board the plane your heart begins to pound with a feeling of lack of air.

Important! If not properly treated, aerophobia can develop into panic disorder with sympathoadrenaline crises.

The difference between a phobia and simple fear

However, the fear of flying in an airplane should not always be considered aerophobia. Fear is a natural defense mechanism for the human body that warns against potential danger. Flying cannot be called a natural state for people, so there is nothing abnormal in the appearance of fear. The passenger realizes that the risk here is minimal, so he reacts to the flight adequately, even if he retains a certain sense of fear.

Aerophobia, like any mental health disorder, is irrational. The information that it is safe to fly is simply not perceived by a person. But every message about a plane crash becomes another confirmation of the high danger of flights.

Reasons for fear of flying

Why are people so afraid of flying on an airplane that sometimes they can’t even overcome their fear? There are several reasons for this situation:

• Modern man received the fear of being above the ground from his ancestors along with other genetic information. At one time, people were very frightened by the “iron birds”, so many people flinch when they hear the sound of an airplane.
• When an airliner takes off, the body realizes that it is outside its usual environment. Passengers prone to panic and phobias are faced with a feeling of fear.
• Some people are frightened by previously watched films or read books about plane crashes, or materials about crashes in the media.
• Fear often arises during the first flight; this is where the fear of the unknown comes into play. Sometimes such an experiment turns out to be unsuccessful, or the body mistakes ordinary motion sickness for danger and gives a corresponding signal to the brain.

Often everything is explained by a reluctance to trust your life to strangers - pilots, as well as distrust of a large number of instruments and devices unknown to man. Aerophobia can be a consequence of a long-term depressive state, severe stress or psycho-emotional shock that is not related to flying at all.

Important! Scientists have identified a genetic predisposition to such a phobia. If someone in the family suffers from such disorders, this tendency can be inherited.

Impressionable people who focus their attention on previous negative events for a long time are more susceptible to fear.

Manifestations of aerophobia

Aerophobia is characterized by a variety of physical, somatic and psychological symptoms. The manifestations of the first two include:

1. Increased heart rate.
2. Development of tachycardia.
3. Pain in the chest area.
4. Increased sweating.
5. Vomiting and nausea.
6. Frequent urination.
7. Tension headaches.
8. Redness or paleness of the face.
9. Tremor of legs and arms.

You can determine whether a person has aerophobia based on a number of signs. The presence of an irrational fear of flying is indicated by the appearance of panic long before departure, suspicions that the flight attendant and pilots are hiding something, thoughts of inevitable death when the airliner encounters turbulence.

People with this disorder feel extremely uncomfortable throughout the entire flight, squeeze into the seat during takeoff and landing, and constantly listen to the operation of the engines, trying to hear signs of a breakdown.

Other psychological symptoms include:

• Increased irritability a few days before departure.
• Canceling a flight at the last minute.
• Categorical reluctance to use air transport.
• Obsessive thoughts about the plane crash.
• The use of special drugs for sedation.

Important! Prolonged stress after a flight also indicates aerophobia.

How to overcome fear

Since traveling by air saves a lot of time and effort, many people try to overcome their fear of flying. Submission to your fears leads to the development of a serious illness, so you should try to overcome irrational fears. The best way to do this is to simply distract yourself from anxious thoughts and your own phobia, and switch to something else.

To stop being afraid of flying on an airplane you need to:

1. Try to prepare yourself correctly in advance, at least not read reports about plane crashes and not watch films on this topic.
2. Choose a flight with a departure at a comfortable time (for some it is better to fly at night, for others it is easier in daylight).
3. Check in in advance, asking for a seat away from the portholes.
4. Do not land in the tail zone, where turbulence is most felt.
5. Refuse the desire to drink something alcoholic before the flight, do not abuse coffee and sedatives.
6. Find something interesting to do (download a game on your tablet, pick up an exciting book, crossword puzzles.
7. Listen to calm music on headphones, which will drown out the noise of the engines.

It is easier to overcome fear when communicating with your seatmates, even if one of them turns out to be an aerophobe. You can do it even simpler - sleep during the flight. For this, earplugs, a blindfold, and a pillow under the neck may be useful. Many airlines offer blankets or bedding to passengers. Sometimes it is enough to lie down with your eyes closed, thinking about upcoming pleasant events or loved ones, to overcome the fear of flying.

Important! In such situations, breathing exercises with short breath holding help.

You should try to overcome your fear of flying when the first symptoms appear. You can discuss your feelings with a loved one in a calm environment. Often this helps to look at things differently. It is advisable to realize that your experiences will not have any impact on the course of the flight and not to focus on negative emotions.

Important! In fact, the turbulence that many fear so much does not pose any risks to the aircraft. The situation is roughly similar to driving on a rough road, nothing more.

Specialist help

But if you cannot overcome your fear of flying on an airplane on your own, you can use professional psychological help. To do this, you need to find an experienced specialist who will identify the true causes of fear and teach you how to fight the phobia. A psychotherapeutic course may be required, but after it, flying will be perceived more naturally.

Psychologists use a variety of methods to overcome fears of flying on an airplane. The most commonly used:

• Neurolinguistic programming.
• Cognitive behavioral therapy.
• Modern forms of hypnotic influence.
• Drug therapy.

To overcome aerophobia, flight simulators are used - virtual simulators that allow you to develop a certain habit of flying. The feeling of reality of flight is created on the ground, so the fear will not be so strong. Your doctor will help you choose the right pills, but you won’t be able to get rid of your phobia with medications alone. Medicines relieve certain symptoms, but do not cure the disease itself.

Will pills help with fear of flying?

Taking any medications must be agreed with your doctor. If you have to fly often, and panic occurs every time, you will have to look for another method to overcome your fear. The doctor will tell you what to do if you are afraid of flying and how to resist this phobia.

Medicines that help get rid of fear of flying are divided into several categories:

• Mild sedatives. Such medicines are herbal based and relieve mild symptoms of aerophobia. With their help, people overcome nervousness, including before the first flight. Such drugs usually have a cumulative effect, so you need to start taking them in advance. No prescription is required to purchase them.
• Tranquilizers - can be prescribed for severe panic attacks. The tablets provide a sedative and hypnotic effect and are sold exclusively by prescription.
• Barbiturates are strong sleeping pills, used for long flights and severe aerophobia.

Sedatives are relatively safe and have no side effects or contraindications. But they cannot protect you from a panic attack. Tranquilizers are prescribed as a short-term course to eliminate the manifestations of a nervous disorder. Medicines can have long, medium or short effects. The maximum period of validity is 2 days, the minimum is less than 6 hours.

Barbiturates inhibit the functioning of the central nervous system and provide a powerful sedative anticonvulsant effect. However, in their action they are equivalent to narcotic substances, therefore they are used strictly in accordance with the rules and regulations.

Important! Taking barbiturates is accompanied by addiction and the development of persistent dependence.

Typically, medications in this group act within 25 minutes, and sometimes immediately after administration. A prescription is required to purchase them. Barbiturates have a huge number of contraindications, side effects and undesirable effects.

The pills themselves do not help eliminate the fear of flying on an airplane. However, as part of a complex effect, when combined with psychocorrection, medications can give the expected result. But before you take pills, you should start by identifying the causes of the phobia.

What to do if a child is afraid of flying

As we see, even adults suffer from a fear of air travel. Children also often face this fear, and its causes largely depend on age. Children from one to five years old sensitively capture the fears and emotions of their parents, completely focusing on them. If an adult panics, the child will support him in such an experience. In fact, it is not the flight itself that frightens children, but the stress of their parents.

Around the age of five, the fear of death appears. With a vivid and active imagination, children decide that airplanes are dangerous and begin to be afraid. The most common cause of children's fear is adults talking about flying in a negative way. For example, my mother tells how she was afraid to fly, learned to overcome her fear, and listened to stories about disasters.

In such circumstances, a child may well completely refuse to fly, not agreeing to fly even for the sake of interesting travel. Based on a small fragment of danger, a child's mind paints vivid and scary pictures.

Children often cry on an airplane, but the reasons may be different:

• The child was afraid of the unfamiliar surroundings, noisy neighbors, and the sound of the airliner engines.
• The baby could be hungry or simply tired from waiting for the flight.
• Young children often have blocked ears, and they do not yet know how to cope with this problem on their own. In this case, the mother's breast will help the newborn or infant. And for older children - lollipops for sucking during takeoff.
• Fear can be associated with past negative impressions, fear due to turbulence in a previous flight.

Children's fear of flying may be associated with other reasons. Here it is best to talk to the child, ask him why he does not want to go on vacation.

Parents can use tips on how not to be afraid of flying on an airplane and relieve children from fear. It is better to start preparing in advance:

1. Tell as colorfully as possible about the benefits of the upcoming trip.
2. Focus your child’s attention on the most pleasant moments that await him on vacation.
3. Tell us in more detail about all stages of the flight, from check-in and waiting for departure to landing.
4. Explain the rules of conduct on an airplane.
5. Play pilot, flight attendant.
6. Talk about birds that are constantly in the sky and enjoy flying.
7. You can tell older children about the safety of airliners, take them on an excursion to the airport, and show them how planes take off and land.

We need to figure out what the child will do during the flight. It should be something that can seriously interest and captivate him: cartoons, board games, reading. For kids, you can take stickers or pencils, ready-made sets of travel games.

Parents will also need some work on themselves if they have any form of fear of flying. You need to learn to restrain your own negative emotions. Under no circumstances should you convey fear, discuss flying as something scary, or watch stories about disasters on TV. It’s better to tell your children how interesting it is to spend time on board and what views you can see from the window.

It is advisable for a child to choose a seat near the aisle so that the view from the window does not frighten him. An interesting conversation, playing on the phone, and getting to know other little passengers help you forget about unpleasant experiences. You can prepare some kind of surprise for your child and give it to him on the plane. For example, a toy that a child has long dreamed of will distract his attention from unnecessary fears.

Important! You can’t focus on the flight; it’s better to talk about what awaits you after landing.

What you need to know about the plane

Both adults and children who are afraid of flying should get an idea of ​​the structure of the airliner and the features of the aircraft:

• Aircraft are equipped with powerful engines that lift them into the air and keep them at altitude for a long time.
• Every airliner has at least two engines. If one of them refuses, the second will take over its functions.
• The aircraft's wings are firmly attached to the body and cannot fall off during flight.
• Every system that is used on an airliner has a backup program. In the event of a failure, the backup software package starts working. There are at least four such “back-ups” in passenger aircraft.
• The deterioration of the pilot’s well-being cannot cause a disaster, since modern air transport is equipped with a reliable autopilot system.
• From the ground, all flights are controlled by air traffic controllers; pilots are in constant contact with them and immediately learn about unfavorable weather changes and other unusual situations.
• The aerodynamic parameters of the aircraft are calculated taking into account turbulence.

Only highly qualified professionals with sufficient experience are allowed to fly aircraft. Before departure, each vessel is carefully checked by technical service staff using special diagnostic devices. The entry of dangerous objects on board is excluded due to customs inspection at the terminals.

Fear of flying is considered aerophobia only when severe symptoms occur. But even in this case, there are opportunities to overcome your fear. The main advice of experienced travelers is to distract yourself from frightening thoughts as much as possible. This rule also applies to children who are afraid of flying. But you should be careful with medications. Tablets do not solve the problem, but only relieve symptoms, and some of them are quite dangerous.

Fear of flying on an airplane is a natural reaction to an unusual situation. However, a phobia, unlike normal fears, is a panicky, uncontrollable state, as a result of which a person refuses to use air transport. A large number of people are unable to cope with fear, despite the well-known statistics on flight safety.

The ancient Greek words ἀήρ - “air” and φόβος - fear, form the term aerophobia, meaning the fear of moving with the help of aircraft. This symptom is observed in 15% of the adult active population of the planet. It can appear at any age, often after 25 years. Moreover, a person could previously fly calmly, but at some point in his life, at 30, 40 or 50 years old, begin to experience pathological fear. Moreover, the onset of aerophobia at an older age may be associated with the fear of death. Women suffer from fear of flying slightly more often than men.

The basis of aerophobia is not the instinct of self-preservation. There are no real reasons for fear; it is based on an imaginary danger in the future. This phobia often occurs in people before their first flight in life. Completely irrational fear completely absorbs all reasonable arguments.

What influences the development of fear

Aerophobia can be an independent disorder, or a symptom of some other anxiety condition. For example, acrophobia () can cause a fear of flying, or claustrophobia () when on an airplane will provoke panic attacks. In the end, aerophobia may be a way to control one’s internal anxiety, caused by completely different individual reasons, such as chronic depression or stress. At risk are: suspicious and impressionable individuals, neurotics and people with obsessive-compulsive disorders.

An airplane is indeed the safest vehicle, however, aerophobia is almost the most common phobia. The development of this fear is actively influenced by the media. Each plane crash is necessarily covered in detail in the media and, of course, is actively remembered by the population.

On a note! Moreover, over the past ten years, every year from 200 to 1000 people around the world die due to plane crashes. Car accidents kill 1.25 million people every year. Despite this, an aerophobe will prefer traveling by car to air travel.

A phobia manifests itself through psychological and somatic conditions and symptoms. After the aerophobe has just learned about the upcoming flight, he begins to have obsessive thoughts, his sleep may deteriorate, and he may be tormented by nightmares. As the moment of boarding the plane approaches, periodic nausea, even vomiting, tachycardia, and headaches are added. When boarding a plane and during the flight, fainting, increased sweating, “emptiness” in the head, constant urge to urinate, trembling and a feeling of “cotton” limbs, and panic attacks are possible. All this turns air travel into hell and makes people avoid flying. Aerophobia interferes with a successful career in some cases, and also makes it impossible to travel a lot.

Among other things, heredity influences the development of aerophobia. There is genetic determination here, and it is not necessary that your parents were afraid of flying on an airplane. Any anxiety disorders in your relatives may be an influencing factor.

How to overcome your fear of flying on an airplane

Many people have to make regular flights as part of their job. If a person experiences the symptoms of aerophobia we described earlier on every flight, and they do not weaken, but appear steadily or even intensify, then you should seriously think about it. In this case, you should definitely seek help from a psychotherapist. Analyzing each individual situation, the specialist will prescribe the necessary treatment.

1. Psychotherapy. As we said, aerophobia can be both a symptom and an independent problem. During psychotherapeutic sessions, the doctor will determine your personal cause and work with it.
2. Drug treatment. In more severe cases of phobia, special medications are used in combination with psychotherapy. Sedatives ranging from herbal sedatives to powerful tranquilizers are used.

As for psychotherapy, like many others, this phobia is effectively treated with cognitive behavioral therapy. A specialist helps you recognize and change erroneous thinking patterns that cause fear. Exposure immersion (one of the methods of cognitive behavioral therapy) is often used when working with aerophobia. The work consists of placing a person under stress, which he tries to avoid, while at the same time the therapist teaches relaxation techniques.

Gradually, the client gains control over his thoughts and behavior, cognitive reconstruction occurs (new patterns are created that do not involve panic when feeling flying). To recreate a stressful situation, both the client’s imagination and a real airplane flight in the presence of a psychotherapist are used. Modern technologies make it possible to use equipment to create virtual reality, which makes it possible to immerse yourself in the atmosphere of flight.

In addition to cognitive and behavioral methods, aerophobia can be successfully treated using hypnosis and neurolinguistic programming.

In her video, clinical psychologist and psychotherapist Veronika Stepanova talks about the most unexpected reasons behind the fear of flying. This may be fear of evaluation, shame, loss of control. That is why it is often not a bad idea to undergo deep therapy, using psychoanalysis, analytical or individual psychology. Only if the internal interpersonal conflict is resolved, there are guarantees that aerophobia will not mutate into any other. If you take only a cognitive-behavioral course without understanding the true cause of increased anxiety, there is a possibility that yes, you will not be afraid of flying, however, the problem will emerge as some other disorder, even psychosomatics.

What to do if you discover fear during a flight

You shouldn’t consider yourself an aerophobe if you suddenly feel terrible fear, tremors in your limbs, or panic during a flight. Such an attack can be isolated and caused by various reasons. However, in order not to lose consciousness and complete your air travel more or less calmly, it is necessary to take additional measures.

First of all, you need to call the flight attendant. All flight attendants and stewards undergo training, during which they, among other things, learn how to interact with passengers suffering from aerophobia. Therefore, the flight attendant will take all necessary actions to reassure you. This could be a conversation that can debunk your fears, a sedative like valerian or motherwort, or an alcoholic drink that will help you relax.

The main thing is not to make this a regular way of dealing with fear, otherwise it will gradually stop helping and will even aggravate the situation, causing additional obsessive thoughts.

In the fight against aerophobia, it is important not to let the situation get worse. If a person is forced to fly regularly, it is recommended to consult a psychotherapist in advance. Not all clients will be able to quickly get rid of a phobia, so it is better to start not a week before the flight. As we have already mentioned, the causes of aerophobia can be very diverse, and solving them is extremely important for the healthy functioning of a person.

In addition, absolutely all anxious people, neurotics, suspicious and impressionable people are highly discouraged from watching disaster films, reading news about plane crashes and other terrible things. Of course, there are a lot of scary and terrible things in our lives, but focusing on the negative forces the brain to isolate it from the surrounding space. It seems like there is nothing else. No one is calling for thoughtless “positive thinking,” however, total pessimism is not an adequate assessment.

Advice! Psychologists advise listening more to yourself, to your real desires and needs. Don’t forget to please yourself, reward yourself and do more than just what you “should” do in your life. When you are in harmony with yourself and your body, there will be fewer worries, fears and phobias.

Conclusion

The fear of flying on an airplane, to one degree or another, is inherent in a good half of all those who fly on them. Here is the fear of a plane crash (death, pain, panic), and a feeling of lack of control over what is happening, and a fear of heights. However, most people cope with their fear on their own. Aerophobes are recommended to undergo a course of cognitive behavioral psychotherapy, which helps them learn to control their feelings and thoughts.

In addition, it is important to check whether the phobia is not just an attempt to control one’s anxiety caused by any interpersonal relationships. For severe forms of aerophobia, drug treatment is used, mainly consisting of anxiolytics.

According to statistics, 20-30% of adults suffer from aerophobia (fear of airplanes), and this despite the fact that this type of transport is the safest on earth. I will not go into detail about the reasons why people are afraid to fly, what feelings they experience and how they react to the slightest change in engine noise or whispers from the flight staff. Advice in the style: “Try not to think about bad things”, “Try to relax”, “Don’t watch disaster films”, etc. don’t work, I know that!

When a wave of panic hits, it is very difficult to pull yourself together before the airliner lands. But the good news is that it is still possible to overcome your fear of flying. I, as a person who is part of the squad of cowards (emphasis on U), will tell you about effective ways that help overcome fear.

7 ways to overcome your fear of flying

The first and most effective remedy for me is alcohol. Moreover, I discovered this panacea for myself quite recently. I had never drank alcohol before/during a flight before, but when we flew to India with Emirates airlines, passengers were offered free alcohol on board. Two bottles of 50 ml. awakened the fearless traveler in me. The fear of flying disappeared, I looked with interest out the porthole window, or read a book without the obsessive thought that we were all going to die.

It is enough to drink just a little to overcome the feeling of panic; there is no need to get completely drunk. Moreover, many airlines do not allow passengers under the influence of alcohol to board their flights. Many people say that drinking alcohol during a flight is harmful, that alcohol dilates blood vessels and further increases the feeling of fear. Perhaps this is so, I am in no way agitating anyone, but only sharing those methods that help me personally.

I always take sedatives with me. Why advice on how not to be afraid to fly on an airplane if you can take a miracle pill?! As a rule, Novopassit saves me. In addition, it has a sedative effect and, perhaps, you will be able to sleep. But it’s worth remembering that if you drank alcohol, you can’t take pills. You need to choose one thing!

Give preference to reliable airlines. The idea that you are flying with an airline that has a minimum number of accidents and good on-board service increases confidence in the carrier and reduces stress. The ranking of the safest airlines in the world can be found here. Also ask for a seat at the front of the plane or at least in the middle. In the tail section the turbulence is felt much more strongly. Many airlines have the opportunity to choose your seats when booking tickets, so don’t neglect this chance.

Do not drink coffee or strong tea before/during the flight. Caffeine increases your heart rate and increases your sense of panic. I didn’t know about this before, and I always drank coffee at the airport while waiting to board.

Read a little about airplanes: how such a huge “bird” can soar in the air, why turbulence happens and what are the most common causes of plane crashes. Understanding what is happening will give you a little confidence, and you will stop stressing yourself out once again. How will this help overcome the fear of flying? Think about how many airliners fly around the world every day and what is the chance that you will get into a plane crash?! To be more confident, I go to this site and see how many planes are in the sky at the moment.

Before landing, I do breathing practices. They allow me to relax and take a little break from bad thoughts, including the fear of flying. Find some video tutorials at home (for example, on YouTube), try them out and choose the one that relaxes you the most. Go through the practices several times, remember, and repeat at the airport.

Prepare for your flight and take things with you that can distract you. I always take a book with me, download my favorite music and games to my phone that can keep me busy. When we flew to , our flight lasted 11 hours, it was thanks to games that I was able to escape from anxious thoughts and plunged into the world of adventure games. I also buy supermint chewing gum for travel. Such that it's uhhhh! They create a feeling of fresh air when a wave of panic hits once again.

Together, all these methods help me get rid of the feeling of fear. Working on myself, each of my new flights becomes easier and easier and I am no longer so afraid of flying. Do you have a fear of flying? If so, how do you combat aerophobia?

People constantly move around the earth, heading to different parts of the planet. The fastest and most reliable form of transport is an airplane. But every fourth passenger of this air transport is afraid to fly. Many people develop aviophobia, which makes life much more difficult.

Description of mental state

Fear of flying on an airplane can arise against the background of existing phobias, such as claustrophobia or fear of heights. When certain conditions arise that can cause a reaction in a person, the body triggers a protective mechanism of fear.

A person suffering from this type of phobia is forced to limit himself in movement and choice of transport. Remote corners of the planet become inaccessible to him only because he is afraid to be on board an airplane. This type of phobia comes in two varieties.

In the first option, a person experiences natural excitement before the flight. Such fear is more likely associated with the instinct of self-preservation. Therefore, most passengers experience it. With the second type of fear of airplanes, the fear goes beyond the scope of adequate human behavior. It is so strong that consciousness and the ability to realistically assess the situation are blocked. All attempts to calm the passenger do not give the desired result. With such forms, you cannot do without outside help to cope with fear.

For such people, the very thought of an upcoming flight will cause a feeling of anxiety several days before the upcoming event. In some cases, aerophobes do not even allow the thought of buying plane tickets. Such restrictions on movement can significantly impair the quality of life of any person.

Around the world, there are about 20% of people suffering from aviophobia. Such people have never boarded an aircraft. It's not just fear. This feeling is akin to the primitive horror that a person experiences at the sight of a giant machine. It appears even when the airport image appears.

You can distinguish such people on an airplane by the following signs:

1. A man listens to the sounds of a running engine. It detects the slightest changes in its operation in order to notice problems. His heart begins to work slower from any shock.
2. Long before the flight, the imagination of an aerophobe draws inevitable pictures of a plane crash. He feels anxious at the thought that he will soon have to fly.
3. Such people have a need to study various information about plane crashes or historical data about them.
4. When boarding an aircraft, he may experience increased heart rate, increased blood pressure, gag reflexes and, in some cases, an attack of diarrhea. Weakness in the limbs and dizziness may also occur.

All people suffering from this type of phobia can be divided into two groups. The first group is afraid of flying machines. The second is afraid of her own reaction to flying on an airplane. They fear that they will not be able to cope with their experiences. Some people are afraid of having a heart attack.

One of the causes of aerophobia (the so-called fear of airplanes) may be a consequence of a person’s desire to control the entire flight process. Because he cannot do this, fear arises.

Purposeful people often suffer from aerophobia who are used to keeping everything under control. Lack of control may be perceived by such people as a security threat. An airline passenger does not understand how the plane works and what protective mechanisms the aircraft has. Due to the lack of this knowledge, his brain perceives the plane as an unsafe place.

Another cause of aviophobia may be a negative experience of flying in a person’s immediate environment. This fear was formed by loved ones. The reason could be a plane crash in which someone close to you died, or another negative experience told by someone. All this creates a negative attitude towards flying in the mind. The cause of the development of aviophobia may be:

• fear of limited space in the aircraft cabin;
• acute fear of heights;
• lack of control over the flight process;
• fear of lack of control over the body's reaction, nausea or vomiting may occur;
• fear of a panic attack in conditions of inevitability;
• the theoretical possibility of the plane being hijacked by terrorists;
• fear of injury during the flight;
• fear of turbulence.

To avoid fear of flying, there are several steps you need to take. Many airlines in Europe have training centers that help you cope with your fear of flying. There is only one such center in Russia, which is located at Sheremetyevo Airport. They will help you overcome your fear of flying and get rid of this fear.

To free yourself from aerophobia, trainings are conducted in such centers. They consist of the following steps:

1. A detailed description of how the aircraft works. The fear of flying is often associated precisely with the fact that a person does not understand how such a large airliner can be in the air and not fall. Therefore, it is important for him to know all the basic mechanisms of the aircraft.
2. Presence in the cockpit of a pilot in a simulator. Using this simulator, a potential passenger can experience a real flight while on the ground. If a person becomes ill, he can leave the cabin at any time.
3. After completing the entire theoretical part and the simulator, passengers are invited to take a short flight in a real plane. This flight is carried out accompanied by a psychologist. As a rule, after such trainings a person either completely gets rid of the fear of flying, or it becomes much easier for him to do it.

First of all, to treat any phobia, you need to understand that you should not close yourself off from your fears, but try to face them. Many people who have problems with flying take sleeping pills or alcohol before boarding the plane so that they can sleep through the entire flight. But this approach will not help in solving the problem. It is necessary to take an adequate look at the flight process.

It is necessary to evaluate all the processes in order to understand why the aircraft is able to take to the skies. The plane is designed in such a way that if the engine fails, it can remain in the air for a long time. According to statistics, plane crashes happen extremely rarely and only under certain tragic circumstances.

In some severe cases, when trainings do not help, medication may be required to treat such a phobia and the help of a psychotherapist. In the first case, sedatives and tranquilizers are used, which are taken in a course before the flight. Such pharmacological agents eliminate attacks of anxiety and fear on an airplane.

With the help of psychotherapy, the patient is immersed in the atmosphere of flight. A person repeatedly experiences takeoffs and landings under the control of a psychotherapist. Relaxation skills are developed during the flight. Thanks to such activities, it is possible to achieve a patient’s state where the flight is no longer associated with panic and fear. On the contrary, an atmosphere of peace and tranquility is developed during flights. Hypnosis can also be used in psychotherapy sessions. In this state, the patient's reaction to a certain situation is studied. Under the influence of hypnosis, the patient learns to relax and respond adequately to what is happening around him.

If you have a fear of airplanes, what to do in the cabin during a flight:

• Take a comfortable position for your body.
• Relax by turning on some light music.
• Try to imagine the good things that await you at your destination.
• Start a light conversation with a fellow traveler. During a flight, it is not recommended to allow growing fear to take over your mind. At the very beginning of its formation, you need to be distracted. Do something that will be pleasant and bring positive emotions. This could be delicious food or looking at interesting magazines. The main thing is that the interest is so strong that there is no room for fear.

Aviation phobia is a fear that deprives a person of many opportunities. Therefore, it is necessary to get rid of it as soon as it appears. There are many effective ways to do this that will definitely help if you purposefully pursue your goal.