Dealing with my fear of flying

3 Tips on how to deal with you fear of flying

The feeling of extreme fear that comes to you when anticipating flight travels or when in a plane is caused by an anxiety disorder. The concern is referred to as aerophobia. You are not alone, and statistics have it that approximately 20 million Americans have aerophobia. The fear is not explicitly caused by an element. A combination of factors triggers it. You may have inherited the fear from your family members or its modeled to you by your Parent as you grow up. Also, increased exposure to airplane accidents by the media could cause aerophobia. Most probably, like many others, your fear of flying is caused by the fact that you do not have control of your safety in the situation.

Avoiding traveling by air only causes increased fear. Sometimes aerophobia is associated with the fear of height, fear of vomiting, and fear of enclosed space. If only you can achieve overcoming your specific associated fear, it will be easier to control your aerophobia. The crowded space may specifically cause the anxiety or nervousness experienced by passengers on board, the sensation of taking off or landing, and the turbulence. You should be able to figure out which among the three is causing your aerophobia for you to be ready to face the fear. 

Here are the physical symptoms which will probably occur when you are about to board while flying or even when you are thinking about flying; 

• Trembling 
• Shortness of breath
• Increased heartbeat
• Nausea
• Cold hands 
• Shocking sensation 

Aerophobia is not a permanent situation. You can be treated through medication, therapy, or a combination of the two. When treating aerophobia, exposure therapy is mostly used, but also cognitive behavioural therapy can be applied. In exposure therapy, you will be exposed gradually to the idea, and with the time, you will adjust your ideas and the sensations during flying. Cognitive-behavioural therapy will include testing the reality of the sequence of your irrational thoughts about flying. You can also choose to take the anti-anxiety medication. These medications will assist you in managing the symptoms before the flight and during the flight. Don’t hesitate to get the help you need for your situation. There are professionals in mental health out there who have successively dealt with a similar case like yours and are readily willing to help. 

I have found helpful what I have discussed below. It’s about how you can cope with your fear of flying. It’s all a journey, and the first thing you will need to is;

1. Understanding your fear

Be honest to yourself; some people are ashamed of the fear thinking the fear is only in them, which is not valid. With acceptance, you will be able to seek and understand what is triggering your fear of flying. Like I had stated above, there is a no. of things that would cause aerophobia among the fearful fliers. For you to take the required steps to anticipate that which causes your fear, it’s important to understand what triggers your particular anxiety explicitly. Irrational thoughts cannot be conquered without facts, get to understand more about the science and safety of the planes. You can source the information through online videos or reading articles. Having knowledge about the safety precautions and the training the pilot goes through will provide facts to defeat the irrational fears.

After you have understood your fear, you might find it not possible to deal with it by yourself. If it’s the case, you can choose to enrol in a course that addresses the fear of flying or educate yourself through online and offline resources that will help you learn more about flying. It will help you indulge in more sensible and realistic fantasies that bring about your fear of flying. Also, as you dig deep in your fear, you will find out if there is a possibility that other fears trigger your aerophobia. In case there are associated with other fears, you can choose to face the baseline fear to control your fear of flying. For example, you are no comfortable with heights. The airplane is always way above the ground. So, peeping through the window will trigger your anxiety, and it will only be useful if you don’t look through the window. May take a sit that is not next to the window. 

2. Focus on what you can control

Related sources of stress that you can control should be avoided as much as possible. You can imagine being in a situation where you are worried about missing your plane and, at the same me being anxious about being on the flight. To avoid such situations, prepare in advance and set aside as much time as possible to get to the airport. Also, minimize your discomfort by wearing comfortable clothes and appropriately pack your luggage. Other than focusing on your physical comforts need to avoid pilling up your sense of unease. It also essential to pre empty your anxiety. Maybe by thinking of it as a bad thing that causes distress. The lower oxygen supply at high altitudes should not be mistaken to be anxiety. It’s only a feeling of unease, and you are not under any threat, but it could be misleading. So, don’t pretend it’s not existing. 

Embracing your fear will help you control the worsening of the situation. The more you accept your negative feeling, the more you are not prone to developing anxiety disorder and depression. As the anxiety is starting to take place, take a breath to stop it from escalating. Focus on breathing normally to bring your consciousness to your body and feel it. During the process, when your mind attempts to erase the fearful state, breathing will get you to be calmer. In addition, you can focus your mind on what makes you be on the plane. Thinking that it’s only a few hours of strain, and you will be at your destination will boost your sense of excitement, and you will be motivated to get through the journey.

3. Get on the move 

After you have faced all your fears, it is time now you book a flight and board the airplane. Do not stop at your first achievement, repeat severally and make schedules of your plane travels and with the time you will be normalizing the situation. 

Preventing and controlling your anxiousness from controlling your life choices is a long and tedious process. You will encounter both good and bad times. Enjoy the good time, and don’t let the little shake in your last trip hinder you from scheduling your next trip.