Tactics to lessen fear of flying (Aerophobia)

Fear of flying is a specific type of phobia. In aerophobia, person has persistent and extreme fear caused by flying or the thought of flying. Characteristically, flying is evaded or endured with penetrating anxiety, which may take the form of a fright attack.

Statistical reports indicate that Aerophobia affect as many as one in three people.

Symptoms of Fear of Flying:

The symptoms of aerophobia are same as other specific phobia. Physical symptoms of the fear of flying are as under:

Shaking

Sweating

Gastrointestinal distress

Heart palpitations

Flushed skin

Feeling disoriented

Clouded thinking

Irritability

Causes of Aerophobia:

There are number of causes that trigger fear of flying such as:

-Feeling of a traumatic flight or plane crash. Even watching excessive news coverage of airline disasters, it can trigger a fear of flying.

-Other factor that cause Aerophobia is environment. If parents of children suffered from a fear of flying, then person may have internalized their fear.

-Aerophobia might also be entrenched in an entirely different conflict. For example, a fear of flying that develops soon after a job promotion that requires travel could be caused by concerns about the job itself or its impact on daily life of person. Similarly, children who must fly frequently to visit divorced parents sometimes develop aerophobia as a coping mechanism for the trauma of the divorce.

Ways to overcome fear of flying:

The fear of flying can be easily treated with cognitive-behavioural therapy. These classes typically last two or three days, often over a weekend.

The fear of flying can have a overwhelming impact on person’s quality of life. But through effective behaviour therapies, person can learn to manage and even overcome aerophobia.