How to Overcome the Fear of Flying

The fear of flying is one of the relatively common things that some travelers face. Such fears, which are mainly rooted in some anxiety problems, unpleasant experiences, or physiological problems, can make the experience of air travel difficult; for this purpose, some researchers have been able to introduce practical solutions as ways to overcome the fear of flying.

What is the Fear of Flying?

The fear of flying, or "Aerophobia," is a severe and unrealistic fear of flying or heights that can make air travel difficult for people with this problem. This issue, which is different among different people, is so severe in some people that flying becomes just like a nightmare for them; therefore, booking a flight ticket is not an easy task for them when they want to travel to a distant city or country.

In such a situation, regardless of the cause of these fears, you can get rid of this fear to a great extent by visiting a psychologist. In addition, some effective strategies can reduce your fear of flying so you can go on your favorite trips with peace of mind.

Note: It is not always possible to travel to desired destinations, for example, through land tours to Istanbul, and such trips also have their limitations and challenges.

Symptoms of Fear of Flying

If you are one of those who, when walking towards the plane and also as getting closer to it, your steps become weaker, or you think about how the flight will pass, then you are facing the problem of fear of flying; because these cases are known as symptoms of fear of flying and cause you to experience extreme anxiety whenever you think about flying or traveling by plane.

Based on this, the symptoms of fear of flying, which are sometimes different in different people, can even be combined with "Panic Attack," as follows:

·         Trembling and severe anxiety

·         Feeling of suffocation or shortness of breath

·         Redness of the skin

·         Increase in heart rate

·         Being nervous

·         Feeling nausea

·         Sweating

·         Severe weakness

·         Disconnecting from reality

·         Fear of death (plane crash)

Note: To escape from such experiences, some travelers decide to travel by private car or for example, rent a car in Turkey, which are usually only suitable for short trips.

Factors Affecting the Fear of Flying

Although the main reasons for the fear of flying are not precisely known, some influential factors in this regard are:

·         Having an unpleasant flight experience

·         Negative influence and transfer of fear from other people to the person

·         Environmental factors such as: bad weather conditions, air flow turbulence, and flight delay

·         Having other specific phobias such as claustrophobia, fear of heights, and fear of death

Ways to Overcome the Fear of Flying

As you know, there are different methods to deal with the fear of flying, some of which have a scientific-psychological basis and some of which are based on personal experiences; accordingly, the wats to overcome the fear of flying are:

·         Find out what triggers the fear and overcome it with the help of a psychologist

·         Choosing the most suitable time in terms of weather and the most reliable airline

·         Using entertainment such as: watching movies, listening to music, and reading magazines on the plane, if available

·         Entertain yourself by talking to friends or family members (if present), or passengers next to you

·         Doing activities such as: yoga, deep breathing exercises, and meditation before the flight

·         Breathing deeply when anxious during the flight (having a positive effect on the nervous system and reducing stress and anxiety)

Fear of Airplanes in Children

Children's fear of airplanes is, in fact, a type of phobia that shows itself when boarding an airplane, the closed space of the cabin, the effects of air pressure, the feelings of taking off and landing, etc. In other words, most of the time, children are not afraid of falling, and sometimes it is because of seeing the reactions of others, fear of closed space, and thinking of flying itself.

Also, it is interesting to know that fear of heights can be genetically transmitted from parents to children, and children can model it. In the meantime, watching movies containing scenes of plane crashes or unpleasant incidents during flight is also reasons in this matter; for this reason, not only should parents not show such fears to their children but also face them so that children's fear of airplanes decreases.

Treatment Methods for Fear of Flying

You may have tried different methods to overcome your fear of flying before, on the advice of your friends, and you did not get the necessary results; in such a case, it is recommended to consult an expert and psychologist to solve this problem. In this regard, the methods used by experts to treat the fear of flying disorder can be mentioned as follows:

1.       Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT):

Usually, one of the methods used to treat the fear of flying is CBT as a method to change negative thoughts; in this method, the person is taught how to recognize and change his/her thoughts and false beliefs.

2.       Exposure Therapy:

Another method for fear of flying is to expose a person to his/her fear in controlled conditions; in this case, with the help of some technologies such as "Virtual Reality Glasses (VR)," films, and photos, help a person to overcome his/her fear over time.

3.       Systematic Desensitization Therapy:

this method includes gradual exposure to feared subjects or situations, which is often used to treat types of fear such as the fear of flying; in other word, the psychologist first confronts the person with his/her fear in his/her mind in a controlled and safe manner and then brings this matter to reality.

4.       Individual Therapy:

Methods such as CBT, hypnosis, and cases 2 and 3 are included in this category for treatment, and the psychologist conducts the treatment with that person in a controlled environment during several sessions.

5.       Group Therapy:

In this method, the therapist gathers people who have similar problems together in a group and tries to solve their problems all together during the sessions held during the week. In fact, this group of people helps each other with treatment through group support in addition to talking about their fears and feelings.

6.       Drug Treatment:

Usually, in cases where the person's reactions to fear are very severe and almost uncontrollable (such as nausea or extreme anxiety), the specialist uses specific drugs to reduce fear and tension; this method, which must be done under the advice and supervision of a specialist, is temporary and must be accompanied by "Therapeutic Counseling" sessions.

Important Note: The take of medicine is prescribed only when the person does not have the opportunity to go through the treatment process and has to go on a trip.

Prescribed Pills for Fear of Flying

First of all, we must emphasize that if you have a fear of flying or similar things, it is better to use non-pharmacological methods to solve your problem; but if for any reason you are not able to do it at the moment, using methods such as taking the pills of fear of flying can temporarily solve your problem. For this purpose, various medicines are recommended to be taken in consultation with a specialist, and according to your physical condition, only one of them before your flight.

In the following, we will introduce you to some well-known pills for fear of flying that reduce dizziness and headache and are actually a kind of sedative; some of the following medicines also work like sleeping pills, and you can get some of them with a doctor's prescription, and some without a prescription from pharmacies; these drugs include:

·         Zolpidem Pills

·         Meclizine Pills

·         Dimenhydrinate Pills

·         Xanax Pills

·         Melatonin Pills

·         Antihistamine Pills