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Flying Phobia


A fear of flying is excessive worry or anxiety about air travel. Statistics show that it can affect one in ten of us although it could be higher as some of us experience it perhaps on occasions such as when we are tired or unwell. The increased anxiety and panic attacks are at the thought of flying and many avoid air travel as a result of this.

For some the fear of flying comes from a fear of “internal loss of control” - a fear that they will lose control of their emotions during the flight and therefore embarrass themselves in front of family or fellow passengers. For others, the fear is associated with external factors such as turbulence, bad weather or a fault with the aircraft.

Others are reasonably comfortable at the airport, but begin to experience symptoms just before boarding the plane or have difficulty that begins as soon as they reach the airport. Anticipatory anxiety (such as when booking a holiday) in which you start experiencing the fear of flying long before a scheduled flight, is extremely common.

A fear of flying can be caused by experiencing a traumatic flight or watching news coverage of airline disasters, or films featuring them can be enough to trigger a fear of flying. You might pick up the fear of flying from another relative or friend, but parents seem to have the biggest influence on a phobia of flying.

The anxiety or fear of flying might develop soon after a job promotion that requires air travel and could be caused by concerns about the job itself or its impact on your daily life. Or getting married abroad and the stress of organising the wedding can result in anxiety about flying or going on a honeymoon. 

If you are experiencing a fear of flying, it is best to make an appointment with a qualified hypnotherapist or counsellor who can help assess the phobia, and develop an individualised treatment plan.

The fear of flying can have a devastating impact on your quality of life in missing family holidays. With proper treatment, however, you can learn to manage and even beat this common phobia.

 Margaret Cook
Hypnotherapist and Counsellor

allin-the-mind.com

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