Overcoming the Fear of Flying
Throughout the years, statistics have repeatedly shown flying to actually be a safer mode of travel than the automobile. Statistics do not have the ability to calm the fear of flying. Fear is not based upon statistics it is based upon perception. Those perceptions might be created from a previous experience or they might simply be based upon imagination. Regardless of where it comes from, the fear of flying can cause someone to take on the inconvenience of a very long road trip instead of boarding a plane.
In the past, many airlines catered to the fearful customer providing seminars or visits to an empty plane. The economy of today has eliminated these services. Passengers have to find their own way to deal with their fears. While there are medications, which a doctor can prescribe to help relax during a flight, there are other ways to deal with the problem. An online search of any bookseller will provide a list of books on the subject. There are many other kits and services available.
Self-help kits exist, designed for individual home use:
Achieving Comfortable Flight: Designed by a former Pan Am pilot and a psychiatrist. The kit includes 7 audiotapes, 2 booklets, and 14 quick reference cards. $59.95; www.anxieties.com
Fear of Flying Help Course: Designed by an airline pilot. This is an online program utilizing photos, videos, sounds, virtual reality tours and printouts for children and adults. Free. www.fearofflyinghelp.com
Fearless Flight Kit: Contains a book with stories from real-life and a checklist to bring on board. "Flight Harmonizer" CD is also included. Contains prose, music and poetry. $24.95; www.fearless-flight.com
A number of companies also offer courses to aid the skittish passenger:
Fear of Flying Clinic: A combination of therapy and education. A counselor assists with deep breathing exercises. Based in San Mateo, California. www.fofc.com
Fear Takes Flight: Based in Kansas City, Missouri. This program consists of four steps and ends with a short flight given by a pilot/therapist.
SOAR: This is probably one of the most well known companies, based in Connecticut. Offers a home study course consisting of three parts ($95 per section). Two hours of specialized individual counseling is also offered by a licensed therapist who is also a pilot. These counseling sessions are offered both in person and by phone.
Whatever the method, it is possible to overcome the fear of flying. It takes a desire to overcome it and a willingness to seek out a way to do so. Mostly it takes a determination to end that process with getting on that plane, utilizing the lessons learned and making that flight.
Sources:
Anxiety Disorders Treatment Centers. www.anxieties.com
Captain Ron Nielsen. www.fearless-flight.com
Captain Stacey Chance. www.fearofflyinghelp.com
Fear of Flying Clinic. www.fofc.com
SOAR, Inc. www.fearofflying.com
Published by Sherri Hunter
I've had a varied professional career. After college I worked in a laboratory before returning for my MBA. At that time I worked with a company helping to prepare taxes and assisted in setting up retirement... View profile
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1 Comments
Post a CommentThanks for listing information on SOAR. Fear of flying is, to me, a fascinating subject. I've worked with fear of flying clients since 1980 as both a therapist and as an airline captain. Over the years, I've learned it is caused in a very diffent way that it appears, and thus to fix it effectively - really effectively - different methods are required.
For example, CBT which work beautifully for depression and anxiety on the ground is rarely effective in the air, and meds that help anxiety on the ground increase, according to research, panic in the air ten-fold.
The video on our SOAR website lays out a lot of which I've learned by working with 7000 clients over the years.