Air transport is now a fast and comfortable way to travel, but many people are forced to give it up. The reason is aerophobia - the fear of this type of transport. How to overcome aerophobia on an airplane is described in the article.
Concept
Considering the topic of how to defeat aerophobia, you should familiarize yourself with this term in more detail. It denotes the fear of flying and plane crashes. Nervousness appears before the trip, in difficult situations a person with a phobia is able to cancel the flight.
Usually such fear arises after 25 years. Women are more likely to be afraid of flying than men. At the same time, a person could easily travel by plane before, but over time, an obsessive fear arose. Aerophobia is based on the instinct of self-preservation.
Man is an "earthly" creature, so he considers a car or train a safer means of transport. Fear of the danger posed by the aircraft may be stronger than reasonable arguments. The fight against aerophobia will be effective if proven methods are applied.
At the same time, a personmay be the usual excitement before the flight, which is considered a normal reaction. This is the action of the instinct of self-preservation. This reaction is within the compensatory capabilities of the individual and has a positive ending.
A person has a slightly faster heartbeat, blood pressure rises, breathing becomes frequent. All of this is quickly back to normal. If fear overpowers compensatory mechanisms and a person is not able to cope with them, then this is a panic attack. And when they are constantly repeated, a phobia appears.
Reasons
Why does aerophobia appear? It occurs for the following reasons:
- Fear is part of another phobia - fear of heights or confined spaces. Often it develops when you want to control the situation.
- Rarely the cause is a bad experience. It may be the last flight and unpleasant memories of it.
- Air crashes are usually discussed in the media. If a person is impressionable, aerophobia develops.
- Fear appears when a nervous companion who is not able to overcome the attack himself.
Flights are often made by residents of large cities, such as Moscow. You can get rid of aerophobia, most importantly, follow proven recommendations.
Symptoms
Like other phobias, this fear manifests itself physiologically. It is usually noticeable:
- for anxiety, obsessive thoughts;
- troubled sleep, nightmares;
- irritability, poor concentration;
- appetite disorder,nausea;
- tachycardia and discomfort in the heart.
Before landing or on the plane, these signs may intensify, panic attacks appear. There is a strong sweating, trembling in the limbs, frequent urination. In this case, I just want to know how to defeat aerophobia.
Preparation
How to overcome aerophobia? If it is necessary to fly, several recommendations are used that alleviate the unpleasant symptoms of fear. Remember that alcohol is not a suitable sedative. A small dose quickly disappears during the flight, and a large one can lead to negative consequences.
- Arrive at the airport earlier than necessary to get used to the environment.
- Clothes should be chosen simple, which will help you breathe freely and will not restrict movement.
- It is advisable to fly with a loved one you trust. This will help you deal with your anxiety.
- If possible, the ticket should be taken further from the porthole, in the nose or middle part of the aircraft.
- An interesting book or movie is used to distract from obsessive thoughts. It helps to talk with a fellow traveler.
- There are effective meditations and podcasts to record and take on the road to help you relax.
These are the main recommendations on how to overcome the fear of aerophobia. Certain recommendations may help each person, while others may not be effective.
Self-wrestling
Panic isphysiological reaction. The heart speeds up, adrenaline enters the bloodstream. The body begins to tense up, the muscles prepared to quickly respond to the commands of the brain. On the ground, discharge is accomplished through muscular activity. You can't do it in a salon. The brain releases adrenaline, reacts to imaginary danger, panic increases.
How to overcome aerophobia on your own? You should start with breathing. You need to close your eyes, lean back in your chair, slowly exhale through your nose, saying to yourself in time with your breath: “I am calm” or “relaxing”. It is necessary to calm the breath, relax the stomach and neck. Breathing should be shallow and slow. The exercise is repeated until the panic subsides. You need to know how to get rid of aerophobia on your own, and also believe in a positive outcome. It is important to use willpower to relax the muscles of the body.
Help
Be aware that aerophobia is real. This is not a mixed phenomenon. A person who experiences such fear is subjected to a strong psychological and physical stress. Phobias are irrational, so do not prove or give facts. And jokes can trigger an attack.
How to deal with aerophobia? It is necessary to create an even emotional background. You should speak in a calm, confident tone. It is necessary to talk about abstract topics. You can watch a movie or a magazine. It is important to distract yourself from obsessive thoughts, which will help in the fight against panic. These are the main methods for eliminating aerophobia. How to get rid? Reviews indicate that these simplemethods are effective.
Diagnosis and treatment
It's normal for a little nervousness when flying for the first time. But if the fear does not disappear, you should think about how to overcome aerophobia.
You need to visit a psychologist in the following cases:
- Fear arises in a few days, it is difficult to fall asleep, constantly tormented by tension. There are panic attacks that come at the thought of flying.
- The irrationality of anxiety is recognized, but the attacks last, gradually intensify.
- Getting away from air transport even with important travel purposes.
At the 1st consultation, the psychologist determines whether this fear is connected with other phobias - fear of enclosed space, fear of heights and others. The reason may be in violations of the activity of the heart and blood vessels, as well as the vestibular apparatus. If the psychologist believes that these disorders are present, then an appeal to a cardiologist, neurologist or otolaryngologist (depending on the problem) is required.
Psychotherapy is an effective way to overcome aerophobia. Short-term psychological practices are used - the cognitive method, hypnosis and NLL. A noticeable improvement, a decrease in anxiety occurs on the 2nd day of training.
Pills do not help to get rid of this fear. Medications only muffle the symptoms and are not able to eliminate the cause of fear, and with regular use, dependence develops. In difficult cases and depression, medication is justified, but only after consulting a specialist.
Psychotherapy
Treatment of aerophobiaperformed using efficient methods. She should be selected by a psychologist after the first consultation:
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. In this case, the image of the flight is recreated. With repeated repetition, the intensity of emotions can be dulled, the ability to relax appears. This method changes the established psychological connections. Flight can be associated with peace and tranquility. The more "virtual" flights there are, the easier it will be to overcome fear on the plane.
- Hypnotherapy helps to dive into the past, find the source of the problem and eliminate aerophobia. Often it is not connected with the sky. Having determined the cause, it will be easier to overcome fear and ensure the stability of the psychological state. Relaxation under hypnosis will help eliminate panic attacks, enter into relaxation.
- Neurolinguistics is another therapy for aerophobia. It is a special branch of psychology, neuroscience and linguistics.
These are effective methods to help overcome aerophobia. According to reviews, for many people they are great help to overcome their fear.
Medicines
Usually, aerophobia does not require medication. The latter is prescribed individually based on the condition of the person. It is better to take pharmaceuticals when absolutely necessary, when other methods are ineffective.
The course of treatment should be short in order to prevent side disorders of the nervous system. All medicines affect the nervous system. Use of new antidepressant drugsgenerations, mild anxiolytics, sometimes drugs of the benzodiazepine group, which have an inhibitory effect on the nervous system.
Common fears
Fear arises due to mass media and cinema clichés that have little to do with reality:
- Air transport's wing comes off. This situation is impossible. The wing structure can withstand any load. In practice, this part does not always break off even when it hits the ground.
- Turbulence. Movie writers often use this word. Shaking occurs when the air near the fuselage is somewhat uneven, for example due to temperature differences. There has never been a catastrophe in history that was associated with turbulence.
- Engine failure. Transport does not fall like a stone. With 1 engine, it will fly 2 hours, and without thrust - 40 minutes.
- Lightning. In the high layer of the atmosphere, lightning often strikes aircraft. This is taken into account when designing, so there will be no harm. Passengers do not feel the electric shock.
- Chassis failure. The aircraft does not require landing gear to land on the ground. Airports have special landing lanes, pilots are constantly training.
- Insufficient visibility during landing. Even in good weather, the aircraft is landing on instrument, it is much more reliable than relying on the eye and good visibility.
Of course the planes are falling. But when comparing the risk of a plane crash with the risks of everyday life, the sky is safer. According to statistics, the plane is considered the most reliable place in the world.
Forecast
The prognosis of such a phobia depends on its duration and severity of attacks. Associated phobias are also taken into account. The more there are, the harder it is to heal.
As with other diseases, early treatment of aerophobia will be more successful. Therefore, a positive outcome will be for those people who began to fight fear as early as possible.
Consequences of lack of treatment
In extreme manifestations, this fear is dangerous. The mental state is more and more unstable with each trip, a person feels a panic state even while on the ground.
The consequences include nightmares in which the plane crashes, passengers die. This leads to insomnia, a nervous, irritable state. Another fear prevents a person from performing daily duties. Relationships with loved ones can deteriorate, problems at work appear.
When a phobia increases the risk of problems with the heart and blood vessels. Such people are more likely to have strokes and heart attacks. Treatment courses are needed with a neurologist, who will help, using effective methods, improve a person’s condition and stop being afraid of flying.
Fear of flying after plane crash
When participating in an unsuccessful plane landing, it is more difficult to eliminate aerophobia. This also applies to cases where a person was a witness to a plane crash. But still, with the professional help of a psychotherapist, fear can be eliminated.
Every 2-3 seconds an airplane takes off or lands in the world. There are currently 8-10 thousand stars in the sky.airliners. The safety of these flights is provided by hundreds of thousands of people. Computer and navigation equipment also helps in this.
Prevention
The prevention of the appearance of fears is important in childhood, when the child studies the external culprits of phobias. Responsibility for this lies with the parents, who must identify fear at the time of its inception. You can’t punish for a phobia, it’s better to dive along with an anxious state and prove the absence of danger. With the action of an alarm provocateur, you need to accustom the child to it.
For adults, to prevent the emergence of new and aggravate old fears, psychologists advise not to root phobias. You should deal with them earlier, it is better to entrust this to a psychotherapist. Then the recovery process will be faster and more efficient.
