Fear of flying is commonly referred to as a phobia of flying in an airplane (aviophobia). However, it can occur as soon as you enter an airport or see an airplane. Fear of flying is one of the mental illnesses.
What is fear of flying?
A fear of flying manifests itself with panic-like or illness-like symptoms usually when a flight is imminent. Those affected react to this with considerable stress, loss of control and anxiety attacks or panic attacks. Fear of flying also manifests itself in sweaty palms, stomach upsets, vomiting or headaches. Heart palpitations as well as a widely increased pulse are also part of it, when the affected persons visualize the supposed dangers of a flight. Fear of flying is one of the most widespread mental illnesses, but in many cases it can be completely cured through therapy. Nevertheless, the lives of those suffering from fear of flying are always significantly negatively affected.
Causes
What exactly the fear of flying is based on, can not be said in general terms. Especially for those people who enter an airplane for the first time, the symptoms can be a warning of the unknown. Another fear of fear of flying consists in experiencing emergency situations that cannot be influenced. They include in-flight turbulence or a rapid drop in altitude. Generally, fear of flying is characterized by a loss of control in the confined aircraft. It is also realized that accidents almost always have tragic consequences and regularly end in the death of the passengers. In addition, the fear of flying can also be based on psychological preloads. Especially the phobia of being confined (e.g. claustrophobia) or the height (e.g. fear of heights) are typical characteristics of fear of flying.
Symptoms, complaints, and signs
People with fear of flying experience certain physical symptoms, behaviors, and thoughts whenever they are confronted with an airplane or flying itself. The symptoms of this anxiety disorder can range from mild discomfort to panic attacks. The anxiety that occurs often feels life-threatening to those affected. Often, the first signs appear after the flight has been booked. The respective fears of those affected can differ from each other. For example, some aviophobics fear the cramped conditions prevailing in the airplane or the lack of escape options, while others are afraid of a plane crash. Knowing that those around them do not perceive the situation as threatening does not alleviate the fear. For many sufferers, the physical symptoms predominate. For example, aviophobics often suffer from sweating, clammy and/or cold hands, palpitations, abdominal pain, diarrhea, a strong urge to urinate, nausea, loss of appetite or trembling. Many sufferers experience rapid heartbeat and, subsequently, dizziness and choking. The symptoms usually appear weeks before the upcoming flight and become more intense until then. An important sign of aviophobia is a pronounced avoidance behavior. Affected individuals circumvent their fear of flying by not booking air travel. Some aviophobics combat their fear with alcohol or narcotics.
Course
The course of fear of flying also always depends on the individual case. However, often already the realization of an upcoming flight will be accompanied by discomfort and feelings of anxiety. The closer the departure day comes, the more symptoms appear in the person affected by fear of flying. The first sweats are usually followed by stomach upsets and headaches. The last one or two days before the flight, the intensity of the panic attacks increases. They begin with increased stress, but then turn into naked fear of flying. The sufferer has the feeling that he is inevitably heading for the greatest conceivable threat and that he will be literally sucked in by it. Thus, he does not see any way out of the fear of flying. On the day of the journey and while sitting in the airplane, the person is in many cases unresponsive, strongly cramped and seems to be almost completely beside himself. A loss of control thus symbolizes the fear of flying.
Complications
Different complications can occur with fear of flying. These are usually psychological in nature and do not result in any adverse health effects or disadvantages. However, the fear of flying can have a strong negative impact on social life.Due to the fear of flying, the mobility of the affected person is limited. Although there are other ways to get around, traveling to other continents is difficult. This can lead to a breakdown of social contacts or relationships. This leads to psychological problems and depression in many people. It is not uncommon for fear of flying to be misunderstood by other people and described as harmless. This can also lead to social disadvantages. There is no specific treatment for fear of flying. However, patients with the same symptom can meet for conversations. Talking with people who have overcome the fear of flying also helps. In many cases, the patient cannot completely overcome his or her fear of flying, but still dares to get on an airplane. This makes short flights possible in some cases. Unfortunately, it cannot be universally predicted whether the fear of flying can be cured. No medication is used in the treatment and no complications occur.
When should you go to the doctor?
Fear of flying does not need to be treated in every case. However, therapy makes sense if the person suffers greatly from the fear of flying. An anxiety sufferer who travels frequently by plane for work usually suffers from the phobia more severely than a person who flies by plane once or twice in his or her entire life. Fear of flying may occur together with other fears or other psychological symptoms. In this case, it is also advisable to consult a doctor or therapist about the anxiety symptoms. In addition, it should be clarified whether the symptoms are actually due to a fear of flying or whether they are physical. Anxiety symptoms such as sweating, rapid heartbeat, palpitations or hyperventilation can also be due to an organic cause and indicate a cardiovascular disease, for example. Those affected can turn to a psychotherapist directly with their problem. No referral is required for this in Germany. If there is no other psychological disorder besides the fear of flying, the fear of flying can usually be treated well. Cognitive behavioral therapy is considered particularly effective in the treatment of anxiety disorders. A doctor or psychotherapist must work with the sufferer to determine whether the fear relates specifically to flying or to some other factor. In particular, fear of heights, agoraphobia and social phobia are possible differential diagnoses.
Treatment and therapy
How to treat a fear of flying depends on the course of the disease and its severity. If the symptoms are mild, taking medication and sedatives can already bring about an improvement. However, if the phobia is more deep-seated, only psychotherapy will alleviate the suffering. Thus, the fear of flying must first be diagnosed as such by a psychologist. In the further course its causes are to be fathomed. Here it varies on what the inhibition to enter an airplane is based. In many cases, however, unconscious negative experiences made at a young age are a characteristic of fear of flying. This is because being exposed to uncontrollable situations is often manifested by being locked in a room, having one’s options curtailed, or even being teased by friends. Likewise, phobia of high altitudes follows this pattern. Here, too, the mindset typical of fear of flying is characteristic: if an accident occurs, the chance of survival is slim. Therefore, specialist medical advice should be sought in any case when recognizing the fear of flying. Only through therapy, which not infrequently requires several years, can the fear of flying be cured.
Outlook and prognosis
As such, fear of flying has a good chance of being overcome through therapy. However, most people suffering from aviophobia do not make use of the therapy option at all. This may be due to the fact that it is very easy to avoid flying completely. Accordingly, the fear of flying usually remains for life in people who do not have it treated. In very many cases, this means virtually no restrictions for those affected. Comprehensive therapy for aviophobia, based primarily on cognitive behavioral therapy and confrontation therapy, has a success rate of up to 95 percent. Accordingly, the chances of recovery can be considered very good. Almost all those treated are thus able to board an airplane without fear and also to fly.Even participants in a seminar on fear of flying and how to counteract it seem to have already been cured of their phobia to a small extent. In addition, it has been shown that major air disasters have always caused the number of passengers to decrease for a certain period of time. People suffering from aviophobia sometimes refer to single events that they may have experienced only indirectly. Accordingly, the development of this phobia also seems to be linked to actual flight safety (higher than any other mode of transportation).
Prevention
A prevention of the fear of flying will be a part of the therapy. Here, breathing exercises, muscle relaxation or imagining such a flight can often relieve tension and control anxiety. Autogenic training can prove very effective here. However, even this prevention of fear of flying should only be done under medical supervision. The extent to which medication is helpful against initial symptoms must also be left to the specialist. With him, however, the affected person can get the fear of flying under control.
Aftercare
After fear of flying has been successfully treated, no further symptoms are usually to be expected. The condition disappears completely. Thus, there is no justification for follow-up care. However, this does not mean that immunity develops. Affected persons can suffer from aviophobia again and again due to external influences. A diagnosis is made in a detailed consultation with the doctor. For therapy, relaxation techniques and a thematization of the anxiety are suitable. A psychotherapist helps in several sessions. In a large number of cases, those affected do not consult a doctor. Alcohol, nicotine and tranquilizers are then used to alleviate the symptoms, but this has not been shown to lead to lasting success. On the contrary, the symptoms can worsen as a result. Therapy always aims to provide the patient with behavioral tips. Attitudes before and during the flight can be controlled cognitively. It is therefore essential to apply the knowledge gained from the initial treatment in practice. This includes breathing techniques. Under no circumstances should patients avoid airports. This seems to most doctors to be a wrong strategy. Complaints thereby further solidify and can also emerge in other situations perceived as threatening.
Here’s what you can do yourself
The most important foundation for combating aviophobia is knowledge enhancement. Detailed information about how airplanes work, how they behave in flight and, most importantly, safety measures can help reduce emerging fears before taking a flight. It is helpful to relive the flight several times in your head before it actually takes place. This makes it easier to deal with turbulence or flight noises. An aisle seat counteracts feelings of confinement and loss of control. In a seat directly above the wings, the aircraft’s movements are less noticeable. During the flight, conscious relaxation plays a major role. To this end, it is advisable to avoid stress factors on the day of the flight and to wear comfortable clothing. A breathing technique should be learned in advance that can be used during the flight. Also useful are affirmations, i.e., positively reinforcing phrases that shift the focus away from anxiety and toward a relaxed state. Exercise – where possible – also provides distraction. On the other hand, the use of alcohol or pills to calm down is not advised, as these can have undesirable side effects and do not provide a long-term solution.
