Getting started in overcoming fear of flying

Traveling to many places is fun. But for people who don’t know who have yet to develop strategies in overcoming fear of flying, this is not always the case. For these people, the destination for any vacation can be fun but the hardest part would be staying up and strong during the flight.

If you are one of those who are having a hard time flying because of certain fears while aboard, the first thing that you could do is to identify and acknowledge that fear. This is the best way to go about it because how can you address a certain problem if you don’t have enough courage to face it. Once you know in yourself what that fear is, you can find ways on how to overcome them.

How to get started

Aviophobia or the fear of flying is one of the most common fears that people develop. This is because of the thought something untoward might happen in the air and would lead to their tragic death. Many people who enjoy flying might think of it as something absurd but experts say that fear of flying is not a laughing matter. This is because it can lead to more complicated problems such as panic attacks, nausea and vomiting.

If you are one of those who have developed fear of flying and you want to overcome it, here’s some tips that can help you get started:

1. Be educated. This is the best weapon in getting started in overcoming your fear. If you are knowledgeable about the possibilities, you won’t be able to imagine some things that might happen to you while aboard. Experts say that if one if knowledgeable enough, he or she would have a better understanding. Being educated means one is able to learn what to do when accidents may happen in the air.

2. Know what really in flying that are afraid the most. The most common answer would be the fear of death – tragic one that is. Can you just imagine, if you die in a plane crash, there’s a small percent of you surviving. The worst thing is that the rescuers might not be able to recover your remains because chances are they have turned into ashes or have been eaten by sea creatures during emergency landing. Although these thoughts are frightening, these don’t happen all the time. If you are afraid of these things, it is best to acknowledge these right away so you can address these properly.

3. Get all the support that you need. It is hard for a person – who is just starting in overcoming fear of flying – to do it by him or herself. So, the best way for him or her to continue with the process is having people around who can give the support needed. If you are the flyer, try bringing along a friend who is not afraid of flying when you have flights. He or she can serve as a distraction so you won’t think of negative thoughts while aboard.

4. Undergo desensitization and enough exposure. For people who are afraid of flying, it takes a lot will to even attempt taking a flight. If you are one of those who are afraid of flying, one way to ease the anxiety that you feel is “desensitization” wherein there are vivid descriptions of the situations that may happen. If you know very well what it feels like during an accident, you will feel the intensity of that fear, thus, leading one to develop means to overcome that fear. It also helps the person to do something during that instance.

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Getting serious in overcoming fear of flying

Many people are having a hard time overcoming fear of flying for the simple reason that they have developed a phobia on it. Phobia or the irrational fear of people to some things is what makes some individuals develop fear of flying.

For some, it seems really illogical to be afraid of something wrong that might happen during the flight. But, experts say that being afraid of flying is a very serious matter that should not be taken lightly. This is because it may follow a domino effect to people. In short, if the person is unable to overcome that fear, chances are it will be easier for him or her to develop other fears in things or experience in the future.

What causes fear of flying?

Experts say that there are basically two major reasons why people are having a hard time in overcoming fear of flying: bad experiences and media hype on air accidents.

The first reason is very valid because the person, him or herself, developed that fear because he or she experienced something bad in one of his or her flights.

This bad encounter usually causes people – who used to enjoy flying and travelling by plane – before to hesitant ever taking a flight again because they fear that the same experience would happen again.

Some of the bad experiences that might cause one to develop dear of flying are heavy or prolonged turbulence inside the plane that it caused by a bad weather. Aside from natural phenomenon, another reason is mechanical problems while one is up there.

Usually, planes are checked before the flight. But even if they are double checked, it is unavoidable at times that it might encounter mechanical problems while aboard. The tendency of this occurrence is the flight will be aborted or will take an emergency landing which triggers the panic among the passengers.

Another reason is the media hype up on air accidents. Although it is a must that the media would do reports on tragedies up in the sky, sometimes, the reports are just too “tragic” that inculcate fear to many people.

Can you imagine seeing a place bursting into piece during an accident? If you see that on national television or on the newspaper, this fear would instantly turn into phobia.

How to get serious

Overcoming fear of flying is not easy but it doesn’t mean that it is impossible to achieve it. The best thing that can be done is to really get serious in overcoming that fear. For people who would want to get rid of this phobia, the first thing that they should do is acknowledging that fear. Once fear is acknowledged, you can address surrounding issues.

Here are some of the things that you can also do to really overcome that fear gripping you when the thought of flying enters your mind.

1. Always be relaxed. Relaxation is also another effective way in overcoming fear of flying. If you are relaxed during a flight, the tendency is for you to have a clearer mind. Remember that phobia is related to one’s imagination, if you are relaxed, you won’t think too much of untoward possibilities.

2. Be informed. Being educated about this phobia is the best weapon in overcoming fear of flying. If you know very well what may cause your fears and you know how to overcome them, it will be easier for you to overcome greater fears while aboard.

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Best strategies in overcoming fear of flying

For a person to learn overcoming fear of flying, he or she must understand what causes that fear being up in the air. This is very important for him or her to know what are the best possible ways to adjust to these fears.

Experts say that fear of flying is a “learned fear”. It is something that causes people – even those who were once confident travelers – to stop from taking flights via plane to go to places. This phobia is caused by so many factors which hinders people to being up in the air again.

Studies show that the major reason why people developed fear of flying is their own personal experiences when flying. These bad experiences are the ones that register in their mind whenever they go aboard, thus, causing them to be uncomfortable when they are aboard.

The bad experiences when flying may include prolonged turbulence caused by a bad weather. It can also be some mechanical problems that have caused the plane to have an emergency landing. Or it can be a terrifying experience such as a near-death encounter while flying.

Another reason why many people develop fear of flying is what the experts call “stress contamination.” Here, the person who already has high levels of stress develops an anxiety episode, which makes it harder for that person to overcome that fear. At first, some people do not immediately this fear but it develops when they experience more bad encounters during their next flights.

A news coverage of an air disaster is also another reason why people who are already afraid of flying are having a hard time overcoming that fear. Experts say that it is only common for people to develop fear of flying since it may lead to their death once an accident happens. To some people, they take this possibility into greater a length—that is why they tend to develop fear of flying even if the flight is safe. And this fear only doubles when they see how tragic it is to die during a plane crash or an accident.

The best way

Although people have valid reasons to be afraid of flying, not riding planes should not be the option. This is because the person mainly allows his or her imagination to get the best or better of him or her. So, if you want to overcome that fear, try these strategies to find out which may work for you.

Know in yourself what it is really that you are afraid of when flying. It is the thought of you being up in the skies? Or is it the feeling that you are contained in a place where you cannot get out when you want to? Or is it the fear of pressure when you are aboard?

Whatever it is, you should know which specifically scares you so you will find a way to adjust to it. If it the thought that you are thousands of feet from the ground, think that it’s like riding a car where you are also suspended from the land in a specific time frame.

If you are afraid that you are secluded, request if you can be seated near the emergency exit so you are the first person to eject when an accident happens. If you are afraid of the pressure, think that the cabin is pressurized so you won’t be able to feel “pain” of take off.

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