THE INTERACTIVE BLOG

To understand how a phobia starts, it's important to understand what it is. Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary defines a phobia as "an exaggerated usually inexplicable and illogical fear of a particular object, class of objects, or situation." Many of us are afraid of things, but when that fear becomes so intense that we can't function normally and we avoid situations because of it, we have a phobia.
Fear of flying is known as aviophobia or aerophobia and some of the people suffering from it won't fly at all. It may surprise you to know that one in three people are afraid to fly and one in six won't get on a plane. Over 30 million Americans and 500 million people worldwide are afraid of flying. We've all heard that statistically, flying is the safest way to travel, so how did so many people become afraid of it?
One scientific theory is that some people are predisposed to fear and phobias. If more than one close relative such as a parent, sibling, grandparent, aunt or uncle suffers from irrational fear, it might come from heredity. That doesn’t mean it’s a given - many people who come from families that suffer from phobias don’t develop their own; environment plays a large part in the development of fear. The more common contributors to aviophobia are usually factors in our lives such as stress, catastrophic thoughts, sensational media reports and bad experiences on planes (like turbulence).
I was so afraid to fly that for many years I didn't fly at all. When I finally had to, the only way I could get on the plane was by taking prescription medication. Medication or alcohol are not solutions unto themselves. In Flying without Fear, Duane Brown, Ph.D. tells us that he is against the use of medication or alcohol as the sole tool in dealing with fear of flying. His reasons made sense to me because of my own experience. The first reason - it's not a cure, so you'll have to rely on them for the rest of your life - was true for me. When I did have to fly after years of not flying, I relied on medication, which didn't help. This leads to the second reason - if you're that afraid, it won't help unless you take enough to knock yourself out. I did that once and suffered the most embarrassing experience of my life. My wife actually had to lean me against a post while she collected our luggage. Having her business partners see me like that was humiliating for both of us.
A former flight attendant I met told me that the cabin crew is concerned about people who take medication or drink a lot during a flight. On the rare occasion of a problem, they are usually unable to handle themselves, and need someone to help them. It could make a difference in the time it takes to respond to a problem and make things worse. In the unlikely event there is an emergency, everyone should be alert and ready to act as quickly as possible.

Avoid Catastrophic Thinking

One of the worst things about aviophobia is catastrophic thoughts. Catastrophic thinking means always thinking the worst is happening in any given situation. I had the habit of thinking that way as long as I can remember. As a child waiting for my parents to come home, I would count the cars that passed on the street. "If they aren't one of the next six cars they must have been in an accident," I'd think.
If the flight attendant had a slight frown on her face I was sure it meant disaster. The reality might have been a broken set of headphones or being a meal short or any annoying little thing. But my catastrophic thinking blew it out of proportion until I was sure I was going to die. Those were typical of the things I would think and say when we flew. It's a wonder she even wanted to fly with me.
You may wonder if catastrophic thoughts and phobias can make you physically ill. There is something called the "fight or flight response," which means the brain signals the body for action, whether for fight or flight. It doesn't matter if the danger is real or not. If you perceive something to be a danger, the response kicks in. You may feel it physically and some of the symptoms that can occur are:

• Blood pressure and increased heartbeat
• Sweaty palms even though you feel cold
• Breathing rate increases and becomes shallow
• Dizziness
• Muscle tension
• Upset stomach

While uncomfortable, unless you have existing medical conditions that can be affected, these physical changes aren't dangerous.
Many people who are afraid to fly suffer from bad dreams, often dreams in which they are dying. They wake up terrified and think it was an omen or a warning and that something disastrous is going to happen to the plane and they're afraid to go. I suffered through dreams like that myself and I was sure it was a message from above telling me not to fly. I truly believed the danger was confirmed by the nightmares.
Some psychologists believe the dreams are a build up of stress and that our minds continue to work on our worries while we're asleep. Whatever the psychological theory, the important thing is that the fearful flyers having these dreams take them seriously. I sure did. The dreams are not omens, they're symptoms of our fear.
Something must be said about the tragic events of September 11th. Not surprisingly, right after that horrible day, fear of flying increased dramatically. It's important to know that the government and the airlines are working harder than ever to keep us safe. I've flown many times since that day. Letting the events of that day take away all I accomplished would be letting the terrorists win. I flew that week and I've flown many times since.
Phobias can be conquered. It takes a little work, a little trust, and a desire to do it. Now that I've overcome my fear, I'm happy to say the bad dreams have stopped and I can sleep on a plane. I've learned that I can trust the people who fly, guide and maintain the plane.