“You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face…, the danger lies in refusing to face the fear, in not daring to come to grips with it…You must make yourself succeed every time. You must do the thing you think you cannot do.”
– Eleanor Roosevelt
One of the most popular fears that I see in my office is a fear of flying. I, too, have suffered from anxiety regarding this very issue, so I thought I would share what has gotten me, and my clients, on that flight!
A fear of flying often comes from a fear of not being in control. It is important to remember that control is an illusion; it is something we never fully have. In most cases, this fear begins to take control over your life and paralyzes you from doing the things that you most enjoy. Before taking an eight hour flight to France my husband said to me, “We will not let fear control our lives. We are going to travel and see the world, together.” He was right. I was not controlling the fear by not flying; it was controlling me!
I get it. Driving affords more personal control, making it feel safer. In addition, plane crashes are catastrophic, killing more people at once, which grabs more attention and makes people more sensitive to them. Car crashes happen every day and spread the loss over time, making their combined effects less noticeable. However, in reality, flying is the safest and most convenient way to travel.
Some facts for you to sit on: in 2008, more than 5 million car accidents occurred with 1.27 fatalities per 100 million miles traveled compared to 20 accidents in flying, in which case no one died and only 5 were seriously injured; your chances of being involved in an aircraft accident are about 1 in 11 million; on the other hand, your chances of being killed in an automobile is 1 in 5000 (not one person has died from a pilot texting while flying); there are 19,000 planes in the air at one time. Knowing all of this, it is egotistical to believe that if a plane should go down, you will be on it.
Here are a few pointers for those traveling, and for traveling companions to keep in mind if you know you are traveling with someone who has a fear of flying:
- The day before and on the way to the airport begin to start mentally preparing yourself for the journey. Give yourself a traveling mantra. Mine is: “It is out of my control. I am safe and everything is ok.” However, if you start to obsess or this creates more anxiety, STOP!
- Try not to rush out the door. This will increase your level of anxiety. Give yourself time. Stay away from caffeine and drink plenty of water to stay hydrated. Dehydration can bring on panic attacks.
- Try letting go. Remember, control is an illusion. Isn’t it nice sometimes when you sit back and let a professional take control, like when you get a manicure or have your lawn cut?
- Distraction is key, especially during take off and landing. Have someone talk to you or read a magazine. During the flight, watch a funny movie.
- Sometimes your primary care physician can prescribe you Alprazolam (Xanax) just to take for traveling in case of a panic attack. If this is something you are not interested in, have a beer or a glass of wine before the flight or try Bach’s Natural Stress Relief products.
- Diaphragmatic breathing has shown great benefits when experiencing anxiety. This is breathing from your abdomen instead of your chest. The air fills your belly, then your lungs, providing more oxygen to your organs and blood vessels.
Happy travels!
Statistics from databasestatistics and USA Today
COUCHED! 