I Have a Severe Fear of Flying: Can You Help?
Phobias trigger worry, fear, and panic over certain things, situations, emotions, and activities. For example, arachnophobia is the fear of spiders, barophobia is the fear of gravity, philophobia is the fear of love, and pyrophobia is the fear of fire.
Among the hundreds of phobias, aerophobia — the fear of flying — is one of the most common. Researchers estimate that around 25 million Americans are afraid to board a plane. Even folks who have flown without a problem in the past can develop aerophobia later in life, severely limiting their ability to travel for business or pleasure.
All phobias are types of anxiety disorders and fall under the expertise of Joy Kwakuyi, DNP, PMHNP-BC, our board-certified psychiatric nurse practitioner at Faith Integrated Psychiatry in Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona.
As the author of the bestselling The Ultimate Cure for Depression: Leveraging Science and Faith for Total Healing and Ultimate Fulfillment: A Blueprint for Finding and Living Your Purpose, Dr. Kwakuyi brings unique insight, 15 years of clinical experience, and 30 years of Christian ministry experience to his practice and his patients. He specializes in helping people identify and face their mental health issues and can help you overcome your fear of flying. Here’s how.
Understanding your fear of flying
Fear of flying goes by a few different names in the medical field: aerophobia, aviophobia, and pteromerhanophobia. Whatever you call it, it describes anxiety associated with various aspects of flying, including boarding, taking off, and landing.
You may even feel the anxiety kick in long before the plane takes off; purchasing the ticket and thinking about traveling by air trigger symptoms, including:
- Lightheadedness
- Chills
- Nausea
- Shortness of breath
- Racing heart
- Sweating
- Trembling
Some aerophobic people avoid conversations, movies, books, and photos that relate to or remind them of flying. In severe cases, panic attacks accompany aerophobia, kicking symptoms into high gear.
Although it’s possible for a traumatic incident like surviving a plane crash to cause aerophobia, it’s more frequently caused by less dramatic triggers, such as unpleasant past experiences with turbulence or bumpy landings and takeoffs. Real or fictional stories about plane crashes or terrorist attacks on planes can set off aerophobia, too.
Some phobias are closely related and can affect you simultaneously. Some common phobias that go hand-in-hand with aerophobia are:
- Agoraphobia: fear of leaving your house
- Acrophobia: fear of heights
- Claustrophobia: fear of confined and crowded spaces
- Anthrophobia: fear of people
- Mysophobia: fear of germs
Dr. Kwakuyi can help you address any combination of phobias and anxiety disorders, easing your symptoms and allowing you to take back control of your life.
How to overcome the fear of flying
Dr. Kwakuyi approaches aerophobia with compassion and expertise. He begins by getting to know you and listening to your unique story and symptoms. No two patients are alike, and your treatment won’t be exactly like anyone else’s. Once he assesses your level of anxiety and helps you identify your triggers, he customizes a treatment plan.
This may involve cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), one of the most effective, evidence-based methods for helping people overcome their fear of flying. Either one-on-one or in a group setting, Dr. Kwakuyi teaches you how to think differently about flying.
For some people, this may include meditating and learning deep-breathing exercises that keep them calm during takeoff. You also learn ways to recognize negative thoughts about flying and replace them with positive thoughts. Over time, you develop a healthier mindset toward air travel, and your fears become manageable or nonexistent.
Individual psychotherapy is another type of talk therapy that helps you explore the origins of your phobia so you can face the problem and learn how to keep it in perspective.
Exposure therapy can also be highly effective. This approach gently and gradually exposes you to the object of your anxiety. In this case, you may start by simply talking about flying. Soon, you may visit an airport to watch the planes take off and land. Computer simulations and virtual reality technology also help to desensitize you and help you take positive steps toward actual air travel.
There’s no reason to let fear run your life and keep you from seeing family, friends, and places. When you’re ready to put the fear of flying behind you, contact us by phone or online to schedule a consultation with Dr. Kwakuyi.
