How not to be afraid to fly. What to do if you are afraid to fly on an airplane? Why are people afraid of flying

Every minute, at every airport on the planet, an airplane with passengers on board takes off. 70% of people sitting in the cabin experience a fear of flying, which is quite natural. But not everyone is able to cope with their phobia. To understand how not to be afraid to fly on an airplane, you should understand the reasons for this fear.

Reasons for fear

The fear of flying on an airplane is a natural sign characteristic of any person. Some people know how to drown it out and ignore it, while others, “inflating an elephant out of a fly”, turn everything into a phobia. This happens for many reasons, and the roots of the problem lie in the subconscious.

Reflex fear is transmitted to people with a gene code from their ancestors, who were frightened by the first "iron birds". For this reason, a person involuntarily shrinks when an airplane flies nearby;
When an airliner takes off into the sky, the human body intuitively reacts with alertness - it has been pulled out of its familiar environment. Those who are psychologically prone to phobias become nervous and sometimes seriously panic, not always realizing the cause of their fear;
Some people are afraid to fly in an airplane consciously, having seen enough thrillers about plane crashes, although real news is not full of daily reports about plane crashes. Such alarmists set themselves up for the tragedy of the situation ahead of time;
Usually they are afraid of flights carried out for the first time - here the fear of the unknown is frightening. There is also such a category of people for whom the first flight was unsuccessful due to poor health that arose on board. Taking severe motion sickness as a danger, the subconscious mind tabooed this method of movement, and psychological perception turned it into a phobia.

Note! Whatever the cause of fear when flying may be, it is necessary to figure out how much it is a phobia (or just an uncomfortable feeling of an unusual environment).

Symptoms

Aerophobia is not the only type of fear that people suffer from. There are those who are afraid of heights and confined spaces, as well as an unfamiliar company. It is these fears that can cause a panic attack. To understand how aerophobic you are, you should try on the following symptoms of the described problem:

Fear before flying on an airplane you start long before the trip, and are unable to control the internal panic;
Before climbing the plane, you take a sedative dose of alcohol, sedatives or antidepressants;
When taking off and landing an airliner, you unconsciously squeeze into the passenger seat, your palms sweat, and your fingers convulsively dig into the armrests;
During the flight, your entire mind is focused on following the sounds of the engines. If the view of the porthole allows, you keep your eyes on the running motors;
If the plane got into a turbulence zone, the situation shocks you, and you mentally say goodbye to life;
Every action of the stewardess makes you suspicious, and you try to understand what she hides behind a smile.

Note! If even half of these signs are present in you, you are an aerophobe for whom flying becomes a real punishment.

How to smooth the situation

When a person submits to his fears, it develops into a serious disease. If air travel is not perceived as a natural event, it can be made more relaxed. To do this, you just need to distract yourself from your phobia by switching to something else.

Knowing about the upcoming flight, you can tune in to it in advance. It is not necessary to study the reports about the already occurred air crashes, it is better to look at the statistics of accidents that occur on Earth. Far more people die in DPT than in the air;
In order to psychologically tune in to the flight, it is advisable to check in in advance and ask for a seat away from the windows. While the aircraft is being loaded, you calmly settle into your seat. You should not ask for a place in the tail zone - turbulence is most noticeable there;
Before the flight, it is not recommended to soothe yourself with alcohol and serious drugs - they can provoke an inadequate reaction. Coffee, which has a stimulating effect on the psyche, will not help either. It is better to always have motion sickness tablets and fruit candies with you;
In order not to succumb to a phobia, you need to distract yourself, so you should take an interesting book or magazine with crossword puzzles on the road, download a movie with an exciting plot to your laptop or tablet, and entertain yourself with an exciting game;
Listen to pleasant soothing music streaming from your headphones, it will help drown out the sounds of engines. Especially for the flight, you can download a relaxation music library to the player;
Chat with roommates. Talking is a good way to take your mind off your fears. Even if the same aerophobe as you is sitting next to you, mutual communication will help you cope with the problem;
If there is no desire to either have small talk or distract yourself from bad thoughts with leisure activities, you can just sleep. To do this, it is enough to bring an inflatable pillow and a blanket (as well as ear plugs and a blindfold) with you to the salon. If you forgot about this possibility, some airlines may offer you bedding;
It is not even necessary to sleep - you can just lie with your eyes closed and remember the pleasant moments of your life, think about the upcoming meeting, remember loved ones or make plans for the coming year.

Additional Information! Have you taken all the measures, but the panic state does not let go? Then do breathing exercises. The exercises are done like this: first, take a deep breath in through your mouth, hold it in your lungs for 5 seconds, then exhale and another 4 seconds. don't breathe. Repeat the steps several times: this will help you calm down very quickly.

Professional help

If fears of flying have been present for a long time, and air travel is a frequent forced reality, you cannot do without the help of a specialist. It is worth paying serious attention to your psycho-emotional state, devoting enough time to it.

Find an experienced psychologist who can help you understand why you are afraid of flying and teach you how to deal with a phobia. You can’t get away with one conversation here - you will have to undergo a course of psychotherapy before you begin to perceive flights more naturally and stop being afraid to fly;
Part of the treatment is the use of flight stimulators, which allow you to develop habituation to flying on virtual simulators. This moment is good because in mundane conditions, in a specially equipped room, a feeling of the reality of flights is created;
The doctor will help you choose medications for the upcoming trip. Here you need to take into account that the proposed pills are not a solution to the problem, but only part of the therapy, and they do not get rid of the phobia on their own.

Medications prescribed by a doctor for a flight can be divided into 2 types: cumulative and fast-acting. The first group includes those that are accepted in several stages - immediately before departure, and then every half an hour or an hour. The second group of drugs has a sufficient concentration of a sedative so that 1 tablet is enough for several hours of exposure.

Treatment is carried out with sedative and anti-anxiety medications that inhibit nerve impulses, relieve spasms and cramps in the muscles.

Important! What kind of drug to treat aerophobe, the doctor decides for himself, based on the individual characteristics of the patient, the state of his psyche, the causes of fear, and the neglect of the problem.

You should not constantly resort to these means, since addiction can occur to most of them. This method of treating aerophobia should be short-term, and applied to those who travel by air less often.

The person himself can prepare for a future flight in advance. Weeks 3 before the upcoming trip, you can start taking daily glycine or valerian extract in the doses indicated in the instructions. This will help reduce nervous tension and avoid a stressful situation.

The laws of physics

Some people are terrified of flying precisely because of being cut off from the Earth. Not everyone is aware of the principle of aerodynamics, so they do not fully understand how such a heavy metal colossus with a bunch of passengers on board and a large amount of luggage can be kept in the air for several hours.

If you are flying for the first time, in order to calm your imagination and stop being afraid, you should familiarize yourself with some of the design features of aircraft:

Airliners are equipped with powerful engines that can not only lift the car into the air, but also keep it in the clouds for a long time;
Do not be afraid that the engines will break down: the aircraft has at least 2 of them. If 1 motor fails for some reason, the 2nd motor will take over its function. Even if both engines fail at once, the plane will be able to land gently, like a glider;
The wings, which are firmly attached to the body, help the aircraft to stay and plan in the air. The chance that they fall off in flight is reduced to zero;
All systems that are equipped with airliners have duplicate programs. As soon as a failure occurs, the backup system immediately comes into operation (and there are at least 4 of them in passenger aircraft);
You don’t have to worry about the risk of getting into a plane crash due to the pilot’s poor health - the planes have a reliable piloting system that allows you to carefully land the car according to the program laid down in it;
The flight of each airliner is controlled from the ground by air traffic control services, with which the pilots are in constant contact. Pilots will be immediately notified about all non-standard situations, changes in weather conditions;
The turbulence zone, into which not every aircraft enters, should not be frightening either. The aerodynamic parameters of the design are calculated taking into account this natural phenomenon, so that the aircraft has a sufficient margin of safety to withstand such shakes;
There are professionals on board who do not consider themselves kamikazes. They calmly carry out their duties, as they are confident in the reliability of the "steel bird".

Additional Information! For an extraordinary situation to occur, fate will have to try, because each aircraft is carefully checked by technical services before departure. They use special diagnostic devices, so that faulty equipment will not even be allowed on the runway. At the terminals, customs inspection has been strengthened, which prevents dangerous baggage from getting on board.

Feel free to admit to others - "I'm afraid to fly on an airplane." Among your friends there are already repeatedly flying. They know what to do to overcome their fear. Take note of their advice.

You will also be impressed by the reviews of third-party people who have learned to subdue their fears:

Dmitry:“I used to be afraid to fly on an airplane, although I could not understand the reasons for this. On one of his business trips, he fell in love with a beautiful girl. Now I fly to see her every Friday. During the flight, I only think about the upcoming meeting, make plans for how we will spend time. Now, while I'm on board, there has never been a feeling of anxiety or panic ”;
Olga:“I am constantly overcome by some kind of fear. I am not comfortable indoors, I am terribly afraid of getting into a plane crash. Because of this, I lost a very profitable job - in our business, even minutes matter. Airplanes are the best way to solve problems quickly. I used exclusively the car, wasting time and clients. As a result, I had to turn to a psychotherapist and undergo special training. Even now I am periodically guided by unconscious emotions, but I try to control them. Realizing that phobias are a game of my subconscious, I took the risk of using the services of the airline and have already managed to make 2 flights.

If the phobia is not treated

When it is impossible to avoid a flight, and you are terribly afraid of it, not only psychological problems begin. If you do not learn to cope with fears, a phobia absorbs a person completely, turning into a gloomy neurasthenic.

Before the upcoming flight, a person begins to be overcome by panic thoughts, as a result, he is tormented by nightmares, or he cannot sleep at all;
Becoming irritable, sleepy, aerophobic breaks down on people close to him, which spoils family relationships;
For those who hide their fears, it is even more difficult to endure flights. A phobia driven deep into itself leads to the development of heart disease, hypertension, heart attacks;
If the need for flights is related to professional activities, every attempt to delay the flight or replace it with another type of transportation affects career growth. Psychological shake-ups on this occasion make the aerophobe a patient of the neurological department;
The fear of using the services of airlines impoverishes the rest - not every resort can be quickly and easily reached by rail (and even more so by car).

Important! Any kind of phobia will progress rapidly if you subordinate your psyche to it and refuse the help of professionals.

Hoping that he can cope on his own, a person resorts to the use of powerful psychotropic drugs or alcohol. The more often there is a need for flights, the faster a bad habit develops. Such doping does not alleviate the situation, but makes it even more neglected.

Alcohol in conditions of low pressure and dry air in the cabin can cause lightheadedness (sometimes with vomiting). The body is in limbo, and even a small amount of alcohol at an altitude of several thousand meters from the Earth can cause severe intoxication, resulting in a breakdown. From this, the drunk person's mood immediately worsens, and the panic piles up with even greater force.

Video

If you realize that you are subject to phobias, you should not be shy and hide it. Each person has his own complexes and fears, from which it is better to get rid of, and not to drive them inside yourself. Aerophobia can be overcome if you carefully study your fear, delve into the design features of aircraft construction and understand the principles of aerodynamics.

Thousands of people daily use the services of airlines, making multiple flights throughout the year, and continue to live, love, and work in peace. They learned from their own experience that the risk of being a victim of a plane crash is microscopically small. This should be a valid argument for you. So is it worth it to be afraid of planes?

Every minute an airliner with passengers on board rises into the sky. Most people in the cabin feel fear of flying, especially when it's the first one. I'm afraid to fly on an airplane, what should I do? This question is asked by about 40 percent of the population of our planet, experiencing varying degrees of development of fear. He takes possession of a person so much, up to the development of panic fears, and refusal to fly. The fear of flying is called aerophobia. About 10 percent of the population actually deal with a phobia. They refuse to travel abroad, prefer to travel by land.

Symptoms of a fear of flying

Almost all people who have flown or are going to fly feel anxiety and discomfort. But this is not necessarily aerophobia. Panic fear of aircraft (phobia) has a number of symptoms:

while in the cabin, hands sweat and tightly squeeze the armrest;
and breath;
during the entire flight, listen to the sounds of the engine;
afraid to look out the window;
experience fear of closed spaces;
fear of turbulence;
every movement of the stewardess seems suspicious, trying to decipher her emotions;
before the flight there is a desire to drink sedatives or alcoholic beverages.

Causes of aerophobia

Before you overcome the fear of flying on an airplane, you should find out what contributes to its appearance. Usually, the development of aerophobia occurs in everyone in the same way. A person, going on a trip or a business trip, experiences severe anxiety. He is visited by thoughts that the plane may fall, and he will die. A few days before the appointed date, the stomach shrinks, nausea and the urge to vomit are increasingly occurring. Already at the airport sweating intensifies, hands become cold. After passing through the terminal and landing in the cabin of the aircraft, the heartbeat quickens, it becomes difficult to breathe, dizziness is observed. A person with fear realizes that he will have to make an air flight. It sometimes comes to the point that the passenger leaves the flight.

The main reasons for the development of aerophobia include:

The development of fear against the background of other mental disorders. Mostly due to stress and depression. Impressive and sensitive personalities are more often afraid to fly. Fear of flying is inherent in people who are confined spaces.
Genetics also influence the occurrence of a phobia. It manifests itself in an individual whose relatives have anxiety-phobic disorders.
living conditions. A huge role in the development of phobias is influenced by the environment where a person grew up, the formation of character or personality in childhood.
social factors. In most cases, the appearance of aerophobia is influenced by the media, which focuses on the crash of the liner and the number of victims. Plus, films with scenes of a plane crash.

How to overcome the fear of flying on an airplane?

To travel the world freely, you need to learn how to overcome your fear of flying. First you need to observe your feelings to further determine the nature of the occurrence of fear. When a person mistakenly mistook anxiety for a phobia, you can deal with fear on your own.

Statistics

The safest means of transportation is an airplane. The chance of crashing according to the numbers is 1 in 30 million. A huge number of accidents with a fatal outcome are accounted for by vehicles.

The probability of getting into a car accident according to statistics is 1 in 5000. The most unsafe part of the movement is the route to the airport. After landing in the air transport cabin, you can breathe easy - the most dangerous route has been overcome. When your flight anxiety gets the better of you, remember these stats.

Before the flight

Fly on an airplane, and what needs to be done for this? To reduce discomfort before the upcoming trip, timely preparation will help:

What to do to stop being afraid to fly on an airplane. Most people think that they will not become participants in a plane crash, because they themselves are in charge of transport. In the liner, another person is sitting at the helm, it is not a promise to you to control the flight and remove the shaking. Acceptance of the situation will help to perceive what is happening easier.
Preparing for your trip will help reduce your fear of flying. Find out more information about the country you are going to visit. If this is a tourist trip, make a daily plan, write a list of attractions, restaurants, cafes, amusement parks. Ask what the weather will be on the day of arrival, pack your things. If this is a business trip, make a meeting plan, prepare a presentation. In your free time, plan to visit museums, art galleries. Preparation will help you forget that you are afraid to fly.
Exercise before your flight. This approach will not only help to overcome the fear of flying on an airplane, but also relieve nervous tension. Physical exercise relaxes the body, while mood improves. People become calmer and less anxious.
I'm afraid to fly on an airplane. Feel free to admit it to others. The lack of expression only exacerbates the situation. Tell your family or psychologist about your worries and experiences.
Before the trip, do not read the news and do not look for statistics about crashes. Limit watching movies with a tragic ending, do not view scary photos. Do not visit forums where plane crashes are discussed. All this is the reason for the development of fear of flying.
Before departure, it is recommended to visit the airport a few days before the scheduled date. Walk through the terminal, look around. This method may seem radical, but it will help you tune in to the flight.
Arrive at the airport early. You will have enough time to check in your luggage and check in. During the waiting time, you will be able to adapt and tune in to the flight.

How is the aircraft?

Lack of knowledge of the principle of aerodynamics increases anxiety. Climbing aboard an aircraft, many do not understand how such a heavy machine can fly. Ignorance leads to the development of fears. Find out more information about aircraft, how they are arranged. This will help debunk the myths that scare. The fear of flying on an airplane is associated with a lack of information.

How not to be afraid to fly - some facts will help:

The board rises into the sky, thanks to four forces: resistance, lifting force, thrust weights. To understand how they interact, you should read the special literature.
Each aircraft has two engines. In case of failure of one of them, the second will work. Within two hours, the pilot will be able to land the ship. In addition, the engines are much more powerful than those of a car. If two engines fail at once, the liner will make a soft landing.
Before each flight, the ship is carefully inspected. There are 11 hours of maintenance per vehicle.
Many passengers, when boarding, are afraid that the door will open. At an altitude of 9 thousand meters, the door is under the influence of a huge force. In such conditions, it is securely locked.
Wings help the aircraft soar through the air. No need to worry that they may fall off. The wings are firmly attached to the vessel. The probability of loss is reduced to zero.
The systems that provide the flight have a duplicate. When the main program fails, it will be replaced by an understudy. The passenger liner has four spare systems.
Many passengers are worried that during the flight, the pilot will become ill, he will not be able to control the vessel. Each plane has an autopilot, the program will land the liner at the airport.
Professionals in their field work on board the liner. Pilots have about 1,500 flight hours under their belts. Do not worry at the helm, there are experienced specialists, in which case they can easily land the plane.

Turbulence

The study showed that about 20% of passengers are afraid of turbulence. How to stop being afraid to fly, and what you need to know about air pockets in order to overcome your fear. Turbulence is the oscillation of a liner due to crossing the boundary of low and high pressure. Such a chatter is not dangerous and does not pose a threat, it is rather like falling into a hole on highways. The aircraft is designed to withstand such loads. Passengers think that it will shake or not, the actions of the pilot affect. In fact, the liner is on autopilot. Only in very strong turbulence, it turns off and goes into manual mode.

During descent and takeoff, the aircraft shakes slightly as the vessel encounters headwinds. Over the past decades, there has not been a single recorded case of a crash caused by turbulence. Injuries sustained during the turbulence are due to the fact that the passengers did not buckle up.

How not to be afraid to fly on an airplane, turbulence exercises:

when entering a high or low pressure zone, follow the instructions of the flight attendant;
buckle up and stay in your seat until the liner leaves the turbulence zone;
look at the scoreboard and follow the recommendations that are indicated there;
use one of the breathing techniques;
cover your head with your hands in case of falling things from the upper shelves;
your thing suddenly fell, do not get up from your seat, as soon as the shaking is over, you can pick it up;
close your eyes and imagine some bright event, it will help to distract and calm down.

How to Overcome Fear of Flying - Reducing Anxiety

Breathing and relaxation exercises will help get rid of anxiety:

Sit comfortably, put your hand on your stomach. Take a deep breath in through your nose, and exhale slowly for a count of four. Try to breathe in your belly, not your chest. Do yoga, meditation helps to cope with fears. To achieve the result, perform the exercise 5-6 times.
Relaxing exercises. What to do if you are afraid to fly on an airplane - special exercises will help. Before doing this, determine which of the parts is clamped. Often with anxiety, a person shrug their shoulders. Inhale deeply and relax your shoulders. Then move on to another part of the body.
visual images. Close your eyes, imagine the place or country you are going to. Analyze what you see? If this is a tourist trip, mentally walk through the sights. You can turn on relaxing music.

Purchasing plane tickets

How to overcome the fear of flying on an airplane? Flying direct is one easy way to reduce anxiety. Purchasing tickets for direct flights guarantees less time spent on the plane. If you are afraid of turbulence, sit near the wing, it shakes less here. For a flight, give preference to large flights, they have less shaking. The larger the liner, the quieter it flies. Fly on day flights. Night flights can increase anxiety, because nothing can be seen through the window.

What to do on board?

The main reason for the development of aerophobia is that there is nothing to do on the liner. Free time contributes to increased fears. How to stop being afraid of airplanes while in the cabin:

Once on board, greet the crew. Inspect the cabin and passengers, get to know each other. Flying with a company is not as scary as flying alone. Conversation with passengers can distract from bad thoughts.
Take with you the literature that you have long wanted to read.
Listening to music not only soothes, but also isolates from the noise of engines.
Most airlines have internet on their aircraft. Visiting social networks is addictive. Time flies quickly, you will not notice how you reach your destination.
Download a movie to your tablet or smartphone, watch directly on board, play games.
Try to sleep. The flight can take several hours, during which time you can sleep well.
In case you start, inhale deeply and exhale.
During takeoff, to reduce excitement, squeeze the armrest. Tighten your abdominal muscles, stay in this position for ten seconds and release.
During the flight, you should refrain from drinking alcohol. They not only do not reduce fear, but, on the contrary, increase it. The same applies to coffee, it increases the state of anxiety and arousal. Green tea, on the contrary, calms and relaxes.
Airlines include delicious food in the ticket price. Sweet helps to get rid of negative thoughts.
How to stop being afraid to fly. Tell the people who fly with you about it. You will not only be able to calm down, but also receive recommendations on how to overcome anxiety from experienced passengers.

Recourse

It happens that a person cannot overcome his fears on his own. Fear of flying on an airplane, what to do? If necessary, you should contact a specialist. One of the most modern methods for getting rid of aerophobia is hypnotherapy, i.e. putting a person into hypnosis.

The main goal of hypnotherapy is to eliminate the use of drugs, replacing them with control over fears. An effective method of getting rid of aerophobia is hypnosis treatment according to the method

The fear of flying in an airplane is called aerophobia, and this is a fairly common fear in the modern world. Since airplanes have long been the main and most convenient way to travel, the fear of flying often causes serious inconvenience. Fear of airplanes can have various causes: turbulence, flying over water, takeoff and landing periods, fear of enclosed spaces and heights, loss of control over the situation, etc. However, as a rule, the main cause of aerophobia is simply a lack of knowledge about what happens during the flight. To get rid of the fear of flying in an airplane, sometimes you just need to learn a little about airplanes. Below we will tell you how to stop being afraid to fly on a plane.

Popular Mistakes

Thinking about how to stop being afraid to fly on an airplane, many resort to the help of alcohol. This decision may not have the best effect on your condition and will only increase your anxiety. In addition, the dry air on the plane, combined with alcohol, will cause dehydration of the body, and physical discomfort will be added to the psychological discomfort. And since we are talking about drinks, it is worth remembering that caffeine is also not the best friend in this situation: it can lead the nervous system into an excited state.
The fear of airplanes leads many to turn to the study of statistics. What do they see there? Lots of phrases about how airplanes are the safest mode of transport and that accidents are rare. But just one small, even accidentally seen mention of an air accident clouds the mind, and now a person is already studying the Internet in search of accident statistics for his airline, aircraft model, country. Stop! Focusing on the negative will only increase your fear.

How to deal with aerophobia

The first thing to do is to recognize the severity of your fear. If, in connection with flying on an airplane, you experience uncontrollable panic attacks, not only psychological, but also physical difficulties (muscle tension, shortness of breath), then the best solution would be to contact a psychologist who will tell you how to get rid of aerophobia completely or reduce its manifestations to minimum.

If you feel that you are able to deal with fear on your own, below are some tips for dealing with aerophobia:

Accept your fear. You are far from the only person who is afraid of flying. According to statistics, about 25-30% of the adult population of the planet suffer from aerophobia to one degree or another. There is nothing to be ashamed of, so just admit to yourself that you are afraid. If necessary, you can notify the flight attendants about your fear of aircraft, and they will try to make the flight more comfortable for you.
Divert attention. Do not get hung up on the process of flying, instead, do what will bring you pleasure. Be sure to take an interesting book with you, charge your laptop or tablet, download interesting applications or pleasant music to your smartphone. Anything that boosts your mood will also reduce your fear. In addition, stock up on your favorite treats, because food is a great helper in the fight against stress. Dark chocolate will be especially useful. To learn more about things to do on a plane, read our article "Road under the clouds: things to do on a plane" .
Inhale - exhale! Straighten your shoulders and take a deep breath, concentrate on your breath. This will help you calm down. After all, it is not for nothing that all meditative techniques so emphasize the importance of proper breathing.
Trust the professionals. The crew of the aircraft are first-class trained specialists in their field. The aircraft board is a mechanism with high safety parameters. Not many people know, but all the vital systems in aircraft sometimes have not even one, but several spare copies: two engines, four brake and three fuel systems, three control systems, etc. Should you be afraid when you are in such safe hands?

Finally, it is worth mentioning turbulence. What causes the greatest fear, in fact, poses absolutely no danger to flying. It can be compared to bumps in the road, and nothing more. This once again suggests that instead of turning on the imagination and imagining the worst-case scenario, you should just learn more about flying.

We hope you found this article useful and that you learned more about how to deal with your fear of flying.

According to statistics, 20-30% of adults suffer from aerophobia (fear of airplanes), and this is despite the fact that this type of transport is the safest on earth. I will not go into details about why people are afraid to fly, how they feel and how they react to the slightest change in engine noise or the whispering of flight personnel. Tips like "Try not to think negatively", "Try to relax", "Don't watch disaster movies", etc. don't work, I know that!

When a wave of panic hits, it's very difficult to pull yourself together before the plane lands. But the good news is that you can still overcome your fear of flying. I, as a person who is part of the squad of cowards (emphasis on U), will tell you about effective ways that help overcome fear.

7 ways to overcome your fear of flying

The first and most effective remedy for me is alcohol. And for myself, I discovered this panacea quite recently. I have never had alcohol before/during a flight before, but when we flew to India with Emirates, the passengers were offered free alcoholic drinks on board. Two bottles of 50 ml. awakened the fearless traveler in me. The fear of flying, as if removed by hand, I looked out the window with interest, or read a book without an obsessive thought that we would all die.

It is enough to drink quite a bit to overcome the feeling of panic, there is no need to get drunk “in the trash”. Moreover, many airlines do not allow passengers under the influence of alcohol to board the flight. Many people say that drinking alcohol during a flight is harmful, that alcohol dilates blood vessels and further increases the feeling of fear. Perhaps this is true, in no case am I campaigning for anyone, but only sharing those methods that help me personally.

I always take sedatives with me. Why advice on how not to be afraid to fly on an airplane, if you can take a miraculous pill ?! As a rule, Novopassit saves me. In addition, it has a sedative effect and, perhaps, it will also be possible to sleep. But here it is worth remembering that if you drank alcohol, then you can’t take pills. You have to choose one!

Choose reliable airlines. The very idea that you are flying with an airline that has a minimum number of accidents and good on-board service increases the credibility of the carrier and reduces stress. The ranking of the safest airlines in the world can be found here. Also ask for seats at the beginning of the plane or at least in the middle. In the tail section, turbulence is felt much more strongly. Many airlines have the opportunity to choose seats when booking tickets, do not neglect this chance.

Do not drink coffee or strong tea before/during the flight. Caffeine increases the heart rate and increases the feeling of panic. I didn’t know about this before, and I always drank coffee at the airport, waiting for boarding.

Read a little about airplanes: how such a huge "bird" can soar in the air, why there is turbulence and what are the most common causes of plane crashes. Understanding what is happening will give a little confidence, and you will stop winding yourself up once again. How can this help overcome your fear of flying? Think about how many airliners fly around the world every day and what is the chance that you will get into a plane crash?! For greater certainty, I go to this site and see how many planes are in the sky at the moment.

Before landing, I do breathing exercises. They allow me to relax and get some distraction from bad thoughts, including the fear of flying. Find a few video tutorials at home (for example, on YouTube), try them out and choose the one that relaxes you the most. Go through the practice several times, remember, and repeat at the airport.

Prepare for the flight and take things with you that can distract you. I always take a book with me, download my favorite music and games to my phone that can keep me busy. When we flew to

Aerobofiya, or fear of flying, belongs to the category of phobias inherent in many people. It refers to the instinct of self-preservation, which is absolutely natural. To walk the path of getting rid of fears on your own and learn how not to be afraid to fly on an airplane, you need to understand the causes and ways to get rid of aerophobia.

Aerophobia - a disease or not

Aerophobia is the fear of moving on any aircraft. It is difficult to control and overcome, it is based on a fear of heights and a fear of enclosed spaces.

Important! From the point of view of psychiatry, claustrophobia is not a disease, but refers to a pronounced symptom that can be easily corrected and does not require the intervention of a psychiatrist.

Experts say that usually the phobia to fly appears after 25 years. For this reason, children always behave calmly on an airplane, because they are not aware of the danger. 15% of adults are afraid to fly.

The main symptoms of aerophobia that make it difficult to overcome the fear of flying on an airplane are:

nervousness a few days before the flight;
refusal to travel due to fear;
rapid breathing;
the need for alcohol before and during the flight;
analysis of movement in the cabin of the crew;
imagining pictures of air crashes;
constant search in the media for information about air crashes.

Correction of the state of aerophobia consists in teaching a person ways of relaxation and self-control. The easiest way that psychologists use is the use of computer technology. To do this, the future passenger is seated in front of the flight simulator and includes an imitation of the presence in the cockpit or in the cabin. As soon as the pressure and breathing are stabilized, we can assume that the fear has receded.

Why are people afraid to fly on airplanes?

If you ask a person to explain his fear of flying, he will not be able to clearly articulate its reasons. However, they are common to everyone who has aerobophia:

constant viewing of world news, in which messages about air crashes appear;
a man watched disaster films in which a plane was shown to fall;
have their own negative experience when the ship got into a turbulence zone or there was an unsuccessful landing;
fear of heights provokes fear of flying in an airplane in 90% of cases;
fear of death;
a familiar pilot told scary stories;
not taught to cope with nerves;
fear of closed space;
the presence in the cabin of passengers who are visibly nervous, and this condition is transmitted to others.

Important! Scientists have found that people with a very developed imagination are most often predisposed to the appearance of a phobia. During the flight, they imagine all the previously seen scenes from the films and reproduce them in their imagination.

What to do if you are afraid to fly on airplanes

The problem of fear of flying can arise in two situations:

before the trip, at the airport at the sight of aircraft;
after takeoff on board.

In the first case, it is much easier to overcome the fear of flying. To do this, just go to the nearest bar and drink no more than 150 grams of alcohol. No more, because in the air alcohol begins to act much stronger and will double its effect. Alcohol will relax, cause euphoria.

Stop watching the news before your flight. Disasters happen in the world, which are actively discussed in the media. Give yourself a "news vacuum" so you don't see a situation that exacerbates your fears.

Experts always advise, especially for the first time, to arrive at the airport in advance. Check-in for a flight usually starts 2 hours before boarding. If possible, you should arrive an hour earlier. Wait, watch the planes landing and taking off. You will see that there is nothing to worry about, although according to statistics, 70% of accidents occur during takeoff and landing.

So you will have time to calmly check in your luggage, check in, walk around the airport building and get used to the surroundings. If all procedures are carried out in a hurry, this will only add to nervousness.

Important! If the fear is so great that a panic attack begins, it is better to refuse the flight. In this state, it is absolutely impossible to climb aboard. This is dangerous to health, and panic on board can cause unforeseen situations and inappropriate behavior that is difficult to control in a confined space.

If the fear began on board during the flight, you should accept the fact that the risk of dying during a plane crash is much lower than on the way to the airport during a car crash. According to statistics, the plane is the safest mode of transport. There is 1 accident for every 1 million flights. 90% of all accidents involve small private craft, pilot error and are not related to civil aviation.

Why You Shouldn't Be Afraid to Fly

The most common fears during a flight are the same for many people.

Turbulence
Due to turbulence, not a single plane crash has occurred; this condition does not threaten modern liners, which are designed taking into account all physical phenomena and the effects of air currents.

Engine failure
Passenger aircraft have a gliding system controlled by an autopilot. In case of failure of all engines, although this situation is extremely rare, the aircraft will land at the nearest airport or on the ground.

The plane is old and broken
In aviation, there is no concept of "old" or "new" aircraft. There are concepts of "correct" and "faulty". Before the flight, each ship is checked, a faulty aircraft is not allowed to fly.

Pilots are drunk/out of their minds
Pilots undergo a medical examination before departure, so this situation is impossible.

Pilots will start to scorch
The actions of the pilots are fully controlled by the "autopilot" system, which warns of errors. They also want to live, so they do not intend to risk their lives.

This should help to remove the fear of flying by plane. Such thoughts arise in any sane person. Just accept the fact that flying is much safer than driving. It is worth studying the statistics that will show the real figure regarding flight safety.

How to overcome the fear of flying

A great tip is to choose your own seat in advance. The thought that you are planning your trip will reduce the feeling of anxiety. You will transfer part of the responsibility to yourself, thereby establishing a psychological balance due to the understanding that other people do not control your life. Such a psychological technique gives self-confidence, helps to cope with nervousness, reduces fear, dulls the feeling of anxiety.

Don't be afraid of new sounds
It is very uncomfortable for those who fly on board for the first time, as they carefully follow everything that happens, they cannot relax.

During the flight, during takeoff and landing, there will be many new different sounds. This process is completely normal. When landing, the engine runs almost silently, no need to be scared.

Important! Don't listen to every sound while flying. As a non-specialist, you cannot understand the operation of an aircraft, so relax by leaving yourself to professionals.

Listen to music
When flying in business class, passengers are offered individual headphones through which they can connect while watching the selected movie. If you are flying on a charter, extraneous sounds will be very distracting. Download several albums of your favorite band, listen to music that will relax you and take away the panic.

Get ready for turbulence
Turbulence is when an aircraft enters a zone of strong wind currents, after which shaking begins. This condition can be very frightening for a person who flies for the first time. The situation is unpleasant, although there is absolutely no threat.

It should be remembered: turbulence is not dangerous for an aircraft, the aircraft structure is strong, the wings will remain, the skin will also. The crew is well aware of the rules of the aircraft, so passengers should relax as much as possible, wait, calm down.

Important! The only danger of turbulence is the possibility of falling out of the chair. Therefore, you should buckle up.

try to sleep
Sleeping through the entire flight is the best solution. If you can sleep, you can get rid of aerobophia.

Download the airplane simulator app
The application is a great option that can teach you not to be afraid to fly an airplane. This helps to overcome aerophobia and fears. It clearly tells about all the processes that are happening around you, explains the sounds you hear, warns in advance about turbulence zones. We can assume that an experienced pilot is sitting nearby.

Remember God
If you are a believer, be sure to pray. Prayer has a calming effect, helps relieve stress and dull the fear of flying on an airplane, especially for the first time.

Do pills help with fear of flying

Before taking any medication, be sure to consult your doctor, who will prescribe the pills that are right for your symptoms. All tablets that are suitable for treating the symptoms of aerophobia are divided into three groups:

mild sedative herbal preparations;
tranquilizers;
barbiturates.

To begin with, barbiturates are drugs that a doctor prescribes to provide the strongest anticonvulsant sedative effect. This group of drugs is equated to narcotic substances, therefore, it is strictly regulated for admission. Such drugs cannot be bought openly, they must be prescribed by a doctor according to a prescription.

Important! Barbiturates cause persistent dependence, therefore they are used only for severe neurosis, accompanied by panic attacks, convulsions, and insomnia. It is absolutely not worth taking them to overcome the fear of flying, in this state we cease to be aware of what is happening when sleep overpowers fears.

Tranquilizers are weaker. The doctor may prescribe a short course to eliminate the symptoms of a nervous breakdown. They act on the nervous system, reducing pronounced emotional arousal. Such pills can be prescribed before a flight to reduce anxiety, relieve emotional stress, overcome fear, and remove a phobia.

Important! Tranquilizers act from 6 hours to 2 days, you can take medicine after a doctor's prescription if you are very scared during the flight.

Now consider mild sedative herbal preparations:

Novopassit.
Persen.
Motherwort tincture.

Herbal preparations are in every home first aid kit. These medicines should definitely be taken on a trip to overcome the fear of flying. They have no contraindications, side effects, do not require a doctor's prescription.

Important! The downside of herbal sedatives is that they do not save you from panic attacks, for this you should have pills with a stronger effect.

It can be concluded that the pills help to overcome the fear of flying, however, the cause of the phobia is not eliminated. They help temporarily, but are not a panacea.

How to overcome your child's fear of flying

Many parents are faced with a situation where the child succumbs to panic before traveling. To reduce fears and get rid of children's aerophobia, you should resort to a number of tips given by experienced parents.

Important! The most important advice to all parents: stop panicking yourself. Your nervousness and mood is transmitted to children, who, seeing this, begin to be afraid to fly. Therefore, your calmness for most situations is the most important factor that will help remove the feeling of fear in a child of any age.

It should be remembered: children 1-5 years old are intuitively afraid to fly, because they feel the nervousness of their parents. Therefore, panic should be strictly stopped even at the subconscious level. From the age of 5, children have an awareness of death, so a vivid imagination can be created on the basis of the films they see, news, pictures of a plane crash.

You should also strictly ban conversations at home that such travel is dangerous in order to overcome aerophobia. It is necessary to limit viewing of news, films of such subjects. Children's fantasy can create a picture after which it will be difficult to persuade a child to fly. Screams, panic, scandals on board you will be provided.

Fear in children and problems with flights manifest themselves differently depending on age:

A preschooler may be frightened by the roar of engines, noisy neighbors, and start crying. He may want to eat or drink, be tired. Therefore, before the trip, you should feed the child, ensure a good sleep.
Children often cry because they block their ears. To do this, you need to take lollipops, which should be absorbed during takeoff. A newborn baby should be given a breast or a bottle.

To learn not to be afraid to fly on an airplane, follow these tips:

Tell us about all the stages, watch a film together about the device of the aircraft. Such actions will interest the child, relieve tension, fear, distract from terrible thoughts.
Older children should be told the stages of preparation: check-in, baggage check-in. You can entrust him with the winding process so that he feels his importance, pride in himself.
Think of a joint activity that will distract the child. Most flights take 2-3 hours, which is enough time to keep the kids busy. You can read a book, sculpt plasticine figures, draw, put together puzzles, play a board game quietly.
If possible, you can go to the airport in advance, show its work, takeoff / landing.
During the flight, choose seats closer to the aisle so that the child does not see frightening pictures of heights.
Focus on the benefits of relaxation, sea, mountains, hotels. There will be fun, a lot of new friends, ice cream, sweets, a beautiful water park.
A great idea to combat your child's fears is to buy him a new toy to give away on the plane. This will greatly distract attention.
Older children can be told about the device of the cockpit.

The plane is the safest mode of transport, so you need to learn to accept the facts, get rid of fears after 12-13 years.

People who were able to overcome the fear of flying on an airplane tell different ways how to stop being afraid of flying. One helps to drink before the flight, this method is suitable for oblivion and relaxation. Others suffer because they have seen cases where the ship has crashed, so it is very difficult to defeat the reasons for taking off into the air after this. Also, many phobias are generated by ourselves. Tips on how not to be afraid to fly, from real people will help you cope:

try to sleep
Choose a place that is located near the porthole, closer to the tail. Passengers who have children are rarely put here, so the noise level will be very low. The chair near the window is the most comfortable, you can lean against it by closing the curtain and removing the extra annoying light. Even if you fly low-cost, you can add 10-15 euros, choose a convenient place to fly comfortably.

The seat needs to be thrown back as much as possible, this position will relax your back, you will fall asleep much faster. If the neighbors behind are uncomfortable, ask for a blanket, roll it up with a roller so that the lower back is as relaxed as possible, then you can fall asleep quickly. The legs should be kept slightly bent, an emphasis should be placed under them.

An inflatable pillow must be fixed between the chest and chin, often the chair is quite ergonomic, you can sleep without a pillow. A properly fixed chin will save you from a sudden awakening if turbulence starts.

Important! Many find it difficult to relax, so falling asleep can be difficult. Therefore, before the flight, spend a sleepless night, after which it will be easy to overcome the feeling of nervousness, the body will simply fall asleep on its own.

Alcohol
Many people are helped by the advice to drink to overcome their fears of flying and reduce nervousness. This way of dealing with aerophobia does not help everyone, so it is better to drink green tea, which contains trace elements that help relieve stress.

Food
Overeating should be avoided, it is better to have a snack that is not tight.

Beat jet lag early
Jetlag is a jet lag syndrome that occurs after crossing long distances. Worst of all, it is felt if you fly to Asia, because the time of daylight hours is reduced, a person technically returns “back”. Flights to Europe are easier to carry because jet lag makes daylight hours longer.

If a long flight is ahead, the syndrome can manifest itself especially acutely. To avoid this, you should walk as often as possible during daylight hours before the flight for several days. This will help the body to tune in the right way.

These are the main ways to stop being afraid to fly on an airplane and safely tune in to an easy trip. Millions of people fly every day, although they, too, were frightened by news that is better not to watch. Everyone has learned how to deal with their phobias, so you can too.

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