fear of flying

Fear of flying: description

Fear of flying is one of the specific phobias. This is what professionals talk about when a person is afraid of certain objects or situations, such as flying in this case.

Many people have a queasy feeling when they board a plane. Although the plane is statistically the safest means of transport, the fear of falling. Especially after major aircraft accidents, it is difficult for many to give up control and to trust the pilot and the machine.

People with aviophobia, however, are so afraid of flying that they can not bear this situation, or only with agony. Just the thought of a flight generates nervousness and sweats. A survey by the Allensbach Institute for Demoscopy came to the conclusion that around 16 percent of the German population is afraid of flying. Women are about twice as likely to fear flying birds as men.

Not all people with fear of flying are inevitably afraid of a crash. There are different reasons why people are afraid of flying:

• Some suffer from fear of space or heights.
• Others are afraid of the technology and the complexity of an airplane.
• In some, the “co-driver syndrome” triggers the fears. They have problems with entrusting their own well-being to another, in this case the pilot.
• Still others have had bad flying experience because of turbulence or having to restart a machine when approaching. In such cases, fear of flying results from the expectation that similar terrifying events will occur again on the next flight.

Fear of flying anxiety is often accompanied by other fears, but also other mental disorders, such as depression.

Fear of flying: symptoms

When people with aviophobia are confronted with an airplane, certain thoughts, behaviors, and physical symptoms appear. As a rule, anxiety quickly becomes stronger and only slowly breaks down again. If the fear is very strong, panic attacks can also occur.

Physical symptoms

Flying is very uncomfortable for people with fear of flying, especially because of the pronounced physical symptoms. The heart beats faster and those affected breathe quickly and flat. Through this breathing, those affected emit a lot of carbon dioxide. As a result dizziness and suffocation may occur. The muscles tighten. Typical symptoms include diarrhea or severe urination, abdominal pain, tremors and weak knees.

The closer the flight comes, the stronger the physical symptoms become. The person concerned mistakenly perceives these signs as threatening. Often, people feel their heartbeat stronger and interpret it as a sign of imminent danger.

Negative thoughts and selective perception

Negative thoughts start the vicious circle of fear. Even before the flight, the victims of paint, what could go wrong. It is through these thoughts that her pulse rises. The affected person interprets the body changes as a threat. The fear becomes stronger.

If a plane accident happens somewhere, people with fear of flying evaluate this as confirmation of their fears. They do not realize that most flights are going well as the focus is on the negative exceptions. Experts refer to this phenomenon as selective perception.

Avoid flying

The fear of flying is so unpleasant that many would rather not do it. Avoiding the feared, however, keeps the fear alive and can even increase it. People who avoid flying out of fear do not experience that nothing bad happens to them on the plane. Many know that their fears are exaggerated, but that does not change the phobia. Only by confronting the dreaded situation can you overcome the fear of flying.

Symptoms of a panic attack

A fear of flying can swing so much that those affected suffer a panic attack. In a panic attack, the fear is even more intense. Often, sufferers even fear dying from the physical symptoms. Difficulty in breathing, heart palpitations, feelings of suffocation as well as dizziness and fainting can be signs of a panic attack. These seizures usually reach their peak after ten minutes and then fade away. They cause great discomfort and fear of another attack.

Fear of flying: causes and risk factors

Fear is a mental and physical reaction to danger. A fear reaction is therefore something completely natural. The body releases stress hormones and reacts with either a fight or an escape response. Threatens an actual danger, these reactions are essential to survival. Fear prevents people from exposing themselves to life-threatening situations. It becomes problematic when this fear is overly pronounced and occurs even when there is no real threat. In a phobia is exactly the case.

Fear of flying: learning by the model

Frequently, the fear of flying already begins with an experience in childhood or adolescence. If children see their parents fear flying, they may also develop a fear of flying. Even if the adults do not express this fear, the children notice the tension and nervousness and take over the behavior. So you can develop a fear of flying, even though you have never boarded a plane yourself.

Fear of flying: conditioning the fear

A specific phobia – such as fear of flying – can also be caused by a traumatic experience. For example, an emergency landing can trigger mortal fears. The person concerned connects the negative feelings during the emergency landing with the flight. All the smells and perceptions that the affected person registers at that moment are stored in the brain and linked to fear. The next time this person sees an airplane, the feeling of fear comes back up. One then speaks of a negative conditioning. The plane is no longer neutral, but has negative connotations.

A life-threatening event is not always the trigger: even turbulence during the flight can lead to fear of flying. The decisive factor is the evaluation of the event. Anxious persons will classify turbulence as dangerous.

Today, experts believe that even feature films or information about the dangers of flying can contribute to a phobia. The fear can arise even after the flight. For example, many people find the flight through a thunderstorm unpleasant, but not necessarily threatening. However, in hindsight, watching a movie about a plane crash caused by a thunderstorm can suddenly become a source of great anxiety.

Fear of flying: biological roots of fear

Some people are more prone to phobias than others. This susceptibility (vulnerability) is believed to be influenced by various biological factors. Family and twin research suggests that the risk of phobias is sometimes genetically transmitted. Experts also believe that an imbalance of messenger substances in the brain may favor the disorders. In addition, education and the environment significantly affect how anxious a person is.

In the negative interpretation of experiences, the messengers serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine could also play a role. Drugs that affect the transmission of messengers in the brain can therefore also influence the strength of the anxiety.

Fear of flying: examinations and diagnosis

If you notice severe fears of yourself or your relatives, you can contact your family doctor as the first contact person. The doctor will interview you about your thoughts, feelings and physical reactions while flying. If the suspicion of a specific phobia is confirmed, he or she will be referred to a psychotherapist or psychiatrist. Meanwhile, some airlines offer seminars against fear of flying.

However, it makes sense to first visit a doctor so that it can rule out a physical cause. With the help of blood tests, electrocardiogram (ECG) and thyroid scores, the family doctor will, among other things, check cardiac and thyroid functions.

The psychotherapist can then diagnose with the Diagnostic and Statistical Guide to Psychiatric Disorders (DSM-IV). For a specific phobia, in this case fear of flying, the following criteria must apply:

1. The person concerned has pronounced and persistent anxiety which is exaggerated and unfounded. The actual presence or expectation of a specific object (airplane) or a specific situation (flying or sitting in a plane) triggers this fear.
2. The confrontation with the phobic stimulus (airplane) almost always causes an immediate anxiety reaction or panic attack.
3. The person concerned realizes that the fear is exaggerated or unfounded.
4. The person avoids the corresponding situation or endures it with great anxiety.
5. The symptoms (fear of flying) significantly affect the normal functioning of the person or the phobia causes considerable harm to the person.
6. The phobia has been going on for at least six months.

Fear of flying: treatment

There are various procedures available for treatment that help people overcome their fear of flying. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is particularly effective against fear of flying. The German Society for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Psychosomatics and Neurology (DGPPN) recommends this form of therapy as the first choice.

Cognitive behavioral therapy can be done on an outpatient basis. If the anxiety is not very strong, few therapy sessions can be enough. Central elements for the treatment of fear of flying are the confrontation, the restructuring of thoughts and relaxation techniques. Medicines are rarely used.

Confrontation of fear

People with fear of flying avoid getting into an airplane at any cost. But it is precisely this confrontation with the dreaded object or the situation that is crucial in order to liberate oneself from the fears in the long term. There are different ways of confrontation.

The gradual confrontation leads the client step by step to the dreaded situation. Often the therapist begins with the so-called “confrontation in sensu”. In this method, the client first imagines the flight situation in his mind and can get used to the idea. After some time it will become easier and easier for the person concerned to imagine flying, and the fear will decrease. The therapist increases the challenges in each session. In the end, the client dealt with the real plane, what therapists call “confrontation in vivo”. The disadvantage of the staged confrontation is that the process can take several weeks to months to complete.

The so-called “massed confrontation” immediately exposes the client to his greatest fear. In the case of fear of flying, this means boarding a plane. This approach is brutal at first, but it is very effective. The person affected experiences in this way that nothing happens to him in the dreaded situation. An important experience is that the physical symptoms, such as palpitations or shortness of breath, are not life threatening. If the client is exposed to the situation for a longer period of time, the symptoms diminish until they are completely gone. First, the therapist accompanies the affected person. At the end of therapy, the patient should have learned to manage the situation on his own.

Restructuring of thoughts

Thoughts play an important role in the development and management of anxiety. Negative thoughts can trigger and intensify fears. An important step in therapy is to recognize and change such thoughts.

With the help of the therapist, the client learns to question exaggerated or unreal thoughts. A common thought in fear of flying is: “The aircraft crashes with certainty.” The therapist checks with the client this assumption. Is a crash realistic? Can you be sure that it will crash? How likely is a crash of the aircraft? With such questions, the therapist reduces the catastrophic thoughts of the client. Over time, the affected person replaces the wrong assumptions with realistic thoughts.

relaxation techniques

Many therapists also work with relaxation techniques. The client can learn this under guidance and practice independently at home.

A good and easy way to get a grip on fears is through breathing exercises. Here’s an example:

First, try to control your breathing. The basis of all relaxing breathing techniques is abdominal breathing. Place your hand flat on the stomach about two centimeters below the navel and breathe in deeply and slowly. Imagine how your breathing air flows through the nose into the chest, from there into the abdomen to the hand, and then your hand is “breathed high”. Then exhale again and imagine how the air flows through the abdomen, over the back, through the nose.

Afterwards, take a respite of 6 to 10 seconds. A little tip: Count in your mind “21, 22, 23, …”. A number equals approximately one second. You can also stop breathing after inhaling. The important thing is that you make it. Otherwise you breathe too fast and exhale too much carbon dioxide (CO2). Through controlled conscious breathing, you will notice that the muscles relax and you feel better. The exercise should be performed daily for 2 to 3 minutes until you can create a significant relaxation.

An easy-to-learn relaxation technique is Progressive Relaxation. In doing so, gradually relax all the major muscle groups of the body by pre-tensioning. The perceived physical relaxation causes the mind to relax. Since the exercises are performed while lying down and sitting, you can apply this technique in the stress situation as in the airplane. Exercise this exercise for a few minutes a day while breathing quietly.

Another effective relaxation technique is autogenic training. It is a bit more complicated to learn, but then applicable in a variety of situations.

Medicines for fear of flying

To reduce the fear of flying, benzodiazepines can be used. However, these are sleep aids and tranquilizers that have a high addictive potential. The advantage of benzodiazepines is their quick action. People with fear of flying have significantly less anxiety on the plane with these drugs. The problem, however, is that the fear is not overcome, but only suppressed. Affected persons who use medications or alcohol for reassurance increase their fear of flying in the long term.

What helps against fear of flying? Fear of flying tips

Is it possible to do something about fear of flying if she appears on the plane? When fear overcomes an airplane, it is important to control your breathing and your thoughts. Relaxation techniques are a great help here. The better they are internalized, the easier they are to apply in the acute case.

It is also crucial not to let negative thoughts escalate. One way is to block them with a thought stop. This is a deliberate interruption of the frightening notion through a loud or inwardly called “stop!”.

Many people also benefit from learning about flying and airplanes. This helps them face fears with a rational counterweight. In seminars against fear of flying, as well as in guidebooks help seekers find a lot of information about the technical details and other tips against fear of flying.

Fear of flying: disease course and prognosis

A phobia before flying or the airplane usually begins in childhood. After a frightening experience, sufferers avoid getting on a plane. This increases the fear. Without treatment, fear of flying often persists for a lifetime.

People with fear of flying rarely go into treatment because it is possible for many to simply avoid flying. Anyone who does not depend on flying for work can live with fear of flying without major restrictions. But the step into the treatment is worthwhile, because the aviophobia can be treated very successfully with the help of a therapy. So whoever faces his fear can do his fear of flying fight.