Why Are We Afraid to Fly? Flight Phobia or Aerophobia

Nowadays, flying has become a very common form of transportation. for work or to discover a country far more distant than the wheels of our car can take us.

Flying phobia, or aerophobia, is a specific type of phobia that most people experience in various forms. Even if I don't have a fear of flying that would cause me problems, when I take off and land, a few scenarios will cross my mind and I hope something doesn't happen.

It is a normal reaction to a stress stimulus over which we have no control.

Many times we do not realize when we overcome certain fears, we simply wake up that the fear is gone. Sometimes, however, we wake up feeling much more afraid of something than we were a few years ago.

For example, when a person earns the right to drive a vehicle, the first few days of driving alone may seem very dangerous. But over time, with the experience gained and the confidence gained, noticing that nothing bad is happening, driving can become a pleasure or even a method of relaxation.

In reality, he has managed to gather enough information from the countless roads he has traveled that he manages to adjust to a situation in which he has control.

People who are afraid of flying experience intense and persistent fear or anxiety when they consider the flight, as well as during the flight. They will avoid flying if they can, and fear, anxiety, and avoidance cause significant suffering and affect their ability to function.

Take-off, bad weather, and turbulence seem to be the most anxious aspects of the flight.

A specific phobia can be defined as a disorder that is characterized by excessive and persistent fear of a particular object or situation, the fear being disproportionate in response to the associated stimulus.

Causes of fear of flying

The exact causes of flight fear are not known, but several different factors may play an important role in triggering the phobia. Fear itself varies greatly from one individual to another and is influenced by a complex set of physiological, psychological, and social factors that are unique to each individual. Some of the causes may be:

• A flight-related trauma from the past: Whether a person has been involved in a plane crash in the past or seen passengers on a plane suffering physical and mental trauma, they may develop a fear of flying.

• Someone in the family has had or has had this phobia: Sometimes our parents' fears are transmitted to us through the way they talk about the experience, which leads to the development of the same fears that we observe in them.

• Individual reasons: Some people develop a fear of flying for reasons unrelated to the flight. Whether the person is struggling with social anxiety, germophobia, claustrophobia, or another problem experienced in flight, may develop a reluctance or fear of being in the air.

• Regardless of the above causes, we all experience on the plane the feeling of "loss of control" that leads to the feeling of helplessness, a feeling difficult to accept for our psyche.

The symptoms of aerophobia are similar to those of other specific phobias, such as the phobia of animals and insects, phobias related to the natural environment (height, water, natural disasters), phobias of blood injections or wounds, phobias of the situation (public transport, elevator, driving, enclosed spaces, etc.) and much more.

Some people may suffer a full-blown panic attack. A panic attack is an episode of intense fear that can be accompanied by symptoms such as heart palpitations, a feeling of detachment from reality, and fear of dying.

However, there is a difference between phobia and fear, because in phobia we cannot control our impulses and the sensation is a blocking one, and often the need is to run away from that environment in a safer one where we feel we can control several factors.

So, what can we do to help control our feelings when we have a phobia? It is generally recommended that someone who suffers or is considered to be suffering from such a specific phobia, seek the help of a specialist.

Individual therapy is usually a good and quick solution for phobias, but some solutions to deal with panic or anxiety can be:

• Let's learn to control our breathing: very often, in moments of panic, the body becomes tense and breathing is limited, which does not allow the brain to function in normal parameters. Breathing control, with long breaths and exhalations, will help the brain to be able to take control again. If possible, cold water on our hands and face helps us to become masters of the situation again.

• Recognize our irrational thoughts as they arise: it is okay to work to replace irrational thoughts with rational ones. For example, if we think about what might go wrong, we might change and think about the wonderful things we will experience at the destination of the flight. Whenever we find ourselves slipping back into irrational thoughts, we will tell the mind, "I am calm, quiet, relaxed, in control of myself, able to handle any situation."

• Let's practice relaxation techniques: we can better cope with aerophobia if we develop techniques that help us calm down. We can try new techniques of breathing, visualization, or progressive muscle relaxation to relieve symptoms. There are platforms that journal, meditation, or prayer help to overcome. It is a good idea to start practicing these techniques two or three weeks before you travel by plane. The more practice we have, the more effective these techniques will be

While many people are afraid to fly to some extent, only a small proportion of them meet the criteria for a diagnosis of phobia. Whether or not the fear of flying has developed into a phobia, it can affect our quality of life. By applying the above techniques, acquiring new information on these topics and with the help of a specialist, this problem can be solved efficiently and quickly.