Conquer Your Fear of Flying

If you experience fear of flying, you are not alone, and there is nothing to feel ashamed of.  An estimated 30 million people admit to at least some anxiety when they fly.  For a few, the fear of flying is powerful enough to keep them from traveling.  If your flying anxiety keeps you from traveling when you need or want to, it may be time to do something about it.  There are several ways you can conquer your fear of flying.

Education
One way to deal with flying anxiety is to educate yourself.  Most phobias, including this one, are based on perception, not reality.  Learning about reality helps dissipate the fear.  There are many courses available that deal specifically with overcoming the fear of flying; some of them are offered by airlines.  You can find lots of “fear of flying” classes by searching for them on the internet. 

Therapy
If your flying anxiety is based on personal experience, you may need therapy to help you overcome it.  If you or someone you know had a tragic flying experience, you may have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder instead of a phobia.  Counseling and/or therapeutic techniques like Rapid Eye Therapy (RET) or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) could help you conquer your fear of flying.

Desensitization
Progressive Desensitization Therapy is the most common treatment for a disabling fear of flying.  Many clinics offer this treatment, and most use virtual reality technology to simulate actual flying situations.  You gradually spend more time in simulated flying situations and learn how to deal with different situations that you could face.  After each episode, you have the opportunity to talk it through with a trained desensitization professional.

Progressive desensitization is a very effective way for you to overcome your fear of flying.  It can be expensive, especially if you require several sessions, but if you need to fly frequently—perhaps for work—it can be well worth the cost. 

Medical Treatment
Sometimes, especially if you don’t fly often, the best way to conquer your fear of flying is to take an antianxiety medication.  Some people self-medicate with alcohol, and that is probably okay if it works for you and if you aren’t normally much of a drinker and if you don’t self-medicate so much that you annoy other passengers or the flight crew. 

Fear of flying doesn’t have to ground you.  There are several ways you can conquer your flying anxiety so that you can travel by air.