The multiple air catastrophes reported by media from time to time suggest thinking seriously about the safety, or rather insecurity, of air transport. It has been estimated that nearly 20% of people travelling by plane sometimes encounter panic attacks of fear for flights that later transforms into a phobia. Passengers with delicate nervous system sometimes have to resort to psychotherapists` help or exclude air travel from their life.

Flights phobia can show up as a simple fear for height, as the feeling of impossibility to personally pilot the plane, and also as anticipation of an emergency with a tragic end. This very mental state, according to specialists, is what the majority of the passengers, suffering from flights phobia, feel.

An alert is produced by our mind that directly associates the word “plane” with a catastrophe or tragedy. In a state of panic fear a person becomes overanxious and sensitive to any strange noises. They fill any fact, abnormal from their point of view, with fatal meaning, and suspiciously take whispering between the stewards and the plane engine sounds. The cases when air passengers went into hysterics straight aboard are not a rare thing.

There is no medicine against flights phobia, although taking some tranquilizers or drinking a small dose of alcohol can be an option - this may help to avoid the uncomfortable anxiety during a flight. It is also better not to refuse to have a meal offered aboard – food helps to maintain the level of blood-sugar and is able to comfort in a stressful situation. However, flights phobia is a mental disorder triggered by our unconscious. It is possible to stop the fear for air travel only by finding the real reason that has caused it.

The specialists advise to try to remember what caused the first “plane worry” – maybe it was a strong jolting, long landing approach, or unscheduled landing, etc. As soon as the first fear trigger is found passengers are advised to answer a question: if all of the previous flights they have experienced went well, why this one must lead to a tragedy?

Accidents with cars and trains happen more often; that’s why it is important to believe in the fact that flights are even safer than travelling by some other kinds of transport. After managing mind control it is also useful to learn some relaxation methods.

When being aboard plane it would be better to try to distract your attention from the fear and switch to doing something else: for instance, to solve crosswords, read a book or inflight magazine, etc.

According to the experts, the best way to forget about flights phobia is to fly more frequently. Every successful landing will conduce to growth of the belief that all those air catastrophes and accidents reported by media are an exception rather than the rule.

Photo: Gettyimages

Source:
    travel.km.ru

Lavrentyeva Natalya