Discover
What you really fear so that you can address it.
Fear of Flying
Fear of a Plane Crash – – or Something Else?
You might be surprised to learn that most people who contact me about their fear of flying are not worried about a plane crash. Often, they have difficulty pinpointing what they’re afraid of – – they just know how anxious they get and how awful it feels.
When I probe a bit, typically the fear is of having a panic attack on the plane. Fearful flyers think they’ll freak out, and so they’ll do anything to avoid this experience. That often leads to numbing themselves with alcohol or taking a fast-acting medication like Xanax to “white knuckle” their way through it. Many people simply avoid flying altogether – – sometimes for years.
Fear of Flying
What are you really afraid of?
The key to overcoming your fear of flying is, first, to identify what you’re really afraid of. It helps to ask yourself: “If I have a panic attack on the plane, what’s the worst thing I dread happening?”
Another way of pinpointing your biggest concern is to predict what you think will trigger a panic attack. Is it being confined on the plane? [claustrophobia] Are you worrying about how you’ll appear to others if you panic? [social anxiety] Do you cringe at the idea of being exposed to germs? [OCD] Or, are you terrified that the plane could crash? [aerophobia]
Fear of Flying
Why it matters what you fear.
To overcome your avoidance of flying you want to understand the underlying fear so treatment can be targeted to learning not only how to manage a panic attack but also how to deal with the specific situation you worry about – – if it occurs.
“Randy helped me get to the root of the anxiety and how to properly deal with it through coping mechanisms outside of medication and other crutches I was doing.” [J.V., real client]
Fear of Flying
Treatment
To conquer your fear of flying you’ll need to learn – – and practice – – 2 skills:
- How to manage a panic attack the right way, so it subsides, by using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and
- How to handle the situations you worry about happening on the plane. The proven method for doing this is Exposure Therapy. However, there is a right and a wrong way to do exposures. The wrong way will reinforce your fear. I will teach you the right way, which will enable you to overcome it.
You Will Learn:
- Why your panic attacks keep recurring.
- The best way to manage one if it happens – – without freaking out.
- How to do exposures the right way.
One question you might ask is, “How can I practice tolerating flying without actually taking a flight?” The answer is by doing imaginal exposure. This is a proven method for overcoming fears that are difficult to address in real life – – or ones that may never come true.
“One thing I will say is though, you have to put the work into it…it does not just happen overnight…she gives you the tools and explains to you why this is happening.” [M.L., real client]
How To Get Started
Contact Me Today
I offer a free phone consultation to discuss your situation, answer your questions and tell you how I would approach treating your problem.
