Fear of Flying hypnotherapy

Fear of flying hypnotherapy

Fear of flying

Before you read on it is important to put your mind at rest and let you know that a fear of flying is very treatable. Using hypnosis and CBT can help you overcome your fears and get you back to flying is a calm and more enjoyable way.

A fear of flying is not at all uncommon and affects thousands of people around the globe (approximately 1 in 10). Just the very thought of booking a flight is enough to send the individual into panic or elevated anxiety and this can go on from the build up leading up to arriving at the airport, to the flight itself and then into the holiday, as the phobic begins to worry about the return flight.

 

Some individual won’t get this far though, choosing instead to avoid the anxiety altogether by choosing not to fly. But by doing this they form a strategy, a coping mechanism, which they come to rely upon, and they may feel that they will never fly again. This problem can then extend into the individuals’ private life effecting family holidays, or perhaps they have to travel as part of their job. I have seen some clients that avoid promotion as a way of avoiding travel by air. Therefore, this type of phobia can have a very profound effect that extends beyond the self.

 

Fear of flying is referred to as aviatophobia or Pteromerhanophobia or aerophobia (this can also refer to a fear of drafts or breezes), however most individuals don’t particularly care what it’s labeled, they just know that they have a fear that is based on irrational beliefs and would love to be rid of the anxiety all together.

 

Most people who suffer a fear of flying often understand that it is an illogical fear, they understand that flying is the safest form of transport, they realize that the threat of terrorism has actually strengthened security systems, they acknowledge that turbulence is a natural phenomenon and that most flights will hit pockets of air that will make the plane drop or wobble about a bit. However, this doesn’t make the anxiety any easier for the sufferer, and actually makes it even more puzzling and frustrating.

 

It certainly doesn’t help matters that the terminology they use at airports seems to point at impending doom… words such as ‘Terminal’ and ‘Departure’ really don’t help. The fears involved in flying can range from the fears of the plane crashing, terrorism, being confined in an area from which you cannot escape Claustrophobia), not being in control, losing control or the fear of crowds for example.

 

This is where hypnosis for the fear of flying comes into play. Working with the subconscious part of your mind to uncover the true meaning of the fear, it’s origin and how to eradicate the association. Using my cognitive hypnotherapy approach we will work through the anxiety and the fear together until it has reached a point of resolution. Pretty much all phobias can be dealt with using cognitive hypnosis, unless there is trauma involved, when I then tend to use different approaches.

Lets take a look at how a fear of flying develops

 

Fear of crashing or attack

Elevated fears seemed to have been spurred on by the terrible disaster in 2001 when the twin towers in New York were attacked by terrorists. People around the globe were shocked and sickened and this had an impact on the way people viewed flying as a safe form of travel. However, because of this incident, airport security actually tightened and if anything the airways became even safer. But the fear still remained. Why is this? Because most fears are irrational and we don’t tend to check the other side of the argument. So we need to address our distorted thinking to challenge the negative belief.

Of course, there were incidences of terrorism long before the 9/11 atrocities, but we always take the freshest event into consideration.

Loss of control

Then there is an issue of surrendering control over to the pilot and the aircraft itself, and this loss of control is very often the cause for so many peoples fears.  A lot of people become a little more reassured when the pilot talks on the intercom in a posh accent rather than a regionalised one, and this has something to do with feeling as if the pilot has had better training. Although, this makes no sense, it still affects the way we think. How many people out there always check to see the expressions on the air stewardesses faces when the plane experiences turbulence. It’s a way of threat checking.

Sensitising event

Another reason is a sensitising event. This is were a passenger has experienced something negative whilst on board a plane. Perhaps the turbulence was such that some other passengers yelled out or screamed. For that split second your fear heightened and even though the plane carries on without incident, the unconscious holds onto that feeling of fear.

Fear on enclosed spaces

Quite common is claustrophobia. This is were the passenger feels trapped with no way out, no escape from the plane and even if they could escape they are thousands of miles in the air. So they feel the fear and a sense of hopelessness.

Fear of being sick

Often called emetophobia, this is the fear of being sick or seeing someone else being sick. And because on plane journeys there is such a thing as air sickness, then this can be a real problem for that person, and so they tend to avoid the situations such as flying.

Fear of heights

Well, not much I can say about this apart from, although the plane may be several thousand feet in the air, there is a sense of unreality to the height. Different to standing up a ladder. However, this is still a big concern to the person afraid of heights.

Fear of losing control or panic attack

In situations were there is no escape, some fear they may lose control or have a panic attack. This fear is more about embarrassment in front of other people, but the fear is strong nonetheless.

 

So there are many reasons behind a fear of flying, do any of these causes ring true to you?

 

But the main thing to remember is, that you are not alone, you are not a freak you just need to work through your beliefs and thought processes with the use of hypnotherapy in my Warrington office.

If you want to control the fears that accompany the thought of travelling by air than use the contact form on the contacts page or give me a call on 0800 849 94 94 and book a consultation.

 

 

 

 

Evolution Hypnotherapy, 64 Shackleton Close, Old Hall, Warrington, Cheshire WA5 9QE –  0800 849 9494 – 01925 354 820


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