Blog 53: Biggest Fears (and Solutions to those Fears) of Flying
Hi everyone! And welcome back to Brooke In the Air, this week we’re going to address some common concerns (fears) of flying.
Air Canada widebody Boeing 777-300ER taking off from its main hub at Toronto-Pearson International Airport (YYZ)
Let’s face it, flying is stressful. It’s a key reason I fly business or first-class. Even the airport itself can be stressful, even to seasoned travelers like myself. It’s actually really easy to have or develop fears when you’re crammed into a pressurized metal tube, hurtling through the air at 40,000 feet and at a third to half the speed of sound.
I’m here to alleviate your worries, judgment free! After all, you can’t travel and experience the world, if you’re too scared to get in an aircraft. Medically, this is known as Aerophobia or Aviophobia or pteromerhanophobia, and is a diagnosable medical condition.
MEDICAL BACKGROUND
According to the Lancet, People with fear of flying experience intense, persistent fear or anxiety when they consider flying, as well as during flying. They will avoid flying if they can, and the fear, anxiety, and avoidance cause significant distress and impair their ability to function.
Take-off, bad weather, and turbulence appear to be the most anxiety provoking aspects of flying.
The most extreme manifestations can include panic attacks or vomiting at the mere sight or mention of an aircraft or air travel.
Around 60% of people with fear of flying report having some other anxiety disorder.
GENERAL CAUSES
The causes of flight phobia and the mechanisms by which it is maintained were not well understood as of a new 2018 study per the New England Journal of Medicine.
Cover of the new DSM-V manual (c. 2018)
Fear of flying is a specific phobia classified as such in the DSM-5 manual, the latest version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. The official diagnosis of Aviophobia is purely clinical. It is often difficult to determine if the specific phobia of fear of flight should be the primary diagnosis, or if fear of flying is a symptom of a generalized anxiety disorder or another anxiety disorder such as agoraphobia or claustrophobia.
TREATMENTS
Acute anxiety caused by flying can be treated with anti-anxiety medication. The condition can be treated with exposure therapy, including use of virtual reality equipment, which works better when combined with cognitive behavioral therapy. Relaxation techniques and education about aviation safety can also be helpful in combination with other approaches.
A new and advanced treatment for aviophobia is virtual reality exposure therapy, or VRET. This type of treatment uses computer technology where the patient enters a virtual reality of flying.
OUTCOMES
Effective treatment for phobias such as fear of flying would be one that activates and modifies the fear structure. Activation of the fear structure can be achieved by exposing the patient to the feared stimuli, flying in this case, to elicit the fearful response. Studies of interventions like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) have reported rates of reduction in general anxiety of around 80%; however, there is little evidence that any treatment can eliminate fear of flying.
MASS TRAUMA RESPONSE
Following the September 11 terror attacks, Americans chose to travel more by car instead of flying; because of the extra traffic, around 350 more people died in traffic accidents than would have normally occurred according to statistics performed by the New York Times.
RESEARCH
As of 2016, the causes of fear of flying as well as the psychological mechanisms through which it persists had not been well researched, according to the American Psychological Association (APA).
A few studies had looked at whether mechanisms like illusory correlation and expectancy bias were present in all or most people with fear of flying as well as other specific phobias; these studies have not led to clear outcomes.
Research into the most effective ways to treat or manage fear of flying is difficult (as it is with other counselling or behavioral interventions) due to the inability to include a placebo or other control implement in such studies.
POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS
I do hope to provide some logical reassurances to nervous flyers though. It is important to remember that generally the bigger the plane, the safer the plane. Aircraft now in the 2020s are much safer than ever before and of course, jets are far more reliable than propeller planes, generally, due to maintenance.
North American Low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines’ A321-neo
Singapore Airlines A380 First Class suite
One possible solution is to fly business class or even premium economy. Hear me out. It’s not merely about flying in luxury. It’s been shown that flying in premium classes actually lowers stress and increases endorphin release for the duration of the flight. Even premium economy class (offered on some long haul flights and airlines and aircraft) offers more room, and extra amenities.
Good if not great meals, tons of alcohol (or other drinks), personal service, lie-flat seats (essentially a bed), and tons of space, business class encourages relaxation, and Star Alliance airlines make traveling in business or first-class attainable.
The other possible solution, if you’re determined to fly economy class, is to buy gum at one of the many stores in the airport and chew throughout the flight, not only does the action pop your ears relieving the pressure, but it occupies your nervous system.
You could also take Benadryl to put yourself to sleep for most of the flight, this solution is not proven nor medically recommended.
Try going to sleep while the plane is taxiing instead of during takeoff or flight.
Eating before your flight has been shown to help relieve anxiety for flying.
Do NOT fly supposed low-cost airlines (Spirit, Flair, Frontier, etc.), they will make your flying experience much worse, I guarantee it!
Educate yourself on how airplanes work, learn as much as you can about aviation, knowledge is power and can alleviate tension - this has been shown to help passengers significantly.
Those are a few potential solutions to Aviophobia, I hope these help and I heartily endorse number 7, but feel free to add to these suggestions!
