Afraid of Flying?

Outsmart Your Anxiety

by Kristi Caporoso

    Having a phobia of anything, including airplanes or enclosed spaces, can be particularly overwhelming and hard to manage. Going on vacation oversees seems like an impossible feat; you experience physical danger signals when in reality you are safe; and discomfort runs rampant through you whenever you encounter the object of your fear.
    However, danger isn't what is putting you on high alert in these situations--it is merely anxiety. Martin N. Seif, PhD, says "Anxiety is a world-class buffer. It bluffs people into thinking they're in danger when they're really not." Anxiety is defined by irrational fears that cripple those who suffer from it. Some of these fears may even piggy-back each other, such as fear of flying and fear of enclosed spaces (Marill). This can make situations seem even more difficult to be in. People in general tend to "misjudge risks" even if they do not have anxiety problems. For example, fear of flying is more prominent than fear of driving or being in an automobile--even though a substantial amount of more people die in car accidents every day than plane accidents.
    To combat these irrational fears and anxiety, "truth is an antidote" (Marill). Take some time to research how safe flying actually is before you do it. Also, keep yourself in the present moment. Don't let your mind roam and run away with "what if." And although it may be difficult to deal with, simply avoiding what you're afraid of does not help--it only reinforces the anxiety or phobia that you have.

Source: WebMD, "High Anxiety," Michelle Cohen Marill