Monday, March 25, 2024

What Kind Of Phobia Is The Fear Of Flying

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Arachnophobia: Fear Of Spiders

FEAR OF FLYING | PILOTPATRICK REVEALS HIS 7 BEST TIPS

This phobia tends to affect more women than men. Almost nobody wants a tarantula crawling on them but for some people, the sight of a tiny spider can clear a room until it is squashed. One of the most common explanations for this phobia is that creatures like spiders were a serious threat to our ancestors who didnt know how to treat injuries from animals and insects. The theory says that, as a result, fear of these creatures is part of our evolution.

Carcinophobia: Fear Of Cancer

People with carcinophobia or cancerophobia live with an irrational dread of developing cancer. Every bodily discomfort becomes a sign for them that they have a malignant growth somewhere inside. A headache, for instance, is a sign for them that they have a brain tumor. Cognitive therapy can help someone with carcinophobia regain control of their life.

The Great Thing About This Study On Cbd And Public Speaking Phobia Is That They Also Included A Group Of People Who Had Diagnosed With A Social Anxiety Disorder

Let’s look at the highlights.

Prior to an anticipated public speaking, there were two groups of participants:;

  • One group was given 600 mg of CBD prior to public speaking
  • One group was given a placebo

Finally, there was a separate division of people who had a diagnosed social anxiety disorder.

We established the importance of social phobia and fear of flying.

What were the results of CBD?;

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How Can I Overcome My Fear Of Flying

Overcoming a fear of flying takes a lot of courage and practice. But it is possible with appropriate treatment. I never flew until I was almost 30 years old, and getting over my own fear of flying was one of the most difficult achievements of my life.

If you can successfully identify the triggers that produce your anxiety, you’ve taken the first step. It’s important to note that fear of flying is not a single phobia. Most people who fear flying are claustrophobic, or frightened of being locked in the plane and unable to choose when to get off.

A phobia is an intense fear that is out of proportion to the danger, which is particularly relevant to fears of flying. Most flight phobics agree that flying is safe, yet frightening. They have a hard time reconciling their fear with safety statistics. Although we know our phobias are not logical, we cannot reason ourselves out of one.

Understanding Triggers

Behind the Phobias and Fear

  • Those who dont fly or havent flown for more than five years despite the opportunity to do so.
  • Those who fly only when absolutely necessary with extreme terror.
  • Those who fly when required, but with anxiety.;
  • Elements of Successful Treatment

    Normal Fears Vs Phobias Or Irrational Fears

    Fear of flying

    It is normal and even helpful to experience fear in dangerous situations. Fear serves a protective purpose, activating the automatic fight-or-flight response. With our bodies and minds alert and ready for action, we are able to respond quickly and protect ourselves. But with phobias the threat is nonexistent or greatly exaggerated. For example, it is only natural to be afraid of a snarling Doberman, but it is irrational to be terrified of a friendly poodle on a leash, as you might be if you have a dog phobia.

    The difference between normal fear and a phobia
    Normal fear Phobia
    Feeling anxious when flying through turbulence or taking off during a storm Not going to your best friends island wedding because youd have to fly there
    Experiencing butterflies when peering down from the top of a skyscraper or climbing a tall ladder Turning down a great job because its on the 10th floor of the office building
    Getting nervous when you see a pit bull or a Rottweiler Steering clear of the park because you might see a dog
    Feeling a little queasy when getting a shot or when your blood is being drawn Avoiding necessary medical treatments or doctors checkups because youre terrified of needles

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    The Fear Of Flying In Incredibly Common In The General Population Ranges From 2% In Studies Up To 80%

    Only fear of public speaking and fear of death can beat those numbers.

    The latter reflected self-reported experience on flying anxiety.

    To some extent, that’s what really matters.

    As expected there’s some cross-over with panic attacks and anxiety in general.

    As a phobia, fear of flying is slightly nuanced.

    Suggestions For Making Flying Easier

    There are a number of steps people can take to eliminate some of the stress involved in air travel and therefore decrease the triggers for anxiety.

    Use nonstop flights whenever possible. People are often most anxious during take-offs and landings. Minimizing these during air travel can minimize some of the stress.

    Look for emergency exits. It may be reassuring to know where the emergency exits are in the plane. Emergency exits are not always located in the same place.

    Look to flight attendants for guidance. Flight attendants are aware of any new laws or regulations regarding air travel as well as safety measures. If a flight attendant asks you to do something, follow their instructions.

    Follow rules regarding what items you can bring on a flight. There are limits to the amount of liquids you can carry with you and how they must be packaged. There are limits to the size and weight of carry on luggage. Pay attention to these rules to avoid having a problem at check in.

    Fly on larger aircraft. Larger aircraft offer a higher chance of survival should an accident occur.

    Stay away from alcohol. Alcohol can increase anxiety symptoms. Reducing or eliminating alcohol can help you to stay alert.

    Airlines around the country also offer classes and workshops on overcoming fear of flying. Check your local airport website to find out if there is a class offered near you.

    Avoiding air travel is not always possible or beneficial for people. There are ways, however, to make this easier.

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    The Three Kinds Of Phobia

    Hundreds of different phobias have been identified, including phobophobia or fear of phobias. But when talking about phobias, which are a kind of anxiety disorder, experts divide them into three categories — agoraphobia, an intense anxiety in public places where an escape might be difficult; social phobia, a fear and avoidance of social situations; and specific phobia, an irrational fear of specific objects or situations.

    Agoraphobia: Fear Of Public Places

    Phobias – Symptoms, Treatments & More…

    The agora was a market and meeting place in ancient Greece. Someone with agoraphobia is afraid of being trapped in a public place or a place like a bridge or a line at the bank. The actual fear is of not being able to escape if anxiety gets too high. Agoraphobia affects twice as many women as men. If left untreated in extreme cases, it can lead to someone becoming housebound.

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    How To Get Help For Fear Of Flying

    If youre suffering from aerophobia, you may find help in reaching out to a mental-health professional. They can help you understand your phobia, treat it, and figure out whether there are any other underlying causes contributing to your fears. You can find a mental-health professional in an online directory, through your insurance, or by word of mouth from friends or family.

    Aerophobia: Afraid To Fly

    Someone who has aerophobia is afraid of flying. The phobia generally develops after a person has a traumatic experience involving an airplane, such as going through extreme turbulence or witnessing another passenger have a panic attack. Even after the incident is forgotten, the fear stays and can even be triggered by watching film of a plane crash on TV. Hypnotherapy is commonly used to identify the initial trauma and to treat this phobia.

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    Conquering The Fear Of Flying

    National Football League commentator John Madden famously crisscrossed the United States for years in a custom coach bus so that he could make it to games and other commitments without having to board a plane. The former head coach of the Oakland Raiders and Pro Football Hall of Famers aversion to flying also led him to decline the opportunity to call the NFLs annual Pro Bowl in Hawaii.

    Madden is hardly alone in his avoidance of air travel. Research indicates that up to 40 percent of the general population experiences flight-related anxiety.

    One of the things that makes aviophobia, or fear of flying, so common is that the average person just doesnt do it that often, says Stephnie Thomas, an American Counseling Association member and licensed clinical professional counselor at the Anxiety and Stress Disorders Institute of Maryland.

    Assuring clients that a fear of flying is relatively common can lessen the sense of shame or embarrassment that they might feel about it, Thomas says. This plays an important first step in addressing the issue with a counselor.

    Sometimes the counselor may be the first person the client has ever revealed this big secret to, she says. That is especially true with male clients, she adds. For some , its been so long since they have flown that the plane has grown into a monster in their mind more enclosed, larger and scarier than it actually is.

    Stephnie Thomas reminders for fearful flyers

    5) Notice when you add a second fear.

    Read Or Watch Something Fun

    The fear of flying

    Pack a magazine, a good book, or a puzzle to take your mind off whats happening. Order up a comedy on your planes in-flight entertainment system, or preload a few of your favorite flicks onto your laptop. Be sure to stock up on activities that will last you the duration of your flight and that you can continue to enjoy when its time to turn electronic devices off.

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    Claustrophobia: Needing A Way Out

    Claustrophobia, an abnormal fear of being in enclosed spaces, is a common specific phobia. A person with claustrophobia can’t ride in elevators or go through tunnels without extreme anxiety. Afraid of suffocating or being trapped, the person will avoid tight spaces and often engage in “safety seeking behavior,” such as opening windows or sitting near an exit. That may make the situation tolerable, but it doesn’t relieve the fear.

    Aviation And Popular Culture

    And dont forget popular programming from the past that has helped to embed terrible thoughts about flying in to the public psyche.

    An example can be found in an episode of the iconic TV series, Twilight Zone, starring a very young William Shatner. Shatner is most widely known for his role as Captain James T. Kirk in Star Trek the original series. See our Star Trek Captains post to learn more.

    The particular episode I am speaking about was entitled: Nightmare at 20,000 Feet and aired on October 11, 1963.

    Ive posted a video from Youtube below. Be sure to check it out!

    While some of what you see may be funny if not laughable, bear in mind that back in 1963, flying was just beginning to take hold with the public.

    Jet service was just coming online with many airlines and a good number of carriers were still flying propeller type aircraft.

    And so because of the newness of flying at that time, there were many unknowns about its safety. Nightmare at 20,000 did an excellent job of speaking to these fears.

    A homework assignment I often give to clients is to ask them to find a copy of this episode on Netflix and then journal about it afterwards. If you decide to do this, be sure to take note of the symbolism, including the menacing gremlin hanging out on the wing. What does he represent to you?

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    Lots Of Americans Have A Fear Of Flying There Are Ways To Overcome The Anxiety Disorder

    Tami Augen Rhodes needed to fly to Washington. An invitation to a black-tie event at the Supreme Court was an opportunity the 49-year-old lawyer in Tampa did not want to miss. But Rhodes had not flown since she was 35, when an escalating dislike of flying grew into a firm phobia.

    Desperate to get to Washington without resorting to a long train ride, Rhodes called into a weekly group-telephone chat run by Tom Bunn, a former Air Force and commercial airline pilot and licensed clinical social worker who runs a program for fearful fliers.

    Bunn asked her what she was afraid of.

    I started crying, Rhodes recalled. She told the group what worried her. I am afraid of dying.

    Fear of flying, or aviophobia, is an anxiety disorder. About 40 percent of the general population reports some fear of flying, and 2.5 percent have what is classified as a clinical phobia, one in which a person avoids flying or does so with significant distress.

    As with other situational phobias, the fear is disproportionate to the danger posed. Commercial air travel in the United States is extremely safe. A person who took a 500-mile flight every day for a year would have a fatality risk of 1 in 85,000, according to an analysis by Ian Savage, associate chair of the Economics Department at Northwestern University. Its worth noting that highway travel accounts for 94.4 percent of national transportation fatalities.

    But for many, statistics are not enough to quell phobias.

    It worked.

    Pteromerhanophobia/aerophobia: Fear Of Flying

    FEAR OF FLYING – Why we have fear of flying? How to overcome fear of flying? ASK A PILOT

    Due to the extensive coverage when there is an air disaster, many people fear being in a plane crash and have a fear of flying. In fact, about 1 out of every 3 people have some level of fear of flying. This can cause people to completely avoid flying. However, with more than 100,000 commercial flights every day, the chances of being in a plane crash are lower than being struck by lightning.;

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    Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy At Mindwell Nyc

    Cant get to the airport on your own? Afraid to take a trip with friends, family, or your significant other? Do you keep turning down business trip opportunities? At MindWell NYC we provide virtual reality exposure therapy, which allows you to experience flight-like conditions right from the safety of your therapists office!

    Virtual reality exposure therapy uses the latest technology to simulate real-life experiences. During virtual reality exposure therapy, you will wear goggles with computer-generated images and the therapist will guide you through different flight scenes such as the airport, boarding a plane, take-off, turbulence, and landing. Your therapist can control different aspects of the flight scenarios in order to tailor them to your specific fears. As part of your treatment, you will be asked to book a flight so you can see the effects of virtual reality exposure therapy working in real life. Based on research, the fear of flying program is designed to be effective in 6-10 sessions, though your therapist will work with you to figure out the best treatment plan suited to your needs.

    Find A Distraction That Works

    Some people can get lost in a good movie or podcast, which could distract them from the fact that theyre flying, but its not that simple for everyone. One trick I’ve learned is to focus on the opposite side of my brain, says travel blogger Nicole Ratner. So, for instance, I am left-handed, and when any turbulence begins, I will take out a piece of paper and use my opposite hand to write my name over and over again. It helps keep my brain sharp and focused on what’s in front of me to distract me from the fear.

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    Ready To Beat Your Fear Of Flying With Mindwell Nyc

    Does your fear of flying interfere with important things in your life? Is it holding you back? Stopping you from doing the things that you want? Whether you fly under great distress or avoid flying on airplanes all together, the best way to take control back is to confront your fears. At MindWell NYC, we offer exposure therapy, which is specifically designed to help people systematically face the things that they are afraid of or avoiding. Your therapist will work collaboratively with you to create a treatment plan that meets your needs.

    Our therapists use different types of exposure therapy to treat fear of flying, as well as other phobias. For example, your therapist may ask you to imagine different flying scenarios, have you watch videos of flights, or go to the airport for practice. We also provide state-of-the-art virtual reality exposure therapy, which allows you to get fully immersed in a flight situation without leaving the therapists office!

    Pick A Seat That Helps You Avoid Your Trigger

    Getting Over the Fear of Flying (Aerophobia): Symptoms ...

    One of the few things passengers do have control of on a flight is choosing a seat, and if youre uncomfortable in the air, its worth spending a little extra for that choice. Once youve determined what exactly youre afraid of when it comes to flying, use your seat selection to help you avoid your triggers. If youre afraid of heights, stay away from the windows. But if you need to know whats going on outside at all times, then park yourself in a window seat. Aisle seats can be helpful for those who feel claustrophobic or restless and need to move around upgrading to business or first class could be helpful there, too.

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    What Causes Aviophobia

    Aviophobia is the idea of fear that is at a certain level of violence against the act of flying or even the thought. When the thought of flying appears in the head, a state of anxiety occurs and the person can attribute it to a variety of reasons. As the level of violence increases, anxiety can turn into a panic attack causing the person to behave unconsciously.

    Fear of flying is a fear that can occur as a result of a single trauma as well as many external factors coming together. Man is not born afraid to fly. This fear has later become a part of your personality. This condition can be treated with the help of psychiatrists.;

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