Aerophobia

Deathly afraid of flying? You're not alone..

According to FearofFlyingHelp.com, "one out of every six adults has a fear of flying."

But I guess statistics like this and the thousand of others that try to convince people that winning the lottery is more likely to happen than their plane crashing, means nothing to the average Aerophobic. After all, regardless of all the statistics about shipwrecks, my ship really DID sink.

No matter how many times you try to convert these people either with captivating statistics or by telling them that "everything is gonna be okay," they'll probably be able to plaster a calm smile while they're placing their hand-carry items in the overhead compartments and gather up the courage to sit down and fasten their vinyl seat belts, but by the time the flight attendant starts to perform the evacuation plan, all logic flies out the door. By the time reality kicks in they'll probably be kicked out.

The most effective way to treat these symptoms are not by strapping these people into their seats, but by going through systematic healing processes that are generally used for people that suffer from abnormal anxieties.

Aerophobia can arise from different sets of fears. Some might feel uncomfortable being trapped in a small, enclosed area for a certain amount of time. Others, like control freaks might hate flying because the idea of a total stranger navigating the aircraft gives them a lack of power over the situation. Some might only be afraid of specific aspects of flying like landing or turbulence.

No matter where the problems are rooted, there is always a solution. Here are some helpful websites for all you helpless fliers:

www.fearofflyinghelp.com
www.fearfreeflying.co.uk
www.fearless-flight.com/
www.phobia-fear-release.com