Aerophobia is one of the most common fears and affects one in six adults. But why does this phobia of airplanes arise? Discover the causes and how to lose the fear of
Do you always think that you could suffer a plane accident? Are you afraid of airports? The aerophobia or fear of flying It is a very common condition today. According to experts, the fear of traveling on this transport affects one in six adults and the symptoms include anxiety, palpitations, sweating, negative thoughts, worry, nausea and difficulty breathing.
People who suffer from this fear of airplanes not only fear the vehicle itself, but also begin to have symptoms related to the phobia of flying compared to other stimuli related to travel such as packing your bags, buying a ticket or going to the airport, among other things.
Psychologists claim that any fear, irrational or otherwise, is the result of previous experiences, one’s own or external, or other learning that triggered that specific phobia. Therefore, we will have to deal with this through emotion work and re-learn through new experiences. But how can we lose the fear of flying?
As we have highlighted, aerophobia is a phobia which involves the fear of flying on an airplane. This fear of traveling represents an obstacle in a person’s life since that is why they may avoid going on vacation or even not taking jobs that may require air travel. Although statistics suggest that flying on airplanes is one of the safest modes of transportation, this fear of traveling is one of the most common.
Although many people can experience this fear of airplanes, the reality is only a part of them meets the criteria to establish that they are suffering from aerophobia or the phobia of flying. In these cases, this fear of traveling can have many serious effects on your quality of life.
How to detect the fear of flying on an airplane?
People who suffer from a irrational fear of airplanes They usually present a series of symptoms when they are in a situation related to these vehicles. The signs of aerophobia are usually very similar to those experienced when suffering from other specific phobias. Psychologists highlight the following:
Shivers
Feelings of suffocation
Numb thinking
Disorientation
Nausea and dizziness
Irritability
Anxiety
In many cases the fear of flying on an airplane It is not experienced until the moment of boarding inside the vehicle. On the other hand, there are cases in which this fear of airplanes or flying begins to manifest itself as soon as people step into the airport or are on their way to this place. If you identify with the symptoms of fear of flying and want to overcome it, you can count on the help of a professional psychologist.
Causes of fear of traveling by plane
Although the exact causes of the fear of flyingpsychologists point out that there are a series of factors that can influence developing a fear of airplanes. Among them, we can indicate the following.
Other phobias: sometimes have fear of flying on an airplane It may be because you suffer from other phobias. For example, a phobia of flying may be related to claustrophobia, fear of heights, or social anxiety.
Trauma: When the person has had a traumatic flight (such as a trip where there was a lot of turbulence on the plane) or a bad experience related to fly on airplanes You can end up developing aerophobia.
Parents or family members with a phobia of airplanes: In some cases people can end up suffering from fear of flying on an airplane because their relatives had many concerns when they boarded one. In this way, if a child sees his parents with many doubts about the safety of the plane, it can trigger a phobia of airplanes.
The fear of traveling can greatly limit your personal and professional life. For this reason it is time for you to act to go losing the fear of flying. In order to end aerophobia, it can be very useful to go to a professional psychologist.
To be able overcome the fear of flying It is necessary to do internal work and make an effort to face this phobia of traveling. In this way, psychologists recommend taking the following actions.
Psychological treatment: The best way to deal with your fear of flying is to begin a treatment in which a professional psychologist will help you understand anxiety and gradually confront this phobia. One of the things that is done during the psychological treatment of a phobia is the application of various techniques, such as exposure. Progressively exposing ourselves to the things that scare us helps us gradually approach the source of anxiety and fear with more resources and a feeling that we will be able to confront them.
Avoidance Resources: It is recommended not to ingest substances. The use of anxiolytics is only advised if it has been prescribed by a professional. Try to finish him off fear of flying with pills It is not a good idea since this will only make you avoid facing the problem and end up creating a dependency on these medications.
Anticipation: A few weeks before a trip, the person with aerophobia You may start to feel anxious and anticipate all the things that can go wrong. This anticipatory fear can affect the performance of daily activities and cause insomnia, irritability, absent-mindedness, etc. Share your worries and face them with relaxation techniques.
The hyper alert: When you expect something bad to happen, it’s easy to interpret every sign as a premonitory of something terrible. In the case of people who suffer from the fear of flying, all their attention is paid to anxiety symptoms and negative thoughts. For lose the fear of flying We can anticipate and create a safety and distraction network: look for good hobbies during the trip, wear comfortable clothes, fly with someone, trust the crew, etc.
A secondary problem: Sometimes the fear of flying It is due to larger problems such as agoraphobia (with or without panic attacks) or fear of heights. Therefore, therapy should focus on treating these problems. In any case, a professional can help you define exactly what is happening and recommend the appropriate therapy.
Learn about how an airplane flies: By learning about the operation of airplanes, safety, turbulence or other aspects of these vehicles, it can be a good initiative to curb the fear of traveling in them.
Identify irrational thoughts: To know how to stop be afraid of flying It is interesting to reason with our negative and catastrophic thoughts. In the case of aerophobia, you should try to recognize those ideas in your mind that cause this discomfort and try to replace them with more realistic and useful ones.
Fear of flying and medication
The most used medication for people suffering from a airplane phobia They are benzodiazepine asiolytics, very efficient tranquilizers that help reduce the anxiety perceived when taking a plane. The most used are clonazepam and alprazolam. Even so, medication is not an effective remedy to deal with the fear of traveling by plane. This is actually just a short-term patch as the issue is not fixed.
Avoiding getting on the plane prolongs the fear of flyingso make an appointment as soon as possible to enjoy your vacation or professional projects to the fullest.
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This article has been reviewed by our editorial team at PsychologyFor to ensure accuracy, clarity, and adherence to evidence-based research. The content is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice.
