Treatments For Severe Fear Of Flying?

[submaniac]

I do not have any fear of flying whatsoever, but the Girlfriend does, and it places a burden on me because she cannot fly to anywhere I want to go. I have tried to be patient, and supportive, but it has been over a year, and nothing has happened. Originally she said she would read a self help book to overcome her fear. But she never finished reading the book. This past week she said she would see a doctor, but she decided against this and told me she was going to give herself 'therapy'. Given what happened with her not reading a book, I am doubtful

What needs to be done to overcome the fear of flying? I mean by ANY way. Hypnotherapy, counseling, or drugs??? I just want to know something that will work. Thanks.

[Mario2008]

The best is always a therapy, as that treats the cause, a simple fobia. With a theraphy they will make small steps in a number of sessions to relieve the anxiety and learn that there is nothing to be scared about.

[ktamp]

Has she ever flown before? The first time I flew I got a prescription from my doctor for a few ativan because I was afraid. Once I got through the first leg of our journey, I didn't take anymore because it wasn't that bad. Fear of the unknown. Once I flew I realized it wasn't a big deal.

That would be my route. Get her some medicine for anxiety and hopefully she will see it's not a big deal once she's done it.

[garyh]

If you take the time to really apply the material it will do wonders. Buy the book "Awaken the giant within" by Anthony Robbins should not be hard to find.

[Soutpeel]

Has she ever flown before? The first time I flew I got a prescription from my doctor for a few ativan because I was afraid. Once I got through the first leg of our journey, I didn't take anymore because it wasn't that bad. Fear of the unknown. Once I flew I realized it wasn't a big deal.

That would be my route. Get her some medicine for anxiety and hopefully she will see it's not a big deal once she's done it.

Plenty of Gin & Tonic works for me..... ....but then again I dont have a fear of flying...

My Mrs was exactly the same, first time she flew, from BKK to Phuket, she took half a Valium, these days she has flown all over the world with me on some some serious long hauls and it doesnt bother her now, she gets the jitters occasionally in bad turbulance...but seems to be over it...will agree with the above...fear of the unknown

[tim armstrong]

I do not have any fear of flying whatsoever, but the Girlfriend does, and it places a burden on me because she cannot fly to anywhere I want to go. I have tried to be patient, and supportive, but it has been over a year, and nothing has happened. Originally she said she would read a self help book to overcome her fear. But she never finished reading the book. This past week she said she would see a doctor, but she decided against this and told me she was going to give herself 'therapy'. Given what happened with her not reading a book, I am doubtful

What needs to be done to overcome the fear of flying? I mean by ANY way. Hypnotherapy, counseling, or drugs??? I just want to know something that will work. Thanks.

Hi Subm,

If your girlfriend has a phobia, and it sounds like she does, the best treatment is a psychological process designed to desensitize her to flying. It usually needs several sessions with a psychologist or health professional who understands this problem. The success rate is usually high, but it depends on the skill of the therapist, the number of sessions needed, and how severe the problem is. I'm assuming your girlfriend is Thai. I hope she can speak English reasonably well as there are some expat. psychs and counsellors around who may be able to help, But the sessions would be in English. I don't know of any Thai psychs who specialize in this area. As it happens I have just completed a desensitization process about flying with an expat. who goes home tomorrow. If you would like more info, pleases send me a PM Best Regards, Tim

[Prajak]

Some major airports offer courses but as far as I know not in Thailand.

Drugs or booze don't help and the captain might refuse your lady.

There is, I am joking now, the "A-team" method.....remember the big guy ?

Good luck. This might take time.

[Datsun240Z]

Haha, only thing that has to be switched in the head is the " We are gonna crash " to " Hey, if we crash we die, no big deal "

[Jimjim]

Hypnotherapy worked in that Eddie Murphy movie, so...

[Soutpeel]

I do not have any fear of flying whatsoever, but the Girlfriend does, and it places a burden on me because she cannot fly to anywhere I want to go. I have tried to be patient, and supportive, but it has been over a year, and nothing has happened. Originally she said she would read a self help book to overcome her fear. But she never finished reading the book. This past week she said she would see a doctor, but she decided against this and told me she was going to give herself 'therapy'. Given what happened with her not reading a book, I am doubtful

What needs to be done to overcome the fear of flying? I mean by ANY way. Hypnotherapy, counseling, or drugs??? I just want to know something that will work. Thanks.

Hi Subm,

If your girlfriend has a phobia, and it sounds like she does, the best treatment is a psychological process designed to desensitize her to flying. It usually needs several sessions with a psychologist or health professional who understands this problem. The success rate is usually high, but it depends on the skill of the therapist, the number of sessions needed, and how severe the problem is. I'm assuming your girlfriend is Thai. I hope she can speak English reasonably well as there are some expat. psychs and counsellors around who may be able to help, But the sessions would be in English. I don't know of any Thai psychs who specialize in this area. As it happens I have just completed a desensitization process about flying with an expat. who goes home tomorrow. If you would like more info, pleases send me a PM Best Regards, Tim

Subm,

I would try the G&T or valium route first..... .....you will end up spending more on therapy than the flight costs...

[submaniac]

Hi folks, thanks for the replies. I am trying to talk her into getting into some sort of therapy for the phobia. But she is lazy. I have been trying to get her to do this for a while, but she always tells me that she can deal with it herself. So nothing has ever happened. Thing is, she flew on an international flight when she was a child, and did ok. Now she's 27 and scared.

[Jungian]

Try this with her, it's free:

http://www.fearofflyinghelp.com/

[Bobsyouruncle]

I have the answer!

Just before you are both due to fly, show her a couple of episodes of "Worlds greatest air disasters".

By the time you arrive at the airport she will be catatonic with fear.

Then all you need to do is carry her on the aircraft.

[Datsun240Z]

[balo]

What cured me was to have a look inside the cockpit and learning how advanced the aircraft was and how the pilots controlled it.

And also getting used to all the different noises onboard, landing gear , flaps on the wings , speedbrakes .

I felt much better after learning that. So even if its a very bumpy ride its no problem for me, before I used to be a nerve wreck.

[Sheryl]

Hi folks, thanks for the replies. I am trying to talk her into getting into some sort of therapy for the phobia. But she is lazy. I have been trying to get her to do this for a while, but she always tells me that she can deal with it herself. So nothing has ever happened. Thing is, she flew on an international flight when she was a child, and did ok. Now she's 27 and scared.

A bit off the subject, but are you sure she really is afraid of flying as opposed to saying so as an excuse (perhaps she does not want to take the trip in question for other reason)?

[submaniac]

Hi folks, thanks for the replies. I am trying to talk her into getting into some sort of therapy for the phobia. But she is lazy. I have been trying to get her to do this for a while, but she always tells me that she can deal with it herself. So nothing has ever happened. Thing is, she flew on an international flight when she was a child, and did ok. Now she's 27 and scared.

A bit off the subject, but are you sure she really is afraid of flying as opposed to saying so as an excuse (perhaps she does not want to take the trip in question for other reason)?

No, no, no. The terror is real. I doubt that she is that good of an actor. She was really terrified from even just talking about flying. She has broke down in tears when we have talked about it before. It is a legitimate fear. Really.

[fullwhenempty]

I had a friend like this who would have panic attacks at the airport. He was pretty stressed for other reasons so his general level of stress was high anyway. Is this her only issue? One thing that calmed him down was to concentrate on the fact the Captain and crew do not want to die either and would not set foot on the plane if they thought they would. He also became less agitated as his general stress levels came down.

Another useful tool was EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique). Some will call it 'quackery' but even if it ONLY works based on the power of suggestion or placebo, it's free to download and easy to learn. You can apply it on yourself and it's harmless.

Failing that, book an extra seat for a massage lady.

[DavidBrook]

Hypnotherapy is often useful a phobia is a learned behaviour and approaches which address the unconscious levels of the mind are generally more effective than the more cognitive approaches. If you drop me a line I will let you have a phone number for a chat about your g/f's case.

D

[PicBuddy]

I think rather than call it a fear of flying, since it's actually a fear of the unknown or more specifically crashing, perhaps saying and doing nothing about it could be best.

If she's afraid of death that's going to be involved in other acts such as high places, trains, the list goes on. Not a simple problem to solve.

Once I personally came to realize that if I die, "so what" I lost my fear of flying. That was well over 30 years ago and now I don't really care about what sounds the plane makes. I don't control fate.

I would guess that her fear is more likely of the "unknown". My best advice is to be supporting, keep her smiling, talk a lot more than normal, tell some jokes, most certainly have some drinks and just explain the plane sounds when they happen, like it's nothing. After a flight or two neither one of you will probably remember that she was ever concerned about it.

This approach worked fine for me when flying with a lady in her early 50s that had never flown ever in her life. I gotta admit, that was fun. I could see how my demeanor and description of the sounds and what to expect, seemed to help immensely.

Good luck.

PicBuddy

[Lopburi99]

I do not have any fear of flying whatsoever, but the Girlfriend does, and it places a burden on me because she cannot fly to anywhere I want to go. I have tried to be patient, and supportive, but it has been over a year, and nothing has happened. Originally she said she would read a self help book to overcome her fear. But she never finished reading the book. This past week she said she would see a doctor, but she decided against this and told me she was going to give herself 'therapy'. Given what happened with her not reading a book, I am doubtful

What needs to be done to overcome the fear of flying? I mean by ANY way. Hypnotherapy, counseling, or drugs??? I just want to know something that will work. Thanks.

Well, since you specified ANY way, let me tell you what worked for me. Not only was I was afraid to fly, I was afraid of heights. But one year (many years ago) my then wife wanted flying lessons for Christmas. I decided to give her that gift. She asked me to join her in ground school so I said sure, thinking that would be interesting anyway. Well, then she begged me to get in the rear seat of the flight school's Cessna 172 when she took her first lesson. Very, very reluctantly I finally agreed when the idiot French instructor said it would be a easy lesson and a easy flight. I forced myself to do it thinking it might help me get over my fear of heights, plus realizing once my wife got her license I would be flying with her then anyway, so might as well get on with it all now. Sure enough, the macho French instructor exuded glee as he saw me terrified in the rear seat in the little plane, and proceeded to do the stall series with her (something never done on an initial lesson)! A stall is when the nose of then plane is lifted too high for the amount of available lift, and the nose plunges down . Stall recovery is an important part of private pilot training. Of course, I yelled out, nearly crapped my pants, and thought we were all going to die as the plane dived toward the ground at 4000 feet! I'll never forget the entertained look on that bastard's face .

Anyway, to make a long story short, believe it or not I ended up also taking the complete lessons and got my license too. Owned my own planes, the whole works.

Obviously I don't have fear of flying anymore! ... (but still hate heights).

Edited August 14, 2009 by Lopburi99

[ange028]

Being a hypnotherapist, I can tell hypnotherapy works very well. I have cured many people suffering from stress and fear of flying. But sometime it also depend upon the person and therapist. Like if you have made up your mind that this thing will not work or don't focus properly then it is of no help for you. Similarly if your therapist can't understand your problem or you don't like his therapy sessions. The thing is, do proper research about your therapist before joining. Check their success rate. Ask your friends and relatives if they have taken any sessions. Or you can attend one therapy session and see for yourself if you find it useful.