Here
you are waiting for the flight to board. All your hard work
is finally paying off. After months of courting a high-profile
client, all that's left to do is conduct the final meeting
and sign the paperwork. The airport is bustling and you check
the board to see if your flight is on time. You begin to feel
lightheaded. Your palms are sweating. You hear the first call
for your flight and your heart skips a beat. You take a few
deep breaths, tell yourself to get it together. You start
to feel nauseous, then dizzy. Missing this flight is not an
option. You try to move, but you're frozen. The plane takes
off and you're left behind. What will you tell the client?
What will you tell your boss?
Fear of flying, or aviaphobia, is one type of specific (or
simple) phobia. USA Today recently featured an article
on aviaphobia and the career consequences it has on employees
who suffer from it.
Fear
of Flying
Aviaphobia, or fear of flying, is a specific
phobia, which is a type of anxiety disorder. A specific
phobia is characterized by the excessive fear of an object
or a situation - in this case, fear of flying. Exposure to
the object or situation causes an anxious response, such as
a panic attack. Adults with phobias recognize that their fear
is excessive and unreasonable, but they are unable to control
it. The feared object or situation is usually avoided or anticipated
with dread. If a fear is reasonable it cannot be classed as
a phobia.
Aviaphobia and other specific phobias are diagnosed when the
fear interferes with an individual's daily routine, employment
(e.g., not accepting a new job or promotion because it requires
travel by air) or social life. It is also diagnosed if the
phobia causes a person significant distress. The level of
fear felt by the sufferer varies and can depend on the chances
of escape from the feared situation.
Click
here to read a personal story on fear of flying.
Treatment
Aviaphobia
is treatable in most patients. The most common treatments
are:
|
•
|
Exposure
Therapy and Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy
Exposure Therapy involves gradually approaching the
object of a person's fear until the fear decreases and
the object or situation no longer causes a fear response.
It generally works best when conducted in a predictable
manner and when the person feels he or she has control
over the situation.
Virtual
Reality Exposure Therapy involves exposing a patient
to a virtual environment consisting of the feared situation
instead of bringing the patient into the actual environment.
This can be done through head-mounted displays that
are equipped with video and audio capabilities. The
virtual environment is controlled by the therapist,
who will determine the degree of exposure that best
suits the patient.
|
| • |
Cognitive-Behavior
Therapy (CBT)
Many
therapists use a combination of Cognitive and Behavior
Therapies, which is often referred to as CBT. One
of the benefits of these types of therapies is that
the patient learns recovery skills that are useful
for a lifetime.
|
Click
here for more information on other anxiety disorders.
Getting
Help
The
Anxiety Disorders Association of America provides a list of
its members who have identified themselves as providing treatment
for anxiety disorders. These providers are listed geographically.
Click
here to find a therapist.
Recommended
Books
Flying
Without Fear, by Duane Brown, Ph.D. Click
here to purchase:
Flying
in the Comfort Zone, by Michael P. Tomaro, Ph.D. Click
here to purchase:
Additional
Resources
More
information on aviaphobia is available at the following websites:
Anxieties.com
Anxiety
Busters!
AnxietyCoach.com
Center
for Anxiety & Stress Treatment
Flying
in the Comfort Zone
National
Mental Health Association
Virtual
Reality Medical Center
