Flying is a modern way of transportation that is not natural to us. So, we shouldn’t be surprised to feel uneasy when we board a plane. Everyone remembers his first flight, which was fascinating but at the same time scaty. Being on the plane is associated with more or less pronounced fears during the takeoff and landing or during turbulences; some people might feel trapped in a confined space they can’t leave immediately. Such emotions can range from mild discomfort to intense fear or even panic attacks.
The condition will be considered phobic anxiety (flying phobia) when the fears of flying persist longer, leading to significant distress or limitations in professional life.
The flying phobia is a type of severe anxiety related to specific circumstances (being on the plain) far beyond any real danger.
Avoiding flying
When people suffer from a flying phobia, their tendency is to avoid air travel. For our large expat community in Dubai, business travel and visits to the home country almost make it impossible to avoid air travel. Such avoidance behaviours are maladaptive because they are disruptive to people’s professional careers and family life and limit their life experiences.
Reasons for flying phobia
Several underlying factors can cause a flying phobia. The reasons for a flying phobia are as unique as the individuals who have them. There might have been a traumatic flight (e.g. a flight with a lot of turbulence), a parent that modelled fear, or more related fears (heights, small spaces), or on a deeper, unconscious level, uncertainty and fears about life and death.
Treatment
Our experienced psychiatrist and psychologist offer professional treatment for flying phobias. Depending on how the person presents, the treating psychologist can apply different psychotherapeutic techniques to address the underlying causes. Evidence based treatment approaches would be Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and psychodynamic approaches. Hypnosis can be applied to address past traumatic experiences and “reprogram” the unconscious mind. The treating psychiatrist can prescribe medication that addresses the intense mental anxiety and the physiological symptoms of panic attacks.
Mild or severe fear of flying
When the flying phobia includes panic attacks and severe anxiety, a visit to the psychiatrist is important. If someone has a milder form of flying phobia, seeing the psychologist for psychotherapy can be enough to deal with this phobia. Research findings in the mental health field indicate that patients getting psychiatric treatment (medication) benefit from also getting psychotherapy. This combination of psychiatric and psychological services is called pharmacotherapy. At CHMC in Dubai, the psychiatrist and psychologist do their independent assessments within their professional knowledge and work as a treatment team, choosing the best therapy option for the patient.