Until
13th November, 2013 I had no problem flying. I had even flown the
previous day, that is 12th November 2013, and I slept most part of
the journey. However on my return trip we encountered a storm and it was a bit
turbulent. I had never experienced such turbulence until then so of course I
panicked inside even though I put up a calm look outside.It was after that
experience on the 13th of November 2013 that I developed a fear of
flying.
Due
to the nature of my job, I have had to fly over 230 times since that day. I fly
an average of 3 times with total average of 2 hours 30 minutes weekly since November
2013. Last month, I did 6 flights in 8 days. I have since experienced even far worse
turbulence than the initial experience that triggered my fear. Despite the
terrible discomfort I experience before and during a flight I still had to do
this weekly.
Normally,
I will become anxious a day before my trips. When I get to the airport I will
repeatedly use the rest room even though I had done that before leaving the
house. I often also used the rest room at least once while on the flight. While
on the flight, regardless of how much I tried, I wouldn’t be able to fall
asleep. Many times I avoided seats that gave me a clear view of the wings of
the wind because I had this fear of “what if the wings suddenly stop while we
are in mid-air?” I will also often shut the windows once we are in the air. On
one occasion, following a very brief slight turbulence, I started breathing
fast and noticed I was beginning to gasp for air. I will listen and observe
every change in sound engine and be overly alert to those occasional sounds
from the cockpit or from other passengers. I am usually so tensed all through
the flight and only feel relieved when we land.
My
fear of flying lasted for a long time within this period however I am far more
comfortable with flying now. Here are seven specifics things that I did that
helped me manage my fear for flying:
# 1: I repeatedly faced my fear
Psychiatrists
and psychologists will tell you that one sure way of feeding any fear is by
avoiding what you fear. Many times I felt like quitting the job and often looked
for an excuse not to fly. As a medical doctor I even considered taking
medications that will help me sleep during a flight. Even though I had all
these options racing through my head I never gave in to them. I knew that if I
avoided flying I will only experience temporary relief but then worsen my fear
for flying. Long-term, I will be missing out from making such trips.
# 2: I practiced relaxation techniques
Sometimes I
practiced progressive muscle and deep breathing relaxation techniques when I
noticed I was becoming much tensed during a flight. Doing this helped me on the
particular day I almost had a panic attack that I described above.
# 3: I often distracted myself
Distraction is a form of cognitive behavioral therapy
technique. It entails focusing on something else when your mind is preoccupied
with anxious thoughts that are not helpful. For me I often read a book or wrote
down my thoughts on “some issues of life” or a presentation. And sometimes
during turbulence, I will just start counting from 1 to 60.
# 4: I paid
attention to my faulty thinking and challenged them
Many times the fear of flying is associated with a form of
distorted thinking called “catastrophizing.” Fears are perpetrated when you
allow your thoughts to go unchallenged and unquestioned. You often say to
yourself things like, “What if the engines fail? What if the plane cannot take
off? What if today you are going to die?” There is a lot of uncertainty with
the question “What if…” and it tends to worsen the anxiety. When such questions
come up in my head I don’t just allow them to persist rather I challenged them
and considered the rationality of these thoughts.
# 5: I
permitted myself to be uncomfortable during turbulence
Sometimes the issue with flying is the fear of ‘being afraid’
(called the fear of fear) particularly during turbulence. Being anxious is a
normal reaction to a perceived threat.The real problem is being overly anxious.
Don’t try to numb yourself or be upset with yourself for being anxious during
turbulence. Rather tell yourself it is okay to be uncomfortable during
turbulence but remind yourself that “Though it is uncomfortable, it is not life
threatening.”
# 6: I got
informed
Since part of the reason for my fear was that I was
concerned about the safety of planes I addressed this by getting better informed
about planes. Do you know that between 1993 and 2000 there were 568 plane
crashes in the US involving 53,487 passengers yet 51,207 survived? That means
less than 5% of the passengers died in all those crashes. This information may
not do so much but it is meant to further buttress that flying is quite safe.
# 7: I
meditated
I am a Christian so I often focused my mind on Bible verses
that talked about safety. I also often prayed before most flights and this
helped me calm my worries. Rather than only focus on the process of the journey
and be overly anxious if we were going to experience a storm or turbulence, I
simply always imagined that we always landed safely and then give God thanks in
advance for safe landing.
I do hope this piece helps someone out there. By the way
that’s me about to take my 130th flight (I think) this year (2015)…Bon voyage
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