“My family was flying from San Francisco to Mexico when we hit severe turbulence. We were told to put our head between our legs. But I was only 6 years old. My legs didn’t even reach the ground, and it was hard for me to put my head between my legs. I was so scared. I remember watching my tears run down my legs as I did my best to get into the right position. And I thought I saw the flight attendant run toward the cockpit with a manual for the pilot on how to fly the plane.”
This is the memory of a woman named Nancy who experienced a traumatic flight when she was 6 years old. Since that experience, she had been unable to fly without either the comfort of her protective father (when she was young) or antianxiety drugs (when she was older). Her preference had been to avoid flying altogether.
Anyone who’s afraid to fly knows how seriously this fear impacts their lives. Like Nancy, if they’re in a situation where they have to fly, they can only get through the ordeal by taking antianxiety medication, which often doesn’t work. Either way, they spend the entire flight (and sometimes days before) in extreme fear.
To avoid the extreme discomfort and anxiety they feel when flying, people who are afraid to fly often avoid their fear by severely limiting their lives. For instance, they will:
– Never fly at all and only travel by car, bus or train.
– Never take a job that requires travel.
– Never visit loved ones who live a long distance away.
– Only take vacations within driving distance.
They also often have to suffer through arguments with partners, friends or family members who want to travel and don’t understand their fears.
So, is there a way to help people who suffer from fear of flying?
Continue reading Fear of Flying and EMDR Therapy
