Fear of Flying – Hypnotherapy in Ely and Newmarket

Throughout the summer, I’ve been busy helping people to deal with their fear of flying so that they can head off to their destination while feeling more comfortable and in control.

I’ve also been over to the flight simulator centre in Mildenhall too, to deliver our fear of flying course. It’s always a huge positive to see someone walk through the door anxious and worried at everything flying related, and to leave feeling more calm and confident about flying.

As with all objects of anxiety and fear, your first strategy will always be avoidance. You try to get out of that business trip or to suggest some holiday alternatives and destinations that don’t require setting foot on a plane (or a metal box in which you are trapped and out of control, as you may perceive it). Some people get anxious about any mention of flying or a plane, even if it is about someone else. You might avoid programmes and films which involve a flight because of your anxious associations or because you imagine how bad you would feel if you were on that plane (and about to drop out of the sky to your death!!).

Others will start to feel more anxious once the flight is booked and the date is set in stone in your diary. You may try to pretend to yourself that it isn’t happening and try to ignore it. Yet, as the date approaches and you know you will soon be sitting on that plane for a while, your anxiety starts to escalate and take over (and you may still be wondering if there is some way of getting out of it).

And then there’s the ordeal of the airport, with all the hustle and bustle and planes and people, and the knowing that this it it, you are going on a plane and flying. The panic and discomfort can feel overwhelming. And that’s where learning about flying and how to control your thoughts and feelings becomes really handy indeed.

Fear of Flying Thoughts and Feelings

When a client first comes to see me, they often describe how uncomfortable they have felt on previous flights. They can often remember the worst moments all too clearly. There may have been turbulence, delays, a need to re-land or just that sense of dread and fear of death that occupies every moment in the air.

You may have tried alcohol or medication to try and help you, although these often fail to reduce fearful symptoms, and just lead to feeling worse either on the flight or when you arrive. The amount of energy used in feeling anxious for so long can leave you feeling drained upon arrival and you might physically ache from being so tense for so long.

Now, some people have experienced adverse incidents or traumatic events around flying, and that can naturally contribute to a fear of flying. Many others have had a few uncomfortable moments, such as dropping or turbulence, and many others with a fear of flying have either never flown before or haven’t had any negative incidents on previous flights.

As well as a sense that the plane may fall from the sky at any moments, you may have concerns about the movement of the wings and the plane, or about the different noises and sounds of the plane you are on. You may have grown accustomed to intently watching the cabin crew for any signs that they’ve been told of something having gone wrong.

You may have a sense that something will go wrong, worry because you are unable to tell what is happening and have a feeling of being out of control and trapped.

There will be the anxious feelings, such as chest tightness, palpitations, dizziness and tension. And with it, your fear drives your imagination towards disaster and accelerating towards your death and destruction.

Fear of Flying Help

At our recent fear of flying course, one of the main areas of concern was around the different sounds that come from the plane during different stages of the flight. When you don’t know what the sound is you brain can quickly come up with a thousand reasons it spells disaster (like the engines are failing, something has broken, the wings are too shaky and might fall off etc.). And so we covered all of this so that you can understand and know what is going on during your flight (as well as what is going on in the cockpit, how the plane works, what would happen if an engine did fail or there was a bird strike, what turbulence means and anything else you want to know about how flying works).

As well as understanding what is going on outside of your awareness with the crew and the plane as you sit in your seat, we also cover how to calm anxious feelings, how to take back control over your thoughts and feelings, how to prepare yourself psychologically in advance and what to do to stay calm and comfortable once the doors close and the engines start.

There’s more on dealing with the fear of flying in these articles:

Overcoming Your Fear of Flying

Fear of Flying – Another Success Course with the Flight Simulator and Anxiety Hypnotherapy

Virtual Reality Exposure and Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapy For Fear of Flying

New fear of flying course – help to overcome flying nerves and anxiety

Fear of Flying – Calmly Taking To The Air in a Boeing 737

I always love hearing back from clients who come for hypnotherapy sessions and/or the fear of flying course and then are able to fly feeling more calm and comfortable. There’s no more dread about the flight, no mental anguish and no fearful thoughts and feelings. Instead, you can sit back on the plane and get on with calmly chatting, reading, watching something or whatever else you want to do to make use of the time. By understanding flying and taking control over your thoughts and feelings, you can have the freedom to fly wherever you want to, feeling calm, and who knows, maybe even enjoying the experience!

To overcoming your fear of flying,

Dan Regan

Hypnotherapy in Ely & Newmarket

Struggling with anxiety, stress, worry and a fear of flying and need some help? Find out how I can help with a Complimentary Hypnotherapy Strategy Session. Learn more here: Appointments

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