How is it manifested?

People having a fear of flight by plane can feel and think a lot of catastrophizing scenarios; for instance, the trip can be completed in an unfortunate way, to the panic, mental blockages, or actual terror. Among the most common physical reactions, we can talk about nervousness, tachycardia, excessive sweating, the appearance of motion sickness, digestive disorders, loss of appetite, insomnia or restless sleep, and even diminished cognitive performance.

Many other phobias can even determine and even increase the fear of flight. For instance, the fear of accidents, collapse, and death, claustrophobia or agoraphobia, fear of heights, fear of not shedding, fear of having motion sickness, of turbulence, fear of having panic attacks, and more recently, terrorist attacks could accompany the fear of flight.

Two phobias related to fear of flight are fear of heights when the patient experiences more or less similar symptoms and agoraphobia.

Currently, agoraphobia is no longer defined as the fear of open spaces (as it was described at the beginning). Still, it is considered to be a series of phobias linked to each other, which results in an exaggerated sense of fear when the person faces unfamiliar situations or places, this sensation leading to the loss of control over their person.

How can you defeat your flight phobia?

An essential aspect of phobia is the fact that the person avoids the object of fear and develops a high degree of anxiety. For the treatment to be effective, patients need to be compliant and in a comfort zone for them.
Research has shown that the most effective way to help is to expose them to the object of fear, namely plane, and flight in a gradual way, helping them to confront what they feel in a safe therapeutic setting. Virtual therapies are among the most innovative methods of treating the fear of flight.