Gerry Mullins on fear of flying and ways to overcome it
Although aeroplanes provide one of the safest forms of transport, an increasing number of people have a fear of flying. An estimated one in seven of us is an anxious flyer, also known as an aviophobe or an aerophobe.One of the better known aviophobes is Arsenal's Dutch forward Dennis Bergkamp, who has earned the nickname the non-flying Dutchman, because of his refusal to travel to most of his club's games on the European continent. The late filmmaker Stanley Kubrick also avoided flying, and instead had to shoot his Vietnam war classic Full Metal Jacket, and New York thriller Eyes Wide Shut, entirely in the environs of his home in southern England.
The root causes of aviophobia include claustrophobia, a fear of heights, and an unease at not being in control of a situation. It is often triggered by a bad experience that may have happened decades before, and it is from this standpoint that hypnotherapists will treat someone suffering from a fear of flying.
For most people, fear of flying is not the clear, stand alone problem that its name implies. It is an accumulation of other problems and anxieties that manifest themselves in extreme tension when a person is confined in the unnatural environment of a plane. Captain Conor Nolan, director of safety at the Irish Airline Pilots' Association, says that fear of flying is often a fear of the whole experience, and that experience starts long before the person gets on the plane. "People make their situation worse by arriving late," he says. "They rush around and increase their tension, and often arrive at the door of the aircraft already maxed-out on stress. It's nothing to do with what they are about to undertake; it's about what they've already experienced. Before flying, people need to get a good night's sleep, arrive early and plan how they are going to manage this experience."
Anna O'Flanagan, a stress management consultant who used to be an anxious flyer agrees: "I always make sure I get a good night's sleep before a flight," she says. "I'm more likely to 'catastrophise' when I'm tired." She also employs deep breathing techniques, often used in yoga, so that when she arrives at the airport she is as relaxed as she can possibly be.
Dr Maeve Byrne Crangle, author of Conquer Your Fear of Flying and director of the Fearless Flying Programme in Dublin Airport, has identified other factors that she says are a large part of the problem: "Caffeine is one of the major culprits responsible for producing a stress response," she says. "Caffeine drains your body of vitamin B, one of the important anti-stress vitamins."
She advises anxious flyers to reduce gradually or to avoid caffeine in the two weeks prior to taking a flight, and substitute it with decaffeinated coffee, herbal teas and fruit juices. "This will give your physical well-being a boost and eliminate additional and unnecessary stress reactions," she says.
Getting drunk before boarding a plane is some people's solution to the fear of flying problem, but Byrne Crangle also advises against alcohol. "Excessive amounts of alcohol only increase anxiety, not reduce it," she says. "Alcohol depletes B vitamins, raises blood pressure, and dehydrates the body."She also advises anxious flyers to quit smoking because, like caffeine, nicotine is a powerful stimulant that causes an excessive production of adrenaline in the body. It also reduces the body's level of vitamin C, another important vitamin in relation to dealing with stress.
Another reason people feel they can't cope with flying relates to low blood-sugar levels. Because of traffic delays in getting to airports and long check-in queues, flyers often miss a meal before boarding a plane, and so run the risk of running low on glucose. This causes anxiety, irritability and palpitations. Air travellers are advised to have a good meal before getting on a plane, which should include (some of) fruit, wholemeal bread, pasta, jacket potatoes, lean meat, dairy products or nuts and vegetables. Refined or processed foods should be avoided as they provide an initial sugar high, but will soon result in a sugar low.
Fearful flyers should let the airline know about their condition, so that cabin crew can offer special attention and reassurance. When checking in, ask for a seat over the wings (for least movement), or in front of the engines (for least noise). Once you board, relax into your seat, ask for an orange juice, and think about the holiday that awaits you. Remember, there has never been a safer time to fly; security has never been so tight and the training of pilots, cabin crew, maintenance staff and air-traffic control has never been better. Remember also, planes fly because of the laws of physics, not in spite of them.
RECOMMENDED READING
Dr Maeve Byrne Crangle's book Conquer Your Fear of Flying (Newleaf, €10.99) helps readers control their fear. Her next course in overcoming the fear of flying begins on Monday, September 26th and runs two evenings per week until October 19th, at the Holiday Inn at Dubin Airport. Cost is €850, but there are shorter and cheaper courses. Book on 01-8532990.