Air Travelers Cope With The Ups And Downs

Of The Flying Experience

By Nancy K. Crevier

For many air travelers, the only fears associated with flying high in the sky are being squeezed into the seat between a drooling dozer and a teething toddler, or unforeseen delays that mean missed connections.

For others who wish to get from point A to point B, though, air travel or the thought of air travel is a source of anxiety far beyond irritation at flight schedules or sweaty seatmates. When anxiety reaches a level that interferes with the ability to travel by air, it is known as aviaphobia or aviophobia.

The reasons behind aviophobia are many. The close confines of an airliner, large numbers of people, fear of crashing, loss of control, and a fear of heights are just a few of the factors that contribute to the misery experienced by those who suffer from aviophobia. Fears associated directly with the effects of flying, such as a fear of turbulence or a fear of flying over large bodies of water, trigger distress for some would-be plane passengers.

People who fear flying are aware of statistics that show air travel to be significantly safer than travel by car, mile for mile, (January/February 2003 issue American Scientist: Flying and Driving After the September 11 Attacks by Michael Sivak and Michael J. Flannagan), yet are unable to comfortably assimilate that information. Every anticipated trip taken by air is a nerve-wracking experience that involves diligent use of coping skills and prescription drugs and sometimes results in physical illness and an inability to actually follow through with the air travel.

Cyndy DaSilva of Newtown had no problem flying places when she was in her twenties, until a panic attack aboard a plane “grounded” her.

“That attack started it for me,” said Ms DaSilva. “My fear is not of crashing, really, it is of the possibility of having a panic attack in public, on the plane,” she said. “For me, it’s a real claustrophobia issue. I’m in a place, the airliner, and I can’t get out.”

The anxiety over flying starts as soon as trip planning begins, said Ms DaSilva. “I absolutely have to be on a nonstop flight. I can only take that take-off once,” she said. She feels a huge sense of relief when the plane begins its descent into the destination airport, a time when other travelers might start to tense up a bit. “All I care is that I’ll soon be out of the plane.”

Her longest trip since the panic attacks began more two decades ago has been to Kansas City, Mo. “We did fly to Florida in March, and it was very difficult even to get on the plane. This fear has definitely prevented me from taking certain trips by plane.”

She has used different methods of dealing with her flying anxiety over the years, including attending a clinic in Greenwich specific to panic attacks, reading about panic disorder, and behavioral programs. “I would go to the Westchester Airport with a friend and we would sit in the plane on the ground. That didn’t help much, though, because I can get out when the plane is on the ground.”

What has helped her the most to overcome her fear of being on an airplane is reading while in flight, and also talking to people about her fear. “Knowing that you are not the only one to feel this way and that others suffer, and that there are people on the plane trained to help me if I do have a panic attack, helps somewhat,” she said. “Getting over the hump of this shame that I’m afraid to fly and getting the support of friends is so helpful.”

Others, like Gary Werner, maintain a laissez-faire attitude toward flying. Mr Werner’s work in sales and as a consultant for a sensor company in Danbury finds him boarding a plane for destinations far and wide at least every other week. He travels not just in the continental United States, but to Europe and other parts of the world, as well.

“I am not in the least bit fearful [of flying],” said Mr Werner. Tongue in cheek, he added, “Once you’ve driven to the airport, the dangerous part of the trip is over.”

What he calls the “hassle factor” is what takes the joy out of flying for this veteran of 25 years of travel. “A lot has changed about flying in that time,” he said. “Mostly notably, it is how the appearance of security has increased. Customer attitudes have changed, too. People want flying to be like bus travel. They don’t want to pay for any extras. Flying is more of a commodity now. Fliers used to be treated really well by airlines, but now you’re lucky to get a bag of pretzels.”

Having to arrive two or more hours prior to a flight is due to what Mr Werner views as inconsistency in airport security, and it is that inconsistency that most bothers him. “You have to anticipate that it is going to take a while, that the lines will be long, even though in some cases it takes five minutes, and other times substantially more.” Even the lines for frequent fliers who qualify for elite security sections are getting longer, he said.

Once the frustration of getting to the airport and through security is over, though, he finds it easy to just get on the plane and relax.

“I do prefer an early morning flight to make my flying experience go smoothly,” he said. “You don’t get schedule compression problems and the only thing that can affect a 6 am flight is airplane positioning, that is, if your plane got in on time last night and is ready to go.

“I think that the statistics [on air travel safety] speak for themselves. You have to get past the perception that flying is dangerous,” Mr Werner said.

For those who lack a built-in ability to diffuse air travel nervousness, there are methods that work to overcome those anxieties, said licensed professional counselor and certified hypnosis therapist Isobel McGrath and Karen Schaum, LPC, of CT Counselors in Hawleyville.

“I use cognitive behavioral therapy, which is changing one’s thoughts and reframing your thinking to make it a positive experience,” said Ms McGrath. “With most people who are anxious about flying, there are a lot of issues, like a feeling of a lack of control. They don’t know the pilot, for example, this person who is in control of the plane, so they are less likely to enjoy flying. Emotions have taken over and they no longer feel rational about it.”

One type of cognitive behavioral therapy that has been successful for many of Ms McGrath’s air travel anxiety patients is that of hypnosis.

“I use hypnosis to help people relax. It’s a tool that gives imagery and positive suggestions. In a relaxed state, a person is more likely to receive those positive suggestions.”

Hypnosis works by changing the mindset from an anxious state into one in which the patient is able to guide him- or herself into a relaxed state. Taking control of the emotions is key to overcoming anxiety, said Ms McGrath, as is learning coping skills.

“A person needs to have prepared themselves for the whole flight experience. There are a lot of negative words at the airport: security; departure; terminal; exit procedures. The negative signage sends subliminal messages to someone who is already anxious.”

Clients need to do a “dry run” in their mind, associating each potential anxiety trigger with a similar experience that can be managed. For instance, someone who dreads being trapped in the airliner can think about traveling in a car. “You are not able to get out of a car while it is running, but you feel comfortable there. So you try to associate that feeling with being in the airplane,” she said. “It let’s them feel that they have the power.

“Distraction techniques are important, too,” said Ms McGrath. “First, they learn to reassure themselves. To know that the sounds they hear are normal, that they are okay. Deep breathing helps, as does distracting oneself by keeping busy with crossword puzzles or such.”

Reading is another popular distraction, said Ms McGrath, but an activity that keeps both the hands and mind occupied actually is more successful.

Sucking on a sour candy is a surprisingly good distraction, she said. “It takes you out of where you are and into your body, with the flavor, the smell.”

Her patients also take home a CD about flying to reinforce the techniques they learn in session. Some clients choose to use medication in addition to therapy and she does not discourage this.

The clients Karen Schaum sees for aviophobia generally have a planned trip and therefore, she said, want to make a change in their reaction to flying. Ms Schaum also utilizes behavioral therapy, stressing that in the case of fear of flying, it is important to reduce the belief system that something might happen during the flight. “I help them figure out where does this belief system stems from and is it a false system,” she said.

Talking about the fear and using tools such as journaling while in the plane and at other points of the trip can help, said Ms Schaum. “People rate themselves on a scale of one to ten, with ten being very anxious. They might think that they are going to feel a ‘ten’ when they are airborne and as they write about it, it might be only an eight or a nine as they get underway. Relaxation is a big part of behavioral modification,” Ms Schaum said.

Therapy does take time to be effective, said Ms Schaum, but in her experience, people who seek help are motivated. “They have usually allowed themselves three to four months to talk about this,” she said. Learning and using the tools is an ongoing practice to overcome aviophobia, she believes. “Clients may have a difficult time the first time they go on a plane, but if they have a good experience, the next time might be easier.”

“Therapy is about empowering the person so that they have the skills to handle anxieties themselves,” said Ms McGrath. “Once you have the skills, you can continue to use the techniques forever.”