How do you deal with a phobia?

I am absolutely terrified of flying. Even seeing a movie with someone flying in an airplane makes me grab onto my seat. How do you deal with such a fear? Would it be best to just get in a plane and fly? Is there any other approach?

I know that most phobias are cause by traumas, but this one isn't. I just don't know why, but the feeling of being stuck in a plane where I have no control of what is happening and no possible way of saving my life if something goes wrong just terrifies me. I will need to fly to Canada soon and just the idea of it makes me want to dive under my bed.

 

I suppose this depends on how old are you and how adventurous you are. I was afraid of heights when I was young about 30 years ago. I was even scared to go near the edge on the roof of our house, so I decided to fly gliders. I learned to control my fear and while even today I feel uncomfortable with heights, I can stand on edge of roof of a high-rise and my place is in on 20th floor of the building.
I don't know how I would have handled the situation if I had to deal with it today instead of 30 years ago. May be you should try to fly gliders, the flying time is only about 10-20 minutes but after being in one of those, you will have no problem sitting in an airplane.

 

Wow... just picturing myself using one of those things made me shiver

I am also very afraid of heights but with some effort I am still able to climb up high spots. By the fear of flying is just too much, it is a terrifying idea

 

My mother suffers from different phobias, I bought her 'Beyond Anxiety and Phobia: A Step-by-step Guide to Lifetime Recovery' by Edmund J. Bourne which she found helpful.

Give it a read you may find it useful.

 

fryman - focus on the pretty stewardesses ...

if they are fine - you will be fine
if they panic - quickly order a double shot of something.

 

I haven't ever had a phobia... but if I did I'd try either one or a combination of the following:

NLP, Ericksonian Hypnosis, or The Sedona Method (Also known as the release techinique.)

The Sedona Method is probably the lowest risk technique. Some NLP'ers are good and some are bad. Maybe you should go and see Paul Mckenna I think sometimes he does seminars in mexico.

 

Hope so... I sure won't be flying over to one of his seminars!

 

Why not just drug yourself for the flight?

 

some say self-help programs could work: http://www.anxieties.com/flying.php]


I have trypanophobia which I'm still having a hard time dealing with. I'm still working on it, coz I have to really really face that fear very soon when I have to deliver my baby.

good luck to us fryman

 

lol... love the idea of trying to run out of a burning plane all drugged up

 

Try Neuro Linguistic Programming a.k.a. NLP. Seek a qualified person to sort you out. You'll be surprised how fast it's gone.

Otherwise, there's the B.A. Barachus way... I'll come over and knock you out.

 

You have the same control of aeroplane engines as you do the search engines, none

There are courses over here for such phobias.

 

And remember what fear stands for...

F - false

E - expectation

A - assumed

R - real

It's nothing but a false expectation you are assuming is real. It's in the mind only, that's why NLP is so effective.

 

Why would you set the plane on fire?

 

Get drunk, sleep through the while flight, mission accomplished.

I'm afraid of the heights myself, didn't get around to cope with it yet.

 

Book a flying lesson and give it a go yourself...

You mention the lack of control is what scares you - at least this way you'll be in control.

 

fryman if you have a serious phobia, the best way to approach it is with a psychologist or psychiatrist. actual phobias aren't about fear or anything people who don't have a phobia can relate to. It is possible to overcome a phobia in some cases but it would require therapy with a professional from an old school profession - sorry won't endorse nlp. I wouldn't recommend drugging yourself out for the flight as the phobia keeps it's stronghold in the subconscious (not the pre-concious or conscious), so it would still be traumatic before and after and possibly f- your subconscious phobia harder to a deeper level of phobia because you put yourself in a position beyond 'no control' to not even conscious. Phobias are a serious deal and if it effects you at that level and you do want to fly - get in and do the work to at the very least point where you are able to fly and not harm yourself anymore.

Can't agree with any dive in and let go ideas as phobias can kick up some pretty controlling coping mechanisms. If you dove in hard to confront it, chances are your subconscious is going to give you an uppercut to clear up who is boss. e.g. could be really traumatic

 

Reminds me of that movie with Bill Murray in it. He keeps holding on to that psychiatrist's book and repeating "baby steps", "baby steps". But it seems to be the right approach. The only way to get over a fear is to confront it, one small step at a time.

 

Get drunk, throw yourself off a building, mission accomplished

fryman, try NLP, it won't harm you and it might help you fast.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuro-linguistic_programming

Just remember that NLP practitioners are like websites, for every good one theres thousands of bad ones.