Psychology Today finds two distinct motivations of fear for those with serious phobias of flying. The first is the fear of inevitable demise. This portion of phobics are uncontrollably afraid the airplane will crash and they will die, or some other catastrophe of innumerable variations will occur, causing them unavoidable death or suffering, and they simply will not survive. The other group is concentrated among those that are point-blank agoraphobic. They fear the circumstances of being trapped in a metal tube; they’re afraid they’ll have a panic attack they can’t stop or suppress and they’ll lose control.
If you suffer from either form of flying phobia or one not mentioned here, you’ll know it’s no picnic trying to explore and experience life with a debilitating fear that limits your travel.
We do not claim to be trained psychologists, but rather hope to offer you some tried and true methods of coping so you may experience the beautiful world of luxury flight.
First and foremost we must mention the untenable benefits of flying business and first class. The experience of being pampered, fed, and entertained at higher standards reduces a significant portion of the stress of flying. How can you be afraid of being in the air when it feels like you’re in a hotel, right?
Next up, we offer you the power of your very own mind. Articulate in your mind the facts that you know about airplanes and the likelihood of dying in one – they’re slim. Tell yourself the facts over and over about the safety of the airplane and airports that reduce the odds of you being in mortal danger to non-existent.
Here are some facts we compiled to help you, about the odds of a plane crash:
- The odds of a plane crash are one for every 1.2 million flights.
- The odds of dying in one is one in 11 million. (Your chances of dying in a car or traffic accident are one in 5,000.)
- Statistically speaking, a person would have to take a flight every day for 55,000 years before encountering a fatal accident.
- You’re more likely to die from a falling coconut than a plane crash.
- More left-handed people die every year from using equipment meant for right-handed people than from plane crashes.
Last but not least, we recommend unconsciousness. If there’s really no psychological ways of keeping yourself calm and fearless throughout the flight, knock yourself out! No, literally…
With over-the-counter sleep medications available for everyone, it’s worth checking out a couple of strong doses for the duration of your flight. If the medication allows for it, shoot it back with a shot of alcohol for calmness insurance.
