Fear of flying can be made up of multiple aspects, for example the fear of heights (acrophobia), the fear of enclosed spaces (claustrophobia), the fear of being out of control, the fear of falling, the fear of the unknown (xenophobia) and even the fear of having a panic attack whilst airborne.
We focus the entire second half of the fear of flying ground course on tried and tested techniques and coping strategies that are 100% applicable for ANY phobia.
If you are sceptical about how powerful the techniques are for a fear of flying then take a look at Lawrence Leyton, our course host and therapist helping people on TV with an extreme fear of heights using the same techniques that you will learn during the course.
Fear of crashing
FEAR OF CRASHING is essentially aviophobia and is the intense fear that the plane will for some reason crash. People with this fear will play the worst case scenario in their heads over and over again convincing themselves that this is what is going to happen to them should they board a flight. Aviophobia receives more attention than most other phobias because air travel is often difficult for people to avoid.
Claustrophobia
CLAUSTROPHOBIA is the fear of being enclosed in a small space or room and having the feeling of being trapped with no escape. It can be triggered by many situations and not only flying, for example lifts, cars, trains and even windowless rooms. It is classified as an anxiety disorder, and when triggered can lead to panic attacks. Without doubt it is the most common sub-phobia connected to the fear of flying.
Fear of being out of Control
FEAR OF BEING OUT OF CONTROL is the fear that something terrible will happen if you are not able to control the outcome of the event. So people keep themselves continuously in a heightened state of stress and anxiety. One of the main issues is the demand for certainty in a world that’s always uncertain and it’s that unrealistic demand that creates the fear.
Fear of the unknown
People who haven’t flown before have an understandable fear of the unknown. But it’s very easy to cure, as once they understand all of the technical aspects of aviation including the noises and sensations, then these become familiar to them and therefore there is nothing to be sacred of and the fear simply disappears.
Fear of Falling
THE FEAR OF FALLING is a fear that can be varying in degrees of extremity. It does in fact differ from acrophobia (the fear of heights), although the two fears are very closely related. The fear of falling is the fear of the dangerous effects of falling i.e. injury or death, as opposed to the heights themselves.
Watch Lisa’s video diary
One of our course participants created a video diary of her experience of the course. It goes through how she felt before booking the course and how she felt after completing it. It is extremely compelling and we would encourage you to watch it.
Fear of panic attacks
FEAR OF PANIC ATTACKS are intense episodes of fear which are so powerful that they trick you into fearing that you are about to have a heart attack, or that you are about to faint, or worse die! But ironically once you have had your first panic attack, then it’s the fear of having a panic attack that fuels further attacks so it becomes the fear of the fear. This fear can also be closely associated with agoraphobia which is an anxiety disorder.
Acrophobia
ACROPHOBIA is an extreme fear of heights, especially when one is not particularly high up. Most people experience a degree of natural fear when exposed to heights, however acrophobia sufferers can become too agitated to get themselves down safely and experience a panic attack when in that situation. Acrophobia can also be associated with the fear of falling and the urge to jump off the height!