Man has always dreamed of being able to fly and it is easy and commonplace to do so today thanks to planes. But for some people, stealing scares them to the point of developing a phobia.
How dangerous are planes?
Global air travel statistics clearly show that flying is increasingly safer. Over the past 25 years, the number of passengers has doubled from one to two billion per year, and the number of victims has increased from 2,000 to 500 per year. In France, around 6,000 people on average die at the wheel each year. Which puts things in perspective.
The fear of flying, however, actually consists of several sub-categories of phobia:
The fear of take-off
You can't imagine how a plane as big as an airplane can fly, and without any idea of the dynamics of the time, you can't see how it can keep flying.
Fear of space
You imagine that the slightest movement can make the plane fall out of the sky. You sit in your seat and all you can think of is the enormous void around you. In fact, you forget that the air is in fact a kind of fluid, an invisible fluid, it is true, but which always exists with its movements of air. You have lost all familiar references to move around the floor.
Fear of turbulence
You are terrified of the wings coming off and keep telling yourself how fragile a plane is. With every noise you hear, you are convinced that the plane is going to break, forgetting that it is designed to be flexible in order to make it more resistant.
Fear of mechanical breakdown
You listen to every sound, especially the engines, waiting for the moment of the explosion. You imagine that the engine stops and the plane will fall from the sky like a stone. You don't realize that planes have engines, but mostly they have wings that allow them to glide through the air even though there was no engine.
The fear of not being in control
You are used to deciding and you cannot sit passively in your seat for hours without any control over what is going on. If you were to fly the plane yourself, you would certainly be less afraid.
The fear of reliving a traumatic event
A flight with a lot of turbulence or a painful memory related to the flight, leaves its mark in the brain, accompanied by all the emotions. You feel like it all happened yesterday and you are terrified that it could happen again.
Fear of claustrophobia
You are terrified of being locked up, confined with other people with no power to escape. You panic when you see the plane's door close before takeoff and imagine that there is not enough air to breathe, not knowing that this air is continually being renewed and that relaxation techniques can calm things down .
Fear of altitude
This is linked to the fear of heights; until you reach a certain altitude. When you can no longer recognize familiar objects on the ground, you no longer feel reassured, forgetting that the earth really isn't that far away.
Fear of anxiety
These are people who live by constantly scanning the landscape for dangers. You study every little movement of the flight attendant or hostess and listen to every sound, unable to sleep, unable to eat, unable to do anything except be on the lookout for danger. If you regularly have panic attacks, you may be so afraid of having one that you develop a fear of your own anxiety.
All these fears can nevertheless be treated with techniques such as hypnosis.
All of these fears can nevertheless be treated with techniques such as hypnosis, relaxation, compassion, cognitive behavioral therapy and, in some cases, EMDR.
Do not go to the last minute to solve the problem! A quick hypnosis session the day before your flight won't be as effective as taking the time to properly assess, get treatment with one or two hypnosis sessions, master powerful relaxation techniques for your flight, and to give yourself time to train and build up your skills before the big day.