Insomnia several days before departure, sweaty hands when boarding, throat knotted on takeoff, jaw strained during the turbulence and anxiety attack on landing those who are afraid in a plane are well aware of these symptoms that occur at the time going on vacation or coming back. Worse, some are forced to go through the ordeal several times a week for professional reasons.
Fortunately, there are solutions that allow you to live this difficult moment as well as possible, or even to get rid of this disabling fear. Philippe Goeury, senior flight attendant, psychologist, and leader of the Air France anti-stress course for anguished or phobic passengers, gives us his advice. In 30 years of work, including 10 years on the ground, he has helped around 7,000 people overcome their fear of flying. Some have even come to adore this means of transport after having dreaded it so much. You can search by private anxiety counselling near me and come up with the best results now.
Who are the phobic or the anguished of the plane and what are they afraid of?
Some are afraid of letting go, of not having control during the flight, of letting the pilot and the crew manage. Others are afraid of being locked in the camera, or conversely of the immensity of the sky that they see through the porthole. There are also those who fear technical breakdown, accident or attack.
There is no typical profile. What I can tell you is that 40% of the people who come to attend the Air France “taming the plane” course are men and 60% women, of all ages. We also offer courses for children and young adolescents.
What can be done to permanently reduce their anxiety?
Work on your overall anxiety. The only thing people who are afraid of flying have in common is a certain generalized anxiety, or a need for constant control, which can come together. Managing your daily stress and working on letting go can suddenly be enough to overcome your fear of flying. Therapy and / or daily meditation can help.
Inform
It’s human to be more anxious on a plane than in a car, train or boat. In the plane, for example, we do not see the air hitting the device and creating turbulence, as we can see a speed bump on a road, or a wave at sea. However, it’s the same thing. Turbulence has never caused an aircraft to fall, but it can make the aircraft feel like it is “falling”. To reassure the trainees, I explain this physical mechanism to them. Knowing that it is nothing more than a “broken road” in the sky is sometimes enough to reassure them. It is the same for the dozens of noises that passengers hear in flight and that they cannot identify: what is scary is the unknown. Theimagination gets carried away from a new perception, knowing the origin of sounds and sensations makes it possible to calm down.
Standardize
Throughout the trip, you have to make the act as harmless as taking the metro even if we are less used to it. Theft must absolutely be desecrated. Make getting on a plane and flying to a destination quite trivial.
