For millions of people, flying is an exciting entré to a holiday – a means of visiting family abroad, - an airborne bus for getting to work.
For others, the very thought of it is enough to make them feel so anxious that they cannot board a plane at all.
Fear of flying is an illogical fear. Certainly, planes crash occasionally – as witnessed recently with the appalling disasters involving the Boeing 737 Max. When they do it is headline news so everyone knows about it. Statistically, however, flying is far safer than driving, which is one of the most dangerous forms of travel. Depending on whether rural roads or cities are being considered also the length of the trip, flying is between 60 and several hundred times safer than driving.
Despite this – people feel more in control of their destiny in a car – even as a passenger – than they do as a passenger in a plane.
Fear is an emotional, not a logical reaction. Statistics alone are not enough to help the average fearful traveller. The mind needs to get the message at a deeper level.
I have seen many people with travel fears over the years and virtually every one has been able to travel confidently after a series of sessions – typically about 3, involving hypnotherapy and related approaches.
· People find that rather than being fearful they feel calm and in control
· Rather than imagining all sorts of disasters that might befall the plane, or panicking because they feel shut in, they are able to think about the holiday they are about to have and all the pleasant things they are going to do
· When they hear the sound of the flaps being altered or the wheels descending, they know that this is normal and are able to ignore it
· They are able to focus their attention outside of themselves and consequently enjoy being able to read a book, watch a film, or chat to other people.
This means they can enjoy planning their holidays sure in the knowledge that they will be able to make the journey. And their families will benefit too.
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