You’re standing at the airport gate, watching as passengers board the plane one by one.
Your heart starts racing, your palms become sweaty, and a sense of dread washes over you. The thought of stepping onto that aircraft fills you with overwhelming anxiety – and you feel trapped when the aircraft door closes.
If this scenario sounds familiar, you’re not alone…
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, approximately 6.5% of the U.S. population experiences aviophobia or the fear of flying — even though it’s one of the safest forms of travel.
Hypnotherapy can help you overcome your fear of flying by getting to your subconscious to uncover the root cause of your flying anxiety and changing it. If you’re ready to explore a new approach to conquering your fear, read on to discover the potential of hypnotherapy and how it works.
What Is The Fear Of Flying
The fear of flying is as simple as it reads: a dread that comes with the thought of boarding an aircraft or during the actual flight. This fear can manifest in various ways, from nervousness and sweaty palms to full-blown panic attacks as the departure date approaches.
The fear of flying can affect an individual’s life by
- Limiting travel opportunities
- Affecting career choices
- Causing distress during family or business trips
Some people may resort to avoiding air travel altogether, leading to missed opportunities and reduced quality of life.
Symptoms
When you have a dread of flying, you may experience physical and emotional symptoms:
- Increased heart rate
- Sweating
- Panic attacks
- Silent anxiety attacks
- Feelings of dread or impending doom
These symptoms can vary in intensity and may interfere with quality of life.
What Causes Fear Of Flying
The fear of flying can stem from several factors, including experiences or trauma from childhood. For instance, if you experienced a near plane crash as a child, you may carry that fear into adulthood. This fear can also stem from having parents or loved ones who fear flying.
Other causes include:
- Fear of Heights: Some individuals experience anxiety when faced with the prospect of being at high altitudes, such as during takeoff or landing.
- Loss of Control: The feeling of being unable to control the aircraft or the outcome of the flight can contribute to fear and flight anxiety.
- Previous Traumatic Experience: A past negative experience related to flying, such as turbulence, a rough landing, or witnessing an aviation incident, can leave a lasting impact and trigger fear.
- Fear of Enclosed Spaces: Some people will panic when they are in an enclosed space like an airplane where they do not have the option to leave at any time.
- Fear of the Unknown: For some, the unfamiliarity of air travel, including the sounds, sensations, and procedures involved, can be unsettling and anxiety-inducing.
How To Overcome The Fear Of Flying
While overcoming aviophobia can be challenging, there are several strategies that you can employ to manage your fear of flying:
- Education: Learning about aviation safety, statistics, and flight mechanics can help demystify air travel and alleviate anxiety.
- Relaxation Techniques: Practicing deep breathing, meditation, or visualization exercises can help calm nerves and reduce anxiety before and during flights.
- Gradual Exposure: Gradually exposing oneself to flying by taking short flights or visiting airports can desensitize the fear response over time.
- Professional Help: Seeking support from a mental health professional, such as a hypnotherapist specializing in anxiety relief, can provide tailored strategies and support for overcoming aviophobia.
Hypnotherapy For Fear Of Flying
Hypnosis, also known as hypnotherapy, is a technique that uses focused attention and relaxation to tap into the subconscious mind. It’s like entering a deeply relaxed state where your unconscious mind becomes more open to positive suggestions and changes.
So, how does hypnosis help with the fear of flying? Let’s break it down:
Accessing the Subconscious
During a hypnotherapy session, a trained therapist helps you relax deeply.
This relaxation allows them to explore the root causes of your fear of flying, like past experiences or negative beliefs, which are often buried in your subconscious mind. Relaxation techniques might include counting down or walking down the stairs to guide you into a deep state of relaxation that is trance-like.
Changing Perspectives
Once you’re in this state of deep relaxation, your hypnotherapist will guide you to uncover the root cause of your anxiety. This cause and how you respond to it is what fuels your anxiety about flying. Once the root cause is known, with hypnosis, you can start to change the way you think about flying.
Your hypnotherapist will introduce positive thoughts or imagery to reframe your negative associations about flying. By introducing positive thoughts and mental images during hypnosis, you can gradually replace irrational fear with feelings of calmness, safety, and confidence.
Learning Relaxation Techniques
Hypnotherapy often includes relaxation exercises, like deep breathing, visualization, and grounding, to help you manage anxiety when thinking about flying.
Through practice, these techniques can create a sense of relaxation and control during flights.
Boosting Confidence
Hypnosis can also boost your confidence and teach you how to cope with fear. While you can’t erase the memories of what caused your fear of flying, you can replace them with positive ones to focus on instead.
This can boost your confidence and make you feel more empowered and in control.
Overcome Your Fear Of Flying With A Hypnotherapist In San Jose
If the fear of flying impacts your quality of life, it’s time to make a change for the better. Fear of flying hypnosis can empower you to reclaim your life and fly with greater ease. Book an initial consultation today with a certified hypnotherapist at Silicon Valley Hypnosis Center.
I can help you overcome your fear of flying and take back control. I work with my clients in-person or over Zoom.
FAQs
Yes, hypnosis can be effective in addressing the underlying causes of aviophobia by changing negative associations and promoting relaxation.
The number of sessions varies depending on the individual, but significant improvements can often be seen within a few hypnosis sessions.
Yes, hypnosis is generally safe when conducted by a qualified hypnotherapist experienced in treating anxiety issues.
No, hypnosis is a state of deep relaxation where you remain aware and in control. It’s more like a focused daydreaming state.
Yes, hypnotherapy can address past traumas by reframing negative memories and associations, allowing you to approach flying with greater ease.
Disclaimer: The information in this article is for informational purposes only and is not meant to provide medical or mental health advice. Terms used in this article are meant to be interpreted as common vernacular, and are not meant to diagnose or treat any type of mental health disorder or physical disease. We do not diagnose or treat any type of mental health disorder or physical disease, nor do we hold ourselves out to offer these services. Please seek care from a licensed mental health or medical doctor for these purposes.
