Lesson 1: Fears and Phobias
Lesson 1 gives you some background and general information on fears and phobias. This information includes how phobias start, what they feel like, how common they are and more.
Introduction
What do you have in common with Dean Koontz, Cher, Aretha Franklin, Glenda Jackson, Ronald Reagan, John Madden, and Billy Bob Thornton? They are all reportedly afraid to fly. People of all ages, from all walks of life, having varying levels of education, can suffer from the fear of flying.
Recent studies show that approximately one in six people won't fly at all and one in three people suffer from extreme anxiety while flying. Can you imagine that one third of people are afraid to fly? If you thought you were alone in your fear, let’s end that perception right now.
People who refuse to fly miss out on countless events in their lives. Whether trips are for business or pleasure, their fear prevents them from participating in anything they need to reach by plane. Job and business opportunities are passed up, vacations are rearranged, and chances to see new places and experience wonderful things are lost.
Those are afraid but do fly, dread events they should be looking forward to because of their fear. Though they'll get on the plane, they can experience misery to the point of having very uncomfortable physical symptoms.
Fearful flyers often sit with their hands gripping the arm rests of their seats. They are afraid to get up to use the bathroom, afraid to even turn the pages of a magazine. Their imagination interprets every sound as doom and every bump as disaster. They even monitor the flight attendants faces for signs of trouble. Some people try to combat their fear with alcohol or medication.
The level of fear related to flying can change throughout the flight. Some parts of the flight might seem more alarming than others. Whatever part of the flight terrifies them, the result is the same – by the time they get where they're going, they're a wreck.
Though we may know logically that flying is the safest way to travel, once the fear sets in, it’s very difficult to let it go. But if we know why flying is safe and we learn how to break the patterns of racing thoughts, anxiety, and a sense of doom, we can fly comfortably.
This course will help you overcome your fear of flying by giving you the information you need about both the plane and its operations and relaxation techniques to take the unknown out of the equation. Once you know what sounds, sensations and procedures mean and you know how to break your upward spiral of negative thoughts, you’ll be able to relax without the constant nagging fear of “what’s that?” “Is that normal?” “What’s happening?”
It should be noted that if you have any problems such as depression, drug dependency, alcohol dependency, panic disorders, etc., professional help should be sought. Though this course can help people understand the basics of a flight, it isn’t the same as a qualified therapist.
