Fear of flying

Fear of flying is a fear of air travel. Commercial flight has become an important, for many essential, part of life, and yet the seeming unnaturalness of human flight continues to cause a significant proportion of the public to feel anxiety before, during, or while thinking about flying--this despite that driving in an automobile is statistically many times more dangerous.

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There are many things that cause one to fear flying, including a fear of closed in spaces (claustrophobia), such as that of an airplane cabin; a fear of heights (acrophobia); a feeling of not being in control (since a passenger is not driving the plane and can't get out at will); previous traumatising experiences while in flight; fear of hijacking or terrorism; fear of deep venous thrombosis; fear of turbulence; etc. While most people who are afraid of flying but to whom flight is a convenient way to conduct necessary business manage their fears well enough that they are able to fly, they may spend considerable time and emotional energy thinking about the dangers that may befall them during flight.

Related Topics:
Claustrophobia - Acrophobia - Hijacking - Terrorism - Deep venous thrombosis - Turbulence

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A few people are nearly incapable, however, of getting on a plane, and must use cars, trains, and ships ? all of which are slower and usually less safe than airplanes ? to achieve long distance travel. One major factor in many people's fear of flying is the sensationalist attention the media give airline crashes (and the high casualty rate per incident), in comparison to the scant attention they give the massive number of isolated automobile crashes.

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Some airline and travel companies run courses to help people get over the fear of flying – for example, Virgin Atlantic's "Flying Without Fear".

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A common method to overcome one's fear of flying is by tensing one's muscles and then focussing on how they relax. This method is called Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR).

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