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oes the thought of getting on a plane and shooting into the air towards the sky make you weak in the knees, not to mention other places? Join the mile high club! You are not alone. For the millions who suffer from phobias such as this, I would like to offer a bit of hope. Most people have intense fears about something in life. But the good news is that when friends and loved ones offer the “It’s all in your head” pitch, they may be on to something! The way that you think about these fearful things can make a difference. I am not suggesting you suck it up


and do it anyway; I am saying there are helpful things you can do and tools to support you through the fearful episodes. In meditation, you can use your mind to take you to a more tranquil state. Like meditation, you can use visualization and your imagination to help you as you cross the states in a jet. You can also gradually be exposed to that which you fear, little by little, under the supervision of a trained professional. It’s a bit like getting into a cold ocean inch by inch. Before you know it you are frolicking around and calling out to others “Hey! Come on in! It’s pretty nice once you get used to it!” With flying, you may not be able to sit in the terminal for a while until you are at ease or get on the plane, sit down and then deplane with a “Thanks, that’s all for now!” What you can do, however, is create ways to imitate the fearful envi- ronment that allow you to be safe while practicing relaxation to stay grounded when the fear tries to creep into your mind and take over. Ultimately these relaxation safety nets can be in your arsenal when fear tries to take over. Using something like imagery can


be a way to relax your mind during times that could bring about fear. For example, many people are terrified when flying through turbulent air pockets but don’t even bat an eye when they are in a boat at breakneck speed hanging on to a rail- ing with a life vest around their body for security. The vessel bangs and jolts about over a series of waves and they shout “Woohoo!” as they are whipped back and forth having the time of their life. Next


July 2011 39


Plane Anxiety Keeping You Grounded? D


by Valerie Cochrane


time you are in a plane, you could just close your eyes and imagine you are in a boat and you would be using “imagery”. We often scare ourselves with the idea that something could occur with not much to substantiate it besides our imagination. You can actually use per- sonal statistical facts before you let your mind wander into its doomsday tangent. By looking back at the times you let fear take over reality, you may find some rationale. For me, this rationale came to me at the beach when my fear of sharks was not allowing me to enjoy the beauti- ful, Floridian ocean. I chose to challenge the parental mainstay: “If Suzie jumps in the ocean, it doesn’t mean you should too!” Well, actually, yes it does. As a matter of fact, Suzie and her friends were having a darn good time and there I was, trapped by fear and missing out on all the fun. Suzie had been swimming and playing in that ocean all day, every day this week, and she did not become shark bait. If you think about all the people who travel around the world every


day, the odds are in your favor! As a matter of fact, if a casino placed a bet that something would go wrong on your flight, nobody would take that bet! Some of these techniques can be utilized in a group setting where you can get the support of others with similar fears. It may be more helpful to get support from like-minded people than friends or family who just may not know how to help. Finally, consider how resilient you actually are. Can you recall a time when you were alone and stood up to the plate in a crisis? Maybe the power went out in your house or you ran out of gas on the freeway. You felt your inner super hero’s chest puff out and command the situa- tion instead of cowering in the back seat of your car waiting for it all to go away. Once you were safe, do you recall how you bragged to anyone who would listen how you saved the day? You always have a choice when it comes to fear. You can jump in the back seat or slap an “S” across your chest, tie up your cape and fly!


Valerie Cochrane incorporates her


20 years of experience in the travel in- dustry with psychotherapy for “Come Fly with Me”. This support group addresses anxiety as it relates to airline travel and offers tools that can often be helpful. She is currently practicing as an intern at United Therapist of South Florida with an M.S. in Marriage and Family Therapy. See ad page 56.


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