Getting started in overcoming fear of flying 

Traveling to many places is fun. But for people who don’t know who have yet to develop strategies in overcoming fear of flying, this is not always the case. For these people, the destination for any vacation can be fun but the hardest part would be staying up and strong during the flight. 

If you are one of those who are having a hard time flying because of certain fears while aboard, the first thing that you could do is to identify and acknowledge that fear. This is the best way to go about it because how can you address a certain problem if you don’t have enough courage to face it. Once you know in yourself what that fear is, you can find ways on how to overcome them.

How to get started 

Aviophobia or the fear of flying is one of the most common fears that people develop. This is because of the thought something untoward might happen in the air and would lead to their tragic death. Many people who enjoy flying might think of it as something absurd but experts say that fear of flying is not a laughing matter. This is because it can lead to more complicated problems such as panic attacks, nausea and vomiting. 

If you are one of those who have developed fear of flying and you want to overcome it, here's some tips that can help you get started: 

1. Know what really in flying that are afraid the most. The most common answer would be the fear of death—tragic one that is. Can you just imagine, if you die in a plane crash, there's a small percent of you surviving. The worst thing is that the rescuers might not be able to recover your remains because chances are they have turned into ashes or have been eaten by sea creatures during emergency landing. Although these thoughts are frightening, these don’t happen all the time. If you are afraid of these things, it is best to acknowledge these right away so you can address these properly. 

2. Be educated. This is the best weapon in getting started in overcoming your fear. If you are knowledgeable about the possibilities, you won't be able to imagine some things that might happen to you while aboard. Experts say that if one if knowledgeable enough, he or she would have a better understanding. Being educated means one is able to learn what to do when accidents may happen in the air. 

3. Undergo desensitization and enough exposure. For people who are afraid of flying, it takes a lot will to even attempt taking a flight. If you are one of those who are afraid of flying, one way to ease the anxiety that you feel is "desensitization" wherein there are vivid descriptions of the situations that may happen. If you know very well what it feels like during an accident, you will feel the intensity of that fear, thus, leading one to develop means to overcome that fear. It also helps the person to do something during that instance. 

4. Get all the support that you need. It is hard for a person—who is just starting in overcoming fear of flying—to do it by him or herself. So, the best way for him or her to continue with the process is having people around who can give the support needed. If you are the flyer, try bringing along a friend who is not afraid of flying when you have flights. He or she can serve as a distraction so you won't think of negative thoughts while aboard. 
