Understanding and Managing Flight Anxiety After Flydubai Incident
Translated & summarized from N12 by baba
Following a recent Flydubai incident, experts are explaining flight anxiety, characterized by rapid heartbeat and fearful thoughts. Dr. Yehonatan Dvash advises focusing on necessary information and tolerating uncertainty rather than seeking absolute reassurance. Coping strategies include outward attention, controlled breathing, and accepting anxiety, with professional treatments like CBT recommended for persistent phobias.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Flight anxiety involves physical symptoms and fearful thoughts, triggered even without immediate danger.
- Seeking constant reassurance can perpetuate flight anxiety, while tolerating uncertainty is key.
- Coping mechanisms include focusing on external stimuli and controlled breathing during flights.
- Avoiding flights offers short-term relief but can worsen the phobia long-term.
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and virtual reality are effective treatments for flight phobia.
Following a recent unusual incident on a Flydubai flight, experts are discussing the nature of flight anxiety and how to cope with it. Flight phobia can manifest in various ways, including rapid heartbeat, quickened breathing, intrusive thoughts of crashing, and a compulsive need for reassurance. These symptoms are part of the body's natural "emergency system" response to perceived threats, which can be triggered even when no immediate danger exists.
Dr. Yehonatan Dvash, Deputy National Psychologist for Clalit, explains that while seeking information and reassurance is natural when fearful, constantly chasing absolute certainty can perpetuate anxiety. Instead, he advises focusing on necessary information and practicing tolerance for a degree of uncertainty. Recognizing anxious thoughts as just thoughts, rather than facts, can also help create distance from them.
During a flight, when anxiety arises, individuals can redirect their attention outward by noticing sensory details in their environment, such as sights, sounds, or the feeling of the seat. Slowing breathing, perhaps by making exhalations slightly longer than inhalations, can also be beneficial. Engaging with music, a movie, or conversation can serve as distractions, but the goal isn't necessarily to eliminate anxiety entirely. Accepting the feeling of anxiety and continuing the flight despite it can be a significant step.
While avoiding flights might offer immediate relief, it can reinforce the fear in the long term. For those whose fear of flying significantly impacts their lives, professional treatment is recommended. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), particularly with gradual exposure, and sometimes virtual reality simulations, have proven effective. In some cases, medication may be prescribed for temporary relief, but it is not a substitute for therapeutic approaches that address the root of the fear. The ultimate aim is often not to love flying, but to be able to fly despite experiencing fear.
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