Long Layovers and Fear of Flying
I recently returned from a month-long trip to Alaska. On the way home, the airline messed up our reservation, and we ended up spending the Fourth of July sitting in the Denver airport. An 18-hour layover certainly provides the opportunity to sit and reflect!
Although I do not personally suffer from aerophobia, I have always been a bit of a nervous flier. I prefer to arrive at the airport as late as possible, board the plane as quickly as possible, and be on my way. Sitting in the airport for 18 hours definitely made me more anxious than usual, since I had nothing better to do than dwell on the upcoming flight.
I am curious as to how those of you with a full-blown phobia would handle such a travel delay. Would you be able to continue by air, or would you be rushing off to the nearest car rental counter?
Share your thoughts and personal experiences in the forum, where we can all help each other learn new skills!
Comments
The things most people try don’t work. Drugs, according to research, make the flight anxiety worse and cause ten times as much panic as without the drugs. Relaxation exercises, again according to research, do nothing.
The problem with flying is that there is no control and no escape. Control and escape are important because we use those two things so much on the ground to deal with anxiety.
I’ve put together a library of articles on what can be done that is effective at http://www.fearofflying.com/wordpress/