Pteromerhanophobia - What Causes a Fear of Flying?

Pteromerhanophobia or a fear of flying has the potential to seriously affect your life in more ways than you would think. For those that suffer, the results have included stopping flying altogether, causing job opportunities to be missed, family gatherings and holidays cancelled or avoided. A totally debilitating phobia.

What causes a fear of flying will vary from person to person. A previous bad event such as severe turbulence may be enough, whereas others may just feel anxious through feeling trapped at altitude. It could also involve a mistrust of the flight crew or a total lack of confidence in the aircraft to remain airborne.

What is important to remember however, is that there is really nothing to fear, whatever the underlying individual cause of the anxiety. Even those that have flown through turbulence have never been in real danger, because the aircraft of today are manufactured to such a high standard that they can easily cope with the sort of turbulence that may typically be encountered. Even danger from engine failure is drastically minimized due to the sophisticated level of the safety systems installed.

That is not to say that anxiety and panic attacks that occur during a flight are not uncomfortable, far from it.The physical and emotional reactions of someone with a fear of flying are just real as if something dangerous actually were happening.

Some of the more common symptoms that may be present include:

- Breathing difficulties

- Chest pains and heart palpitations

- Sweating and dizziness

- Vomiting

- Muscle tension

- Dry mouth

- Abdominal pains

The feeling of loss of control can be overpowering and convince sufferers that they are in extreme danger. Although frightening, this perception of danger is just that, and not real. Easy to say, but true nevertheless.

A really good way of overcoming this fear of flying is to follow a systematic approach to treatment, which covers how safe flying is, as well as teaching how to modify reactions to flying, so enabling an end to anxiety and panic whilst flying.

One such system is The Takeoff Today Program, which teaches all this and more. It makes use of written, audio and video material, as well as free information and reports to download. All this instructional material helps sufferers answer their most common questions, by using interviews with pilots, flight crews and other experts within the aviation industry, all aimed to help you overcome your fear of flying.

Fear of flying can be a totally debilitating condition that forces sufferers to miss out on so much of life. If you are suffering, you can beat it and start living life to the full again. Visit http://www.strange-phobias.blogspot.com to find out how to overcome your fear of flying, as well as other phobias and fears.