Flight freak outs now more frequent

An AAP report says that air travel stress, a form of anxiety caused by heightened security and all the hassles involved in being a passenger these days, can start the moment you book the ticket for that dream holiday and this is a new travel bug that doesn’t discriminate. It will take down even the coolest of cucumbers. And there are no drugs to cure it.

The moment you book the ticket for that dream holiday, weekend getaway or business trip, you are vulnerable.

It’s called air travel stress, a form of anxiety caused by heightened security and all the hassles involved in being a passenger these days.

Psychologist Dr Bryan Burke, a specialist in the fear of flying, who works at the Anxiety Treatment Unit in Sydney, says that with the huge numbers of people flying, we can all be victims of this latest ailment.

“It’s the long lines at check-in, the crowding, the enhanced security procedures, the lack of predictability often in what’s going to happen between arriving at the airport and getting to the plane … all the delays and all that sort of stuff, that anybody is subjected to,” he says.

In fact, for one third of the world’s population the thought of being up in the air in a flying machine triggers clammy paws and a faster heart beat.

He says that fear can vary from mild apprehension through to total avoidance.

The symptoms that strike fearful fliers are usually activated by some other factors such as claustrophobia, “closed space with no exit is a big bugaboo,”; panic attacks, “(they) are worried about losing control of themselves and panicking and having a heart attack”; stress overload, “the flight is the breaking point of a number of negative occurrences,”; traumatic experiences associated with flying, “like bad turbulence, or knew someone who was killed by a crop duster or something like that,”; or worriers, “they tend to operate by the basic rule when in doubt expect the worst, it’s the unfamiliar”.

So, Dr Burke works at controlling these thought processes by equipping clients with the facts about flying in a program his centre conducts.

“(It includes) how planes fly, what keeps them in the air, all of the systems that are in place to make them as safe as possible, videos of planes, a presentation from a pilot and a meteorologist, so they are beginning to understand what happens,” he says.

So what is it about being up in the air that freaks people out?

“Our body senses mislead us, our balance sense amplifies so it seems like we are falling,” Dr Burke explains.

He says that it is “absolutely critical” to teach people ways of “controlling their crazy thinking and learning how to relax”.

When Dr Burke has taught clients how to deal with feelings of anxiety he takes the big step of getting them up in the air.

“I gradually introduce them to planes and flying until the last phase of the program is in fact to take a flight with them.”

He says that people who suffer some fear need to be aware of these disruptive thoughts and nip them in the bud, challenge them and deal with them, and employ physical relaxation techniques.

“Be active … take control of themselves rather than just reacting and letting their wild imaginations go,” he says.

However, Dr Burke warns, “It’s not a magic pill, it’s not a quick fix. People have to learn the techniques and apply them”.

One Sydneysider explains her fear stems from “the fact that I’m not in control”.

“It’s just something that’s always been with me, it doesn’t stop me, but I have to psych myself up,” she says.

Before a flight she tries not to think about it but as it approaches she begins to feel anxious. “I get really tense, especially on the plane, waiting for it to take off, my heart races, I feel hot and flustered. I can’t sleep on the plane, I need to know what’s going on.”

She tells me about a friend who “is even worse”.

“She only flies Qantas and takes valium to relax her during the flight,” she says.

Determined not to let her fear tie her feet to the ground, earlier this year she took a 14-hour flight to the US. “I didn’t sleep for 14 hours,” she says.

She won’t take any medication because she wants to remain alert. “It’s the not knowing that’s the issue,” she says.

Thankfully, the fear is subsiding as she gets older and is forced to travel for business and pleasure, but she is certain that it will always linger.

Controlling mental barriers is one thing. Controlling that queasy feeling that has you reaching for the complimentary chunder bag (that conveniently doubles as an envelope for developing film).

Airsickness is another thing all together. however it only hinders about one per cent of travellers, travel specialist Dr Tony Gherardin says.

He says that it is most prevalent in children aged three to 15 and tends to taper off in adults.

The good news is that travel sickness in aircrafts is declining. “The worst is being on the sea, and then motor vehicles,” Dr Gherardin says. “Bigger jets are smoother so they reduce people getting air sick,” he says.

Whilst it is a little unpredictable, if you’ve fallen victim to air sickness before then your chances are increased.

Dr Gherardin explains that when there is a mismatch of signals coming to the brain between balance mechanisms and what the eye sees we start to feel nauseous.

“It is in relation to movement and visual cues,” he says.

Sitting in the middle of the plane helps because it is the most stable position and your eyes can’t play any tricks on you, Dr Gherardin suggests. “Sit back, relax, keep your eyes closed … it gets exacerbated if people are anxious.

“Minimal head movement, ensure a little bit of air flow, have access to fluids, not alcohol, and keep meals small.”

Anything else to keep in mind? Air rage, Dr Gherardin warns.

Passengers with air rage might not look all that threatening, but looks can be deceiving.

“The person may not have a fear of flying but it accumulates while they are flying and they get angry,” he says. “It is often aggravated by alcohol, leading people to get out of control.”

A Report by The Mole from AAP