Fear of Flying Shouldn’t Keep your Career Grounded
By: Jennifer Goodwin
Your boss just offered you a promotion. Congratulations should be in order, only there’s one problem. The position requires extensive business travel and you’re afraid to fly.
Now What?
It may not make your decision any easier, but take heart knowing that fear of flying is one of the most common phobias, psychologists say.
Some are petrified by the thought of the plane going down, fears that ratchet up after crashes such as Air France Flight 447 on May 31.
For others, including those who suffer from anxiety disorders such as panic attacks, agoraphobia (fear of unfamiliar places) or claustrophobia (fear of confined spaces), the fear stems from the thought of being wedged in with no way to escape. (If the phrase “Prepare doors for departure and cross-check” makes your heart race, this may be you.)
Before you turn down the job, the good news is that fear of flying is highly treatable, said Brenda Wiederhold, a clinical psychologist and executive vice president of the Virtual Reality Medical Center in Sorrento Valley.
If you only have to fly occasionally, a doctor may be willing to prescribe anti-anxiety drugs such as Xanax or a sleep aid such as Ambien.
But pills aren’t the solution for frequent fliers, especially if your clients wouldn’t appreciate it if you were still flying high when you showed up for the meeting.
In that case, therapy can help you learn coping skills – such as deep abdominal breathing – designed to slow your heart rate and blood pressure so you don’t try to bolt.
Wiederhold also makes use of virtual reality, which lets patients experience the sights and sounds of an airport or a plane taking off. The typical patient usually needs six 50-minute sessions at $120 each.
“People don’t need to suffer with the fear and limit their lives,” she said.
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2009/jun/13/1c13whatm20057-fear-flying-shouldnt-keep-career-gr/