Hello all. I have been reading the Forum for quite a while and i am making my way through the SOAR course. I first would like to say thank you - to Captain Tom
and to the other people who post on here. The SOAR lessons are really helping me deal with my fear of flying, and the community posts are also very comforting
and helpful. I'm not 100% there yet; i still experience a fair amount of discomfort during the flights. However, Captain Tom's lessons about
turbulence, stair stepping and the Abstract Point of No Return have been enormously helpful to me. At times during my last flight yesterday, I found myself
actually relaxing and upon doing so, I actually got more anxious -- as if i was afraid to "let go" of my anxiety... because that would make something
bad happen. I realize the irrationality of this idea; however, i wonder if anyone can comment on what may be the psychological roots or explanation for this.
Clearly, my anxiety cannot control what happens or does not happen on a plane. Why might i be afraid of giving up my fear completely? thanks again for all of
the support out there and i look forward to continuing to practice the exercises before my next flight.
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0 Kudos
thank you, and a question
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 workinprogress |
thank you, and a question |
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Posts: 1 (11/30/09 18:50:59) |
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Capt Tom Bunn MSW LCSW |
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Posts: 2772 (12/01/09 11:32:18) |
I'm really pleased you identified that. It does happen. In theory, it goes like this. When young, there is a time when a child has never had trauma enter
his or her life. Then, when it does, it enters without any warning, for after all, the child didn't even know trauma was possible. Now, having entered
without warning and being so awful, the child doesn't know what to do about it. And, since it came "out of the blue", the child looks for it in
order to be braced for it. This expectation of trauma's return continues, and if the expectation continues, but trauma does not return, the child - in this
child's early logical thinking - believes that expecting it keeps it from happening.
Thus, to begin to relax the hypervigilance, the fear that trauma will return increases. So, based on the young child's logic which was used for years, expecting trauma keeps it from happening, and visa versa. |
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Note from Capt. Tom I know everyone worries about weather, but pilots really do not worry about it. We simply - instead of worrying about it - completely prepare for it. Before going to the plane, we review the weather at the destination. If it is not 100% sure to be within legal limits when we arrive at the destination, we must specify an alternate airport in our planning documents, and load on plenty of fuel for going to the destination airport, and then if need be, diverting to the alternate airport. The legal limits are conservative. Even when weather is slightly outside the legal limits, any airline pilot could still land safely. You can rely on the captain never to land when the weather is not legal, and legality limits are reached prior to safety limits. If you are still anxious, call me and we can talk it over. I'm at 877 332-7359 from 10 AM until 7 PM Eastern time. For effective help, even if you are flying in a day or two, sign up now at www.fearofflying.com/fasttrack and call me when you finish Clip 9 so I can make sure you are all set. |
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Using Weather Information If you enter your ZIP Code or City at the top of the weather presentation, it will give you weather for your area. Or, you can enter your destination ZIP Code or City.
Click on the "LOCAL RADAR" button to see whether or not there are thunder- Turbulence, though it may cause anxiety, does not mean anything is wrong. Turbulence does not mean danger. The plane can handle far more turbulence than Mother Nature can dish out. Though flying in turbulence is safe, it doesn't feel safe. And here is where the SOAR programs come in. We can help you feel as safe when you fly as you actually are. You can see these programs at www.fearofflying.com/store. |
