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(Transportation-News.com, November 15, 2012 ) San Francisco, CA- When Royce White of the Houston Rockets said he would travel to games by bus because he was afraid to fly, he brought attention to the phobia.
The good news is that experts and those who have suffered fear of flying say that it is possible to control and overcome the condition.
Todd Farchione, a psychologist at Boston University’s Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders, said most people can overcome their apprehension.
“The treatments we have for this are so effective for fear of flying that upwards of 80% and sometimes even more people who get the treatment can fly,” Farchione told The AP.
Treatment usually involves behavioral and cognitive therapy. People identify what makes them afraid and confront their fears gradually. Some patients use flight simulators.
John Hart, a psychologist at the Menninger Clinic of Houston, said treatment emphasizes exposure. Hart uses a simulator that includes noise and shaking motion.
“It’s like the cockpit of a plane, with video screens that look like windows and show the ground and various airports,” said Hart.
One patient who overcame her fear of flying said she sat in a plane on the ground and peppered a retired airplane captain with questions.
“Even thinking about getting on a plane would make me break into a sweat,” said Lisa Fabrega of North Bergen, N.J.
Fabrega, a lifestyle coach, took a workshop called Freedom to Fly at the White Plains Hospital’s Anxiety & Phobia Treatment Center in New York. The workshop costs $1,500 and includes a round-trip commercial flight at its finish.
People might fear flying for many reasons, experts say. It could be fear of heights, sensitivity to turbulence or worries about disasters. Others feel trapped on an airplane, said Hart of the Menninger Clinic.
“It’s not like a car,” he said. “You can’t stop and get out.”
Farchione, whose treatment was featured in “This Emotional Life” on PBS, says it is important to face anxiety.
“How likely is the plane going to crash?” he said. “It’s much safer than driving or taking the bus.”
About Overcoming Fear of Flying:
Overcoming Fear of Flying (http://overcoming-fear-of-flying.com/) is an online resource for learning how to overcome fear of flying, also known as aerophobia. Visitors can learn about The Takeoff Today! Program, a strategy for ending fear of flight. People can read more at the website.
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Source: EmailWire.Com 
Source: EmailWire.com
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