In brief
- Fear of flying can develop at any age – including when we’re adults
- Adult fear of flying can have many causes, including stress, experiencing a panic attack onboard a flight, flying in turbulent weather or exposure to negative media coverage of air crash incidents
- Adults can safely learn ways to manage fear of flying through self help or professional support
Fear of flying is learned, not inherent
Developing a fear of flying in adulthood isn’t rare – in fact, it’s much more common than you might think. Aviophobia affects millions of people and while many of these will have established a fear in childhood, it can appear suddenly in others.
Childhood phobias can be short lived and are usually overcome by adulthood. According to the experts at Harvard, 80% of adult phobias can become chronic and won’t go away without treatment.
Adult onset phobias can be debilitating, having a negative impact on life and self-perception.
There’s usually a trigger for fear of flying and understanding what the cause is can be powerful. There may be one trigger, or several. Regardless of what causes your fear of flying, it is real and it’s something you can work on, reducing its grip on your life.
What causes adult fear of flying?
Many people develop a fear of flying, sometimes after flying confidently for several years.
Some of the causes of fear of flying include:
- Stresses, including burnout, grief, loss, and other health anxieties
- Experiencing a panic attack on a plane that can be linked to flying
- A turbulent flight or a difficult experience on a plane (like an aborted landing)
- Exposure to stressful images, videos or stories about flying (especially during a period of stress and anxiety)
There may be a single, identifiable cause (like a turbulent flight where you were scared), or your fear of flying may be the result of several factors combined together. (You may see this written as ‘psychological, situational, and physiological elements’.)
Does understanding the cause of your fear of flying help? It can help some people, but the focus of self-help and professional support (through things like CBT) focus on helping people to find ways to fly. The cause of the fear is less important than the process to restore confidence.
Can you cure fear of flying in adults?
Many adults who have a fear of flying can develop the confidence to get on a plane and complete a journey.
The reality is that you may always have some anxiety around flying. Millions of us do, and it’s completely normal. But that fear can be reduced to a level that’s manageable. Relief should be the aim, not total relaxation.
Many nervous flyers can find that simple things like breathing exercises, grounding techniques and mindfulness can have a hugely positive impact on the flight experience.
These portable tools can be highly effective at reducing anxiety before and during a flight.
Accepting anxiety, too, is a way that you can find greater confidence by giving up control.
If your phobia is more complex and is affecting how you live, then professional help can be hugely beneficial. You may want to explore airline-operated fear-of-flying courses, virtual reality therapy (if it’s combined with psychological support), or work with a qualified therapist.
Over time, you can find the strength to fly. The American Psychological Association finds treatment is effective for 75% of people. Other studies have shown even higher rates of success.
What can I do to reduce the fear and fly again?
The first step is to recognise that you have a fear of flying and commit to work towards tackling it.
Educating yourself about all aspects of flying (and in particular, triggers like turbulence) can help you to learn about how safe flying is. Understanding the noises you’ll hear, the stages of flight, and the unique sensations you may experience can help you prepare.
Knowledge can be powerful, but you’ll also want to develop some tools to tackle anxiety if and when it appears. You’ll find lots of powerful mechanisms on our Help Desk and in our Calm Flight Toolkit which can help.
Over time, you’ll learn what works for you and doesn’t – and can build your own in-flight calm toolkit that travels with you.
Self help may not be enough for some people to tackle their fear of flying. If this is you, then you may benefit from professional support from a trained therapist. They can work with you to find a suitable strategy that gives you the calm and confidence to get on the plane.
FAQs
Adult fear of flying can be caused by various stresses, including burnout, grief, or health issues. It can also be triggered by experiencing a panic attack on a flight, a turbulent or difficult flight (such as an aborted landing). Some people can develop aviophobia after exposure to stressful media about flying. There may be one trigger or a combination of factors.
Yes! The primary goal is finding relief, not achieving total relaxation because some flight anxiety is completely normal. (Anxiety and excitement are very close.) The good news is that many adults can successfully regain the confidence to fly, with evidence showing that treatment is effective for 75% of people or more.
The right formula depends on you, but it can be powerful to educate yourself on flying, particularly common triggers like turbulence and the stages of flight. Developing portable tools like breathing exercises, grounding techniques, and mindfulness are great ways to crackle anxiety before and during the flight.
