What is aerophobia (fear of flying)?
Aerophobia is an extreme fear of flying in an airplane. People with aerophobia may be scared about different aspects of flying, such as take-off, landing or getting locked in the plane. You might know that your fear is irrational — statistics show that air travel has the lowest death rates among other forms of transportation — but you can’t reason your way out of the anxiety. Another name for this condition is aviophobia.
Most people with aerophobia aren’t actually afraid of the plane crashing. Instead, you might fear the overwhelming anxiety that comes with being on the plane. The anticipation of flying, or thinking about flying, is often as troubling as being on the flight itself.
Symptoms and Causes
Who is at risk for aerophobia?
Aerophobia is most common in people between the ages of 17 and 34. This is a time in life when significant changes occur, such as graduation, marriage or childbirth. People may be scared that flying jeopardizes their life at such an important time. It’s possible for someone to fly without anxiety for years, and then develop aerophobia.
What causes aerophobia?
Aerophobia usually doesn’t have a specific cause. It’s very rare for aerophobia to stem from a traumatic experience on a flight. Specific triggers might include:
- News stories about terrorism, crashes or violence on airplanes.
- Take-off and landing.
- Thoughts about fire or illness spreading through the plane.
- Turbulence (bumps during the flight).
Symptoms
People who have aerophobia experience persistent and intense anxiety when they think about flying or when they travel by air. The symptoms of aerophobia, also known as aviophobia, are similar to those of other specific phobias. Physical symptoms of the fear of flying may include:
- Chills
- Choking sensations
- Clouded thinking
- Disorientation
- Flushed skin
- Gastrointestinal upset
- Increased heart rate
- Irritability
- Nausea
- Shaking
- Shortness of breath
- Sweating
In some instances, people may even experience a full-blown panic attack. A panic attack is an episode of intense fear that can be accompanied by symptoms such as heart palpitations, feeling detached from reality, and a fear of dying.
How is aerophobia diagnosed?
There isn’t a specific diagnostic test for aerophobia. Your healthcare provider will carefully review your symptoms and ask you a variety of questions about your fear of flying. Aerophobia can range from mild (you’ll fly if you have to, but it makes you anxious) to severe (you’ve refused to fly for more than five years).
Your healthcare provider may diagnose you with a specific phobic disorder, such as aerophobia, if you:
- Develop symptoms at the thought of the fearful object or situation, such as airplanes or air travel.
- Experience your fear for six months or longer.
- Go out of your way to avoid the object or situation you fear.
- Have difficulty functioning at home, work or in social situations due to your fear.