Sandra Pollino - Flying Fear Free: 7 Steps to Relieving Air Travel Anxiety

Flying Fear Free

Copyright 2012 by Sandra M. Pollino

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form whatsoever, including electronic, mechanical or any information storage or retrieval system, except as may be expressly permitted in the 1976 Copyright Act or in writing from the publisher.

Requests for permission should be addressed to:

New Horizon Press

P.O. Box 669

Far Hills, NJ 07931

Pollino, Sandra M.

Flying Fear Free: 7 Steps to Relieving Air Travel Anxiety

Cover design: Wendy Bass

Interior design: Susan Sanderson

Library of Congress Control Number: 2011928839

ISBN-13 (eBook): 978-0-88282-407-9

New Horizon Press

Manufactured in the U.S.A.

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To Noelle, my daughter and best friend, who has patiently supported my understanding of the fear of flying, years of research and development of a successful program. I thank her for contributing her medical knowledge.

And to Angie, my mother, first editor and biggest fan. She has given me her support from the start.

I love you both.

This book is based on the authors research, personal experiences, clients real life experiences and information from members of the airline and mental health industries. In order to protect privacy, names have been changed and identifying characteristics have been altered except for contributing experts.

Any self-help book has its limitations and you should consult a physician or mental health professional if your situation is severe. Some of the therapies explained in this book have not been validated by empirical research but have proven successful for the authors clients and for the clients of many other professionals in the mental health field.

Statements regarding nutritional or health benefits of various substances are the opinions of the author. You should consult a physician or nutritionist prior to any dietary modifications.

F ear of flying, also referred to as aviophobia, aerophobia, aviatophobia, flight fear or flight phobia, is the second most common phobia in the United States. There are approximately twenty-five million people in the United States who are anxious about flying. Among the millions reluctant to fly are public figures, business professionals, mothers, fathers and many others from all walks of life around the world.

Many fearful individuals stay awake at night at just the thought of air travel. These fearful flyers avoid flying and cancel flights. If they do make a flight, they fly with extreme discomfort and anxiety. The fear of flying may cause individuals to lose their jobs or to miss important family events.

After the tragic events on September 11, 2001, many individuals developed a fear of flying and shared their heartbreaking stories with me. I use an eclectic approach that has proven successful for treating individuals who are fearful of flying, utilizing theories which I have found are most effective for each individual. The most successful is Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), a type of psychotherapy which decreases destructive emotions by correcting distorted thoughts and encourages healthy behavior. In conjunction with CBT, I use a holistic approach to treat the whole person, not just the problem.

As airplanes get older and we hear of more problems with air travel such as crashes, terrorists and sleeping air traffic controllers, fearful flyers continue to increase in number. Many programs and books on this subject fail to build courage in a fearful flyer and lack the necessary information to reduce anxiety. In Flying Fear Free, I list the techniques and procedures of a holistic approach that is proven to eliminate fear. This book enables you to want to fly, enjoy the flight and look forward to your next flight.

Save your job

Go to important events

Improve your marriage

Make family vacations possible and affordable

Be there in time for a birth or death

Save lives during an emergency evacuation

Attend job conferences or conventions

Get to concerts, athletic events and government assignments

Conquer the fear and anxiety that can accompany air travel

As a nurse and flight attendant, I realized the need for research and a strong program to help fearful flyers, so I decided to return to college and further my education in psychology with this purpose in mind. As a flight attendant, I spent many flights using not only my airline training, but also my nursing training to help fearful flyers. These fearful flyers were most appreciative, but I knew there was more I could do. Since then, I have helped thousands overcome their fear of flying with my unique background as a nurse, psychotherapist, professor of psychology, performance coach and flight attendant.

I have presented programs on the fear of flying to corporations, government employees, educational institutions, sports teams and many more organizations. After 9/11, I helped anxious government officials board planes to return home to their worried loved ones. As a psychotherapist, I have successfully helped fearful flyers through group and individual counseling sessions and reality flights. The trust my clients have put in me and my background has allowed the program to grow with success. Some readers will still need counseling and perhaps medication, but there are millions who could be successful flyers if they had the complete package that this book offers.

Ive been interviewed on television and radio talk shows, newspapers and more. Ive been asked by many to write a self-help book for those suffering with the fear of flying. I fervently believe Flying Fear Free can be the support that fearful flyers need.

Explains the causes of fear of flying

Defines phobias

Tells what to expect on a flight

Gives details of air transportation

Offers specific and easy techniques, exercises and procedures

States statistics and facts regarding air travel