How to manage a panic attack in mid-flight?

How to manage a panic attack in mid-flight?

Some people experience intense fear or anxiety at the thought of flying. This form of anxiety, recognized as a true phobic fear, can prevent you from traveling or working. Fortunately, although it can be triggered mid-flight, anxiety disorder can be controlled. Find out how in this article, and start traveling without fear of death or anxiety in the days leading up to your flight.

Flying anxiety: what makes you anxious?

There are several reasons why some people are prone to mid-flight panic attacks:

• Fear of an accident, technical problem or crash;
• Lack of control over the situation: passengers have no control over the situation, and have to trust the airline staff;
• Fear of panic disorder and the appearance of physical symptoms during the flight;
• Claustrophobia;
• Agoraphobia;
• Fear of heights, ...

The reasons for anxiety attacks vary from person to person. That said, people suffering from a phobia of flying experience a state of terror that is difficult to manage. This often irrational fear brings its own set of physical manifestations:

• an accelerated heartbeat
• Shortness of breath;
• A feeling of suffocation;
• Clammy hands;
• Hot flushes;
• Feeling of dizziness ;
• Chills, ...

In-flight panic attacks: how can you better manage your in-flight anxiety?

There are several "methods" that can help you manage your anxiety disorders.

First, try to manage your fear of panic attacks. The symptoms may be worrying, but they're not dangerous to your health. Your palpitations won't lead to a heart attack: they'll subside when you calm down. A panic attack is "just" generalized anxiety. And even if it seems excessive and unpleasant, it's not a danger to your physical integrity.

Secondly, you can learn a very simple relaxation mastery to manage your anxiety attack: it's called cardiac coherence. This technique comes straight out of cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT). It invites you to focus on your breathing in order to keep your fears under control. It reduces physical manifestations of anxiety and helps your body return to a relaxed state.

Here's how to reduce your discomfort:

Inhale for about 4 seconds, then try to hold your exhale for 6 seconds. The aim of the game, to keep your anxiety under control, is to make your exhalations longer than your inhalations. A one-minute cycle thus consists of 6 breaths.

Being afraid doesn't facilitate relaxation or acute concentration on breathing. We therefore advise you to practice this exercise every day, for 5 minutes at a time. The more intense your anxiety, the wiser it is to perform this exercise before your flight. This way, you'll be fully prepared to reduce the risk of panic.

There are applications to help you slow down your heart rate and breathe calmly. This is particularly true of Fofly, the app we've developed to help you cope with phobic disorders. Thanks to on-screen instructions, you can learn to slow down your heart rate so that you can approach each flight in a calm and relaxed manner.

How to reduce pre-flight anxiety?

If you too suffer from phobias when you're getting ready to fly, there are a few "tricks" you can use to calm your anxiety and anguish.

Sophrology to avoid losing control

The advantage of sophrology is that it works on both the body and the mind. The therapist teaches you several breathing and relaxation techniques. As a result, the anxiety of being in the sky stays under your control. Consider a course of treatment lasting around 3 months. This is equivalent to around ten sessions.

Avoiding a panic attack during the flight with hypnosis

Fear of flying is often a learned fear. It may come from your childhood, or it may have arisen for no reason at all. Thanks to hypnosis, you can access your unconscious mind and find the causes of your strong anxiety. Diffuse anxiety can be "resolved" in a single session. Deep-seated anxiety requires 2 sessions, and if your feelings of stress are even greater, 3 or more sessions may be essential.

Treating flight anxiety with preparatory courses

Preparatory courses can help calm your anxiety about flying. They are offered by experts in the field and combine psychological care, theory training and simulator flights to get the feel for the different sensations.

Fear of flying training