Fear of flying

[BobbyBobBob]

My mother in law has a fear of flying. Can anybody recommend any decent courses available to help cure her fear.

She has been on planes before but she absolutely hates it and just feels extremely I'll and uncomfortable for the whole duration. She just wants to be able to be more relaxed on planes.

If there were courses available then it would probably need to be based in Manchester?

I obviously know they do courses but do not know if they are any good.

Any advice about this would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

[anneasquith]

i believe most large airports do courses.

[albaqwerty]

If you or your MIL have a sensitive GP, ask for a recommendation to a hypnotherapist. I've never had need to do this but have heard of good results.

[guilliebrougues]

Has she tried hypnotherapy ? with a good qualified hypnotherapist, it does work, he /she can show her how to relax whilst in hypnosis and find out below the level of conscious awareness what is making her afraid.Something will have triggered all this fear off deep down inside, and she can come to terms with it, once explained in and out of hypnosis. But she must want to be helped with her problem, it is no use sending her if she will not co-operate.
Makre sure the therapist is qualified though. Relaxation can also be tought in hypnosis .

[Prudie]

i agree about going the 'medical' route. I also hate flying but do it all the time as your MIL appears to? The airline courses teach you about the mechanics of flying etc and finish up with a short flight and is aimed more at those who will not fly (I'm only basing this from TV). In my case I understand thermals, air splitting over wings and that planes can withstand turbulence etc etc - but it doesn't help.

[guilliebrougues]

perhaps you should also try hypnotherapy prudie, it does work and then you can look forward to flights that you have to make instead of hating them. And that way you can relax on your journey as well as looking forward to it. ;)

[Prudie]

You may be right guilly, at the moment I survive with drink and the odd pill.

[TWR]

If this can help Bobby, every passenger plane has a secondary back up system, for the miles they travel in comparison to a car, they are the safest form of travel, Jumbos ( 747) can land on one engine ( They have 4, your journey to any UK airport is, & can be harrowing regards risk of a collision & death, its not often you see headlines regards car crashes & there are Hundreds every day with deaths, granted when a plane goes down the papers are full of it, Google the flight deck & show you MIL the view that the pilot & Co pilot have & the safety procedure that is done before the flight even begins. Pilots are one of their in as regards Training & don't forget, he / she wants to get home to, people have problems regards flying as they do not know what is happening within a tube ( the fuselage) the area where you sit. If you go to the Viewing area at Man Airport there is an old Comet there for you to view, it costs a fiver for the day & well worth the visit, this may help her. Good Luck, & I hope your MIL overcomes her fear, we have travelled thousand's of miles & like other people on this site, we are still here.

[rockyracoon]

She sounds like me, I can't stand flying, it's like a white knuckle ride whare I'm expecting the plane to nosedive into the nearest shark infested ocean. I'm better (outwardly) when the kids are with me as I won't let them see me scared but inside I'm screaming. I don't let it stop me flying but I certainly don't look forward to the holiday as I should do, I've thought about hypnotherapy, but until that eliminates the risk of a plane crashing I'm not sure it will work for me. Maybe I'll have another look at it before I book another flight.

[JonnyBoy12]

What's a MIL, albaqwerty? Is that the same as a MILF then?