Quoted from a friend of mine(who has requested their name to remain undisclosed):
“My teenage son has just been diagnosed with aerophobia. Can he lead a fulfilling life?”
Dear reader’s parent,
I can see that aerophobia can indeed cause a lot of complications. Aerophobia, or the fear of flying, is a serious problem in this modern age, with air travel being so prevalent. It would get in the way of many things, such as overseas travel or business trips overseas. However, many such irrational fears and phobias can be overcome. The easiest approach would be slowly exposing your son to the subject of their fear slowly, gradually showing him that there isn’t much to fear. However, this may not work with flying, as it is rather a do-it-or-don’t affair. (There are some programs run by airlines – in Australia that help people combat this phobia. You might want to investigate.) In this case, your son would just have to muster up some courage and try it for himself. I suggest learning some relaxation techniques to help him calm down. Also, convince him that he isn’t the only one with this “condition”, and that many others have also had aerophobia. Even Jennifer Aniston, Cher, Michael Jackson and Whoopi Goldberg all have a fear of flying. Many have even overcome their fears. Last but not least, you should encourage your son through his life, and help him get over his fears. Even if he can’t get over it completely, I believe it is still possible to lead a fulfilling life, seeing that taking an airplane isn’t really a must. There are many things he can do that don’t involve flying, after all. Well, I wish you luck with your son’s problem and hope that he gets better!
