Daily life dilemmas - Keep Your Life, Family and Career Intact While Living Abroad - page 77

can develop a fear of flying. For an expatriate whose job requires regular air travel, this
little phobia can turn him into a nervous wreck.
“It's just like the worst nightmare. I dread to even think of flying. It seems to be get-
ting worse and worse.”
James, 36, is a hotel executive. One of his major responsibilities is to oversee and super-
vise his regional managers. Traveling has always been part of his job. About eight months
ago he began to develop a fear of flying. Every time he travels he becomes preoccupied
with worries about turbulence, plane crashes or hijacks. He now dreads business trips and
canceled all unnecessary travel, including his family's summer holiday, in order to avoid
flying.
In general, James feels content and in control of his life. However, his fear of flying frus-
trates him. He begins to question what's wrong with him. “One of these days I'll lose my
job because of this,” he said.
James's fear of flying has become a phobia.
A phobia is a persistent and irrational fear of a specific object, activity or situation. For
example, reading the news about a plane crash or emergency causes James to develop in-
tense anxiety. As he waits at the airport, he breaks into a sweat. He anticipates being the
next victim of an air disaster. The idea of getting on an airplane is almost unbearable. Once
on board, his body goes stiff and he is unable to relax. He drinks excessively to calm him-
self. His mind and body together are reacting to fear.
Flying can be both physiologically and psychologically stressful. The long hours sitting
in one position are tiring. It also disrupts the biological rhythms of sleep and digestion. Low
humidity as a result of cabin pressurization at high altitude dehydrates a person, which can
cause discomfort and light-headedness. Dehydration and its resultant effects are heightened
by drinking alcohol. Even carbonated drinks served on board can contribute to the general
feeling of disorientation, as they reduce the amount of oxygen in the blood.
The low stimulation and restricted activities on a long flight give people time to focus
more on the flying. A person who already perceives flying as dangerous will constantly
scan the environment for signs of impending disaster: weather conditions, wing move-
ments, checking emergency exits, and so on. Such worrying overrides most attempts at de-
tached, rational thinking.
Feelings of confinement, helplessness, and being out of control are often present behind
flying phobia. Intellectually, people know they aren't really risking their life when taking
a flight. That's why they allow themselves to board the plane in the first place. However,
rational and intellectual thinking often aren't able to ease irrational anxieties. The fact is,