Archive · 14 Jun 2025
Woman Learns to Fly Again After Overcoming Air Crash Fear
After an air crash, some people get very scared of flying.
One woman, whose father died in a crash, was so afraid she didn't fly for a decade.
She started shaking and feeling sick whenever she thought about planes.
A doctor helped her by talking about her fears, using relaxation techniques, and gradually exposing her to flying situations, even in virtual reality.
She also worked on changing her negative thoughts.
Eventually, she learned to fly again by using coping strategies like choosing seats over the wings and joining a support group.
An individual developed flight phobia after her father died in an air crash.
She stopped flying for 10 years, experiencing panic attacks related to flying.
Treatment involved conversations, anxiety medication, deep breathing exercises, and thought records.
Exposure therapy and Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy (VRET) were used to simulate flight scenarios.
After counseling, the patient began flying again, using coping strategies and a support group.
- Who
- A woman patient and Dr. Ajinkya, a psychiatrist at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital.
- What
- A woman overcame her fear of flying after experiencing an air crash.
- When
- After 10 years of not flying following her father's death in an air crash in 2010.
- Where
- Mumbai, Dubai
- Why
- To address and overcome flight phobia after a traumatic experience.
- Patient's Condition
- Flight phobia (aviophobia/aerophobia)
- Trigger
- Father's death in a 2010 air crash
- Duration of Fear
- 10 years
- Treatment Methods
- Conversation, anxiety medication, breathing exercises, thought records, exposure therapy, VRET, EMDR
- Doctor
- Dr. Ajinkya, psychiatrist
- Hospital
- Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, Mumbai