Is Oxytocin Key In Controlling Fear Of Flying

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Is It Oxytocin?

 

What is it that makes the Strengthening Exercise able to stop high anxiety and keep panic from even starting? When I first developed the Exercise, I was simply trying to "change the subject" by directed an anxiety-producing thought away from flying to keep it from triggering another anxiety-producing thought. But soon I found that there was a huge difference in the results, depending upon where the thoughts were redirected.

 

For example, a woman who was a skilled equestrian linked a moment of flying to moments riding her horse. She got poor results. We went over the exercise time and again. The results never were good. But on the other hand, women who linked moments of flight to holding their newborn child got amazing results right from the first flight.

 

I had been hesitant to use connection with a newborn in the exercise because I thought the mother might think, "If I fly, maybe I'll never see my child again." It simply did not work that way. No moment used in the Strengthening Exercise got results that matched nursing a newborn.

 

That suggested the oxytocin link. Research showed that when a mother is nursing a newborn, a large amount of oxytocin is produced. When oxytocin is present, it causes the fear system to shut down.

 

Though we don't have definite research that proves oxytocin is the hormone that makes the Strengthening Exercise work, the research that has been done on oxytocin strongly suggests that oxytocin is the key factor. We do know that simply recalling a moment of empathic connection produces oxytocin. Thus, when we link moments of flight to such a memory, flying - in turn - causes oxytocin to be produced.

 

Marriage and Family Therapist Linda Graham has written an article on the power of oxytocin which you can find at this link. I emailed her that I am writing a book on fear of flying and am looking for research that implicates oxytocin as the hormone at work in the Strengthening Exercise.

 

She emailed back, "My understanding of the research is: fear causes the amygdala in our brain to release cortisol, the stress hormone, which causes the fight-flight response in our bodies.  Oxytocin, which can be released in the brain by evoking the kinds of memories or visualizations you describe in your e-mail sends a signal to the amygdala to stop releasing the cortisol; the effects are immediate.  Cortisol levels plummet, heart rate slows down.  There are even studies that prove that holding the hand of someone you love, or thinking of someone you love, creates a buffer which prevents the stress hormone from being released in the first place."

Linda has several articles on her web site at www.lindagraham-mft.com/articles.htm. Click on the first one, The Neuroscience Of Attachment, to read how we humans develop the ability to calm ourselves and to connect with one another.

 

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Proud

 

I'm happy to share with you that I made it through not one, but four flights!  There were no direct flights from Oakland, California to Baltimore, Maryland so we had to make one stop over on each leg of the trip, for a total of four takes offs and four landings!

 

The first leg was Oakland to Denver, where is was snowing!  I thought I was going to be so nervous about the snow, but seeing them de-ice the plane and remembering all of the information about the technicians that you give in the How Flying Works DVDs helped me to realize that the crew knew what they were doing.  

 

It was amazing to see that green de-ice liquid arc over the wing on take off.  I of course had a window seat right overlooking the wing and could see the air brakes and ailerons just like you said in the DVDs. It was comforting to see it all come together.

 

I was a bit uneasy with the sensations of landing, but I had not problems with the take-offs.  So I had your "Take Me Along" segments on my iPod and those helped ease me into the landings.

 

We went on from Denver to Baltimore, we hit a hard patch of turbulence and it really was abrupt.  I had a moment where I had to have my friend help me rationalize, but my fear didn't go past 5 and I calmed down very quickly once I realized the pilot took us down a few feet to get out of the turbulence.

 

The flight back home went from Baltimore to Kansas City.  And from Kansas City back to Oakland.  It was a gorgeous day - the sun was shining and the views from the plane were truly inspiring.  I had no problems at all on the return flight.  Even though I had some apprehension and premonition thinking on the way to the airport - it still was never more than a 1 and I got on the plane pretty much worry free - just observing my thoughts not making them into a movie and remembering that air is like jell-o.

 

Thank you so so much for putting this course together!  I have been afraid to fly for 11 years - I had not been on a plane since 1998!  And now I can't wait to go to Europe!

 

I also have to add that my father-in-law was a Colonel in the Air Force and my husband and I we were going back East on this trip for his funeral service at Arlington.  It meant the world to me that I could honor this great man by being able to get in the sky and fly out for his service. I know he is proud of me, as I am proud of myself.

 

Thank you again.

 

Many Blessings,

 

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SOAR Will Work For You Too

SOAR was established in 1982 because no programs existed that could
help people with moderate to severe difficulties. Even today, no other
program offers help that is effective except for mild difficulties. No
matter how difficult flying is for you, we can help.

• Call me at 877 332-7359 between 10 AM and 6 PM Eastern time or


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• What you pay is 100% transferable to the SOAR Video Course 11 DVDs.

Start viewing on your computer screen in two minutes.

Do a SOAR Course "On The Go"

• Get a compact version of the SOAR Course.


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==========

Unsure Which To Choose

If
you are unsure which is best for you, please call me at 877 332-7359 so
we can talk it over. You will feel better as soon as you decide to act.

We are always here to help. As you go through the program, call or email whenever you have a question or a concern. 

 

==========

 

The  Two Concerns I Have Written About Here Repeatedly

 

Though flying is ultra safe, there are things that need to be done that can be done but are not being done. Why? Because the FAA is a political organization - not a safety organization. It only acts in response to public outcry after a disaster. And then, what is does is more to placate the public than to improve safety.

 

Runway incursions and pilot fatigue. The FAA has "studied" the problem for years and done nothing. Not the NTSB is criticizing the FAA for the same two issues.

 

NTSB Chairwoman Deborah Hersman says the FAA has failed to implement the six runway safety recommendations that the board issued in 2000. The FAA has repeatedly responded that they need more time for further analysis.



On pilot fatigue, Senate Transportation Committee Chairman John D. Rockefeller stated, "Addressing pilot fatigue is an issue for which it has taken far too long to achieve meaningful reform, This has always been a critical issue, yet it has languished on the National Transportation Safety Board's Most Wanted List of Safety Improvements since the list was first published nearly two decades ago."

Full story at this link.

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Patrick''s Column

 

Patrick''s column this week at this link.

 

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Typical Takeoff Concerns

“It feels like the plane doesn’t have enough power to get off the ground.”

On takeoff, there is often a concern that the plane will not get off the ground. To help answer this from an intellectual point of view, consider that when Pratt and Whitney or GE make a jet engine, some of these engines are sold to the military where they are used routinely at 100% of the power at which the engines were designed to operate. Add to that that these engines are used at 103% to 104% of the power they were designed to deliver in wartime.

It should be very reassuring to you that the same engines, when used by the airlines, are operated at 93% of the power they are designed to deliver for takeoff, and around 88% during cruise. If the pilots, during takeoff, wanted more power, they could get it by simply pushing the throttles forward toward the power settings routinely used by the military.

In order to make the engines last longer — as much as twenty or thirty years — we routinely use even less than 93% power for takeoff. If we do, indeed the time spent on the runway is longer, and that very well may make you believe something is wrong. This is another reason for meeting the captain. Ask how much power will be used for takeoff on this flight.

In any case, there is just not going to be a situation where you need to worry about there being enough power to get the plane off the runway.

“I’m afraid it will go up too steep and slide backwards.”

The next worry is that the plane, as it climbs steeply, might slide backwards. I know this can happen with a car equipped with a manual transmission if stopped at a light on a hill. But the airplane is not stopped. It is moving forward at over 150 MPH. There is no way — other than in imagination (yours, perhaps, because I can’t even imagine it) that the plane going forward at 150 MPH could just stop going forward and then start going backwards. First, there is too much forward momentum. Then, couple that with engines which have enough power to move an ocean liner forward. It just isn’t going to happen.

“I’m afraid the wingtip will touch the ground when the plane banks.”

This one I can, at least, understand. But I think the idea that the wings might touch the ground may develop because, since the passenger does not have his or her hands on the control wheel, there is no recognition that it takes considerable force applied to the controls to make the wings tip at all, and more to make them tip more. The amount of force that it would take on the controls to make the wing touch the ground would be far more than the pilots ever use when flying the plane.

Again, it just isn’t going to happen, not only for that reason, but because the wing tip is pretty high off the ground when the plane is on the runway, and when it leaves the runway, the wing would not touch the runway no matter how much the plane tipped.

There is generally a feeling that the plane is a bit unsteady just as the plane leaves the runway. The wings often do tip just a bit at that point. Why? Because every plane is just a bit different. One wing may have a bit more fuel than the other. As the plane leaves the ground, the pilots have to get the feel of the plane to see if one wing wants to rise just slightly more than the other wing, and apply a tiny adjustment. It is the rising of one wing, more than the other, followed by the pilot’s adjustment that causes this unsteadiness.

So, in this case, there is something going on, but it is of a minor nature. It is never a concern and never a challenge for the pilots in any way. So though you may sense it, it isn’t a problem.

“It felt like the plane fell after takeoff.”

About half a minute after leaving the ground, to make less noise as the plane leaves the airport environment, the power is reduced. When it is reduced, the climb — also — has to be reduced. When you are going up in an elevator, the elevator’s climb has to be reduced — in fact to nothing — in order for it to stop and let you get off at your desired floor. When it reduces the rate of its upward movement, elevator passengers feel a bit lightheaded. The same thing happens when the plane reduces the rate of its upward movement (though not to zero), and passengers in the cabin feel a bit lightheaded.

The difference is, when in an elevator, you know what is going on. In an airplane, flight is a bit mysterious to begin with, and passengers who are anxious are primed to expect disaster. So, when that momentary lightheadedness takes place, along with less noise from the engines, the imagination takes over. An anxious passenger can easily imagine the engines have — not just been cut back but — failed, and the rate of upward movement is not slowed, nor stopped, but has reversed and the plane is plunging.

Simply knowing this noise abatement procedure is just as routine as what an elevator does can help. One can expect the engines to be cut back. One can expect the lightheadedness. Once that is established as routine and normal, the reduction in noise from the engines and feeling of lightheadedness can be accepted.

Is Fear Of Flying Irrational?

Fear of flying is often said to be irrational. But for many, the concern is not so much that the plane will crash, but there will be an emotional crash!

Physical Safety Or Emotional Safety

Panic is frightening anyplace, but nowhere is panic worse than on an airliner. I've worked on this for twenty-eight years both as an airline captain and as a licensed therapist. Though pilots who give courses mean well, assuring people how safe flying is does not work when high anxiety or panic is a concern. I offered such courses myself until realizing the problem is not just physical safety; it is emotional safety.

To find a solution, I went to grad school, and became licensed as a therapist. The Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) taught in graduate school was helpful to some clients, but it was not effective when feelings of anxiety or panic developed rapidly, or without warning. The feelings took over the person's mind so rapidly that they could not employ the CBT skills they had learned.

Another approach, Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) was promising. After a year of post-graduate training in (NLP), I found it produced no answers. Nor did hypnotism. Finally, through experimentation, I was able to develop a way that was effective with every case - not just mild cases. This major advancement took years of training, research, and experimentation to develop.

Is Your Problem With Flying Severe Or Mild?

If your difficulty with flying is mild, almost any approach will help. How can you tell if your problem mild?

• Do you have panic attacks?
  
  


• Do you have trouble with elevators, bridges, or tunnels.
  
  

If you do not have a problem with any of these things, hypnotism, CBT, NLP, and courses by pilots will work. If you do have trouble with these things, more advanced help will be needed. The methods mentioned will only leave you feeling - unnecessarily - defeated, thinking you are a failure when failed by inadequate help for your problem.

Another way to tell is to use the 5-4-3-2-1 exercise. If it is not enough to manage your anxiety level, you will need specialized help.

The 5-4-3-2-1 Exercise

Focus on some object in front of you. Say "I see" and then name something in your peripheral vision. Next say "I see" and name something else in your peripheral vision. Continue until you have made five statements.

Maintaining focus, say the words "I hear" and name something you hear. Next say "I hear" and name something else you hear. Continue until you have made five statements.

Maintaining focus, say the words "I feel" and name something you are touching. Continue until you have made five statements.

That completes one cycle. It takes intense concentration. That is exactly what you want. As you concentrate on non-threatening things, no new stress hormones are being released. This allows the "fight or flight" hormones that were in your body - when you started the exercise - to be burned off. As they get burned off, you get more relaxed.

To continue the exercise until all the stress hormones are burned off, keep the concentration intense by making one change: instead of doing five statements, begin again with things you see, hear, and touch, but make four statements instead of five. Then, in the next cycle, make three statements. Then, in the next cycle, make two statements. Then, in the next cycle, make one statement. If still anxious, start again at the beginning with five.

Use this exercise as early as possible to control panic before it can take hold when flying, or thinking of flying.

If More Adequate Help Is Needed

Specialized help is available for difficult cases of high anxiety, panic, or claustrophobia when flying at www.fearofflying.com

Capt. Tom Bunn LCSW

President - SOAR Inc.

Hard Core Cases - And Free Help For Mild Cases

The program I run specializes in help the really "hard core" cases of fear of flying that cannot be helped anywhere else. No matter what you have tried, if you have not had success, the problem is not with you, but with the method of help given.

But a person with mild flight anxiety can get by with the 5-4-3-2-1 exercise.

Focus on some object in front of you. Say "I see" and then name something in your peripheral vision. Then say "I see" and name something else in your peripheral vision. Continue until you have made five statements.

Maintaining focus, say the words "I hear" and name something you hear. Then say "I hear" and name something else you hear. Continue until you have made five statements.

Maintaining focus, say the words "I feel" and name something you are touching.

That completes one cycle. It takes intense concentration. That is exactly what we want. As you concentrate on non-threatening things, the "fight or flight" hormones that were in your body when you started the exercise get burned off. As they get used up, you get more relaxed.

To keep the concentration intense, we make one change: instead of doing five statements again, do four statements. Then, in the next cycle, do three statements. Then, in the next cycle, do two statements. Then, in the next cycle, do one
statement. Then, in the next cycle, we go back to five, etc.

Use this exercise as early as possible to control panic before it can take hold.

Capt. Tom Bunn LCSW
President, SOAR Inc.

Turbulence Is Under Mother Nature's Control

It is easy to think anything which you don't control is a danger to you. The
idea that turbulence is something totally out of control frightens anxious
fliers.

Turbulence is not out of control. Turbulence is controlled by Mother Nature.
Think about the temperature of the air outside. Some days it reaches
almost 100 degrees, and some days it is below freezing. But, though the
temperature - like turbulence - is not controlled by you or me, it
always falls within a certain range. In the U.S., it rarely goes below
minus 25 or above plus 125.

Because we know the temperature falls within a certain range, and that
range is limited, we have learned how to deal with all the temperatures
we may encounter. The same is true of turbulence. It is never above a
certain level. But I suspect an anxious flier doesn't really understand
this, and thinks it might become so great it could threaten the plane.

No way! We know the most intense turbulence can become and we build
airliners with twice as much strength as is needed for the most intense
turbulence possible.

So you understand WHY turbulence is limited, consider this. Turbulence
- the kind you get at cruise altitude - is called Clear Air Turbulence,
or CAT. It is caused when the jetstream, which is a stream of
fast-moving air, scrubs alongside air that is not moving. The speed of
the jetstream is limited. How? Consider what causes the jetstream: the
earth's rotation. Since the earth's rotation is constant, the maximum
speed of the jetstream is restricted to what that constant speed of
rotation can produce. And, since turbulence is caused by the
interaction of fast-moving air and air that is not moving fast, the
amount of turbulence has to fall within a certain range, a range that
is not controlled by humans, but is in fact controlled by the earth.

That certainly should help you understand that turbulence is, in a way,
very much controlled, and thus is not a threat.

But understanding - alone - will not stop the reaction you have to turbulence.
To stop the reaction, you will need to learn and use the Strengthening Exercise.

You can learn what causes the feelings you - at present - are unable to control
and how automatic control of them can be established. That makes it possible
to fly without worry about a panic attack.

See the video at http://www.fearofflying.com

US AIR A-320 LANDS IN HUDSON RIVER - ALL SURVIVE

This afternoon, US Airways Flight 1549 took off from LaGuardia Airport in New York at around 3:30 PM. Thirty seconds after takeoff, the pilots reported two bird strikes and said they wanted to return to land at LaGuardia. As controllers began giving directions back to LaGuardia, the pilots changed their request to continue more or less straight ahead and to land at Teterboro airport, a small airport five miles north of Newark Airport, and the nearest airport to the position of the plane.

Apparently, as the flight headed toward Teterboro, whatever power the engines were producing was either lost, or became insufficient to maintain flight, and the captain elected to land in the Hudson River, which separates New York and New Jersey.

Some readers may be surprised to hear that the plane -- even without engine power -- can glide. Since the Hudson River is wide and straight in this area, it was a simple matter to keep the plane lined up with the River, and allow it to glide down to a landing in the water.

The plane landed in the water, and stayed afloat. The slide-rafts attached to the doors provided an inflatable craft for some passengers. Others climbed out onto the wing. Several boats nearby came to pick up the passengers waiting on the wing. Reportedly some slipped off the wing and had to be pulled from the water by rescuers.

New York City Mayor Bloomberg termed it "a miracle". And, perhaps it was. Had this been night, those in the water might not have been found. Had the plane been forced to land in a populated area, hundreds -- no doubt -- would have been killed.

Some pilots who commented on news broadcasts spoke of things that can go wrong with a water landing, and had great praise for the pilot. While it is true that things can go wrong when landing in water, the captain was a former U.S. Air Force fighter pilot and instructor. When I heard that, I said, "That explains everything!" Fighter pilots are to aviation what Derek Jeter is to baseball and Roger Federer is to tennis. When they make a great play, it is only what is expected of them. The same is true of a fighter pilot. The landing was simply true to form.

Patrick Smith was interviewed on one of the New York radio stations. He did a great job explaining that planes can glide, can land in water, and are expected to float. You can read what he has to say about the accident at this link.

Planes float because of the boyancy of the fuel tanks. Obviously, if the tanks were full, the tanks would not provide boyancy. But on most flights, the tanks are not full, and that was the case today with this flight scheduled to land at Atlanta.

The plane, due to river currents, floated downstream from where it landed at around 45th street down to around 20ths street, where it was tethered to a tug and lashed to a pier a bit father downstream.

What is it that you should take away from this?

• An airliner can glide with no engine power


• An airliner can land, provided there is a plane to land, without engine power.


• An airliner can land in water, and provided the landing is well-controlled so that no damage is done, the plane will float

Even more important is this: this is the FIRST time since jets came into use by the airlines in 1958 than an airliner has become disabled over water and been forced to land!

Now, having happened once in fifty years, it would seem -- to me at least -- that this is not something that belongs on your list of things to worry about, at least, not for at least another fifty years or so.

If this accident does cause you additional stress, there is no better time than now to get a handle on the problem.

Full Length
Course

• The full length SOAR Video Course on 11 DVDs provides the maximum help possible.


• More info.
  

Accelerated
Courses

Flying
tomorrow or the day after? Be ready to fly in 90 minutes with Rapid Relief.

Flying in three to
ten days? Get comprehensive help with SOAR Complete
Relief.

• Accelerated courses give you the most help possible in the time you have available.


• A twenty-minute private session and unlimited group counseling sessions are included.


• What you pay is 100% transferable to the SOAR Video Course 11 DVDs.

Start viewing on your computer screen in two minutes.

Do
a SOAR Course "On The Go"

• Get a compact version of the SOAR Course.


• Load
  it on your laptop, iPod or other media player. More info.
  

If
you are unsure which is best for you, please call me at 877 332-7359 so
we can talk it over. You will feel better as soon as you decide to act.

We are always here to help. As you go
through the program, call or email whenever you have a question or a
concern.

Turbulence

Turbulence - How Much Does The Plane Move?

In turbulence, it feels like the plane is moving a great distance up and down. Anxious passengers often ask if it is ten or twenty feet, or hundreds of feet. It is neither; it is less than an inch. It is very hard to understand this, but if you have played croquet, you may remember a strategy called "sending your opponent". It is also called "taking a croquet stroke", or "sparking". An understanding of what happens can help you understand how less than an inch of movement by the plane can feel like far more.

During a game of croquet, if you are able to hit an opponent's ball with your ball, you are then entitled to "send your opponent". You do this by placing your ball in contact with the opponent's ball. Then, you place the sole of your shoe on top of your ball, maintaining a strong pressure on your ball, so that when you strike your ball hard with your mallet, your ball moves only a fraction of an inch, but your opponent's ball is sent several feet away.

Something similar happens in turbulence. The plane, like your ball, moves only a fraction of an inch during turbulence. Just as your ball is restricted by your foot, the plane's movement is restricted by the jello-like thickness of the air.

You as a passenger are like the opponent's ball. You are caused to move several inches even though the plane -- like your ball held underfoot -- moves only a fraction of an inch.

Because of speed, the air outside the plane is as thick to the plane as jello. But inside the plane, the air is like air you normally breath. The thick air outside restricts the plane's movement like your foot restricts your ball's movement. The plane is jolted by turbulence just as your ball is jolted when hit by your mallet. But the jolt amounts to nothing; neither your ball or the plane moves more than a fraction of an inch. Yet, the jolt causes you as a passenger, like the opponent's ball, to move a greater distance.

When watching a croquet game, if you were to observe only the opponents ball, you would see it moves ten or twenty feet. You might get the idea that whatever caused the ball to move ten or twenty feet must have moved at least that much, and might have moved more. But you would be wrong. The plane, like your ball, moves only a fraction of an inch. But that fraction of an inch transmits enough intensity to cause you - like the opponent's ball - to to be moved more.

Knowing It Has No Bearing On Safety, Turbulence Means Nothing At All To Pilots

To help you understand that turbulence is not in any way a safety concern, consider this. A pilot flying cargo, such as UPS or FEDEX, would not even bother to press the mike button and ask for a smoother altitude. To a pilot, turbulence simply does not matter. Pilots are so used to it that turbulence that would cause an anxious flier to be very upset would not even be noticed.

Years ago when we did live courses and took people in the course on a "graduation flight", many times I was asked "Is this turbulence dangerous"? My automatic response was, "Turbulence? WHAT Turbulence?" Not only had I not noticed it, I couldn't even notice it after being asked about it. It just did not register on my Richter Scale.

"But Turbulence Is Frightening Because It Is Out Of Control"

Think about the temperature of the air outside. Some days it reaches almost 100 degrees, and some days it is below freezing. But, though the temperature - like turbulence - is not controlled by you or me, it always falls with a certain range. In the U.S., it rarely goes below minus 25 or above plus 125.

Because we know the temperature falls within a certain range, and that range is limited, we have learned how to deal with all the temperatures we may encounter. The same is true of turbulence. It is never above a certain level. But I suspect an anxious flier doesn't really understand this, and things it might become so great it could threaten the plane.

No way! We know the most intense turbulence can become and we build airliners with twice as much strength as is needed for the most intense turbulence possible.

So you understand WHY turbulence is limited, consider this. Turbulence - the kind you get at cruise altitude - is called Clear Air Turbulence, or CAT. It is caused when the jetstream, which is a stream of fast-moving air, scrubs alongside air that is not moving. The speed of the jetstream is limited. How? Consider what causes the jetstream: the earth's rotation. Since the earth's rotation is constant, the maximum speed of the jetstream is restricted to what that constant speed of rotation can produce. And, since turbulence is caused by the interaction of fast-moving air and air that is not moving fast, the amount of turbulence has to fall within a certain range, a range that is not controlled by humans, but is in fact controlled by the earth.

That certainly should help you understand that turbulence is, in a way, very much controlled, and thus is not a threat.