I don't have any advice for dealing with or overcoming the fear of flying, but I can say that I was afraid of flying for probably 30 years. I'm not sure exactly when or why this became a problem. During my first years of flying, I wasn't afraid. Then suddenly, I was. But fortunately, one day just as suddenly, I was no longer afraid. So don't assume your fear is there forever. Mine dissolved and maybe yours did too. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an Original Essay Ironically, what helped me was that my little brother took me on a small propeller plane. He explained every check he made, I got to listen to him talking to the tower, he explained what things meant in the air. …I was a lot calmer on my next flight just knowing all that. (And I used to have panic attacks the night before long flights. We'll see what happens on my next long flight….) I may be a nervous traveler at the best of times, but this incident was extreme, even for me. And usually my fears don't manifest until the plane actually leaves the ground. It was only after telling my husband the story when I got home that I thought to check the side effects of famotidine, a medication I had never taken before that day. Some of the rarer side effects are anxiety, nervousness, increased heart rate, shortness of breath, vision changes, etc. Moral of the story: NEVER, EVER try a new medication before a flight. The gap between what people fear (stranger kidnapping) and what is actually happening (family turmoil and custody battles) is telling. What has changed since the 1970s is the nature of the American family and the broader sense of community. For various reasons – divorces, more single-parent families, more working mothers – families and neighborhoods have lost some of their cohesion. It is perhaps natural that trust in general has been eroded and parents are seeking tighter control over what they can – and especially their children. Drinking is also a good option, I agree. This also works when the headphones don't cancel out the cries of babies who sometimes like to put on surround sound shows. Thanks for sharing, Matt. It helped me look at my own fears while experiencing yours. Great article!One of the best ways to overcome the fear of flying is to go to a health food store or pharmacy that offers complementary therapies. There, find the Bach flower shelf and buy one of each Mimulus and Rescue Remedy. If you can get Rescue Remedy in spray form, even better. Up to one month before your scheduled flight, start taking Mimulus. If you are traveling on short notice, start immediately. Put three drops directly on your tongue or in a glass/bottle of water and drink – three times a day. During this period, whenever you feel anxious about flying, three drops or a spray or two of Rescue Remedy as soon as possible. as you feel. It doesn't matter how many times a day it happens. About three days before the flight, take Rescue Remedy just as you take Mimulus. On the day of the flight, use Rescue Remedy whenever you feel anxious or nervous. Hopefully by then it won’t be much! The brain becomes very confused. And that leads to problems with excessive anger, excessive shutting down, and things like taking drugs to feel better. These things are almost always.