HEALTH WARNING:WITH ASH ANXIETY adding to the distress of people with a fear of flying, the therapist and pilot Michael Comyn is warning against taking unprescribed and inappropriate medication on flights.
Comyn, the founder of Fly Fearless, says a recent survey of participants on his course, which combines counselling and simulated-flight sessions, indicated that some of them had considered using prescription drugs and alcohol to relieve their anxiety.
Dr Conor Maguire, editor of the Irish Society of Travel Medicine Newsletter,says anxious travellers are putting themselves at risk by taking unprescribed and unsuitable hypnotics and anxiolytics to calm their nerves before and during flights.
He says it can be dangerous to mix sedatives with the low oxygen pressure aboard jet aircraft at cruising altitude.
Another problem is that medication can leave passengers drowsy and heavy headed when they arrive at their stopover or final destination.
Comyn says his course helps aerophobia sufferers to work through their discomfort, whether their fear of flying stems from feelings of claustrophobia or of not being in control, or from a lack of understanding of how aircraft work.
Comyn’s course is not the only one of its kind available. AccessPsychology, a clinic in Dundrum in Dublin, offers a similar range of virtual-reality therapies, including for fear of flying, heights, lifts and storms.
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