How To Fly with Acrophobia

Acrophobia is the extreme or irrational fear of heights. Most people who have acrophobia also fear contraptions that go high off the ground like roller coasters, ladders, and planes. However through personal experience I've found there is a way to get someone with acrophobia on a plane. There are a few different method or tactics to accomplish this goal.

First there's the traditional method: drugs. A shot of relaxing or sleeping medicine will subdue the person. Once the person is subdued their fear will also have lowered making it easier for them to board a plane. However this does not work for everyone. Sometimes the persons fear is so great that their hypothalamus (the fight or flight instinct) is activated although under the influence of prescribed drugs.


Another practical tactic is the protection of power. Researching the safety of airplanes will reduce the irrational side of their fear. The person will be less reluctant to board a plane is they know they're more likely to die in a car then in a plane. Research will also prepare you for any possible occurrence during your plane ride. This will allow you to  identify what is going on during your flight like turbulence.

Another tactic that can help people with acrophobia fly is distraction. Personally this method of the three helps me the most. Since I fly every year at least once a year I've gotten distraction down to an art. Flight attendance are strict about allowing you to bring electrical devices onto the plane. Studies show that the most fear part of a plane ride is the take off which is when all passenger are asked to turn off their devices. Therefore I recommend a distraction like reading, writing, drawing, talking, humming, ect. I personally prefer to write as after a while I'm so absorbed by my work that I forget I'm on a plane. However my writing choices are a bit morbid. I like to distract myself by writing my goodbye letters as if I were to die on the plane ride.