NO MORE FEAR OF FLYING!

I have a client who I will call Bill, who has a fear of flying and of heights. For many years he has had to take medication and “self-medicate” with a few glasses of wine to stay calm enough in his words “to endure” the flying so he and his wife can go on vacation.

Bill made the decision that he wanted to put his fear behind him because he was tired of causing his wife so much anxiety when they travel. He was tired of arriving at their destination stressed, worn out and in no condition to have fun. They are retired and would like to be able to travel to all the places in the world they have dreamed about, and doing it medicated was no longer acceptable.

Bill is the kind of person that starts getting ready for vacation weeks before their departure and so did his anxiety. Just thinking about packing to leave started the spiral of stress. By the time they left for the airport even with his anti-anxiety medication he would be “unable to function.”

On the way to the airport he would take his first pill, the second came as soon as they were seated and the wine followed as soon as the cabin crew could deliver it. They were pretty much limited to flights under five hours because even medicated he couldn’t take the stress.

Today Bill came for his session about to explode…not from fear, from excitement! Bill is a “list” person, and this morning he realized that as he was making his packing list that not only was he not stressed out, he was excited about doing it. It had been so stressful in the past that his wife had to do all the planning and packing. He couldn’t even talk to his friends about vacationing because it was too stressful.

When he realized that, he suddenly realized that he was so excited about going on vacation that he was already making plans for dinner when they arrived. He wasn’t worried about the airport, or the flight, there was no thoughts about medicating and drinking to “endure the flight.” He could even see himself joking with the flight crew and most importantly, the relaxed and joyful look on his wife’s face.

The real success came when he realized he was already thinking about the places they want to go to in South America and Europe…places he never dared think about before. He no longer feels limited to five hour flights or anything for that matter.

Bill and his wife leave next week for Hawaii and I have no doubt that they are about to have the best vacation they have ever had…and so does he. He is so sure of it that he came with a list of other things he wants to work on when they get back.

There is nothing like casting off old beliefs and burdens that no longer serve you. Bill is feeling a freedom he has never experienced before. They haven’t left yet, but in his mind, he has already made the flight, had the time of his life and is already planning their next one. I can’t wait to hear about their trip and how life changing the whole process has been them.

Bon Voyage’ Bill, I hope you and your wife have a vacation that far exceeds your expectations…you deserve it.