Quick Answer
Fear of flying treatment usually combines cognitive behavioral therapy with gradual exposure, from imagining a flight to taking a short one. Flight anxiety can be a specific phobia or linked to claustrophobia, panic or fear of heights. Short-term medication is sometimes considered, but it has trade-offs, and therapy offers longer-lasting results.
Understanding fear of Flying Treatment
Fear of flying is one of the most familiar phobias. Boston University‘s Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders lists flying among common specific phobias, and the SAMHSA DSM-5 criteria table uses flying as an example of a feared situation. For some people, the fear focuses on crashing. For others, it’s about being trapped in a closed cabin, having a panic attack with no way out, heights, turbulence or losing control. Understanding what you fear most helps target treatment. This guide is part of the NY anxiety resource center.
New Yorkers live near some of the busiest airports in the country, and flying often matters for work, family and travel. Avoiding flights can mean missed weddings, career limits or long drives. Many people endure flights with intense dread, sometimes relying on alcohol, which can make anxiety worse afterward. Treatment aims for more than tolerating flights; it aims to make flying manageable. Our guide on claustrophobia covers a common overlapping fear.
For New Yorkers with JFK, LaGuardia and Newark close by, avoiding flights can mean missing work trips, family events and vacations. The NYC Health Department‘s 2024 report on the mental health of New Yorkers estimated that about 1,243,000 adult New Yorkers, roughly 18%, have been diagnosed with anxiety. Secure video visits anywhere in New York can make it easier to start care without a commute or a long search.
Flight anxiety, turbulence fear, and exposure and CBT for flying are the key themes here.
Medication before a flight
Some people ask about medication for a single flight. Short-acting options can reduce anxiety but may cause drowsiness, confusion or unsteadiness, and they can interfere with learning if used every time. Combining them with alcohol is dangerous. For people with broader anxiety or panic, longer-term treatment may be more helpful. Discuss options well before a trip, since your prescriber needs time to plan safely. Therapy remains the more lasting approach.
Planning a trip
Choosing an aisle or window seat based on what feels easier, arriving early, avoiding heavy caffeine and alcohol, bringing distractions and practicing breathing skills can help. Telling a flight attendant you’re a nervous flyer is fine. Planning what to do if anxiety spikes, such as a breathing routine or a grounding exercise, reduces worry. Many people find the anticipation worse than the flight itself. Each flight completed builds confidence for the next.
Fear of Flying Treatment at a glance
| Focus of fear | Related pattern |
|---|---|
| Crashing | Specific phobia of flying |
| Being trapped in the cabin | Claustrophobia |
| Having a panic attack onboard | Panic disorder |
| Height and turbulence | Fear of heights, loss of control |
| Embarrassment | Social anxiety |
CBT and exposure for flying
Cognitive behavioral therapy for flight anxiety addresses fearful beliefs, such as assuming turbulence is dangerous, and teaches skills for handling body sensations. Exposure builds gradually, from watching flight videos and imagining a flight, to visiting an airport, to taking a short flight, then longer ones. Some programs use virtual reality. Practicing each step until anxiety settles is key. Many people complete treatment and fly with far less fear.
Understanding turbulence
Learning how planes are built and flown, and that turbulence is an expected part of flying rather than a sign of danger, helps many people. Knowing what sounds and movements are normal during takeoff, cruising and landing reduces surprises. Some people find it helpful to hear pilots explain these things. Information alone rarely resolves fear, but it supports therapy. It gives your mind accurate facts to hold onto. Our guides on driving anxiety and crowd and transit anxiety cover related topics.
Flight anxiety care for New York patients
Treatment can start by video well before a trip, which gives time for practice before the flight date. Visits run by secure video anywhere in New York, while you’re physically in the state. The practice is in-network with Aetna and Cigna; confirm your New York plan with the office, and see self-pay fees on the Good Faith Estimate page.
When fear of flying is part of something bigger
If flying is one of many situations you fear, such as elevators, bridges and crowds, a fuller evaluation for panic disorder or agoraphobia helps. Treating the underlying pattern works better than tackling flights alone. Depression or trauma can also be involved. A careful diagnosis shapes the plan. Many people are relieved to learn their fears share a common thread.
Setting a goal
Treatment works well with a concrete goal, such as flying to a family event or taking a work trip. A goal gives a timeline and a reason to practice. It also helps measure progress. Some people start with a short regional flight before a longer one. Your clinician and therapist can help build the steps.
Key Takeaways
- Flying is listed among common specific phobias.
- Fear of flying can overlap with claustrophobia, panic disorder or fear of heights.
- CBT and gradual exposure are well-established treatments for specific phobias.
- Short-term medication for flights has trade-offs and needs discussion with your prescriber.
The Bottom Line
Fear of Flying Treatment is common and treatable, and careful care can make daily life feel more manageable.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is fear of flying treated?
Fear of flying is usually treated with cognitive behavioral therapy and gradual exposure, from imagining a flight to visiting an airport to taking short flights. CBT addresses fearful beliefs and teaches skills for handling body sensations. Some programs use virtual reality. Learning how flights work, including turbulence, supports therapy. Many people fly with far less fear after treatment.
Is turbulence dangerous?
Turbulence is an expected part of flying and is usually a comfort issue rather than a safety issue for a properly buckled passenger. Keeping your seatbelt fastened when seated is the main precaution. Learning why turbulence happens and how planes are built to handle it helps many anxious flyers. Information supports, but doesn't replace, therapy for flight anxiety. Your clinician can recommend resources.
Can I take medication for a flight?
Some people use short-term medication for a single flight after discussing it with their prescriber. These medications can cause drowsiness, confusion or unsteadiness and are dangerous with alcohol. Using them every time can make fear harder to overcome. For broader anxiety, longer-term treatment may help more. Talk with your prescriber well before your trip.
Is fear of flying the same as claustrophobia?
The two can overlap, but they aren't the same. Some people fear flying mainly because they feel trapped in the cabin, which is claustrophobia. Others fear crashing, heights, turbulence or having a panic attack onboard. Knowing your main fear helps target treatment. A clinician can sort out the pattern with you.
How far ahead of a trip should I start treatment?
Starting several weeks or months before a trip gives time to practice exposure steps and build skills. Even a few sessions can help. If a trip is coming up soon, talk with your clinician about what's realistic and about short-term strategies. Having a goal flight can make treatment more focused. Earlier is generally easier.
Can I get help for fear of flying by video in New York?
Yes, evaluations and follow-ups happen by secure video anywhere in New York. Your clinician can coordinate with a therapist who offers exposure-based treatment for flight anxiety. You need to be physically in New York during each visit. Any prescriptions go electronically to your pharmacy. Starting well before your trip gives the most time to prepare.
Where to go from here
- Right now, if you're not safe
- Call or text 988, or call 911.
- If you'd like an evaluation
- See how scheduling and telehealth work on the new patient page.
- If you want to keep reading
- Return to our anxiety care hub for New York adults for more guides.
How We Reviewed This Page
Written by Steven Lockhart of Health Marketing Group and clinically reviewed by Gabriella I. Farkas, MD PhD, a board-certified psychiatrist. Clinical information comes from the sources listed below, and the page is reviewed every 180 days or when guidance changes.
What’s new: September 29, 2026. Page published.
References
- Boston University Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders. Specific Phobias. https://www.bu.edu/card/adult-treatment-at-card/conditions-we-treat-adults/specific-phobias/
- SAMHSA DSM-5 criteria table: specific phobia (NCBI Bookshelf). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK519704/table/ch3.t11/
- National Institute of Mental Health. Anxiety Disorders. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/anxiety-disorders
- NYC Health Department. The State of Mental Health of New Yorkers (2024). https://www.nyc.gov/assets/doh/downloads/pdf/mh/state-of-mental-health-new-yorkers.pdf
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. https://988lifeline.org/