Plane Crashes Can Cause Upticks In Flight Anxiety. Here's How To Manage It.

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• There have been more news stories of airline issues and crashes in the past year.
• Distressing news about flying can heighten aerophobia, or fear of flying.
• Two therapists shared tips on how to manage anxiety around flying.

For anyone fearful of flying, the recent news cycle hasn't helped. Last night, a military helicopter collided with an American Airlines passenger jet in DC, killing all 64 people aboard both flights.

Over the past year, news stories have emerged of commercial planes crashing, losing doors mid-flight, or flying through increased turbulence.

People with existing aerophobia might feel vindicated in their fears. "Now they're going to say, 'I was right all along,'" Tom Bunn, a retired airline captain and licensed therapist specializing in aviation phobias, told Business Insider.

Prerna Menon, a New York City therapist who's seen this issue come up a lot in her practice, said her clients' symptoms worsen when they consume more news around crashes.

Bunn and Menon shared a few tips to overcome flying phobias, whether you feel increased discomfort when you land or avoid flying as much as possible.

Where you sit can help you feel a sense of control

For many fearful fliers, the root issue is feeling a lack of control.

Bunn gave an example of a client — an airline captain — who one day felt anxious sitting in an economy middle seat. "If he was in the cockpit, he wouldn't have any trouble because he's in control," Bunn said.

Takeoff, landing, and bad turbulence can exacerbate that feeling of helplessness, Menon said. The tricky thing is finding a way to process your feelings in the moment. "Now that fight-or-flight response has been activated, and you're confined to a seat, you're not really able to expel that anxiety."

For anxious passengers, you can choose a seat closer to the front or over the wing, where you can see outside.

While some experts say it doesn't make much difference, one flight anxiety coach told Condé Nast Traveler that he recommends sitting in the center of the plane. "Factually speaking, the point of balance is over the wings or maybe slightly forward. This is considered the 'best place' by many," Paul Tizzard, a coach with LoveFly, told the outlet.

Don't try to fly your way out of a phobia

For many phobias, treatment involves some form of gradual exposure therapy. Aerophobia is different because "either you're flying or you're not," Bunn said.

However, you don't want to force yourself to go on a bunch of flights, Bunn said. "Once you get sensitized to not being in control and able to escape, you're only going to make it worse."

Instead, he said it's best to start as small as possible, breaking down each part of the flight into bite-sized pieces. Take-off, for example, isn't just one event. "The engines rev up, and when they do, the pitch goes higher," he said.

He recommends having someone you feel safe around, like a partner or friend, hold neutral photographs of an airplane terminal, a plane in flight, and a plane landing to change your associations with the images. You can also picture them holding up the photographs while looking you in the eye, which can have a calming effect.

Menon also said exposure to more neutral images of planes, especially in contrast to distressing videos on social media, can help. If your fear of flying is severe, she recommended taking small steps like going with a loved one to an airport.

Engage your senses when you're in the air

Once you're on a flight, your options for calming down are more limited. Some techniques involve engaging your physical senses to pull away from ruminating.

Bunn suggested using the 54321 grounding exercise, in which you identify five things you can see, four things you can touch, three things you can hear, two things you can smell, and one thing you can taste. (Doing it in that order makes it harder for your brain to blow through the steps quickly, he said.)

If you anticipate being nervous on a flight, Menon said you can bring a tactile activity with you, such as crocheting, drawing, or playing with a fidget toy. "Engaging multiple senses allows us to anchor our minds and bodies into the present moment," she said.

Try the 4-7-8 breathing trick

It sounds simple, but breathing exercises work to quell your fears. Mindful breathing "slows down our heart rate and triggers the relaxation response," Menon said.

Menon recommended the 4-7-8 breathing pattern, in which you inhale for four seconds, hold for seven, and exhale for eight.

Bunn agreed. He said exhaling for longer than you inhale is his trick for calming the nervous system. He added that it may not be a perfect cure-all, especially in times of turbulence.

"When the plane drops, everybody's going to get some stress hormones released, some more than others," he said.

To get the most out of this trick, Menon said it's best to do it a few times prior to boarding the aircraft, as well as when you just sat down.

Look at other stressors in your life

If you suddenly developed aerophobia as an adult, Bunn said it could help to look at other stressors in your life, particularly ones that leave you feeling powerless.

Often, "straws have been put on the camel's back for years," he said, making you less tolerant of situations where you feel trapped — like being on a plane.