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Tuesday, July 28
AIRLINER STATISTICS
by
Capt Tom Bunn MSW LCSW
on Tue 28 Jul 2009 08:12 PM EDT
Wednesday, July 22
GETTING HELP THAT WORKS
by
Capt Tom Bunn MSW LCSW
on Wed 22 Jul 2009 07:37 PM EDT
Chat Wednesday 9 PM - 11 PM Eastern Time
Tuesday, July 14
AIR FRANCE CRASH BLAME GAME; 737 FUSELAGE HOLE
by
Capt Tom Bunn MSW LCSW
on Tue 14 Jul 2009 10:47 PM EDT
Chat Wednesday 9 PM - 11 PM Eastern Time
Tuesday, July 7
FLYING IS SAFER THAN EVER. SO WHY DON'T YOU FEEL SAFER?
by
Capt Tom Bunn MSW LCSW
on Tue 07 Jul 2009 08:58 PM EDT
Chat Wednesday 9 PM - 11 PM Eastern Time
Thursday, July 2
AIR FRANCE AND MEDIA ERRORS
by
Capt Tom Bunn MSW LCSW
on Thu 02 Jul 2009 09:52 PM EDT
The Media Is At It Again
I again remind you that when you repeatedly place imagination of what happened ... more »
Tuesday, June 30
BLACK BOXES, ACTION ON PILOT FATIGUE
by
Capt Tom Bunn MSW LCSW
on Tue 30 Jun 2009 08:19 PM EDT
Chat Wednesday 9 PM - 11 PM Eastern Time
Tuesday, June 23
CONGRESS CATCHES ON THE THE FAA'S GAME
by
Capt Tom Bunn MSW LCSW
on Tue 23 Jun 2009 07:24 PM EDT
Chat Wednesday 9 PM - 11 PM Eastern Time
Tuesday, June 16
BIG CHANGES AT THE FAA
by
Capt Tom Bunn MSW LCSW
on Tue 16 Jun 2009 08:11 PM EDT
Chat Wednesday 9 PM - 11 PM Eastern Time
Tuesday, June 9
ANXIETY FOLLOWING NEWS OF AN ACCIDENT
by
Capt Tom Bunn MSW LCSW
on Tue 09 Jun 2009 08:26 PM EDT
Tuesday, June 2
AIR FRANCE CRASH
by
Capt Tom Bunn MSW LCSW
on Tue 02 Jun 2009 09:02 PM EDT
Monday, June 1
Air France Crash
by
Capt Tom Bunn MSW LCSW
on Mon 01 Jun 2009 11:41 AM EDT
Hi %$firstname$%,
An Air France Airbus 330 went down on a flight from Rio de Janeiro to Paris last night as it was crossing the equator. We don’t have enough info to speculate in a useful way. At this point, all speculation is wild speculation. Wild speculation only fuels anxiety for no benefit. Isn’t this the only jet airline to go down over the Atlantic in the last ten years? The next job is to find the plane, and if the ocean is not too deep, recover the parts. Then, piece the plane together and figure out the cause. Then figure a fix for what caused it. That will take months if not years. And only after that time will significant information be available. Someone emailed saying it seems foreign-made airliners are crashing more. I looked up the stats at www.airsafe.com and found the following rates (number of fatal accidents per million flights): A-300 0.54 A-310 1.27 A-320 0.13 Compare that to the 737 at 0.36, the 757 at 0.30, the 767 at 0.40. Based on those numbers, the A-320 compares favorably with all the Boeing-built planes. Comparing the A-330/340 0.0 (obviously this accident is going to change that rate) with the 777. Until this accident, the A-330 was fatal accident-free. The 777 has had an accident but not a fatal one. Speculation that lightning or storms caused the accident is completely irresponsible, and reporting that something "might" have caused the accident gets reporters a story. But any focus you give this speculation will only cause anxiety for no useful reason whatsoever. We have no significant information whatsoever. Ignore media reports which speculate based on insignificant information. They will only cause you pointless distress. Bottom line: focus - at this point - on this accident is pointless. Yours truly, Capt Tom more » Tuesday, May 26
ANTICIPATORY ANXIETY; NEW SAFETY MEASURES
by
Capt Tom Bunn MSW LCSW
on Tue 26 May 2009 07:47 PM EDT
Tuesday, May 12
BUFFALO ACCIDENT; AIR QUALITY
by
Capt Tom Bunn MSW LCSW
on Tue 12 May 2009 07:58 PM EDT
Wednesday, May 6
TREATING FEAR OF FLYING: DRUGS, WINE AND HAND SOAP
by
Capt Tom Bunn MSW LCSW
on Wed 06 May 2009 09:32 AM EDT
Tuesday, April 21
GREAT LESSONS AND ACHIEVEMENTS
by
Capt Tom Bunn MSW LCSW
on Tue 21 Apr 2009 07:42 PM EDT
Tuesday, April 14
THE PROBLEM WITH FLYING
by
Capt Tom Bunn MSW LCSW
on Tue 14 Apr 2009 08:32 PM EDT
Tuesday, April 7
TURBULENCE; THE FAA AND BIRDS
by
Capt Tom Bunn MSW LCSW
on Tue 07 Apr 2009 08:15 PM EDT
Tuesday, March 31
FEAR OF STORMS; NEW FAA HEAD
by
Capt Tom Bunn MSW LCSW
on Tue 31 Mar 2009 08:54 PM EDT
Tuesday, March 24
RECENT ACCIDENTS
by
Capt Tom Bunn MSW LCSW
on Tue 24 Mar 2009 10:17 PM EDT
Tuesday, March 17
FEAR OF FLYING AND RELIGIOUS FAITH
by
Capt Tom Bunn MSW LCSW
on Tue 17 Mar 2009 07:46 PM EDT
Tuesday, March 10
WHAT MAKES A GOOD PILOT; INTERVIEW WITH JOHN NANCE AND MATT WALD
by
Capt Tom Bunn MSW LCSW
on Tue 10 Mar 2009 10:57 PM EDT
Tuesday, March 3
WHEN YOU "JUST KNOW"; MORE ON BUFFALO
by
Capt Tom Bunn MSW LCSW
on Tue 03 Mar 2009 08:22 PM EST
Chat Wednesday 9 PM - 11 PM Eastern Time
Free Group Phone Counseling With Capt Tom Wednesday 10 PM - 11 PM Eastern Time
==========
FLITTER
You know about "Twitter" - short posts about what a person is doing right now.
FLITTER is short posts about what you are feeling right now. Tell us. As we read - and as you fly or prepare to fly - we will have you in mind, and your feelings in mind.
FLITTER is part of the SOAR Fear Of Flying Forum. You can go directly to FLITTER by using this link.
==========
Why Do You "Just Know" Something Awful Is Going To Happen
This happens when the distinction between imagination (or conjecture, which is a form of imagination) and reality is lost. If you take a two-year-old and a three-year-old and they are playing together, if the three year-old says, "Let's pretend. Let's pretend we are in the jungle and there are lions and tigers, and they are chasing us and we gotta run real fast so they don't eat us," the three year-old will enjoy the exciting imagination. But not the two-year-old, who has not yet learned to pretend. For him, if something is in the mind, it is real - period!
Two possibilities. 1. That distinction between imagination and reality was not fully developed when you were a young child, or 2. The distinction becomes lost easily. You need to begin to entertain the idea that what is in your mind is sometimes what is real and sometimes it bears no connection with reality; in other words, to take the contents of your mind less seriously. The whole problem with fear of flying is an ongoing battle between reality and imagination. We have a term: psychic equivalence. It means, what is in the mind is accepted - uncritically - as reality. Why is it accepted uncritically? Two possibilities: 1. You easily go into psychic equivalence because your ability to use critical thinking is pushed aside by too much emotion; 2. You have imagined disaster so many times that you have memorized that imagination. When imagination has been memorized, it loses the recognizable characteristics of imagination and takes on the "look and feel" of reality, and is hard to distinguish from reality even when you are doing critical thinking. Here, you have to increase your focus on your criticism of the contents of your mind, demanding real evidence before agreeing it is reality. ==========
Xanax And Ativan
Would a decent medical professional send someone off with Xanax or Ativan? Yes. Why? Because they don't know better.
Many medical professionals do not know about the World Health Organizations strong recommendation to avoid sedatives with flying due to sharply increased risk of Deep Vein Thrombosis - which is potentially fatal - due to stagnation of blood circulation in the legs when seated and inactive.
Also, many medical professional - who know Xanax and Ativan work for anxiety in general - are unaware of the research which shows these meds increase anxiety when flying.
The research is clear. Not only does it not help, but it sets you up for failure when you either hope it will work or expect it to work. You can read the research at this link.
Those who have been around here for awhile know a. Xanax and Ativan do not work and b. SOAR works. There are a few who still experiment with a bit Xanax or Ativan - even though they have done SOAR - because they don't yet trust what SOAR has built inside them. There IS a time for Xanax or Ativan. The time is the night before flying so you can get some sleep and be well-rested. There is a "maybe" time for Xanax or Ativan. That "maybe" time is four to eight hours BEFORE your flight. And there is a time for NO XANAX AND NO ATIVAN, and that is within an hour of your flight and during your flight. The whole battle with flight panic is "psychic equivalence" in which what is imagined is uncritically accepted as really happening. Meds - as well as alcohol - reduce your ability to do the critical examination of your thinking that can help you unmask psychic equivalence and recognize that what you have in mind and reality are NOT the same. ==========
Southwest: X-Rated Or PG-13?
In a joint marketing effort, Southwest has painted a 737 with the photo of a Sports Illustrated bikini-clad model. Some parents are objecting that Southwest is not X-rated and they can't take their children on any Southwest plane. X-rated? PG-13? See for yourself at this link.
==========
After Fifteen Years
Thank you, thank you, thank you so much for your program. After 15 years, I was able to take a flight from Chicago to Florida for our 40th Anniversary and cruise!
I listened to your CD's religiously and used the exercises in the waiting area (where my anxiety was the highest.) I kept hearing your voice, which had a calming effect and followed your instruction. As you suggested, I met the captain who was so gracious and friendly that I relaxed immediately and knew I was in good and capable hands. So relaxed, in fact, that I dozed during the flight and actually got up to use the restroom. (Previously, I would never get up, I was sure I would disturb the balance of the plane!) I did use a mild sedative that really didn't kick in until we were well on our way, so I feel with the knowledge I had from your instruction and the relaxing exercises, I didn't get out of control. (I kept sharing my knowledge with my husband-how the plane worked, sounds, etc.)
My children who gave us this wonderful gift (the flight and the cruise), and who gave me the SOAR program, asked if I wanted insurance in case I couldn't get on the plane. I refused, determined I would SUCCEED, for me and for them.
So thank you again, I will be checking in on the SOAR library and message board and keep your number close at hand for my next venture. I'm sorry this is so long, but I feel GREAT - I DID IT!
==========
SOAR Will Work For You
SOAR was established in 1982 because no programs existed that could help people with moderate to severe difficulties. Even today, no other program offers help that is effective except for mild difficulties. No matter how difficult flying is for you, we can help.
Or Enroll Right Now And Get This Over With
You will feel better as soon as you make the decision.
Start viewing on your computer screen in two minutes.
==========
Unsure Which To Choose If you are unsure which is best for you, please call me at 877 332-7359 so we can talk it over. You will feel better as soon as you decide to act. We are always here to help. As you go through the program, call or email whenever you have a question or a concern.
==========
Pay Toilets On Ryanair? Low cost carrier is one thing, but having to pay to use the toilet during flight? That's what Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary says may be in the works: a "coins slot on the toilet door". Said one commentator, "Charging people to go to the toilet might
result in fewer people buying overpriced drinks on board, though - that would serve Ryanair right." ==========
Buffalo Accident
I've been recommending anxious fliers avoid the media until there is enough information on the accident to draw a sound conclusion about what happened. Once the cause of the accident is known, you have only one "bad" thought in mind as the cause. But if you focus on the accident in the media, the media will give you several "bad" thoughts - which are all incorrect, by the way - to suffer anxiety from.
Though the accident investigation team will not report for months, Patrick - I believe - has an explanation of the accident that seems pretty solid. You can read it at this link.
==========
Discuss Or Schedule An Individual Session -- Call 877 332-7359
Call between 11 AM and 6 PM Eastern Time (same time zone as New York) You'll reach me easily. The toll-free number rings my cell phone.
Outside the U.S. and Canada call 203 258-4803
Schedule An Individual Session Online
Thursday, February 26
TURKISH CRASH AT AMSTERDAM
by
Capt Tom Bunn MSW LCSW
on Thu 26 Feb 2009 01:36 PM EST
About The Crash In Amsterdam
I've always asked people to ignore crashes that involve flying they are unlikely to be ... more » Tuesday, February 24
Genetics, Nurture, And Sensitivity The Stress
by
Capt Tom Bunn MSW LCSW
on Tue 24 Feb 2009 08:23 PM EST
Tuesday, February 17
SULLENBERGER ON SAFETY; TRAUMATIZING YOURSELF VIA THE MEDIA
by
Capt Tom Bunn MSW LCSW
on Tue 17 Feb 2009 08:22 PM EST
Friday, February 13
BUFFALO ACCIDENT
by
Capt Tom Bunn MSW LCSW
on Fri 13 Feb 2009 12:25 PM EST
Comments As A Result Of The Buffalo Accident
There is nothing yet to suggest the cause of this accident. ... more »
Wednesday, February 11
NOT PASSING FEAR OF FLYING TO KIDS
by
Capt Tom Bunn MSW LCSW
on Wed 11 Feb 2009 11:17 AM EST
"I Don't Want To Pass It On To My Kids; I Don't Want Them To See Me Afraid."
When presented ... more »
Tuesday, February 3
DELTA REJOINS SAFETY PROGRAM
by
Capt Tom Bunn MSW LCSW
on Tue 03 Feb 2009 06:55 PM EST
Chat Wednesday 9 PM - 11 PM Eastern Time
Free Group Phone Counseling With Capt Tom Wednesday 10 PM - 11 PM Eastern Time
==========
Delta Rejoins Safety Program
Delta has rejoined the Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP) which it opted out of in 2006. The program, which has a proven safety record, gives pilots, mechanics, flight attendants and dispatchers immunity in connection with their reporting a situation that compromises safety.
The plan recognized that few individuals will make a report unless there is immunity. Immunity is needed because the party causing a safety compromise may attempt to shift blame to the person making the report, and, in complex cases, every party involved may be at fault in one way or another.
Delta sought to circumvent the immunity provision by conducting a separate investigation, which rendered the safety plan useless.
==========
Flew Better With SOAR Than With Meds
I got an email a few days ago from a client who said, lacking full confidence, he took meds prescribed by his doctor. He had a very difficult flight when it became turbulent. On the return flight, he mistakenly placed the medication in a bag he checked. He did much better on the flight without the medication, even though the turbulence was worse.
It is easier to have more confidence in something outside yourself - a medication - than confidence in what you have built inside. I think the reason for that is simple: you can see what is outside, and thus it is more real than what you have inside, which is invisible.
Research shows that meds - when given along with a placebo, and when the people didn't know which they were given - did not do as well as those given a placebo. I think it demonstrates how important it is to keep the mind as sharp as possible, so as not to let what is in the mind get easily mistaken for reality - when it is only imagination, particularly fear-driven imagination.
==========
From The President Of A Major Corporation
Hello Captain Tom!
I just wanted to let you know that, much like most of your students, I am a recovered fearful and anxious flyer. I know I told you before, but I thought that my phobia was so extreme that I would never fly. I wouldn't even talk about flying.
I took your course and after one slightly anxious flight (mainly because I didn't think the course would work) I am excited to say that I am a full fledged frequent flyer.
We recently returned from LA (from O'Hare) and now we're flying to Arizona in January, back to LA in March and then off to Hawaii in April - and I can't wait for each flight. I love it! I am actually seriously considering getting my private pilot's license.
Anyway, thank you again! I really appreciate your patience, your unique and effective program and just everything... I'm free! ==========
Success After 8 Long Years
Hi Capt. Tom, Well I have had my first flight after almost 8years. The days before our trip I reread the materials that I found helpful from the SOAR Library, and reviewed my DVD's each evening. I felt very calm the night before and slept well. That morning again I felt very calm and in control of the day ahead of me. I really didn't think I would feel so calm considering past experiences.
I kept telling myself "Experience it for what it is." "Add nothing and take nothing away."
Just before boarding we asked if there were any first class upgrades left and we lucked out with 2 available seats. Our flight out to Vegas was smooth as can be and flawless. I even managed to sleep a little. I was so happy I can't begin to tell you the freedom I felt. "Success after 8 long years".
Our flight home had a few glitches that I thought were going to get me worked up but I managed to keep composed. I was delayed 2 hours due to a closed runway in Vegas. I had pre-selected the bulkhead in July when I purchased my tickets and when we got to the gate they said that we couldn't sit there. I wasn't happy about that but still kept calm.
The flight itself was smooth going until the last 20 minutes we hit pretty rough turbulence. I could feel my heart start to beat fast but managed to get through it with slight discomfort.
Tom, the tools in this program were such a help to me and all the info that you provide are what helped me make this huge step. I will continue to follow up to enhance my skills to overcome my fear. Thank You so much for the emails and helping me to get started in the program. Sincerely, ==========
I Truly Enjoy The Flights Now!
Dear Capt Tom,
Just a huge 'thank you' for your program. After a very turbulent flight out of Denver in the late 90's, I was afraid to fly. I did go up again a few times but then 9/11 put me back another few years. I used to be a trip director and loved to travel so I committed myself to learning to be comfortable again and your program helped immensely. I have been to Dallas, Chicago and LA and Palm Springs more times than I can count and I truly enjoy the flights now! I still touch the plane to feel its strength, meet the pilot and then sit back and relax knowing I am safer than anywhere in the world. I look forward to our trip to Europe this summer! Thank you again. ==========
SOAR Will Work For You
SOAR was established in 1982 because no programs existed that could help people with moderate to severe difficulties. Even today, no other program offers help that is effective except for mild difficulties. No matter how difficult flying is for you, we can help.
Or Enroll Right Now And Get This Over With
You will feel better as soon as you make the decision.
Start viewing on your computer screen in two minutes.
==========
Unsure Which To Choose If you are unsure which is best for you, please call me at 877 332-7359 so we can talk it over. You will feel better as soon as you decide to act. We are always here to help. As you go through the program, call or email whenever you have a question or a concern.
==========
Don't Miss Patrick's Column This Week
==========
Todd Curtis Interview On The Hudson River Landing
This is an audio recording of an interview with Dr. Todd Curtis, PhD., former Boeing engineer who studied bird strikes click here.
==========
Here Is A Great Video
It shows you all the air traffic in the world, over a twenty-four hour period.
==========
Less Stressed People Have Less Dementia
==========
Discuss Or Schedule An Individual Session -- Call 877 332-7359
Call between 11 AM and 6 PM Eastern Time (same time zone as New York) You'll reach me easily. The toll-free number rings my cell phone.
Outside the U.S. and Canada call 203 258-4803
Schedule An Individual Session Online
Tuesday, January 27
FLYING AND LYING; RELIGION LINKED TO FLYING
by
Capt Tom Bunn MSW LCSW
on Tue 27 Jan 2009 08:45 PM EST
Tuesday, January 20
TURBULENCE AND CONTROL; WATER LANDINGS
by
Capt Tom Bunn MSW LCSW
on Tue 20 Jan 2009 09:11 PM EST
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