Fear of Flying
The CAREN system can simulate realistically the behavior of an airplane in take off, flight and landing, also realistic turbulence can be simulated very realistically. This makes CAREN a powerful tool to use in the diagnosis and treatment of fear of flying. During the sessions the patient experiences various aspects of flying given in an increasing dosage to adhere to the patients temporal threshold of anxiety.
Relaxation and breathing skills can be taught in parallel, with the use of visual feedback of heart rate and respiration rate, prior to beginning the CAREN based therapy. These new skills can be used as coping techniques when in the real-life exposure situation.
A typical therapy structure is:
- 5-10 sessions on average
- Guides the patient through a chronological set of flight experiences
- Boarding an aircraft
- sitting in an aircraft with engines on
- taxiing
- taking-off
- flight in good weather
- flight in bad weather, with turbulence
- Turbulent landings