HOMEOPATHY: HOW MUCH DOES IT WEIGH COMPARED TO AVIOPHOBIA?
Homeopathy is very popular in France. The reason? This alternative, gentle and non-invasive medicine is a path explored by many patients. Nevertheless, homeopathy is not a miracle cure for aviophobia. Explanations.
Homeopathy and aviophobia
Alternative medicines are increasingly being used to treat anxieties, stresses and phobias. For aviophobia as well, many patients naturally turn to homeopathy.
This alternative medicine is based on the principle of diluting the active substances in water. With a very low concentration, the granules (from the Boiron laboratories or others) have different effects depending on the patient.
The advantage of homeopathy against aviophobia is that it is a gentle and non-invasive method. It does not introduce anxiolytics or other medications that alter the state of consciousness, in an avoidance approach. Homeopathic medicines have no side effects. They are reassuring and are often used as a crutch against the fear of flying and its symptoms
What are some homeopathic remedies you can turn to if you’re struck with aviophobia?
Homeopathy is notably based on the principle of similitude. It consists in strongly diluting a substance which, in high doses, would provoke symptoms. Ingested in a diluted form, with very little concentration, the substances contained in the granules help to alleviate these symptoms.
The choice of a homeopathic medicine against the fear of flying is therefore linked to the symptoms, more than to aviophobia itself.
The limitation of homeopathy is that it addresses the symptoms rather than the psychological causes of the fear of flying, which are difficult to identify without the help of a therapist or training.
The most common symptoms of aviophobia are the following:
- Tremors
- Perspiration
- Heart palpitations
- Gastric difficulties
- Blushes
- Loss of orientation
- Feeling of disorientation
- Irritability
The choice of homeopathic medicines also depends on the timing of some of these symptoms. Do they occur during the flight, upon boarding, or several days before? Or, as in many patients, as soon as the flight is booked? The timing and intensity of the symptoms will determine which homeopathic remedies to take against aviophobia.
Seek medical attention
Many homeopathic medicines against aviophobia are regularly cited on the web. Gelsenium, Arsenium nitricum, Ignatia Amara, Cocculine or Nux Vomica... Each is associated with certain symptoms. But beware of what you read on the internet! Self-medication, which is widespread in homeopathy, is not necessarily recommended for the most acute manifestations of anxiety when flying.
If you feel a phobia of the plane, whatever its degree, it is recommended to consult a professional before taking medication. It is better to see a doctor, possibly a homeopathic doctor. He will be able to advise you and prescribe homeopathic medicines and their dosage. If necessary, he will be able to direct you towards other solutions if homeopathy is not the best way to overcome your fear of flying.
Can homeopathy really cure aviophobia?
It is better to admit it right away: there is no scientific proof of the effectiveness of homeopathy in the face of aviophobia. Scientific publications regularly question its effectiveness, whether against phobias, anxieties or any pathology.
It is not necessarily a question of strinking it off, especially since it helps many patients. But the ideal is to consider it at best as a complementary method against phobias of flying. The effect of homeopathy, similar to that of a placebo, can be positive when we know to what extent the fight against fear of flying is made up of small victories, themselves marked by small rituals.
Even if one admits a relative effectiveness, the fact remains that homeopathy only attacks the symptoms, and not the causes of aviophobia. It remains a very incomprehensive therapy in the face of the complexity of the pathologies.
On the contrary, there are therapies that have proven that they can durably treat the causes of fears when flying. These are courses and trainings based on the contribution of cognitive-behavioral therapies (or CBT).
CBTs allow the mechanisms that cause fear in aviation to be deactivated and replaced by controlled reactions, using techniques that are quick and easy to implement – without taking medication. For more information on the e-learning version of the aviophobia training courses, please click here!
