What do you do when you are thirty thousand feet above the ground and get a panic attack?
This is an unusual circumstance and it seems like an impossible situation, the only possible option you have is to sit through the 10 hour long flight and hope, hope that the feeling would pass soon.
This is a case of a 27-year-old woman, travelling from the United States to India. Midflight, she began to experience shortness of breath. Her inability to breath properly caused her to be fearful, that fear initially associated with breathing, quickly escalated to panic and she was afraid about other things as well such as fear that she “might fall”.
Panic on airplanes and fear of flying is not uncommon and creates tremendous anxiety for individuals and families. Lucky for her, she had the access to onboard internet, through which she contacted the expert therapists at seraniti.com. (See Disclaimer below) The integrated therapy team assessed the status and put her on the text therapy protocol and assured her that they are available anytime she needs them.
An initial 30 minutes session with the therapist helped her take control of the situation through guided relaxation and motivation. She reported feeling relaxed but also felt reassured that she has expertise by her side when she needs it. That gave her comfort and motivation to be able to take control of the situation.
Ten hours later when the plane landed the Seraniti team and the passenger had exchanged multiple messages and worked with each other to handle a delicate situation. Something which would not have been possible a few years ago. Advances in video transmission, and availability of high speed internet, including on demand wifi on planes is pushing the boundaries of what is possible.
Today technology came to the rescue at thirty thousand feet. It’s not impossible to envision that be developments will make this possible not only airplanes, but also space ships, and most importantly some of the most remote parts of the world where every one can feel reassured. That they have expertise at their side, when they need it.
Disclaimer – I am an investor in Seraniti.com and proud of the incredible service they provide everyday.
If you liked this post, you might be interested in my other posts: Shoot me if I ever say these things to a startup team, The Doctor is NOT in, the Doctor will see you NOW, and Davos Learnings for my Daugther.
About Ashwin Naik
Ashwin Naik is an entrepreneur with interest in health, social enterprise and technology. Ashwin has been recognized as a Economic Times Leaders under 40, Young Global Leader By World Economic Forum, Young Leader by Asia Society, Senior Ashoka Fellow & as a Ted Fellow.