A British student is finally back home in London after he was stranded in Abu Dhabi for almost 16 months because he developed an intense fear of flying.
Joe Thompson, 12, moved to Abu Dhabi with his family in 2009. The family was planning on flying back in June 2012, but Thompson had developed such a strong fear of flying that he was unable to board a plane after four attempts. He had such high anxiety over flying that he would break into hysterics and had stomach cramps, Yahoo reports.
"There was no event that prompted it. It just happened out of the blue. And the fear is quite acute," Thompson's father told Yahoo. "He was fine until he got to check-in and then he fell apart. He got stomach pains, he collapsed and sat on the floor sobbing. It was awful. He never talked about the plane crashing. He just said each time 'it's the height'."
Thompson's family had to spend £40,000 to extend their stay in Abu Dhabi while they tried to improve their son's condition. The family considered leaving by car or boat but there were not allowed to due to visa complications.
It wasn't until Thompson received hypnotherapy that he was finally able to board the plane. He touched down in Britain on Monday after he was hypnotized hours before the seven-and-a-half-hour flight.
Thompson worked with internationally-renowned hynotherapist Russell Hemmings to overcome his fear. Hemmings offered his services to the family for free before Thompson got on the overnight flight. Thompson was greeted by his mother at Heathrow Airport. His mother had to return to Britain last year to continue working.
"I'm so happy to be home. I can't believe how cold it is here," he said. "My mum and dad have been great and I'm so grateful to Russell for taking the time to help me. I just can't wait to get home and get back to my life."
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
