Being in space is incredibly stressful. To overcome their fear, they train train train train, so that when something happens, it's not new, and they know what to do reflexively. It also has an element of what psychologists call "flooding", where you expose yourself to what you're afraid of until you realize that there's nothing to be afraid of.
I've had some training in "stress inoculation" where students are put into realistically simulated stressful situations, and trained on what to do. However, it's worth noting clearly that I've never had any astronaut training
.
It isn't clear to me that stress inoculation would be a good idea for someone with an anxiety disorder. That sounds like a question for a professional.
Previous Topic
Index
