Travis Barker reflects on life after plane crash

WENN, Sunday, October 2, 2011, 6:11am (PDT)

By WENN

• Blink-182 star Travis Barker is considering hypnotherapy in a desperate bid to overcome his fear of flying following a 2008 plane crash, which claimed the lives of two friends.

  The drummer suffered severe burns as he stumbled out of a blazing jet which burst into flames after failing to take-off in South Carolina, and he spent months in recovery.

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  Three years later, he still refuses to fly anywhere and admits his phobia has become a big problem in his professional life.

  He says, "Unfortunately I can't do as much touring as I would like because I don't fly. It's an obstacle. I'm working on it though.

  "I'm trying to get hypnotized, trying to talk to a doctor who retrains your brain. Maybe he'll help me fly again one day."

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  But there have been a lot of positives for Barker since he escaped death - he has become more health conscious after promising himself he would take more care of his body as he recovered from his injuries in hospital.

  He tells Rolling Stone magazine, "I run every day now. I never ran before. In the hospital, I promised myself that if I ever walked again, that I would eat well and swim every day."

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  Barker has also cut meat and dairy products out of his diet and he steers clear of prescription drugs.

  He adds, "I've been vegan since I got out of the hospital... and before the plane crash, I was battling a painkiller addiction. For years.

  "I can proudly say I didn't even take any pain medication after I got out of the hospital. They told me I'd be on some of the medicine for the rest of my life, but I got off all of them. They made me a completely different person."