Why are we afraid of heights, and how to overcome this fear?

0

It has been proven that a person’s personality consists of two decisive components: physical and emotional. It is not at all surprising that they are closely related to each other, because nature has it in such a way that without one of the above, a representative of the human race cannot exist fully.

If we raise the issue of phobias, then they have been studied for an incommensurable amount of time, and the reasons why they appear in us have not been fully clarified. Some scientists argue that fear is inherent at the genetic level, that is, fear acts as a result of evolution, which prevents a person from harming himself. Others consider fear to be an experience: when he receives it, he automatically does not want to repeat it, because he has already felt the consequences of such actions. These are just a couple of opinions out of many, because the human psyche and phobias as its components are quite difficult to study, so scientific minds still cannot give an unambiguous answer.

The topic of the article is acrophobia. We will name the main symptoms, causes of this disease, and also tell you how it can be cured. The disease can be called one of the most common phobias, but why this happened is still not clear. Many psychologists are working on this problem, because if it is possible to accurately understand the reasons for its occurrence, the treatment process will become much easier.

How to overcome fear of heights? Let's look at ways to overcome it

1. Understanding the origins 2. Analysis of fear 3. No one will help 4. Pull yourself together 5. How a doctor can help 6. Children's fear
In the era of megacities and high-rise buildings, it is simply impossible to constantly be on the ground. But it’s one thing when you’re afraid to look down from the balcony, and quite another when you can’t stand on a chair to change a light bulb. When fear begins to interfere with everyday life, the question of how to stop being afraid of heights will certainly arise.

Acrophobia is an uncontrollable fear of heights. Main symptoms: rapid heartbeat, increased sweating and panic reactions, dizziness and nausea.

Half Dome (USA)

The granite rock of Half Dome is very popular among both tourists and professional climbers. It is located in the Yosemite Valley in California, and its peak is at an altitude of 2694 meters above sea level.

About 50 thousand tourists climb Half Dome every year. Due to the great popularity of this place, local authorities had to introduce some restrictions. In order to overcome Half Dome, you must obtain permission a week in advance from the special National Recreation Reservation Service. Those who try to climb the mountain without permission will be fined five thousand dollars and face up to six months in prison.

@privatesheikh

Let's understand the origins

The origins of acrophobia lie deep in the subconscious. Fear of heights is nothing more than an instinct of self-preservation . Heights are dangerous and can cause you to fall, crash, or get injured. But everything has reasonable limits. Panic at the thought of climbing one step on a stepladder can no longer be considered normal.

To effectively get rid of your fears, you need to understand the origins. There may be several options; often the cause has to be looked for in childhood:

• Some parents unintentionally foster fear. The child constantly hears that you can’t climb the slide yourself, you can’t climb trees, and you can fall from a rope ladder. At the same time, everything is seasoned with possible consequences. Imaginary dangers are so absorbed into the subconscious that it is difficult even for an adult to get rid of them;
• A real case of a fall from a height with consequences in the form of serious injury. The impressions are especially vivid on the child. Even if a person no longer remembers anything, it is impossible to overcome fear;
• Weak vestibular apparatus. In this case, the person suffering from acrophobia cannot really appreciate height;
• The tendency to phobias can be inherited, but whether it develops or not largely depends on upbringing. If a parent fails to cope with their fears, this affects the child.

If the cause is identified, fear is easier to control . The very awareness of the problem and the firm decision to get rid of it is already the beginning of the journey.

Treatment of acrophobia

The diagnosis of acrophobia can only be made by a specialist who will help in the treatment of mental illness. Most likely, a person will not be able to cope with his own fear, so he should seek help. This is due to the fact that at a moment of fear a person thinks about what he is afraid of, and not about what he can do in a given situation.

Treating acrophobia with medication is pointless. They can only calm the client briefly, but will not help eliminate fear.

The most effective method of treatment is hypnosis, when a person is put into a special state that helps the specialist influence the client’s subconscious. Here it is necessary to change the attitudes that are deeply embedded in a person.

Therapeutic techniques are also used to control oneself in a situation of danger:

• Learning relaxation and self-control techniques.
• Getting into a dangerous situation while being escorted.
• Self-tuning, auto-training.

go to top

Analysis of fear

You can get rid of fear on your own before it becomes too strong. With a severe degree, you should not do this yourself. First of all, let’s figure out what exactly scares you. To do this, you need to replay in your head the worst thing that could happen. We close our eyes and begin to visualize. This could be the roof of a house, a rock, a cliff, or your own balcony. Based on the sensations you receive, you need to determine what a person fears most :

• Fall and break, get seriously injured;
• The fact that no one will help or save;
• Lack of control over the situation, one's helplessness in the face of heights.

How you need to overcome your fear depends on the result obtained. The same methods do not always work for different people. Therefore, how to overcome the fear of heights is decided based on the key elements of fear and reasons.

Nobody will help

If a child fell due to the fault of an adult, or simply no one was nearby at the right moment, there is a fear that no one will save him. Someone close to you will help you overcome fear. Every day you will have to do exercises for height and confidence:

1. Support exercise. Children often play this way. One turns his back and falls, and the other catches him. This will help get rid of uncertainty in people around you;
2. The patient stands on a chair or stepladder, the assistant holds the base firmly to create a feeling of confidence;
3. Let's complicate the previous point, the assistant simply stands nearby as support;
4. Go together to a potentially dangerous place: a Ferris wheel in a park, a roof, a building with a glass floor.

For those who are afraid of being left alone in case of trouble, it is important to feel that help will definitely be provided. Therefore, only close people will help you overcome fear.

Pull yourself together

They often say “they knock each other out,” this can also help in the fight against a phobia. Something like this needs to be done carefully. Those who are too afraid of heights should not take the risk, the consequences can be dire.

You don't have to jump with a parachute. There are many other, safer options:

1. 1. Ferris wheel and other attractions related to heights;
2. 2. Climbing wall or real mountain hikes, only under the supervision of an instructor;
3. 3. Stand on the balcony, or on the roof of the house, without looking down, but admire the beautiful panorama.

To successfully pass the test, you need to learn to control yourself . Breathing exercises and meditation will help with this. Deep breathing will help you stop being afraid.

Breathing exercise: inhale deeply through your nose, hold your breath for 2 seconds, exhale through your mouth until there is no air left in your lungs. Repeat until you calm down.

Don't despair if the results are not visible right away. We are all different and perceive ourselves and our fears differently. Someone will be able to calmly climb to the roof in a week, others will move up one step a day. The result depends on both determination and the degree of development of acrophobia.

How can a doctor help?

It is impossible to cope with this on your own, but psychologists can treat even the most severe phobias. The treatment takes place at the subconscious level, by immersing the patient in a hypnotic state. Hypnosis allows you to find the point where it all began. Living a difficult moment again, but with a favorable outcome, helps to overcome deep-seated fears.

This situation can lead to a panic reaction, so virtual reality is put to the service of doctors. It helps you feel the sensation of height without risking your life. Despite all the realism, the patient is still sure that this is not real, and is less afraid. Getting used to high-altitude views gradually transfers to the real world.

Proven means

Article on the topic

Phobias of great people. What were Dali, Gogol, Freud and Hitchcock afraid of? A severe form of aerophobia, regardless of the reasons for its occurrence, requires special correction and observation by a psychotherapist. According to medical statistics, up to 90% of aerophobes, after meeting with a psychiatrist, said goodbye to their fear once and for all. Usually the doctor suggests undergoing auto-training, and if necessary, prescribes drug therapy - a combination of sedatives, various beta-blockers and antidepressants that increase the release of serotonin. This hormone affects emotional stability and susceptibility to stress. If serotonin is normal, it is easier for a person to cope with feelings of fear.

“Cognitive” auto-training, aimed at understanding the causes of fear, helps to cope with fear and mild forms of aerophobia. Try to answer yourself a number of questions: what exactly worries you, when you first felt fear of flying, what caused it, how you differ from other air passengers who are not afraid, and, finally, how you usually cope with stress. Sometimes such self-analysis helps to cope with fear without the use of drug therapy.

Definition and states

Acrophobia is a panic fear of moving away from the earth.
Life often involves climbs: stairs, multi-story buildings, funiculars, attractions, elevators. Many things familiar to society are potentially dangerous places for acrophobes. Fear of heights causes many inconveniences. People with this disease experience severe stress, unable to go out onto the balcony or ride a glass elevator. Spatial discomfort is accompanied by:

• decreased body temperature;
• reduction in heart rate;
• nausea;
• dizziness.

Anyone who lives long enough with such a disorder becomes so resigned that he refuses any situations that provoke symptoms. He does not go to a specialist, does not solve the problem, but simply gives up his aspirations.

Symptoms

Panic fear of heights is fraught with the fact that the patient begins to experience not the most pleasant feelings already at a minimum height, which, even in theory, is not capable of harming a person. It happens that the patient is in a similar condition for many years, starting from early childhood. But this is rarer than the rule, which is why most patients acquired a similar pathology at some stage in their lives.

To assess your psychological health, any person can conduct a kind of test for fear of heights. To do this you need to be at a certain distance from the ground. He is sick if he feels:

• dizziness;
• pain in the eyes;
• attacks of nausea;
• drop in body temperature;
• general weakness;
• panic attacks;
• excessively frequent sighs or rapid heart rate;
• convulsions or nervous trembling of the limbs.

But when drawing any conclusions, it should be remembered that psychiatrists identify a similar condition, more characteristic of the instinct of self-preservation than a collection of psychological pathologies. Without expert advice, there is a significant risk of confusing these concepts, and, accordingly, harming your health through the lack of suitable treatment.

Causes

Impressionable people with a weak vestibular apparatus are susceptible to the development of acrophobia. There is no significant gender difference. Scientists say that a single sad experience is enough to become an acrophobe. But not everyone knows how to overcome their fear of heights.

Psychological causes of the disease.

1. Low self-esteem in childhood. The fear of losing control and jumping down develops.
2. Tendency to suspiciousness. The level of anxiety reaches such a level that a balcony on the second floor can cause a panic attack.
3. Rich fantasy. The disorder can develop to such an extent that the idea of ​​heights makes one feel dizzy.

Physiological causes of acrophobia include the consequences of experienced traumas and disturbances in brain function. Mental disorders in a parent can affect the development of an illness in a child. This also includes experiences of depression and severe stress.

Psychotherapists are confident that alcoholism and drug addiction can become an impetus for the development of a phobia. An acute psychological crisis is the basis for the development of any panic disorder.

If you enter the query “I'm afraid of heights,” you may come across images of people stepping over the edge of an abyss. It is a mistake to believe that acrophobes are united by one illness. Phobic disorder includes several fears:

• lose control, jump;
• fall to death;
• get injured, become incapacitated;
• be outside the safety line.

They are often felt unconsciously, are acutely expressed and suppressed. People with strong character can suppress the onset of panic.

So why is a person afraid of heights? They are driven by a sense of self-preservation. The brain protects against possible danger. Often the condition develops into a phobia. Negative experience sharpens instinct, turning a natural reaction into uncontrollable panic.

Symptoms and manifestations

Acrophobia is the fear of something that might cause you to fall. Elevators, glass floors, balconies, cliffs and even bridges. But the more civilization develops, the more places appear that can lead an acrophobe to a severe traumatic disorder and an uncontrollable state.

For someone who is not afraid of heights, any climb is not characterized by any manifestations. But those suffering from acrophobia are familiar with the following symptoms:

• the desire to find support, to hold on;
• inability to adequately assess the situation;
• dizziness, nausea, shortness of breath;
• throws into sweat;
• legs and arms are shaking;
• diarrhea, vomiting;
• dry mouth, excessive salivation.

Even in a dream, life at altitude is reflected by symptoms of the disorder in reality.
Losing support mentally or in real life is difficult for acrophobes. A common phobia is more difficult to treat than others. You shouldn't rely on medications. Most medications can only weaken the manifestations of the disease, but cannot eliminate a person’s fear of heights.

You should not self-diagnose a phobic disorder. A neurotic condition is assessed only by a specialist, who also prescribes treatment, group or individual therapy. Only a quarter of people are able to overcome fear on their own.

Symptoms of the disease

In order to overcome acrophobia, you need to know the symptoms of the disease. There is a division of all signs into those that are of a psychological nature and somatic manifestations of phobia. Fear can also be classified as mild, moderate and panic. It depends on the severity of the disease.

Symptoms of a mild form of fear of heights:

• Slight increase in heart rate and respiration;
• Reluctance to go close to a source of danger, such as an open window.

It is important to understand that such a condition cannot be called a disease. The usual phrase “I’m not afraid of heights” can help here.

The psychological symptoms of a phobia are expressed differently. Most often, people who have a fear of heights in the acrophobia stage can observe:

• Uncontrollable panic;
• The presence of excitement even in sleep;
• Reluctance to rise to a certain height.

A person usually loses control of his behavior, which is expressed in a refusal to go. Often he simply sits down, taking a protective pose - covering his face and head with his hands, as if hugging himself, trying to protect himself from the world around him. An important feature of behavior is that a person does not make contact with those who want to help him, much less admit and say: I’m afraid of heights.

Symptoms of the problem:

• Cardiopalmus;
• Paleness of the skin;
• Tremor of the arms and/or legs;
• Sweating;
• Dilated pupils;
• Muscle hypertonicity.

Also quite often there is increased motor activity - movements of the arms and legs in order to further protect oneself from impending disaster, even if it is present only in the person’s imagination.

Reviews

The development of civilization provoked the construction of skyscrapers, air vehicles and other things that cause panic disorder in acrophobes. Due to the medical illiteracy of the population, most are not aware that the disease can be cured and corrected.

Maria, 25 years old

As a child, I rode a cable car with my parents and it got stuck. A terrible panic reigned inside. The transport started moving again five minutes later, but the experience was etched in my memory. An obsessive fear of heights turned my life into hell. I couldn't use the elevator, I could only go up the stairs. I gave up my dream of climbing the mountains. I was treated for more than a year, but this was not enough to overcome the disorder.

Dmitry, 34 years old

What to do if you are afraid of heights - rise higher! I have tested this motto in practice dozens of times. I tested my body with many years of rock climbing. On an unlucky day, the cable broke, I fell and remained in the gorge with broken bones for a day. The bones have fused, I walk and run, but I can’t even go out onto the balcony in my sister’s apartment on the third floor. Group therapy gave me a second chance, and within a few months I got rid of the disease. After treatment I can even use the elevator. But just a year ago I didn’t know how to overcome obsessive behavior.

Milena, 41 years old

I've been struggling with this all my life. I didn’t know what this phobia was called until I saw a psychotherapist. It took four months to be able to fly again. Hypnosis, group and individual therapy did their job. Two years have passed since the last session, the symptoms have not returned. I'm no longer afraid of heights!

Additional fighting options

Any person has a set of characteristic behavioral and personality traits that are unique to him. Therefore, even in theory, it is impossible to create a technique that will help all people understand how to deal with the fear of heights. In this case, the best option would be to contact a psychologist who works with phobias. And he will select a remedy suitable for a particular person.

Moreover, experts themselves warn against thoughtless self-medication. An inexperienced person may lose sight of small nuances, and his entire treatment will end unsuccessfully. And qualified psychologists work for a long time and in detail on all aspects of subconscious fears, increasing the chance of finally getting rid of the tormenting nightmare.

A popular method of treating acrophobia is a course of hypnosis sessions. An experienced doctor puts the patient in a suitable state and corrects all the necessary points. Such treatment ends successfully, and most patients do not even remember the existence of phobias in the future.

Treatment and self-help

What acrophobia is was discussed above, all that remains is to understand how to get rid of it. The patient's first reaction to an irritating factor is panic. There are practices that help you calm down in a critical situation.

1. Do not look at the receding plane (clouds, ground).
2. Lean on something solid and kneel down.
3. Find support, grab hold.
4. Sit down, close your eyes.
5. Focus on the still.

Breathing practices, visualization, and analysis of the situation (at what height am I, can I find support, am I safe) will help me get rid of an attack.

Psychologists insist that the main thing in treatment is to find the root cause of the disease!

Any neurotic condition has its own methods of treatment. Methods are selected individually for each patient. One needs cognitive behavioral therapy, the other needs imagery with response adjustment. Many people want to know how to stop being afraid of heights. Therefore, over decades, effective methods of combating the disorder have been developed.

1. Semi-trance state with behavior correction.
2. Hypnosis to the point of suggestibility.
3. Ericksonian hypnosis.
4. Moreno method.
5. Cognitive-behavioral method.
6. Reducing the intensity of symptoms through exercise.
7. Body-oriented psychotherapy.

Important! Resorting to self-medication to overcome fear of heights is strictly prohibited. Only the attending physician can prescribe medications, dosage without harm to health.

Beta-adrenaline inhibitors, anxiety blockers, and antidepressants may help in severe cases of the disorder. They provide an opportunity to take control of fear before therapy has produced a lasting result. But medication practice is not a panacea.

Treatment

Acrophobia can be completely cured, however, much depends on the patient himself and his desire to recover.

Treatment for this type of phobia should be comprehensive and include not only medication, but also psychotherapy sessions.

Treatment includes the following activities:

• use of antidepressants for a long time - for six months;
• use of tranquilizers for fourteen days;
• the use of drugs that stimulate blood flow in the brain;
• vitamin and mineral complexes;
• they use cognitive-behavioral techniques - after completing a course of therapy, you can achieve high effectiveness in treating the disease;
• hypnosis - during this procedure, the patient is adjusted to his emotional state, that is, he is taught that the fear of heights is completely unfounded;
• Frankl's method and other methods.

An insurmountable fear of heights is considered a mild neurosis. Treatment of this obsessive state is carried out by a qualified psychotherapist. He will tell you how to properly manage your emotions.

What is acrophobia?

At least one person in twenty has a fear of heights. For most people, it is expressed in a mild form, for example, in the fear of riding a Ferris wheel, being at the edge of a cliff, or a ski slope. But there is also an extreme form of this phobia, when people hate attractions, do not want to go to the mountains, and flatly refuse to climb stairs, escalators, move along bridges, enter high-rise buildings and fly on an airplane. At this time, they feel that their very existence is at stake.

Experts believe that acrophobia is inherent in us from birth to ensure survival, so most people are afraid of falling from a height at the instinctive level. Symptoms of fear include the following:

• physical : dizziness, excessive sweating, muscle tension, tremors, rapid heartbeat, stomach cramps, nausea and headache;
• psychological : panic, anxiety, fear and thoughts of death.

With severe syndrome, these symptoms can occur even when a person tries to stand on a chair.

Approaches to treating fear of heights

There are several well-researched techniques aimed at helping people overcome their fear of heights. As a rule, they include various relaxation methods, hypnotherapy and cognitive behavioral therapy for adults, which is successfully used in psychology. If we talk about this in more detail, then:

1. Try to learn relaxation methods: meditation, deep breathing, muscle relaxation, which are the “antidote” to fear, panic and anxiety. By the way, they allow you to effectively combat other types of stress, which is already enough in our daily lives.
2. Try cognitive behavioral therapy to better understand your fear. Find out the cause of panic attacks, then you can challenge negative thoughts and learn to control them.

Useful tips for overcoming anxiety

In many cases, the fear of falling from a height is completely unfounded:

• Try to calm down and look at the situation more clearly. Just pay attention to why you won't fall: there are handrails, railings, barriers, straps, strong ladders and strong glass in the windows. Concentrate on what will actually prevent you from falling.

• Try to relax. Remind yourself how unlikely it is for something bad to happen at this moment.
• Breathe deeply. Try to push the negative thoughts out of your head and replace them with a positive affirmation that you will not fall, you are completely safe. When people are faced with anxiety-inducing situations, they often forget to breathe, which only makes symptoms worse. Focus on breathing in and out deeply, this is very calming.
• View photos or videos of climbers.

• Prepare in advance to conquer fear. Think about how you will deal with it step by step. Close your eyes and visualize the situation, understand that it does not pose any threat to your safety. Preparation can begin by simply looking out of a first floor window. So, gradually, you can get used to the feeling that you are above ground level.
• Confront fear slowly, at your own pace. This point smoothly follows from the previous one. Do only what you are comfortable with, set small goals for yourself: if you want to get to the edge of the balcony, start at the entrance to the balcony, and then slowly move a little closer to the edge every day.

• Eliminate stimulants from your diet: caffeine, energy drinks and foods high in sugar. This should help you get rid of a strong feeling of fear of heights.
• Translate your fear level into numbers. Think about it: if absolute terror is a 10 and complete calm is a 1, where am I on that scale now? Let's assume that you are at the 8 mark, then try to extend your exhalation and imagine how this number goes down. This way you will normalize your heart rate and become calmer.

Victory over yourself

You can overcome an attack of aerophobia on your own only in mild and moderate forms. The principle of action is quite simple - you need to try to block the mechanism of fear. How to do it? Get rid of excess adrenaline! The fact is that the secretion of this hormone increases during stressful situations, causing vasoconstriction, rapid heartbeat, increased blood pressure and stimulation of the nervous system. The task of the aerophobe is to reduce this effect to a minimum. Sometimes taking a few deep breaths is enough. If this does not help, try to squeeze the armrests of the chair with your palms as hard as you can, simultaneously tensing and relaxing all the muscles of the body. And so on several times. You can walk back and forth around the salon.

Positive emotions also help overcome fear. Before the flight, it is useful to read popular science literature and watch feature films about aviation, famous flights, or try to make a model airplane with your own hands. The more positive information you collect, the greater your chances of overcoming aerophobia.

Many people mistakenly believe that drinking alcohol during a flight can relieve fear. But that's not true. And first of all, because in the air the human body is in conditions close to critical. Therefore, the reaction to alcohol may be completely different from what we are used to on earth, and the opposite - fear will intensify or panic attacks will begin.