What’s The Phobia Of Heights

Space And Motion Discomfort

Studies have shown that people with acrophobia and/or an extreme fear of falling have higher scores of SMD, or space and motion discomfort. These are physical symptoms elicited by visual or kinesthetic information that is inadequate for normal spatial orientation. Space and motion discomfort arises when conflicting information is detected among visual, kinesthetic, and vestibular sensory channels. Evidence has supported the claim that patients with anxiety and SMD rely more heavily on visual cues for postural changes.

What Is The Least Common Phobia

10 Least Common Phobias Alektorophobia: The fear of chickens Metrophobia: The fear of poetry or rhyming verse Ephebiphobia: The fear of youths Ergasiophobia: The fear of work Optophobia: The fear of opening ones eyes Neophobia: The fear of newness Anthophobia: The fear of flowers Pteronophobia: The

Normal Fears Vs Phobias Or Irrational Fears

It is normal and even helpful to experience fear in dangerous situations. Fear serves a protective purpose, activating the automatic fight-or-flight response. With our bodies and minds alert and ready for action, we are able to respond quickly and protect ourselves. But with phobias the threat is nonexistent or greatly exaggerated. For example, it is only natural to be afraid of a snarling Doberman, but it is irrational to be terrified of a friendly poodle on a leash, as you might be if you have a dog phobia.

Read Also: Can Dehydration Cause Panic Attacks

Fear Or Phobia What Is The Difference Why Does It Matter At Work

Imagine you live in New York City and work for a company that is being relocated to a different building. The move is coming up and, as the supervisor, one of your employees approaches you to ask for an accommodation after hearing the news that the department will be assigned to the 12th floor. The employee states that he has a phobia of heights and is concerned about his ability to work that high up in the building. Suddenly you are thinking, Wait, I have a fear of heights. I would never ride a Ferris wheel, but I live on the top floor of my apartment complex. What is the difference?

According to the Mayo Clinic, a specific phobia is an intense, persistent fear of a specific object or situation thats out of proportion to the actual risk. The fear or anxiety triggers an immediate response that is stronger than the actual danger involved. Many types of phobias exist and it is not uncommon for someone to have multiple phobias or a phobia in addition to another type of anxiety disorder. You might be familiar with some of the terms such as claustrophobia, the fear of being confined to a space, or in the above example acrophobia, the fear of heights.

What Is Fear Of Heights

Acrophobia can be defined as a severe worry of elevations. Individuals with this stress and anxiety problem panic when they are at elevation and also even when they envision they are high. In between 2% and also 5% of the population face this issue, with women composing the majority of those influenced.

Recommended Reading: Pristiq Dose

What Is The Way Outof This Fear Of Heights

Often, it is found that acrophobia patients share common symptoms with vertigo and other kinds of phobias like Bathomophobia . Although a person suffering from Bathomophobia can also be a host for phobia of heights, the vice-versa is not always true.

Responding intelligently to this phobia or any other condition is one way to deal with it. When talking about the phobia of heights we know that It isnt the fear of heights that keeps a person from trying his wings, its the fear of hitting the ground. As such, both empathetic and medical approach can construct a better storyline for the sufferers.

Is There A Cure For Acrophobia What Treatments Are Available

Various acrophobia treatment options are available.

Different studies have demonstrated that exposure could help patients with acrophobia handle the fear of heights more effectively. This could encompass behavioral therapy and its sub-form, cognitive-behavioral therapy.

However, another approach like guided mastery may prove more effective than regular exposure in itself. Guided mastery entails exposure therapy, yet with the added benefit of guidance or direction from the therapist. This is relevant because such a line of therapy could complement even other, more breakthrough alternatives, like virtual reality.

Also Check: Pristiq Generic Side Effects

General Vs Specific Fear Of Heights

Acrophobia is the general fear of heights.

There are other specific phobias toward more distinct high places or situations. Among others, these include:

• Aerophobia: Fear of flying
• Cremnophobia: Fear of cliffs and precipices
• Bathmophobia: Fear of slopes
• Gephyrophobia: Fear of crossing a bridge

For example, someone who is afraid of flying, but fine with standing on a skyscraper or cliff, might be diagnosed with aerophobia. Someone who is afraid of flying, and also afraid of cliffs, looking out top story windows, driving over bridges, and other situations, could potentially be diagnosed with acrophobia.

It is important to receive the correct diagnosis so your treatment can be the most effective.

How To Handle And Overcome Your Fear Of Heights

Medically Reviewed By: Richard Jackson

Most of us feel a little nervous and tense when were at a great height. Its perfectly normal and understandable to feel this way. In fact, a study from 1960 showed that even infants and young animals have an innate fear of falling. However, if you have acrophobia, you may find that even relatively low heights cause you to panic. If you struggle with a fear of heights, to the point that it makes life difficult, dont worryyou can overcome it!

How Can You Overcome a Fear of Heights?

If youre reading this and you struggle with heights, the first thing you probably want to know is how to overcome it. In this article, we will cover this in detail, as well as provide you with more information on the acrophobia itself. But first, here are a few quick tips to help you start making progress.

• Take time to mentally prepare
• Visualize yourself overcoming your fear
• Move slowly
• Go easy on yourself

What Are the Symptoms of a Phobia of Heights?

You may be unsure about whether you have a dislike of heights or an actual phobia. To help, weve put together a list of symptoms associated with acrophobia. These are things to look out for when you think about or are faced with the prospect of heights.

• A sense of unreality
• Fear of injury or death
• Preoccupation with avoiding heights

You may also suffer from panic attacks when you are at a height this is particularly dangerous, as you may fall and injure yourself.

How to Handle Your Fear of Heights

Don’t Miss: What Is The Meaning Of Phobia

What The Visual Cliff Experiment Tells Us About This Fear Of Heights

Many active researchers believe that a certain degree of reluctance to height is natural for the visual animals including Man. However, research psychologists Richard D.Walk and Eleanor J. Gibson provided us with an in-depth idea about the entry of acrophobia in our body mechanism.

The Visual Cliff experiment conducted by these two manifested that the crawling babies along with the newborns of the various species distinctly showed the unwillingness to cross a thick glass panel. This glass panel was supposed to cover a honed decline or drop-off.

It was revealed that even the mothers calling for their children, could not convince the infants to cross the drop-off. This scientific-cum-psychological experiment suggested vividly that this fear from heights is a definitive part of the evolutionary survival mechanism present in the living.

What Is The Meme Generator

Its a free online image maker that lets you add custom resizable text, images, and much more to templates.People often use the generator to customize established memes,such as those found in Imgflips collection of Meme Templates.However, you can also upload your own templates or start from scratch with empty templates.

Also Check: Topographic Depression Definition

Why Are Many Millions Of People Frightened Of Heights

• Find a therapist to combat fear and anxiety

As anyone who has a fear of heights will tell you, the experience of height phobia is an unusually frightening oneand yes, Im one of them. As adventure blogger Zabdiel Scoon explains, As we go through our everyday lives, we naturally avoid our fears to the point that it becomes an unconscious action. Its only when youre faced with those fears that you really start to consciously consider how they impede what it is you wish to do.

In my case, I didnt realise how debilitating a fear of heights could be when coupled with long-term travel. In La Boca, Buenos Aires, I had another confrontation with my fear of heights. After looking around this stunning museum, we were asked if we would like to view the sculptures on the roof terraces and take in views of the harbour from the balcony on the top roof. This all sounded terrific, and was indeed impressive, until I had to climb a very tall, open spiral staircase to the top balcony. Looking up I thought that it wasnt very solid. My hands felt incredibly clammy and my heart beat faster as I climbed the staircase.

One key to understanding height phobia is its link to panic and to panic attacks, and many of the physical manifestations of height phobia are very similar to panic symptomstrembling, sweaty palms, nausea, dizziness, for example. Another important fact is that phobias of situations often share many characteristics in common with panic symptoms.

How To Get Rid Of Acrophobia

If your anxiety of elevations is not pathological, there are means to maintain you calm and also without it. Its feasible to unwind in circumstances of anxiety, nonetheless, if you have an anxiety that in fact injures you significantly, its ideal to look for specialist assistance. There are some emotional analysis tools, such as questionnaires, to figure out if we have an unreasonable worry. There are several treatments that have actually shown to be a great assistance for acrophobia. Nevertheless, it is not understood which is the best method. However, looking for an appropriate therapy is necessary to enhancing the lifestyle of those influenced by this problem.

Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment: This is the most typically used treatment to treat anxieties. Procedures such as exposure strategies have a lengthy as well as successful practice in research and clinical method. These techniques progressively bring the acrophobic closer to the things of their fear. They gradually become much safer as well as decrease anxiety responses.

Emotional intervention will substantially boost the level of wellness. In addition, these treatments are under consistent testimonial. As a matter of fact, the introduction of new modern technologies such as digital truth is aiding individuals confront their concerns in an extra regulated atmosphere. The acrophobic individual can get over problems that they can not visualize previously.

Also Check: Late Onset Schizophrenia Prognosis

Az List Of Some Of The More Common Phobias

While not comprehensive, this phobia list offers a glimpse of the many phobias that can have a serious impact on a personâs life. As you may notice while you browse through this list, most specific phobias fall into one of four major categories:

• Fears of the natural environment
• Fears related to animals
• Fear related to medical treatments or issues
• Fears related to specific situations

One important thing to remember is that virtually any object can become a fear object. The names of specific phobias are often formed as nonce words, or words coined for a single occasion only.

These names themselves are often formed by taking a Greek prefix that represents the fear object and adding the -phobia suffix. Because of this, any attempt at a completely exhaustive list of phobias would simply be an exercise in futility. Any list of phobias could grow with the addition of newly coined terms for previously unnamed specific phobias.

While listing all of the phobias that may exist is not possible, it can be helpful to look through a list of some of the more commonly described phobias. As you can see by looking at this list, almost any object or situation can become the source of fear.

You May Like: What Is The Meaning Of Phobia

What Kind Of Heights Are People With Acrophobia Afraid Of

Types of heights or situations that people with acrophobia may fear include:

• Walking up a flight of stairs.
• Being on a ladder.
• Standing near a balcony or at the top of a building.
• Looking out a window of a tall building.

Since there are many kinds of phobias, they can be a little challenging to diagnose. People who have acrophobia generally fear more than one kind of height or high place. There are other phobias that are characterized by a fear of a situation that happens to involve a significant height, but the height isnt the main aspect of the fear. As an example, if you have an intense fear of flying on airplanes specifically, you may have aerophobia, the fear of flying, and not acrophobia. If youre experiencing intense fear that limits your life and experiences, its important to see your healthcare provider so you can get a proper diagnosis and treatment.

Read Also: Pristiq What Is It Used For

Where Did The Story Come From

The study was carried out by researchers from the University of Basel, Switzerland, and other universities and institutions in Europe. Funding was provided by the Swiss National Science Foundation and the Basel Scientific Society.

The study was published in the peer-reviewed journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America .

The research was generally covered accurately by The Daily Telegraph and the Daily Mail.

A To Z List Of Phobias

• Ballistophobia Fear of missiles or bullets.
• Bolshephobia Fear of Bolsheviks.

• Feretrophobia Fear of a coffin, coffins, casket, caskets, or sarcophagus
• Fykiaphobia The fear of seaweed .
• Foniasophobia Fear of killers, murderers, and serial killers.
• Fotografiki michaniophobia The fear of a camera.
• Fotografizophobia The fear of photographs or of having your photograph taken.
• Francophobia Fear of France, French culture.
• Frigophobia Fear of cold, cold things.
• Fyllophobia The fear of a leaf or of leaves.

Read Also: What Does The Suffix Phobia Mean

What Questions Should I Ask My Doctor

Talking about your mental health can be uncomfortable and scary. Your mental health is just as important as your physical health, so its important to talk to your healthcare provider about your symptoms. The following questions may be helpful to ask your provider if you have acrophobia:

• What kind of treatment do you recommend?
• Should I see a therapist, psychologist and/or psychiatrist?
• Do you have any recommendations for psychologists, psychiatrists or therapists that I could see?
• How long will treatment take?
• Do you know of any support groups for acrophobia or phobias in general?
• Do you have any learning resources on acrophobia that I could read?

A note from Cleveland ClinicIf you have acrophobia, know that you are not alone. Acrophobia is a common phobia. Avoiding heights can provide short-term relief, but this doesnt address the underlying cause of your fear and anxiety. Although it can be difficult and uncomfortable, its important to talk to your healthcare provider and seek proper treatment for your acrophobia. The sooner you seek help, the sooner you can take back control of your life.

How Is Acrophobia Treated

Acrophobia can usually be treated with psychological treatment such as exposure therapy, virtual reality exposure therapy and/or cognitive behavioral therapy. Sometimes people need medications that temporarily relieve symptoms of fear and anxiety to cope with fear while they are participating in therapy.

Exposure therapy: Exposure therapy is a common form of psychological treatment used to treat specific phobias. People with phobias usually avoid situations that involve the thing they are afraid of. Because of this, they arent able to learn that they can manage their fear when presented with their specific phobia or that their feared outcomes often do not happen. Therapists and psychologists use exposure therapy for people who have a phobia to slowly encourage them to enter situations that cause them anxiety, and to try to stay in that situation so that they can learn to cope.

Virtual reality exposure therapy : Virtual reality exposure therapy is a type of psychological treatment that uses technology to show the person realistic but fake situations to help them cope with stressful and anxiety-inducing situations. If you have acrophobia, you may use a virtual reality headset that will show you simulations of situations that involve heights. This way, you can be exposed to heights in a way thats completely safe and feels, real but isnt. Research has shown that virtual reality exposure therapy is effective in treating acrophobia.

Recommended Reading: Celine Dion Eating Disorder

Is It Similar To Vertigo

Most people often use the term vertigo to explain acrophobia, but this isnt entirely accurate. This condition relates to a dizzying sensation of feeling like youre spinning or moving when youre not. Whether you feel yourself moving or the environment around you, vertigo is a disorienting condition that can affect your balance and ability to do even mundane tasks.

Unlike the fear of heights, vertigo may be associated with other underlying health conditions.While acrophobia is a phobia in itself, vertigo may be a symptom of one of the following:

• Head injuries