Do you have a fear of heights? Is it stopping you live your life to the full, avoiding tall buildings or high places? What is acrophobia? A person with acrophobia, or fear of heights, experiences intense fear and anxiety when they think of tall heights or are positioned at a significant height. They often avoid situations or places that involve heights. If you would like to remove a fear of the heights, consider hypnotherapy. I have helped many people with this fear. Click here of hypnotherapy for phobias.
Remove fear of the heights with hypnotherapy
Whilst a certain amount of concern around heights is normal for all people. However it’s true that most people are more cautious than usual when they are at a significant height. Most of us may feel uneasy or a bit shaky if we look down from a tall height, such as from a bridge. Yet people with acrophobia, fear of the heights, experience intense and unreasonable fear when they’re faced with heights. This is sometimes even including everyday tasks such as climbing a flight of stairs, standing near a balcony, or parking a car in a multiple-floor parking garage.
Who does acrophobia, a fear of the heights, affect?
Like other phobias, fear of the heights can affect anyone at any age. Specific phobias, like acrophobia, are more likely to develop in children and become apparent in adolescents and young adults. Females are more likely to develop specific phobias.
What kind of heights are people with acrophobia afraid of?
Let’s think about what this phobia covers. Types of heights or situations that people with a fear of the heights may fear include:
- Walking up a flight of stairs.
- Being on a ladder.
- Using a multi-level parking garage.
- Being on or crossing over a bridge.
- Being on a rollercoaster.
- Standing near a balcony or at the top of a building.
- Looking out a window of a tall building.
Symptoms and Causes of fear of the heights
The main unpleasant symptom of a fear of heights is feeling intense anxiety and fear of heights. Some people will fear significant heights such as a tall bridge, while others also fear shorter heights such as being on a ladder.
Psychological symptoms
- Feeling intense fear and anxiety when thinking about, looking at or being in high places.
- Fearing that something negative will happen in a high place such as falling or being trapped in a high place.
- Feeling a strong desire to escape if you’re in a high place.
- Physical symptoms and signs
- Experiencing a rapid heartbeat when thinking of or looking at heights.
- Feeling dizzy and lightheaded when thinking of or looking at heights.
- Feeling queasy.
- Trembling.
- Having shortness of breath.
What causes acrophobia?
Researchers aren’t sure what exactly causes a fear of the heights. They believe that having this phobia can stem from our natural human concern of falling from a high place and hurting ourselves. Dwelling on and worrying about the possible pain you could experience from falling from a significant height could contribute to developing a fear of the heights. Researchers also think that a negative or traumatic experience that involved a significant height may contribute to a person developing acrophobia.
How is fear of heights treated?
A fear of the heights can usually be treated with psychological treatment (psychotherapy) such as exposure therapy, virtual reality exposure therapy and/or cognitive behavioural therapy. I use hypnotherapy in London and online. I have successfully helped many people overcome their fear of heights. Hypnotherapy can help you climb mountains, go in lifts, fly or go to the top of buildings.
When there are other factors, sometimes people might also benefit from medications that temporarily relieve symptoms of fear and anxiety. This can help them cope with fear while they are participating in therapy. Let’s look at some treatment options:
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 aren’t 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 (VRET): 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 (VR) headset that will show you simulations of situations that involve heights. This way, you can be exposed to heights in a way that’s completely safe and feels, real but isn’t. Research has shown that virtual reality exposure therapy is effective in treating acrophobia.
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT): CBT is a form of psychological treatment. Through talking and asking questions, your therapist or psychologist helps you gain a different perspective. As a result, you learn to respond better to and cope with the stress and anxiety you feel when you are exposed to things that cause you fear.
Hypnotherapy: During sessions you will talk through the causes of your phobia. Hypnotherapy ai safe and actually enjoyable. During hypnotherapy you will allow your subconscious mind to experience being at a height buy feeling calm, relaxed and confident.
Which medications are used to treat acrophobia?
Medications aren’t usually used to treat specific phobias like acrophobia. Sometimes people with acrophobia might take medications to temporarily help them relieve symptoms of fear and anxiety to treat their phobia when they’re going through psychological therapy or in situations that are unavoidable. Medications sometimes used to help treat acrophobia include:
- Beta blockers: Some beta-blockers are used to treat or prevent physical symptoms of anxiety, such as a fast heart rate.
- Relaxants (benzodiazepines): Medications like benzodiazepines, which are used to help you relax, can temporarily reduce the amount of anxiety you feel.
Tips for someone with a fear of the heights
If you’re in a high place there are some things you can do to try to decrease your anxiety. If you can safely do any of the following actions while in a high place, try:
- Fixing your view/sight on the horizon.
- Looking at stationary objects near you.
- Sitting or lying down.
- Pausing or stop movement.
- Doing cognitive distractions, such as naming items from a certain category.
Here are some more general lifestyle tips that can help you lower your anxiety:
- Getting enough sleep and exercise.
- If you are participating in psychological therapy to treat your acrophobia, be sure to see your therapist regularly.
- Practicing mindfulness activities such as meditation.
- Practicing relaxation techniques such as deep breathing and yoga.
- Reaching out to family and friends for support.
- Reaching out for help, for example hypnotherapy
Hypnotherapy for a fear of the heights
Don’t allow a fear of the heights to stop you living your life to the full. Hypnotherapy for fear of heights can really help you feel calmer and able to cope. Get in touch today and book your first session. Click here for more details of our phobia hypnotherapy sessions in London and online.
