Are you looking for help with batophobia? London hypnotherapist Jason Demant will explain more about this phobia and how hypnotherapy helps reduce it. In this article we will look at what batophobia is and how hypnotherapy can help you begin again to visit major cities, feeling happier to walk around without anxiety or fear. For more information about Jason’s phobia sessions in London and online click here.
What is Batophobia?
Batophobia is quite rare but can be very distressing for those who suffer from it. Batophobia is really an intense feeling of dizziness, anxiety and fear when walking past very tall buildings. I will discuss later a client who I helped with this phobia and how hypnotherapy can help. Though it is not always clear what causes this phobia, it certainly can be distressing for those who experience it.
What is it like to have batophobia?
People do experience a fear of heights but batophobia is more about a fear of buildings falling on top of you. So, it can become very distressing to walk in major cities, such as New York, where there are skyscrapers. Modern buildings with multiple storeys will be problematic for somebody with batophobia, often preferring to avoid city centres. It can be a fear of buildings falling down on them, something falling on their head or even feeling suffocated by how close buildings feel to each other, in particular when you look up towards the sky.
Why do people suffer from this fear?
With any phobia, the causes can be many and different and sometimes even completely unknown. A common cause could be a past traumatic experience involving tall buildings. An existing fear of heights can play into this fear too as can a feeling or being enclosed or trapped in a space or place that feels like an architectural or building scenario.
A phobia can, for some, be a continuation of a general fear of heights but also sometimes phobias are symbolic of something else entirely. For example if a person feels trapped in their life now or did so in some situation in the past. Then when they are in a similar situation of feeling trapped (around heights or buildings) a phobia can be created.
A while ago I helped somebody who was feeling trapped in a relationship. They then found that they had also a feeling of claustrophobia in and around certain buildings. It seemed logical that their claustrophobia was simply a continuation, a mirroring of their feelings of being closed in unempowered or trapped in their relationship. So the problem ultimately wasn’t the building but feeling trapped in an aspect of their life.
How to treat batophobia
Today there are many different therapies and ways to treat phobias. In some circumstances even medication can be an option. An increasingly popular treatment is CBT, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is about looking at the thoughts and beliefs that are leading to you feeling anxiety. CBT can also involve gentle exposure to the feared situation, which in the case of batophobia is being near tall buildings.
A very powerful form of treatment is EMDR. EMDR is all about how the brain processes information and memories. EMDR can help you rethink and reframe these unconscious thoughts, beliefs and images around batophobia. If you suffer from batophobia, EMDR is considered a very powerful and effective treatment.
I use hypnotherapy and other skills to help people with batophobia. Hypnotherapy works by looking at the causes of phobias. We also look at how the brain is experiencing the anxiety and images connected to the feared object or situation. In the safety of the consulting room, I run through various visualizations and hypnotherapy treatments, helping you feel more comfortable about heights and tall buildings. It is important to look at the causes and why this phobia has become a problem.
Client story
Emma came to me for hypnotherapy for batophobia. She had been offered a job in Hong Kong, where there are many tall buildings. She was worried about feeling anxiety living there. During sessions we looked at the causes of Emma’s batophobia. Though somewhat unclear, her phobia did seem to be related to a fear of heights from childhood. Through hypnotherapy we reduced her fear of heights, and this helped her feel more comfortable about walking past tall buildings. A few weeks later, Emma reported that she had successfully moved to Hong Kong. Though, at times, she did feel a little uncomfortable, the anxiety had reduced significantly, making daily life possible and in fact enjoyable.
Book hypnotherapy today
If you suffer from batophobia and feel uncomfortable or fearful around tall buildings, help is available. Hypnotherapy and other therapy tools can help you feel calmer and reduce this phobia. It is difficult to visit modern cities without walking past very tall buildings, but with help you will be able to fully enjoy visiting places and feeling comfortable walking around cities again. For more information about my hypnotherapy for phobias sessions in London and online click here.
