Acrophobia (fear of heights) – what is it, benefits and harms

Definition of acrophobia

Acrophobia is the fear of heights. The word comes from the Greek language. Akros means upper, and phobos means fear. Doctors do not consider this condition a serious illness because, in their opinion, it does not affect a person’s quality of life. Other phobias, such as fear of open areas and crowds of people, are considered more dangerous. Because of them, people find themselves imprisoned in their own home. They are unable to work normally or perform simple activities, such as going to the store for purchases.

With acrophobia the situation is simpler. Skydiving or climbing mountains are not vital activities. Fear of heights deprives a person of only some entertainment. These include hot air balloon rides, rides on cable cars, slides in a water park, etc. In addition, he will not be able to live on the upper floors.

Despite all this, fear of heights is much more serious than it seems. This is evidence that a person’s nervous system is impaired and there is also a risk of developing mental disorders.

Interesting! About 5% of the world's population suffers from acrophobia.

Consequences of acrophobia

Acrophobia, like any other disease, is not recommended to be thoughtlessly ignored. Acrophobia is unlikely to go away on its own. Panic fear of heights can lead to the following consequences:

• deterioration of mental health;
• self-harm;
• discomfort;
• behavior that is frightening to others;
• depression.

Acrophobia is a serious psychological disorder; it is strictly forbidden to ignore acrophobia, especially with pronounced symptoms. Each of these consequences entails a chain of additional interconnected problems.

Types of acrophobia

There are several types of phobias associated with fear of heights:

• aerophobia - fear of flying;
• bathophobia - fear of sudden changes in depth or height;
• Illingophobia is the fear of feeling dizzy at altitude.

There is also climacophobia - the fear of climbing stairs.

Case from practice

In conclusion, we will tell you about a case from the practice of our expert, which inspires optimism and gives hope that getting rid of a phobia that interferes with life is quite possible.

Already an adult married woman, she experienced a painful fear of heights. This greatly limited her travel, which she and her husband loved passionately. However, any kind of activity associated with climbing to a height was closed to them due to the panic horror that the wife experienced, which greatly limited their interests and opportunities. She couldn't climb the mountains, although she really wanted to. The Eiffel Tower and the beauty of Paris that opened from it were completely inaccessible to her.

In the process of working with a psychologist, it turned out that the cause of everything was childhood trauma. As a little girl, on the way from school, our heroine saw a crowd of people who were animatedly discussing something. Coming closer, she saw a man lying on the ground who had fallen to his death from the balcony. What she saw shocked the schoolgirl so much that from then on she became terrified of heights.

Only after the treatment she finally found freedom from her phobia. Some time later, the patient sent the psychologist a photo in which she posed next to her husband on a suspension bridge, confirming that she had completely gotten rid of her fear of heights.

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Acrophobia and natural fear of heights - differences

There is hardly a person who will not experience discomfort while being on the edge of a high cliff or riding a Ferris wheel. And that's okay. If such feelings did not exist, people would die out due to reckless actions. But thanks to natural fear, you will step back from the edge of the roof of a high-rise building or the same cliff, so as not to fall from a height. In this case, you will not experience any unpleasant mental or physical symptoms.

With acrophobia things are different. Fear of heights seems to paralyze a person’s consciousness, depriving him of the ability to make adequate decisions or, for example, to escape from danger. Over time, fear intensifies. Discomfort appears at low, non-hazardous heights. Some people are even afraid to stand on a chair.

The second characteristic feature of acrophobia is an attempt to avoid situations in which unpleasant emotions may appear. An ordinary person will behave calmly if he is on a hill, riding in an elevator, or standing on a balcony on the upper floors. Those who have a fear of heights avoid such places.

Acrophobia lives in the subconscious, and it is completely illogical. A person cannot analyze the situation and understand that there is no danger for him. He does not realize that in order to fall he needs to take a step forward, and in order to avoid it he needs to step back. He's just terrified.

What it is

It is important to be able to distinguish acrophobia from habitual caution on a bridge, stairs, mountain or floor.

Fear of heights appeared among modern individuals with the development of the modern world, when people began to build multi-story buildings. Animals are also susceptible to fear of heights.

At heights, an individual suffering from a phobia tries to grab onto something; he cannot adequately assess the situation and think clearly. He feels as if he is being pulled into an abyss.

Often these signs are accompanied by other manifestations:

• heavy sweating;
• dyspnea;
• dizziness;
• muscle contractions of the limbs;
• dry mouth;
• salivation;
• labored breathing;
• attack of nausea;
• diarrhea;
• heartache;
• frequent urination;
• bad dream.

Mental symptoms of acrophobia include:

• fussiness;
• aggressiveness;
• bad feelings;
• lack of concentration;
• anxiety;
• irritability.

At the peak of panic, a person may lose consciousness. In some cases, the patient goes crazy from intense fear.

All symptoms of phobia are purely individual, the intensity of their manifestations varies depending on the course of the disease and the state of health of the individual.

There are two types of anxiety:

• Normal. Occurs when there is a real threat, lack of necessary information or lack of time to prepare. For example, flying from a parachute.
• Pathological. This form is not tied to a real threat and is characterized by certain clinical manifestations.

There is a very thin line between these forms, beyond which any healthy person can go.

Causes

It is impossible to say unequivocally what provokes the development of acrophobia. Psychiatrists and psychologists have not yet reached a consensus on this issue. But several reasons were still identified.

Innate fear

Scientists have proven that fear of heights is genetic. To do this, they conducted an interesting study. The floor surface was divided into two parts. The first one was made transparent. The second one was no different from the usual sex. They created the illusion of emptiness from below. Not a single child participating in the experiment wanted to stand on a transparent surface, even in cases where his parents persuaded him to do so.

Brain disorders

They occur after a person has had a viral or infectious disease. Risk factors also include excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages, narcotic and psychotropic substances.

Special personality constitution

There are people with increased sensitivity to everything that happens around them. They react sharply to any event, experience discomfort in bright lights, loud sounds, or the need to be near other people for a long time. They don't watch scenes of violence in films and are afraid of blood. There are about 10% of these on the planet.

A highly sensitive nervous system is one of the reasons for the development of acrophobia.

Traumatic situations from the past

Perhaps someone experienced stress associated with heights in early childhood. Often a person no longer remembers under what circumstances everything happened. But this information is imprinted in his subconscious.

Balance problems

The last reason that provokes the development of acrophobia is disturbances in the functioning of the vestibular apparatus.

Causes of acrophobia

To diagnose a disorder, a person's condition must meet established medical criteria.
Why does such a feeling of animal fear arise? A phobia is subject to fantasy: the more impressionable a person is, the greater the likelihood of his illness. No extreme situation is needed, just a thought that will give rise to panic. Having seen a person fall in a dream, you can be charged with negative emotions for the whole day and remain in a state of trance or excitement.

People have evolved, but there remains a connection with the past. If thousands of years ago falling or being at a height was a crime for primitive man, then genetic memory begins to impose this fear on him. There is a desire to jump.

There are theories that prove that animals are also subject to acrophobia. Conclusion: if there are eyes that can see, then there is fear.

Overcome fear of heights
Scientists identify the following medical causes of fear of heights:

1. At a certain time, the brain was damaged through mechanical action or inflammatory processes occurred.
2. Regular frequent stress.
3. Frequent drinking of alcohol.
4. Psychological factor: the child was either not appreciated at one time or was overpraised.
5. Excessive emotionality, slight excitability, or, conversely, shyness and timidity.
6. Experienced a similar situation. It leaves its mark on the memory, and begins to control a person’s thoughts and feelings.

Victory over fear: Types of human phobias, what they are

Symptoms of acrophobia

Fear of heights manifests itself in two types of symptoms: somatic and mental.

Somatic

A person faces the following signs of pathology:

• shortness of breath at rest;
• tachycardia;
• dizziness;
• pale skin;
• nervous trembling;
• lump in throat;
• feeling of tightness in the chest, pain;
• excessive sweating;
• feeling of dry mouth;
• nausea;
• stomach upset;
• frequent urge to urinate;
• insomnia, long time falling asleep;
• waking up too early;
• nightmares, restless sleep.

When encountering the listed symptoms, many patients do not think at all that these are manifestations of acrophobia. Therefore, they go to the wrong doctors, undergo a bunch of examinations, but still cannot get the right treatment. As a result, the phobia intensifies, causing the development of other disorders or fears.

Mental

Mental symptoms include:

• excessive fussiness, haste;
• irritability, anger;
• aggressiveness;
• excessive stress;
• severe anxiety;
• constantly thinking about what might happen, such as falling;
• anxiety, bad feelings;
• problems with concentration;
• "empty head.

When fear reaches its peak, the patient's condition worsens. Due to spasm of blood vessels, dizziness appears, fainting, and loss of contact with reality are possible.

People who have more mental symptoms than physical symptoms are highly focused on their feelings and experiences. They often become depressed and refuse treatment, not believing in its effectiveness. Due to excessive suspiciousness, they are afraid of the side effects of medications prescribed by a doctor. Trying to avoid them, carefully read the annotations to them.

Symptoms

There are no identical people and reactions to heights in the world.
Everything is individual for everyone. Experts identify average indicators of symptoms of neurosis. The first thing people with acrophobia note is that they have absolutely no control over their body and mind in a moment of “danger.” There is a persistent obsessive thought about jumping down. Such suicidal tendencies appear only when there is a threat of falling. The fear of slipping and falling headfirst onto the ground is a concomitant symptom of phobia.

How does the body react to heights with acrophobia?

• The head refuses to perceive reality and is treacherously spinning.
• The stomach strives to return its contents to the outside. Cases of diarrhea are common.
• The heart may either slow down or begin to jump out of the chest.
• Tremors in the hands or feet are also quite common with fear of heights.
• Excessive sweating and frequent urination make it impossible to live normally.
• The muscles remember what state they were in at birth, which is why “hypertonicity” occurs.
• The pupils completely fill the eye.
• Nightmares and poor sleep deplete a person’s nervous system and exhaust the body.

These were vegetative or somatic symptoms.
Mental abnormalities are expressed in possible aggression, excessive irritability and even anger. A person cannot concentrate and focus on any problem; he resembles a compressed spring. He lives for one terrible moment, reminiscent of Groundhog Day. Often deja vu.

Bufonophobia is the fear of frogs and toads.

Acrophobia in a child

In children, acrophobia can be congenital or acquired. In the second case, it develops if the child was dropped or he himself fell from a height. Sometimes fear is a consequence of overprotection on the part of parents.

Symptoms of the pathology are the same as in adults. Even at a low altitude, for example, in a high chair, the child experiences tachycardia, dizziness, and nausea. Sometimes body temperature rises.

It is easier for adults to control the negative emotions that arise in them. And it’s not always possible to do this. Imagine how much more difficult it is for a child whose psyche is still in the formative stage. In a panic, he cannot decide what to do next: stay in place or go down.

Causes

Having learned about the concept of acrophobia and what its signs are, it’s worth talking about the reasons.

About 10 percent of people suffer from this phobia. It appears equally in both men and women.

The following categories are at risk:

• people who have previously experienced a fall from a height that caused injury;
• children and teenagers whose parents did not allow them to climb to heights, frightening them with dire consequences;
• impressionable individuals who imagine falling and the pain of a blow;
• patients with mental disorders.

Factors that provoke the development of a phobia include:

• frequent stress;
• hormonal disbalance;
• spine pathologies;
• alcohol addiction;
• genetic factor (presence of mental disorders in relatives);
• inflammatory diseases.

After conducting a series of studies, scientists found that acrophobia is inherent in our subconscious and was passed on from our ancestors. Thus, children without traumatic experience are afraid to step on the glass floor of a high floor.

Psychologists associate fear of heights with other phobias. Among them:

• aerophobia – fear of being on a flying plane;
• climacophobia – fear of climbing stairs and falling from them;
• bathophobia – fear of changes in elevation and depth.

Acrobophia in children occurs as a result of an unsuccessful fall from a height. Moreover, negative experiences are deposited in the child’s mind and are activated in certain situations.

In adulthood, a person may not even remember his fall, but the fear of heights will accompany him for the rest of his life.

During a phobic attack, a person is capable of harming himself, because he is not able to act rationally. In the future, he avoids such a situation as much as possible and does not even leave the house.

Constant stress provokes mental illnesses, which without adequate treatment can lead to suicide. This situation greatly reduces the quality of life and requires the help of a psychiatrist.

The benefits and harms of fear of heights

Acrophobia brings both benefits and harm. Psychologists consider it a strengthened instinct of self-preservation, which prevents a person from thoughtlessly risking his health or life. He will never jump with a parachute, walk across a narrow bridge over an abyss, or ride dangerous rides. Such people do not have a craving for extreme sports. They don't need adrenaline. And this is a big plus. According to statistics, they are less likely than others to be injured due to falls.

The harm of fear of heights is expressed in the development of the above somatic and mental symptoms. No matter how hard a person tries to protect himself, sometimes he still has to deal with heights. At such moments he feels a lot of tension. His heart works overtime, and his blood vessels simply do not have time to respond to the rapidly changing volume of blood. As a result, blood pressure rises and stress develops. This leads to exhaustion, deterioration of immunity, and increased susceptibility to various diseases.

Why should you seek help from psychologists?

Acrophobia is difficult to cope with on your own, especially if the manifestation of fear is pronounced. With the help of competent specialists in the field of psychology and psychotherapy, the issue of overcoming the fear of heights can be resolved quickly and effectively. Our psychotherapists have:

1. professional hypnosis skills;
2. techniques for controlling your psychophysical state;
3. Relaxation techniques to help overcome fear of heights.

Getting rid of this fear will open up new opportunities for you that you previously denied yourself. You can safely go on a trip by plane, enjoy the view of St. Petersburg from the roof, ride a roller coaster or even jump with a parachute.

Zashirinskaya Oksana Vladimirovna

How to get rid of acrophobia

As with other phobias, the first step is to recognize the fear. And only after that start treatment. It is important that it be comprehensive.

Drug therapy

With the help of medications, you can at least temporarily muffle the symptoms. Most often, the doctor prescribes antidepressants, betaine inhibitors or benzodiazepines. They help cope with stress, relieve anxiety, and calm down.

But remember that medications do not eliminate acrophobia, since the cause of its occurrence is hidden deep in the subconscious.

Psychotherapy

A psychotherapist will help you find the root of the problem and eliminate acrophobia. Several methods have proven to be the most effective:

1. Cognitive behavioral therapy. A psychotherapist will help you create attitudes aimed at combating the fear of heights, and will also teach you how to relax.
2. System arrangements. This technique involves putting the patient into a semi-trance state. At this moment, a change in his attitude towards the phobia occurs.
3. Hypnosis. The person falls into a state of suggestibility, during which the hypnotherapist corrects his behavior.
4. Desensitization. Special exercises are used to combat acrophobia.
5. Moreno method or psychodrama. The psychologist and the patient role-play possible dangerous and traumatic situations.

In some cases, body-oriented therapy is performed. It is aimed at studying the unconscious behavior of an individual, as well as the correct use of psychological defense methods.

Independent work

In addition to taking medication and working with a therapist or psychologist, it is recommended to follow a number of simple tips:

1. Don't try to overcome acrophobia in one day; get used to heights gradually. First, rise to the level at which minor discomfort appears. Listen to yourself. Reassure yourself that you are safe. Then go to the next level. And so on until you overcome fear. If possible, let a person you trust be with you at these moments.
2. Do some visualization. Imagine that you are a fearless person who is not afraid to jump with a parachute or climb to the roof of a high-rise building. Do this exercise every day. Remember that thoughts are material.
3. Face your fear of heights head on. For example, go out to the balcony and do meditation there. Go with your friends to a high observation deck. If you're afraid of dizziness, just don't look down at first.
4. Sign up for the pool. Learn to jump into the water from a low height and under the supervision of a trainer.
5. Don't hide from tall buildings. Visit friends and relatives who live on the upper floors.

Under no circumstances should you close yourself off. Talk about your fears, discuss them with people. Perhaps they too have encountered such problems. This will make it easier for you to cope with acrophobia.

What to do if your child has acrophobia

Preventing the development of acrophobia in children is easier than curing it. Therefore, try to get rid of overprotection. If your child wants to climb a tree, ladder or rope, don't stop him. Just control the process.

If your child is already afraid of heights, use the method of therapeutic fairy tales. Let the hero be brave and courageous, conquer mountain peaks without fear, fly on an airplane or jump with a parachute. Talk about it in a confident voice.

You can also simulate a situation in which the child will be a rescuer rushing to help someone. For clarity, lift your baby’s favorite toy to the top shelf.

Remember that the child’s psyche has not yet formed. This means that his behavior can be corrected. Properly selected methods will help either prevent the development of acrophobia or reduce its impact on life. If you cannot overcome it on your own, contact a specialist.

Treatment of acrophobia

If the fear of heights is weak, you can get rid of it yourself by training yourself to be at heights, gradually increasing it, and refusing to use belay. It is important to consciously fight fear, to prove to yourself that the height of a stool is not fatal. Breathing exercises and yoga exercises will help, allowing you to learn to control your autonomic system and be able to quickly extinguish panic. A person is able to “catch” his gaze on some object, and looking at it directly, and assessing other events with peripheral vision, reduce anxiety and discomfort, and help himself calm down. Such an “anchor” should be located no further than 25 meters from you, and preferably at the same height.

Oddly enough, computer games like “walking shooters” can have a good effect, where the player is personified with a character, runs, jumps, falls from a height - and is not killed.

In the same way, horror films gradually strengthen the nerves; watching films with staged jumps and stunts at height (for example, “combat martial arts”) or about skydiving will help get rid of the fear of heights. By logically breaking down your fear of heights into its components, you can overcome it piece by piece.

Treatment of severe forms will require the help of a highly qualified psychologist . They teach the patient methods of relaxation, control of their psychophysical state, and blocking of fear. There are methods of cognitive-behavioral non-drug therapy. Having learned to control or at least restrain fear at the hormonal level, they begin training at altitude. Once fear is activated, fear is extinguished by willpower to zero stress level. Treatment is continued until the fear goes away. Although, in fact, this is the same path, only with support. Sometimes this takes several months, but the result is always achievable and the disease recedes.

But treating acrophobia with medications is almost impossible. You can only maintain your mental state with drugs, slightly reduce anxiety, and improve the coordination of brain function.