Fear of heights

What is the name of the fear of heights? Panic fear of heights is called acrophobia. On the one hand, an absolutely natural survival instinct protects you from the danger of falling and breaking. Why does it acquire a painful connotation in some people?

Fear appears even at a small height, there is a feeling as if something is pushing you, pulling you down and does not want to let go.

Is your fear of heights a phobia? The main symptoms of acrophobia:

• my head is spinning;
• increased sweating;
• salivation increases;
• nausea occurs;
• the pulse becomes rare;
• the temperature drops;
• the work of the gastrointestinal tract is activated.

You don't have to climb Everest to understand whether your fear of heights is a phobia or not. Fear of heights becomes a disease when you are overcome with horror while climbing a few steps of a stepladder or onto a chair. Phobias tend to get so bad over time that eventually you become afraid of the fear itself. You will be tormented by the very thought of the possible appearance of fear.

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Causes of fear of heights

Fear of heights, the reasons causing its occurrence may not only be of a psychological nature. If you have a disturbance of the sense of balance, a tendency to neuroses, then you fall into the risk group. The balance of the human body is possible due to the coordinated work of the vestibular apparatus, visual organs, midbrain and cerebellum. When the optical image and signals from the vestibular apparatus diverge, the brain receives different information, which is fraught with failures. One of such disorders is the fear of heights. A person may not even suspect the existence of a phobia until he finds himself at a height and fully feels dizzy. In a standing position, the fear of heights manifests itself more acutely than sitting or lying down. Turning the head in different directions only increases acrophobia. According to experts, a person is able to "catch" a look at some object that will reduce anxiety. Such an "anchor of hope" should be located no more than 25 meters away from you to achieve the expected effect.

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How to get rid of fear of heights?

Feelings of natural fear are necessary for self-preservation and survival in extreme conditions. But fears that have become phobias that turn your life into a nightmare must be fought. How to get rid of fear of heights? Before contacting a psychotherapist, try to cope with acrophobia yourself:

• recognizing fear will give you a sense of control over the situation. Admit to yourself that the fear of climbing a stool, going out onto the balcony is not normal. Make small efforts on yourself, backing them up with common sense. You should not immediately run to jump with a parachute, which can cause even more hysteria;
• accustom yourself to heights slowly, conquer your small peaks step by step. Start with a height at which you don’t feel any discomfort, and build it up. You can involve a relative or friend for support;
• visualization brings its favorable fruits - draw in your imagination the process of your ascent in detail, feel brave. Imagine how you stand on the edge of a cliff, look out the window of an airplane, soar with a parachute. This method will help to move from fantasy to action;
• take control of panic into your own hands. Learn to relax, learn techniques to block fear of heights and apply your skills in moments of fear;
• practice on video games where you can escape from pursuers in a helicopter, jump from a height, etc.;
• If all methods have failed, visit a specialist. A psychologist will find the cause of your phobia, give recommendations on ways to relax and quickly calm down under stress. If you have problems with the vestibular apparatus, you cannot do without medical intervention.

Treatment for fear of heights

Fear of heights can be treated without medication even in people who have suffered from the phobia for many years. Fear of heights, its treatment became possible thanks to the cognitive-behavioral method, widely known and successfully used in Europe for more than 25 years. The essence of the therapy is to teach the patient self-control of mental and physical consciousness. At the same time, fear is blocked at the hormonal level.

Treatment of fear of heights is divided into stages:

1. training in relaxation techniques, psychophysical control (without the use of antidepressants);
2. practical training at a low altitude accompanied by a doctor (for example, a 3rd floor balcony). The goal is to provoke fear. If the patient refuses to visit a height due to severe fear, it is possible to use virtual reality;
3. Having activated the fear of heights, the patient applies the acquired knowledge until the level of discomfort disappears without a trace. After this, the height increases, and the technology is worked out in the same sequence.

The therapeutic effect is achieved quite quickly. The person returns to normal life in full awareness of his superiority over the phobia.

How to overcome fear of heights?

How to overcome the fear of heights when fear completely controls your life? You should not postpone the solution of such a problem that interferes with life, work, and entertainment. Do you continue to limit yourself? Then these tips are for you:

• sort yourself out. If the fear of heights appears on the 30th floor of a skyscraper, it is quite normal and even necessary. But if you find yourself sweating at a height of 50 cm, you should think about it;
• Don't avoid heights. Often, only facing your fear will help you overcome it. Analyze your discomfort. Break down your fear into its component parts, thereby reducing it and bringing it to nothing;
• imagine the most terrible picture with heights in your head, draw all the details down to the smallest detail (a shaky bridge over an abyss, etc.). When faced with fear head-on, think about what exactly scares you. Such emotional experiences can rid you of your fear of heights;
• learn to treat fear differently. Once you understand what lies behind it, you will learn to fight it.

In the fight against fear of heights, you will need to motivate yourself. For example, you are tired of limiting yourself and want to live a full life. Someone immediately decides on drastic measures: a parachute jump, a bungee jump, mountaineering lessons, a climbing wall. Naturally, you need to warn the instructor about your phobia. He will help you start from the height at which discomfort does not appear. Training in the gym will give you additional confidence in your abilities. In any case, only your activity and determination will determine the victory over the phobia. Learn to distract yourself - take a nice girl as your partner if you are a guy and vice versa. In the case of a bungee jump and a parachute, you will need a "support group" of friends or relatives.

People turn to a psychologist in cases where:

• quick results are required;
• 100% relief from fear of heights is needed;
• don't have friends who can help;
• you don’t want to, you can’t engage in self-medication and “self-digging”.

Remember, fear of heights is not suppressed by medication. In addition to a host of side effects on the physical level, it is impossible to predict the mental changes that occur when taking medication.

Dream Interpretation: fear of heights

If in a dream you feel fear of heights, then to interpret the dream, take a dream book: fear of heights can indicate your pessimistic mood, problems literally fetter you. Stock up on strength - you have to conquer new heights in your life.

Fear of heights in a dream can be a way for the subconscious to point out life situations in which you can get the desired emotional satisfaction on the verge of danger. The dream means that you are expecting worries about upcoming events. Your subconscious is carefully warning you about upcoming problems.

What does it mean to dream about fear of heights? Such dreams make you stop and analyze the correspondence between your inner world and external manifestations in the form of actions. You feel that it is time for a change, but you internally resist it. The changes that come into your life after such dreams are usually for the better.

Falling from a height in a dream in real life suggests that you may be faced with obstacles, overcoming which will bring you well-deserved success. Such dreams have an unfavorable connotation only when falling with physical injuries. This may promise conflicts with loved ones, friends, colleagues.

Fear of heights in a dream means the end of a period of uncertainty and favorable changes. If in a dream you are standing at a height and feel fear, this is a reason to show concern for family members.