The definition of acrophobia is, plainly put, a phobia of heights. Those who suffer from acrophobia—the word comes from the greek son for heights, which is “ acron, ” and the greek bible for fear, which is “ phobos ” —typically don ’ metric ton enjoy outings to amusement parks if these involve Ferris wheels and roller coasters. Because of their phobia of heights, people with acrophobia may besides be reluctant to stand on gamey hills and some can find it nerve-racking to be on an escalator or a glaze elevator. Individuals who are afraid of heights may even avoid driving over bridges as this can bring on dizziness. This phobia of heights can trigger unpleasant symptoms that result in persons with acrophobia avoiding the hypothesis of higher altitude situations all in all .
unfortunately, this avoidance can interfere with quality of life. This is not great news for women, in whom acrophobia is twice a coarse as it is in men. You might delay performing home repairs because you fear climbing a run. You might experience debilitating tension over being assigned a hotel room on a high floor. You might even avoid patios or hiking mountain trails. Your acrophobia could be adversely affecting your life style .
Symptoms of Acrophobia
Some people use the word “ dizziness ” when describing their fear of heights, but dizziness, or the unpleasant ace of spin, is truly just one symptom of acrophobia. early symptoms can include :
- Feeling the need to crawl on all fours, kneel, or descend immediately when you are high off the ground
- Shaking
- Sweating
- Feeling terrified or paralyzed
- Experiencing heart palpitations
- Crying or yelling
- A full-blown panic attack complete with breathlessness
- Headaches and dizziness when you are high off the ground
Causes of Acrophobia
A concern of heights may stem from our natural fear of falling and being injured. Dwelling on the pain that might be inflicted from a fall from a senior high school place besides could contribute to the development of acrophobia. It ’ second normal for people to have some reluctance about being in high places but for those with acrophobia, the reverence is unrealistic and excessive. Acrophobia, like all phobias, appears to be a hyper-reaction of the normal fear answer. Some experts believe that this may be a knowing reply to either a former fall or to a parent ’ s nervous reaction to heights .
Treatment Options
The good news is that with time and commitment, acrophobia can be overcome. One of the independent treatments for acrophobia is cognitive behavioral therapy ( CBT ). With this imprint of therapy, behavioral techniques that expose the person to the feared situation—in this sheath, heights and high places—are employed. These behavioral techniques may be used either gradually or quickly, and the patient is teach how to stop the panicky reaction and how to regain control condition of her emotions. While actual exposure to heights is besides a treatment for acrophobia, some research shows that virtual world may prove just as effective.1 Virtual reality saves both money and time, though it is not readily available everywhere. hush, as the price of virtual reality equipment drops, this human body of treatment may become easier to access with time.
Read more: Mochi Ice Cream
As for medications, sometimes beta blockers or sedatives can be used for short-run relief as they can relieve panic and anxiety. The drug, D-cycloserine, has been studied since 2008 in clinical trials for anxiety disorderliness, and some research indicates that using D-cycloserine with CBT may yield better results than the drug or CBT on its own. however, since one meta-analysis that combined the results of many studies questioned this drug ’ mho utility, it appears that more research is needed. 2
Read more: Mochi Ice Cream
Action Steps
Learn all you can. Educate yourself about acrophobia and look into treatment options that can help you manage your fear of heights. Acrophobia is unlike from other phobia because if you have a panic attack while in a high place, you might make an insecure move that actually could be dangerous. then be certain to get treatment for your acrophobia, specially if being in high places is a act part of your animation .
Relax! Relaxation techniques, including meditation, yoga, deep emit, and progressive muscleman liberalization, may help an individual to cope with both stress and anxiety. Getting regular exercise may besides be helpful in treating your acrophobia .
Get support. spill the beans to your doctor about what medications and therapies might help you. If your sophisticate is unfamiliar with acrophobia, ask for a referral to a mental health professional who can help. Don ’ deoxythymidine monophosphate be embarrassed about telling your friends and your kin about your phobia of heights, and ask for their support as you get treatment for it. Remember, you ’ rhenium not alone. Millions of Americans suffer from acrophobia, but it is identical treatable. With avail and documentation, you can start managing your phobia of heights and move on with your life .
