There are many fears that prevent people from enjoying a fulfilling life. Among them, one can single out acrophobia, which makes it impossible to stay at a height, even a slight one.
What is acrophobia
This term is used to describe the extreme panic sensation that occurs when a person ascends to a height.
Therefore, acrophobia is the fear of heights, even if they are not life-threatening. Those for whom such states are relevant are unable to rationally explain their emotions. In some cases, panic attacks are noticed even when the possibility of falling from a high point is potentially impossible (the presence of high fences, etc.). Sometimes attacks of acrophobia are provoked by dreams in which a person sees himself at a high altitude.
Reason for development
Despite the fact that acrophobia is a fairly common problem (approximately 10% of the world's population suffers from it), the causes of this condition remain partly unknown.
Earlier it was suggested that such fear is due to an injury received during a fall or a weak vestibular apparatus. But on the basisAccording to the results of recent studies, experts have come to the following conclusion: in the vast majority of cases, acrophobia - fear of heights, brought to a state of panic - is an innate quality due to a genetic factor. Thus, the vestibular apparatus has no effect on the emotional state.
Psychiatrists also claim that such a phobia is characteristic of people with a rich and at the same time negative imagination.
Symptoms
Despite the fact that acrophobia is a fear of heights, which, it would seem, is quite simple in its manifestation, its symptoms can be divided into two types: somatic and psychological. Depending on how severe this pathology is in a particular person, the severity of the symptoms can vary significantly.
If you pay attention to the symptoms of a psychological type, then they include impulses of uncontrollable panic in the process of climbing to a high point. In severe cases, panic attacks can make themselves felt even at the mere thought of climbing. In this state, a person is no longer able to concentrate and control his behavior. He may refuse to move on or sit on the floor and cover his face with his hands, thus trying to isolate his consciousness from the threat.
There are also quite vivid somatic symptoms through which fear is expressed. Acrophobia can lead to pale skin, rapid heartbeat, dilated pupils, sweating, andtremor of the limbs. Such signs are a consequence of the release of stress hormones. In addition, with a panic associated with a fear of heights, increased motor activity and muscle hypertonicity can be observed. They are expressed through chaotic movements, which can be explained as an attempt to protect oneself from the apparent danger of falling.
Thus, acrophobia is a pathology, for the treatment of which it is worth contacting a highly qualified psychiatrist or psychologist, but only after an accurate diagnosis has been made.
What conditions can accompany a fear of heights
In certain situations, the fear of being on a hill or a really high point can have several types of manifestations, which are characterized by certain differences. This is not only about acrophobia, but also about such conditions as aerophobia, illingophobia, bathophobia and climacophobia.
It should be understood that acrophobia is not just a fear of losing balance and falling, but a pathology. The natural emotion of fear of the risk of falling from a great height is characteristic of any person - this is a manifestation of the instinct of self-preservation. Pathology leads to panic even when there is no real danger.
Aerophobia and bathophobia
This condition often accompanies a fear of heights and manifests itself through a fear of flying. People with this pathology experience severe stress during airplane flights. Combined with acrophobia, this condition makes it problematic to live on high floors and even travel totrain on the top shelf. In other words, some ordinary everyday situations can become a real problem.
People suffering from these panic attacks may find it difficult to even repair, as they will be afraid of working on a stepladder.
As for bathophobia, in this case we are talking about the fear of a sharp drop in depth and height. Such people are incapable of calmly climbing any slopes, as well as simply looking at them.
It is worth noting the fact that not all of those who have difficulty with a fear of heights suffer from bathophobia. But anyone who has a phobia of depth has a fear of heights as well.
Elingophobia and climacophobia
In the case of ilingophobia, fear has a more complex structure. A person begins to fear that at the moment when he is at a height, he will feel dizzy. As a result, symptoms appear that are very similar to those of the classic fear of heights. With such a pathology, a professional examination is necessary, which can exclude brain diseases.
As for climacophobia, it should be noted that fear in this case is extremely specific: a person is very afraid to climb stairs. In some cases, this condition may be supplemented by signs of bathophobia.
Acrophobia: treatment
First of all, it is important to know that such a pathology is treated. But it is almost impossible to overcome panic fear (severe form) on your own. Therefore, medical attention is inevitable.
At the same time, if you turn to a really qualified specialist, and even on time, the therapy will take relatively little time. Often, a cognitive-behavioral technique is used to overcome acrophobia. Its essence boils down to the fact that the doctor helps the patient to take a fresh look at the essence of their fears and gradually learn to control their own condition.
The impact on phobias is not limited to one technique, there are various ways to master self-control and suppress panic. The main thing in such a situation is to initially realize that it is possible to overcome fears that seemed insurmountable.
How to deal with minor fear of heights on your own
If there are no symptoms of a severe form of acrophobia, then fear can be overcome on your own. Proven methods will help achieve this goal:
1. If you had to be at a height, and you begin to feel fear, you need to focus on a specific object that is nearby. All attention should be directed to him. This will help you take your mind off the height and calm down.
2. It makes sense to try gradual getting used to the altitude. To do this, you need to climb higher, overcoming insignificant distances.
3. Visualization. The essence of this method boils down to the fact that a person closes his eyes and imagines himself being in the place where he already experienced a surge of fear. In your imagination, you need to stand like this for a while, after which you tell yourself that there is no danger, and there is nothing to be afraid of. Don't hope that everythingit will work the first time, but if the exercise is repeated constantly, then the result will not be long in coming.
Diseases such as social phobia, acrophobia, amaxophobia, apiphobia are built on the manifestation of panic and uncontrollable fear under the influence of certain factors. Therefore, those who have such problems and intend to overcome them need to tune in to a thorough work on themselves under the guidance of an experienced doctor.
