Acrophobia - fear of heights: causes and treatment in adults and children. What is the benefits and harm of fear of heights?

Fears are a protective mechanism, but many of them carry a certain danger to the individual. Acrophobia or fear of heights is a condition that must be treated as quickly as possible.

Fear of heights - One of the most common fears, but in some cases, harmless fear becomes a phobia. What acrophobia Or fear of heights than it is dangerous and how to cope with this hypertrophied fear - read in this article.

Acrophobia - Fear of height: Reasons

Acrophobia differs from the usual fear of a height in that a person suffering from it begins to experience discomfort Even at a small height, the stay on which a priori cannot do any harm. Such fear may be present since childhood Or be acquired in the process of life.

With acrophobia, a stay at a height causes:

• dizziness
• nausea
• weakness in the muscles (or, conversely, their hypertonicity)
• charp breath and heartbeat
• tremor of limbs
• panic attack
• the pallor of the skin
• expansion of the pupils

All the listed symptoms can manifest itself to varying degrees, depending on the individual characteristics of a person and the strength of the severity of phobia.

It is important that In psychiatry and psychology distinguish the condition that is characterized by caution when being on a height due to the instinct of self -preservation, as well as pathological condition.

Pathological fear or phobia is manifested not only in the occurrence of the symptoms described above, but also a sudden panic at one thought to be high.

For a long time in the scientific circles there was a version that the emergence of acrophobia was preceded by a certain negative situation associated with height, when in the past (most likely in childhood) a person is experiencing a fall from a height and a serious injury. It was later found that it leads to phobia not only this reason, but also a number of others:

1. The weakness of the vestibular apparatus - in case of violation of its functioning, a person does not control his body well and is guided in space, which provokes fear of falling even from a slight height
   2. Genetic predisposition (the presence of mental disorders in parents can very often contribute to their occurrence in children)
   3. Brain lesions (injuries, infections)
   4. The costs of education - the formation of low self -esteem with too strict education, which was not accompanied by encouragement and praise
   5. Long and frequent stressful situations
   6. Excessive drinkingcontributing to the development of intoxication of the body
   7. The totality of certain individual characteristics - anxiety, imaginary, shyness and increased emotionality
   8. Developed fantasy Against the background of unsuccessful experience with a height

Many specialists in the field of psychology believe that fear of heights is primitive fear, which was preserved in the process of evolution and went to us from our ancestors. So, a primitive man associated the height with a danger to life, and this caused a fear that was the main the link in the instinct of self -preservation.

Confirms this theory and the fact that most animals with good vision, also afraid of heights, Which indicates the instinctness of this phenomenon.

The occurrence of acrophobia is also characteristic of other conditions:

• aerophobia - Fear of flying
• batophobia - Fear of depth, sensation of the abyss
• orgophobia - Fear of sudden dizziness at the height
• climacophobia - Fear to go up the stairs

Often fear of heights it is an innate phenomenon, which is not due to external reasons.

The benefits of fear of heights

First of all, any fear is the link in the instinct of self -preservation and, if the fear of height does not become pathological, then it aimed at preserving life.

A person suffering from a moderate fear of height will not expose his life unnecessary risks that are connected with it, which is undoubtedly a positive moment.

• On the other hand, any fear is useful at the biochemical level. When the body experiences fear, then it is thrown into the blood adrenalinwhich brings a sense of pleasure
• That is why many love to tickle nerves with viewing horror films. No exception and fear of height - arrival on significant remoteness from the Earth brings its dose of adrenaline
• This property of fear is often used in psychotherapy:when a person is in protracted depression, the impact on him with fear makes us feel the value of life, including the instinct of self -preservation
• In addition, adrenaline, thrown into the blood under the influence of fear, allows you to excite and return the feeling of reality
• Overcoming fear of height brings personal growth. Thus, many people who are afraid of heights overpower themselves and jump from a parachute, which allows you to assert themselves, strengthens the willpower, allows you to reach the peaks in other areas of activity

Harms of fear of heights

Pronounced fears that turn into an obsessive state only bring the harm of the human psyche. This is due to the fact that a person is often in a state of stress, panic, organs and systems begin to function in non -standard mode. This can lead to to the loss of consciousness, heart attack, stroke.

The wear of the cardiovascular and nervous system in acrophobes under the influence of stress leads to the fact that they they live less. If you believe the latest research, then fear leads to early death, because acrophobes die 20 years earlier Compared to average data.

How to overcome fear of heights?

If fear has not turned into acrophobia, then it can easily be overcome on your own. There are for this special methods developed by psychologists:

1. Train to be on top. At the same time, start with the insignificant, getting used to it rises above
   2. Being on top and feeling panic, focus on any subject And study it thoroughly - this will help to cope with excitement and calm fear.
   3. Try to visualize your fears. While at home, close your eyes in a comfortable and safe atmosphere and imagine that you are on a considerable height. In thoughts convince yourself that there is no dangerthat you are on a stable surface that cannot collapse, which means it is impossible to fall from a height. Do this often and the result will not be long in coming
   4. When the fear of height begins to retreat, then you can fix fear with a parachute jump. Having been at such a height and landing successfully, you are unlikely to be afraid to stand on the balcony of the fifth floor. It is advisable to perform group jumps with people close to you

If you overcome fear on your own, then it is necessary seek a specialist, after all, it can be controlled for the time being and it is not known whether at some point the fear of controling you and worsen the quality of life.

Methods and recipe for overcoming fear of height

• Each person individuality and only inherent in him a set of certain unique characteristics, which make it a person
• Say that there is a technique that can deprive of any fear of absolutely everyone, does not seem to be an opportunity-the solution of each problem It should be carried out individually. A qualified psychologist who has experience in working with phobias will best help this
• According to the majority of psychologists and psychiatrists, the fight against pronounced acrophobia is extremely difficult task, which to solve it independently is almost impossible
• Even under the guidance of experts, medical measures will not be limited to one sessions, but will make up a long process systematic and balanced exposure

Practice shows that high efficiency in the fight against acrophobia they have hypnosis sessions. Putting the patient into a trance state, a psychotherapist who owns hypnosis skills can have a corrective effect, which is which there is a great chance to completely eliminate phobia.

Video: How to overcome the fear of heights?

Pills for fear of heights

Drug treatment cannot eliminate acrophobia, so the use of any tablets can only facilitate the general condition and eliminate related symptoms.

You should not believe the psychotherapists-chartans who promise to give a pill for phobia-modern medicine has not yet invented it and it is unlikely to be done in the near future.

In combination with psychotherapy to facilitate the condition of the patient with acrophobia such drugs are used:

• antidepressants - the duration of administration, as a rule, is more than six months (drugs such as Imipramine can be prescribed)
• transquilizers - are prescribed for no more than two weeks (for example, phenazepam)
• nootropics - drugs that stimulate blood circulation in the brain
• vitamins (most often Magne B6)

Medication treatment should in no case be performed without a doctor’s appointment, and its action will be unsuccessful without psychotherapy.

Fear of height in children

• All children have fear - she inherent at the instinct level. But there are times when fear is very pronounced and then they talk about children's acrophobia
• The treatment of this condition is extremely difficult, because the psychotherapist it is much more difficult to work with a child rather than an adult, especially if a patient of early childhood
• Sustainable fear of heights, which is extremely difficult to get rid of, it is formed in children after fallingthat are accompanied by severe injuries. But experts also call hyperopeck from the parents of one of the frequent causes of acrophobia in children

The prevention of acrophobia in children, which includes the following events:

• sports associated with height (skiing on a scooter, bicycle, climbing staircase)
• entertainmentallowing to develop a vestibular apparatus (climbing ropes, trampoline jumping)
• parents should not at every step inspire the child's thought that height is dangerous. It is necessary to soberly evaluate and distinguish when the height is a real danger, and when not

The child very willingly perceives upbringing, which is carried out not directly, but indirectly. Read books to your child, fairy tales, poems about how heroes overcome their fears And they are not afraid of heights. This is especially effective if the child has experienced a negative experience associated with height.

What is the lack of fear of heights about?

In the fight against your own fears, it is important not to cross the line, because moderate fear - This is the mechanism that is designed to save life in case of danger. Therefore, to perceive being at a height with a sense of complete safety to some extent even it is more harmful than having a phobia.

• According to psychologists, the complete lack of fear of height is dangerous because at some point due to their own carelessness may arise an irresistible desire to step into the abyss. This is the so -called reverse side of the phobia, when overcoming it, absolute fearlessness arises, destructive to humans
• If you are not afraid of heights and feel a desire to take a step into the void on the roof of a high -rise building, then this is a good reason to turn to a therapist, because this may indicate a serious and life -threatening mental disorder
• Fears make up an integral part of our life, but if they reduce its quality and strongly bother, then these phobias must be disposed of. It is important that no specialist is able to help cope with fear if you do not want it yourself. Get rid of fears and do not let them manage

Video: Acrophobia - obsessive fear of heights