Acrophobia, or fear of heights, is a type of anxiety disorder in which people experience fear of heights or falling from heights. People with fear of heights have an intense fear of situations involving heights, such as being in a tall building or using stairs. Like some specific phobias, acrophobia can be treated with exposure therapy techniques.
People with fear of heights experience severe fear and anxiety when they think they are in a high place or position themselves in a high place. They usually avoid situations or places involving heights.
What is fear of heights?
Most people have some degree of anxiety about heights. This is considered normal for everyone. When crossing a high place or a bridge, many people may feel uneasy when looking down.
However, people with a fear of heights experience a severe and intense fear when they encounter heights, including everyday tasks such as climbing stairs, standing near a balcony or parking a car in a multi-storey parking garage. Height phobia negatively affects the quality of life and environmental relations of the person with this phobia.
Why does acrophobia (fear of heights) occur?
According to researches, the causes of acrophobia are not known exactly. It is thought that having a fear of heights is due to the fear of falling from a high place and the anxiety and fear that the person will be harmed.
It is also thought that negative experiences, fears and traumatic events in childhood can also cause fear of heights in people.
One of the causes of phobia of heights is genetic predisposition. The fact that one of the parents has a fear of heights increases the likelihood of it occurring in individuals. These fears, which usually develop during childhood, can develop due to different causes and traumas.
What are the Symptoms of Acrophobia (Fear of Heights)?
The main symptom of acrophobia is feeling intense anxiety and fear of heights. Individuals with fear of heights may experience some physical and psychological symptoms. Symptoms of acrophobia can be listed as follows:
Psychological Symptoms
- Experiencing intense fear and anxiety when thinking about being in a high place or looking from a high place
- Fear of falling or something bad happening when you are in a high place
- Experiencing a very strong feeling of escape when in a high place
Physical Symptoms
- Heart palpitations
- Dizziness and lightheadedness
- Nausea
- Tremor
- Shortness of breath
Who Suffers from Acrophobia?
As with other phobias, this condition can be seen in any age group or gender. It is a problem that can affect everyone. However, such specific phobias are more likely to develop in childhood.
It becomes more pronounced during adolescence and young adulthood. It is more likely to occur in women than in men.
There are also some types of heights that individuals with fear of heights may fear. These can be listed as follows:
- Climbing stairs or being on stairs
- High-rise parking lots
- Being on bridges or blind
- Balcony sides or roofs of buildings
- A high building window
Because there are many different types of phobias, they can be difficult to diagnose. People with fear of heights may often fear more than one height or place.
Acrophobia (fear of heights) Treatment
In most cases, acrophobia can be treated with psychological treatment (psychotherapy) such as exposure therapy, virtual reality exposure or cognitive behavioral therapy.
Exposure Therapy
It is a treatment method used in the treatment of some phobias. Individuals with phobias often avoid and stay away from being involved in the situation they fear. Therefore, they do not face this phobia to overcome their fear and do not learn that the consequences they fear usually do not materialize.
Therapists and psychologists use exposure therapy for individuals with phobias to gradually make them willing to engage in situations that make them anxious, so that they can learn to cope and remain in that state.
Exposure with Virtual Reality
With virtual reality applications, situations that arouse stress and anxiety in the person are simulated and it is aimed to cope with these situations. It is a kind of psychological treatment method. They are applications in which real but fake events are experienced. Research on this subject shows that virtual reality exposure therapy is effective in overcoming fear of heights.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Cognitive behavioral therapy helps the patient to gain a different perspective by talking to the patient and asking questions. Cognitive behavioral therapy teaches the patient how fears are caused by which situations, what they feel when they are exposed, how to react to stress and anxiety, and how to cope with these situations.