Video call hypnotherapy to help with a fear of heights (acrophobia)
Acrophobia is an extreme or irrational fear or phobia of heights.
It’s normal to feel a little nervous when confronted with heights as this is a natural, inborn fear referred to as a “fear of falling”. However, when some people are confronted by heights it produces a panic attack which is often debilitating and is never pleasant.
The innate fear for heights is a functional fear as it helps ensure survival, while an extreme fear of heights is dysfunctional as it often restricts normal activities such as standing on a ladder or walking up a flight of stairs or taking an escalator.
It’s been reported that between two and five percent of the population suffers from a fear of heights with roughly twice as many women being affected as men.
It’s normal to feel a little nervous when confronted with heights as this is a natural, inborn fear referred to as a “fear of falling”. However, when some people are confronted by heights it produces a panic attack which is often debilitating and is never pleasant.
The innate fear for heights is a functional fear as it helps ensure survival, while an extreme fear of heights is dysfunctional as it often restricts normal activities such as standing on a ladder or walking up a flight of stairs or taking an escalator.
It’s been reported that between two and five percent of the population suffers from a fear of heights with roughly twice as many women being affected as men.
What symptoms are associated with a fear of heights?
Emotionally, acrophobics typically experience a sense of panic when confronted with heights. Many find themselves looking for something to hold onto and struggle with their sense of balance. Some acrophobics will lower their height by going down onto their haunches or all fours and some will need to descend immediately.
Some agoraphobics become embarrassed at experiencing this panic in front of others for fear of being negatively judged and become afraid of re-experiencing these unpleasant events.
Typical physical symptoms associated with a fear of heights are:
Some agoraphobics become embarrassed at experiencing this panic in front of others for fear of being negatively judged and become afraid of re-experiencing these unpleasant events.
Typical physical symptoms associated with a fear of heights are:
- Dizziness
- Trembling
- Racing heart
- Shortness of breath
- Hyperventilation
- Perspiration
- Nausea
What causes a fear of heights?
We are only born with two fears; a fear of loud noises and a fear of falling. It’s generally thought that acrophobia develops from this natural fear of falling and being injured or killed. This natural fear is compounded by unintentional learning during subsequent sensitising events until it becomes extreme.
Do you have a fear of heights?
If you answer yes to most of the following questions you may have acrophobia:
- Do you avoid high buildings?
- Would you avoid using a ladder?
- Do you avoid retail escalators?
- Do you avoid glass elevators?
- Do you imagine falling from heights?
- Do you struggle with your balance at heights?
- Do you reach for something to hold onto at heights?
- Does the thought of heights terrify you?
- Have you taken any sort of medication to cope with heights?
Fear of heights treatment
While a general fear of falling is typical for us, an extreme fear of heights is not. It’s important to note that this is a learned response. We are not born with a natural intense fear of heights.
Hypnotherapy is very helpful in resolving a fear of heights in two ways:
If you're not sure if hypnotherapy can help you, take advantage of our preliminary consultation offer. Meet our hypnotherapist and learn how hypnosis works and have all your questions answered whilst in the safety and comfort of your own home.
Hypnotherapy is very helpful in resolving a fear of heights in two ways:
- Hypnotherapy can help to systemically desensitise the learned response of an extreme fear of heights. This is a very effective treatment providing the original sensitising events are desensitized.
- Hypnotherapy can help to identify the original and subsequent sensitising events that compounded this fear to the point of extreme. This is a very important consideration, as most other methods employed to desensitise this fear do not desensitise the initial sensitising events as they are not usually easily recalled. Hypnotherapy employs heightened recall (hypermnesia) to achieve this therapeutic objective.
If you're not sure if hypnotherapy can help you, take advantage of our preliminary consultation offer. Meet our hypnotherapist and learn how hypnosis works and have all your questions answered whilst in the safety and comfort of your own home.