As such, the fear of heights is the natural defense mechanism of our consciousness. Reasonable fear helps to avoid injuries and situations dangerous to human health and life. But when the fear of height develops into a phobia, accompanied by panic and obsessive emotional states, it harms not only the psyche, but also represents a physical danger.
What is the name of phobia of height in the list of phobias?
In psychological practice, the obsessive, irrational fear of sublimity is called acrophobia. This word comes from the ancient Greek words "acros" - the upper, and "phobos" - fear. This phobia belongs to the category of psycho-vegetative syndromes, which are characterized by discomfort of movement and space.
Fear of height - reasons
There are several main factors affecting the development of acrophobia:
- Genetic memory . Transmitted from generation to generation for a long time in the form of subconscious controlled fear, which grows into a panic fear of heights.
- Children's psychological trauma. It occurs because of various physical injuries received from an early age, when falling from a height.
- Weak vestibular apparatus. When you are at a height, you need to carefully balance your body, stretch your muscles and control your movements. This causes emotional overload and an irrational fear of elevations.
- Excessive innate susceptibility to external factors. This reason is associated with unnecessary anxiety of a person in various situations in which the observer himself is not involved. For example, after hearing a story about the injuries received from a fall, or seeing a victim, a person is panicked with acrophobia, although he himself did not receive any injuries.
- Fear of height in a dream does not belong to the phobia itself. Such fear is considered a psychological obsession that is associated with life experiences because of the upcoming changes, for example, promotion, moving.
How to get rid of the fear of heights?
In order to find out how to overcome your own fear of heights, you must acknowledge the existence of the problem and not be embarrassed by it. The next step is to turn to a highly qualified psychologist. This expert will help to find out the causes of acrophobia, to identify the determining factors that contribute to its development. The psychologist will be able to show how to deal with the fear of height in a particular case.
Treatment of fear of heights, in addition to consulting a specialist, is as follows:
- mental trainings, during which it is necessary to represent yourself as clearly as possible during a parachute jump or visiting a skyscraper. Fantasy should be conscious and full, at the end of the training should be a safe landing or a quiet descent from the top floor of the skyscraper on the stairs;
- getting information about safety at altitude. It is advisable to watch documentary films or
educational programs on parachuting, familiarize yourself with safety techniques. In addition, it is useful to obtain information on precautions during the construction of high-rise buildings, to verify the strength of structures; - real overcoming of fear. If the previous tips are successfully implemented, you can begin to directly contact the height. Do not immediately climb a long distance, you need to gradually increase the height, which does not cause feelings of discomfort and panic fear. In time, you can go even further - ride the Ferris wheel, enjoy the view from the balcony of skyscrapers.