Wednesday, August 27, 2014

How to Get Rid of Fear of Heights

How to Get Rid of Fear of Heights
Fear is one thing but phobia is more severe and irrational. Phobia is triggered by a stimulus that acts as a threat to a person that may not be a threat to other people. Someone who has phobia will suffer from panic-like symptoms when faced with the ‘threat’. One of the most common phobias that have been identified is the fear of heights or what is called acrophobia.


In acrophobia, is a kind of innate feeling which aims at protecting the person from jumping off the edge of a cliff or building or any other action that could render the person hurt. A person who has fear of heights will most probably avoid sky diving, mountain climbing or even looking down from a tall building. Some of the indicators of acrophobia are faster breathing, profuse sweating, anxiety, nauseous, some even tremble and faint when faced with the threat. Like all fears, there are always ways to overcome acrophobia. Here are some of them:


Face your fear
You will never overcome something that you have not experienced yet. First step is to have the will to overcome the fear. Being scared is not something that one would one to feel in a daily basis—this is exactly why overcoming any fear can be quite challenging. This is exactly the very same reason why you must have determination to do this and continue amidst the hardships in the beginning of the process.


Control the symptoms
Since the symptoms are pretty much predictable, you can try to control it somehow. So, first thing that you have to do is to list the symptoms that you typically feel upon confronting your fear. For most of the people who have phobias, the very first symptom would be rapid breathing. So all you have to do is to constantly remind yourself to take slow and deep breaths. Not only that this can calm you down, it will also increase oxygen flow to your brain that can help you to keep your focus.


Desensitization
This is one type of behaviour therapy. The rule is to gradually expose the person to the trigger or threat slowly—from the least fearful circumstance to the most fearful one. This is to allow the person to adjust and overcome the fear slowly. That way, you will eventually get used to the situation and see the situation as a non-threatening happening. You can start by pictures that were taken from a great height or watching movies and clips that have scenes with heights in it. Then, maybe you can stand on a low stool then on a chair then eventually a flight of stair then riding a glass elevator and eventually standing on the roof or a high bridge. Remember that in each step, you must learn to control the symptoms properly starting with deep breathing and other relaxation techniques. Be patient and learn from the previous experience and incorporate it to the next process.


Take your time
This is never an easy task and provoking yourself to be scared each time is not a pleasant feeling. One step at a time is the key. Just as long as you are progressing each time, you are doing very well.




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