fear essay on heights

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My Phobias: The Fear of Heights

• Categories: Phobias

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Words: 1065 |

Published: Jan 4, 2019

Words: 1065 | Pages: 2 | 6 min read

Table of contents

My biggest fear is heights, causes of acrophobia, therapy of the phobia, works cited, acrophobia from traumatic events, fear of heights since birth, cognitive biases in acrophobia.

• American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing.
• Blenkiron, P. (2013). Acrophobia: Fear of heights. Psychiatry, 12(10), 423-426.
• Craske, M. G., Kircanski, K., Epstein, A., Wittchen, H. U., Pine, D. S., & Lewis-Fernández, R. (2017). Panic disorder: A review of DSM-5 panic disorder and proposals for DSM-5. Part II. Psychiatric Times, 34(4), 1-4.
• Davey, G. C. (1997). The latent fear of heights. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 35(9), 741-748.
• Eysenck, M. W., & Derakshan, N. (2011). Cognitive biases in anxiety and attention to threat. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 15(6), 301-308.
• Gallagher, M. W., Bentley, K. H., & Barlow, D. H. (2014). Perceived control and vulnerability to anxiety disorders: A meta-analytic review. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 38(6), 571-584.
• Gouliaev, G., Einarsson, E. Ö., Öhman, A., & Wiens, S. (2018). Early neural correlates of conscious somatosensory perception of fear-related stimuli in hypochondriasis. Biological Psychology, 135, 78-85.
• Kessler, R. C., Berglund, P., Demler, O., Jin, R., Merikangas, K. R., & Walters, E. E. (2005). Lifetime prevalence and age-of-onset distributions of DSM-IV disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication. Archives of General Psychiatry, 62(6), 593-602.
• Mayo Clinic Staff. (2019, August 9). Phobias: Symptoms and causes. Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/phobias/symptoms-causes/syc-20376903
• McEvoy, P. M., & Mahoney, A. E. (2011). Achieving certainty about the structure of intolerance of uncertainty in a treatment-seeking sample with anxiety and depression. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 25(1), 112-122.

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The American photographer Margaret Bourke-White (1904-71) on the Chrysler Building, looking out across New York in 1931. Photo by Time Inc/The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty

How to overcome a fear of heights

Humans are wired to avoid vertiginous places, but if this fear gets in the way of life then exposure therapy can help.

by Poppy Brown   + BIO

is a DPhil student in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Oxford.

Edited by Lucy Foulkes

Need to know

Some people might think that the consequences of having to avoid heights are minimal. But imagine you’re invited to a job interview on the 16th floor of a city office block. Or that your kids are pleading for a family trip to go high-roping. Or that your friends decide it would be fun to hike all the way up to a beautiful viewpoint. For people with a phobia of heights – an extreme, persistent, irrational fear of being high up – these scenarios can become real problems. What do you do in such a situation if you have a fear of heights? Do you miss out on that job? Do you make excuses to your kids? Do you disappoint your friends?

Many of the symptoms of acrophobia, to use the technical term, are shared with other anxiety disorders. These include physical symptoms such as shaking, sweating, a racing heart, difficulty breathing, nausea and a dry mouth. Individuals with acrophobia typically feel intense fear and distress around heights, and tend to avoid them as a result. There are also symptoms more unique to acrophobia, including vertigo and the desire to drop to the knees or clutch on to something.

Some degree of caution is common and sensible when it comes to heights. Many animals and human infants show an innate avoidance of a sharp drop, even before they’ve had any real experience of heights. Evolutionary accounts argue that we are all born with this fear because avoiding heights helps to keep us safe. A problem arises only when this unease around dangerous heights starts to generalise to other, less risky situations, and begins to interfere with daily life.

An intense fear of heights might develop for several reasons. First, a traumatic or frightening event, such as falling out of a tree or off a ladder. This could trigger a phobia of heights because the distressing experience gets paired with heights in the person’s memories – particularly in individuals already predisposed to feeling anxious. They then start to avoid all heights, believing that they might lead to a similar scary experience. The more such people avoid heights, the fewer opportunities they have to learn that heights are generally safe, and so the fear remains and intensifies.

However, you can’t always trace your fear back to a specific traumatic event – many people with acrophobia can’t link their fear to a particular experience. It’s also possible that some people just never have the repeated safe exposure to heights that enables most of us to manage this innate fear. Finally, individuals with height phobia show subtle differences in their ability to maintain their balance, compared with those without height phobia, even when not exposed to heights. This is partly because they have more difficulty integrating perceptual information from their visual system. It is now thought that a combination of factors come together to cause acrophobia.

Estimates suggest that as many as one in three people experience some degree of ‘visual height intolerance’, where looking at something high up can cause them to fear they’ll lose balance and fall over. If your fear of heights starts to interfere with your daily life, getting in the way of the things you want to do, then you might want to try to do something to reduce it. Cognitive behavioural approaches are an effective treatment for many phobias, including acrophobia, and below are some general principles you can try yourself.

Recognise and understand the symptoms of anxiety. The human anxiety response is a natural part of healthy functioning. When we detect a threat, our sympathetic nervous system activates and starts preparing our body for action. This is known as the fight-or-flight response, and it works to protect us. Many of the unpleasant symptoms of anxiety arise because our body is trying to pump more blood towards our muscles, to prepare us to fight or run away. For example, our heart beats faster and we breathe more quickly to get more oxygen to our muscles, and we get a dry mouth and ‘butterflies’ in our stomach as energy and blood are diverted away from these regions towards our muscles.

Hyperawareness and misinterpretation of these bodily sensations is a common problem in many anxiety disorders, including phobias. In acrophobia, for example, a person who feels nauseous and dizzy when up high might believe that these are signs of an imminent catastrophic fall. This can exacerbate anxiety, because the fear of falling will likely make the physical symptoms even worse.

To avoid misinterpretation and to help you tolerate the anxiety, try to familiarise yourself with the physical symptoms of anxiety. This will help you to see your symptoms for what they are: nothing more than your body’s natural fight-or-flight response. Although we can’t simply decide to switch off this system, the anxiety response doesn’t last forever. Remember: the anxiety will always pass.

Gradually build your tolerance of these symptoms around heights. Graded exposure therapy makes use of the transient nature of anxiety, helping you to tolerate and ride out your body’s anxiety response. The idea is to gradually expose yourself to the thing you fear, starting small and slowly working up to more difficult situations. You practise each step until your anxiety subsides, and this helps you create new memories of experiencing the feared object or situation without feeling anxious. As you practise and become more confident, you overwrite your association between the stimulus and fear in your mind. In time, the once-feared scenario begins to evoke less anxiety.

To start, make a list of situations that trigger your phobia and put them in order from least to most anxiety-provoking. For the easiest steps, you could begin with looking at pictures of heights, or creating mental images of heights. The important thing is to start with things that provoke a small but manageable level of anxiety. You could then move on to include standing near heights (such as an escalator in a shopping centre), then actually using an escalator, and then visiting a tall building.

Try out the easiest situation you have chosen, and stay in that situation until your anxiety subsides and you feel more comfortable. Try to stay focused on the features of the situation or image, engaging with the surroundings rather than focusing on your anxiety. For example, if you’re standing in front of a tall building, how many floors does it have? What colours and textures can you see? Remember that any physical sensations are just the body’s natural response and don’t necessarily mean that you’re in danger. For each step, you might find it helpful to rate your anxiety out of 10 in the first minute, and notice how the rating drops over time. Practise this several times until your anxiety for that particular situation has reduced. You can then try the next step on your list.

Practising relaxation exercises before, during and after exposure can be helpful. For example, try using mindfulness or counting your breath. More information on these can be found in the resources section.

Every individual will vary in the exact scenarios they find most challenging, and how quickly they can move between steps. Try to take small steps that are challenging but manageable. Take your time: leaving the situation before your anxiety has subsided might be counterproductive as you will continue to associate that situation with fear.

For a lot of people with a fear of heights, you can try these principles on your own or with the help of a friend. However, if this is too difficult or your fear is particularly severe, you should attempt these principles only with the support of a trained therapist.

Understand and then challenge your beliefs about heights. While exposure therapy focuses on reducing feelings of anxiety, cognitive therapy exercises focus on a person’s beliefs about heights. Many people with height phobia think something bad will happen when they are up high. For example, you might fear that you will fall over, that the structure will collapse, or that you might throw yourself off. In cognitive therapy, the goal is to help you learn that you are safer than you think, and that your feared outcome about heights won’t actually happen.

Ask yourself some questions. What do you believe might happen when you expose yourself to your fear? How likely do you think it is (on a scale of 1-10) that this would happen? What would be the outcome of it happening? For example, you might believe that if you go up a tall building the structure will collapse: you feel certain that this will happen, and that you would be seriously injured when it does.

Once you’ve answered the above questions about the likelihood of your fears manifesting themselves, you can try some ‘behavioural experiments’. These are a type of exposure activity where you test out your beliefs. For the above example, you could try a behavioural experiment where you go up high and see what happens: whether the structure indeed seems unstable, or whether you do indeed fall. Again, you can start small with your experiments, using relaxation exercises to help you. The idea is that, once you test out your fears, you see that the worst doesn’t actually happen – or that, if something difficult does happen, it’s not as bad as you feared.

Try to spot the safety behaviours you use. During these experiments you might also want to identify any safety behaviours you resort to. These are behaviours that we use because we think they help to keep us safe. The most common safety behaviour is avoidance: simply not going anywhere that requires being up high. More subtle examples include closing your eyes, not looking down or over the edges, tightly holding on to something, or focusing your attention on repeating a certain phrase. While these can be helpful in the short term – for example, holding on tight to the railings makes us feel steadier – such behaviours actually act as barriers, preventing us from really engaging with the height. As a result , we’re unable to learn that we are, in fact, safe and able to cope without them. Holding on to the railing, for example, means that we don’t get to learn that we can stand, all on our own, without falling, and so our anxiety persists. Try to identify what defences you use, and then repeat the behavioural experiments without using them.

It is important to note that safety behaviours are very different from helpful coping mechanisms. The former get in the way of us learning that we’re safe without them, while adaptive coping mechanisms (such as relaxation exercises) simply help us to face the difficult situation and to tolerate our anxiety.

Following each behavioural experiment, think about what you’ve learnt. The following questions might be helpful: what happened? Did any of your anticipated fears that you wrote down beforehand happen? What happened instead? What went through your mind – and was that accurate? What happened when you did or didn’t use your defences? What can you learn from this experience? What does it mean for the future?

As with the graded exposure exercise, these exercises can be attempted on your own or with the support of a friend. However, if your fear is severe or you’re struggling to identify your beliefs about heights or the defences that you use, then having the support of a trained therapist is recommended.

Key points – How to overcome a fear of heights

• Recognise anxiety for what it is . Understanding the body’s fight-or-flight response will help you recognise and tolerate the bodily sensations caused by anxiety, and prevent you from misinterpreting them as something dangerous.
• Gradually expose yourself to the things that make you anxious, starting small . Although initially very difficult, gradual exposure to our fears is crucial, as it allows us to learn that we are safer and more able than we originally thought. Make a list of situations related to your phobia, order them in terms of the anxiety they cause, and test them out, one by one. Starting small can make it easier. For example, you can use mental images or photos before approaching real situations.
• Use relaxation exercises. Dedicate some time to testing out which relaxation exercises work best for you. They can be helpful to use before, during or after exposures, or indeed for any other anxiety-provoking situations.
• Discover your beliefs. Try to understand what it is about heights that causes you anxiety, by asking yourself questions and writing down your answers. What do you fear might happen when you are up high? How likely is it, do you think, that this will happen? What would you need to experience in order to no longer believe this?
• Check if you’re using any defence behaviours. Safety behaviours – such as holding on to rails or shutting your eyes when you’re near heights – can maintain your anxiety in the long run. In your list of graded exposure activities, try to include some where you test out not doing these behaviours.

I once watched someone standing in front of a narrow wooden plank suspended over a vast drop. Before she began to edge on to it, I could see her hands trembling, her body gripped with terror, battling her desire to both conquer her fear by taking a step forward – but also to run away. And all this unfolded within the safe confines of a small carpeted room at the University of Oxford, the plank and drop merely simulations seen through a virtual reality (VR) headset.

VR is an immersive, interactive, computer-generated environment. It creates the sensation of actually being in real-life situations, and is an ideal tool for treating phobias. VR allows individuals to repeatedly practise how to feel confident in scenarios that they find difficult. Simulated situations can be personalised and graded in difficulty. While testing them out, individuals can receive guidance and encouragement from an automated virtual coach who is in the VR environment with them.

VR makes it easier for people to engage in therapy, particularly cognitive behavioural therapy, because it’s easier to try out things that we find difficult when we know it’s only a simulation. Crucially, however, individuals respond in the same way in VR – psychologically, emotionally and physiologically – as they do in corresponding real-world environments. This combination of knowing that we’re safe, yet feeling as though the simulations are real, makes VR a powerful tool. Any learning that occurs in VR appears to transfer to the real world, and VR therapies for anxiety disorders (including phobias) have been found to be at least as effective as real-life exposure therapies.

I was one of a team of researchers who recently tested the effectiveness of VR therapy for height phobia. In the study , 100 participants diagnosed with fear of heights were randomly allocated to receive either VR therapy (delivered in six 30-minute sessions over a two-week period) or to receive no therapy. In the VR therapy, an automated virtual character called Nic guided the individuals to try out different tasks, such as looking over a balcony or helping a cat down from a tree. During the tasks, Nic encouraged participants to test out their beliefs concerning heights, and to try dropping their defence behaviours.

Those who received VR therapy experienced significant reductions in their fear of heights, compared with those who received no intervention. These benefits were maintained when the participants were tested again four weeks after the end of the treatment. In the UK where I work, VR therapy for height phobia is now available in some NHS services, and might become available in other countries in the near future.

At the end of the study, we asked participants what they thought about the therapy. Here are some of the things they said:

‘It definitely pushed the limits in terms of what I thought I would be able to achieve, and then got me to go past that.’

‘The difference in my mental capacity to deal with heights was amazing.’

‘I’ve had three sessions of VR and I’ve already surpassed everything that I imagined I could.’

The idea of attempting treatment might feel daunting, particularly given that this requires facing your fears. However, psychological treatments for phobias have consistently been shown to be highly effective and long-lasting. With the help of a friend or therapist and by starting small, you could surprise yourself with what you can achieve. Tackling your fear of heights can ensure that you never miss out on a job, never have to make excuses to your kids, and never get left out of a fun activity.

Links & books

The ZeroPhobia app is a VR treatment for height phobia that’s available for a fee. A smartphone and VR viewer are required.

The Psychology Tools website is a reliable source of psychological self-help for the general public, as well as for therapists. The site provides information on anxiety, panic attacks and behavioural experiments, among other topics, much of which is freely available. For example, you could download their worksheets on anxiety monitoring (where you could record your thoughts about heights) and avoidance hierarchies (where you could write your list of exposure activities), or follow their step-by-step guide to behavioural experiments .

The NHS Inform website provides a free list of breathing and visualisation techniques for reducing anxiety and stress, and the Headspace app supplies subscribers with guided exercises in mindfulness and meditation that aim to help with anxiety, stress and sleep.

Chapter 5 of A Very Short Introduction to Anxiety (2012) by Daniel Freeman and Jason Freeman specifically discusses phobias, and the rest of this little book might be generally useful too.

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Acrophobia Is the Fear of Heights

What is acrophobia.

Acrophobia is a persistent and intense fear of heights. People with acrophobia will experience panic and sudden anxiety in situations involving heights. Common triggers include standing on a bridge, climbing a ladder, looking over a cliff, and flying in an airplane.

Experts estimate that 6.4% of people experience acrophobia in their lifetime. Left untreated, it can cause extreme distress and significantly impair a person's life. Avoidance of heights can hinder your ability to travel, drive over a bridge, or work in a skyscraper.

This article discusses acrophobia. It explains the common symptoms that accompany a fear of heights and how acrophobia is diagnosed and treated.

ruizluquepaz / Getty Images

Acrophobia is the fear of heights. This fear is excessive to the situation, persistent, and can cause a person to avoid situations where they might be exposed to heights.

Acrophobia is a type of specific phobia and is categorized as an anxiety disorder in the  Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders  (DSM-5).

Specific phobias occur when someone experiences excessive and instantaneous fear and anxiety when exposed to a specific situation, experience, or trigger.

An estimated 12.5% of adults in the United States will experience a specific phobia, like acrophobia, in their lifetime. There are many types of specific phobias, but acrophobia is one of the most common. Women are more likely to experience acrophobia than men.

Symptoms of Acrophobia

The main, defining symptom of acrophobia is fear of heights. A person with acrophobia could experience symptoms in a variety of situations, ranging from looking out a skyscraper window to walking along a cliff.

A person with acrophobia will experience a sudden onset of anxiety , and a range of symptoms as set out in the DSM-5. These symptoms include:

• Excessive and overwhelming fear and anxiety
• Shallow breathing or hyperventilation
• Shaking or trembling
• Numbness or tingling in the hands, feet, or lips
• Tachycardia or heart palpitations
• Fear of losing control
• Derealization or depersonalization
• Fear of dying

A person with acrophobia may also experience dizziness, lightheadedness, or vertigo when exposed to heights or just thinking about heights.

Acrophobia Triggers

Acrophobia triggers will differ person-to-person, but could include:

• Skyscrapers
• Flying in an airplane
• Rock climbing
• Looking out a top-story window
• Crossing bridges
• Driving across overpasses

How Is Acrophobia Diagnosed?

Like other specific phobias, acrophobia can be diagnosed through a conversation with your primary care provider , psychiatrist, or other mental health professional. They may ask questions about situations that trigger your fear, how long this fear persists, and any avoidance behaviors.

There is also a recent measure called The Granger Causality Convolutional Neural Network (GCCNN) method that attempts to diagnose acrophobia more objectively. Using electroencephalogram (EEG) signals, this classifies acrophobia as moderate or severe.

However, due to the equipment required and limited research, this diagnosis and classification method is likely not accessible to many.

General vs. Specific Fear of Heights

While acrophobia is the general fear of heights, there are other specific phobias toward more distinct high places or situations. Among others, these include:

• Aerophobia : Fear of flying
• Cremnophobia : Fear of cliffs and precipices
• Bathmophobia : Fear of slopes
• Gephyrophobia : Fear of crossing a bridge

For example, someone who is afraid of flying but fine with standing on a skyscraper or cliff might be diagnosed with aerophobia. Someone who is afraid of flying, and also afraid of cliffs, looking out top-story windows, driving over bridges, and other situations could potentially be diagnosed with acrophobia.

It is important to receive the correct diagnosis so your treatment can be the most effective.

Diagnostic Criteria

To receive an acrophobia diagnosis, a person must meet the diagnostic criteria for a specific phobia, as set forth in the DSM-5. This criteria includes:

• Excessive and disproportionate fear of a specific situation or trigger : For people with acrophobia, this includes a variety of situations involving heights.
• Sudden and instantaneous anxiety response when exposed to heights
• Avoidance behaviors such as avoiding possible encounters with heights
• Persistence of fear for at least six months
• Life impairment due to avoidance behaviors, dread, anxiety, and fear

A defining aspect of specific phobias is that the fear is irrational, and the anxiety and fear are disproportionate to the situation. Most people with a specific phobia know that their fear is irrational, but they feel unable to control it. However, this insight isn't necessary to be diagnosed with acrophobia, or any other specific phobia.

As of 2013, when the fifth edition of the DSM was published, a person no longer needs to have insight into the irrationality of their fear. Some people with acrophobia may believe their fear is justified and keeps them safe, and feel no motivation to seek treatment.

If you or a loved one are struggling with a phobia, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-4357 for information on support and treatment facilities in your area.

For more mental health resources, see our National Helpline Database.

What Causes Acrophobia?

Like all anxiety disorders and specific phobias, acrophobia is caused by a complex interplay of factors. Scientists don't know exactly what causes acrophobia in some people and not others. The answer is likely to be a combination of genetic and environmental factors.

There is emerging scientific evidence that a variety of specific phobias are linked to corresponding genes. This is supported by demographic studies that show an average 30% heritability rate of specific phobias.

A 2016 study attempted to identify chromosomal regions associated with acrophobia, using a genetic isolate (a population with little generic mixing) from Finland. The study concluded that the genetics behind acrophobia are incredibly complex.

Although the study did not find one specific gene that causes acrophobia, it did find chromosomes 4q28, 8q24, and 13q21-q22 could be linked to genetic predisposition for acrophobia. More research, however, is needed to determine the extent of the genetics behind acrophobia heritability and predisposition.

Learned Experience

Like other specific phobias, acrophobia could also be caused by a person's environment. Specifically, this could include traumatic experiences involving heights, or learned experiences such as witnessing a parent with a fear of heights.

Having a fall from a height as a child, experiencing violent turbulence on a plane, or witnessing someone else fall from a height could all create an associated panic response when a person is exposed to heights later on in life.

Distance Perception

By the definition of specific phobias in the DSM-5, it is assumed that phobias are an abnormal fear response to a non-dangerous stimulus. Evolved navigation theory (ENT) offers a different explanation for the cause of acrophobia.

When it comes to heights and distances, it is important to know that not everyone perceives heights in the same way. Two people, for instance, may look at the same height and one person may perceive it as higher than the other.

ENT, therefore, posits that acrophobia is a rational response to an abnormal stimulus. People who experience acrophobia are more likely to have disproportionate distance perception and therefore perceive the risk and impact of a fall as much greater.

Vestibular Disorders

Vestibular disorders can also increase the risk of developing acrophobia. Your vestibular system controls your sense of balance through mechanisms in the inner ear. People with vestibular disorders experience postural instability and are at a greater risk of falling.

These conditions, which impair balance , may predispose people to develop acrophobia.

How to Overcome Acrophobia

There are a variety of treatments that are effective at treating specific phobias. Some treatment methods, such as vestibular physical therapy and virtual reality, have been specifically studied regarding acrophobia.

Exposure Therapy

Exposure therapy is the most effective and widest studied treatment for specific phobias. In exposure therapy, a person is exposed to their feared stimuli. Traditionally, this exposure was done "in vivo" (in person), which for acrophobia could involve walking out on a cliff edge or a roof.

One method of exposure therapy is called flooding, where a person may be exposed to the highest level of their fear all at once. Exposure therapy can also be done gradually, over multiple sessions.

For someone with acrophobia, a sample course of gradual exposure therapy could involve looking out a second-floor window from 10 feet back, then looking out a second-floor window from 2 feet back, then looking out a fifth-floor window from 2 feet back, and then walking on a top floor balcony.

This therapy is done alongside a licensed mental health professional. Through exposing someone to their feared stimuli in a safe environment, the goal of exposure therapy is the extinction of the fear response.

This is achieved through habituation (repeated exposure to heights without negative consequences), and self-efficacy (a person learning that they are capable of being in a situation with heights and surviving it).

Virtual Reality

In recent decades, exposure therapy has also been studied through virtual reality methods. Virtual reality creates more opportunities for grading exposure before exposing a person to the stimuli in vivo.

Someone with acrophobia might begin by looking at photos of heights and then use a virtual reality headset to simulate high-height scenarios.

Another benefit of virtual reality for exposure therapy is it is done in the safety of a mental health professional's office. If a person experiences a panic attack from virtual heights, they can learn tools to manage their response in the office, rather than on the edge of a cliff.

Vestibular Physical Therapy

Some people may experience acrophobia as a result of a vestibular disorder. These people have increased reliance on visual cues for their balance, because their vestibular system, which helps most people maintain balance, is impaired.

Through vestibular physical therapy, a person rehabilitates their vestibular system and develops compensatory strategies to promote balance. This therapy reduces fall risk but also may reduce fear of falling, including acrophobia.

Medication for Acrophobia 

Medication is sometimes used to treat acrophobia. In particular, Seromycin (cycloserine), an antibiotic that is approved by the FDA to treat tuberculosis, can be prescribed for off-label use.

Research in both rodents and humans suggests Seromycin could also be effective at treating specific phobias, including acrophobia, when used as an adjunctive treatment to exposure therapy. However, while Seromycin can assist in fear extinction, it can also enhance fear memory, therefore making bad exposure experiences worse.

It is recommended that a person undergo exposure therapy first before a decision is reached regarding Seromycin use. This way, response to exposure therapy can first be assessed, and risks of negative experiences can be mitigated.

Coping With Acrophobia 

A fear of heights can seriously impact a person's life. Not only is the panic response when exposed to heights distressing, but attempting to avoid heights can be extremely limiting and even create functional disability for some people.

Avoidance behaviors could lead to not flying home to see family for holidays, quitting a job in a high-altitude profession like construction or a tall office building, refusing to go to certain restaurants or sights located in skyscrapers, and much more.

If you find yourself avoiding previously enjoyed experiences or limiting your life activities, it's probably time to speak to your healthcare provider about diagnosis and treatment options.

You can also cope with acrophobia and exposure experiences through relaxation methods, such as deep breathing , yoga, visualization, and mantras.

Getting regular exercise, reducing caffeine intake, eating a balanced diet, and talking about your feelings with a trusted person can also help you cope with acrophobia and its impacts on your daily life.

Acrophobia can be extremely distressing, isolating, and life-limiting, but it may help you to know that you are not alone. There is help available if you are living with the condition.

Speak to your healthcare provider about diagnosis, lifestyle changes, and effective treatment options such as exposure therapy, virtual reality therapy, medication, vestibular therapy, or other types of psychotherapy. Together, you can come up with the right diagnosis and treatment plan that fits your lifestyle and goals.

Huppert D, Wuehr M, Brandt T. Acrophobia and visual height intolerance: advances in epidemiology and mechanisms . J Neurol . 2020;267(Suppl 1):231–40. doi:10.1007/s00415-020-09805-4

Kapfhammer HP, Fitz W, Huppert D, Grill E, Brandt T.  Visual height intolerance and acrophobia: distressing partners for life .  J Neurol.  2016;263(10):1946-53. doi:10.1007/s00415-016-8218-9

American Psychiatric Association.  Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders .  5th ed. Washington, DC; 2013.

National Institute of Mental Health. Specific phobia .

Hu F, Wang H, Wang Q, Feng N, Chen J, Zhang T. Acrophobia quantified by EEG based on cnn incorporating granger causality .  Int J Neur Syst . 2020:2050069. doi:10.1142/S0129065720500690

Van Houtem CMHH, Laine ML, Boomsma DI, Ligthart L, van Wijk AJ, De Jongh A. A review and meta-analysis of the heritability of specific phobia subtypes and corresponding fears .  J Anxiety Disord . 2013;27(4):379-388. doi:10.1016/j.janxdis.2013.04.007

Misiewicz Z, Hiekkalinna T, Paunio T, et al. A genome-wide screen for acrophobia susceptibility loci in a Finnish isolate .  Sci Rep . 2016;6:39345. doi:10.1038/srep39345

Hahnel-Peeters RK, Idoine JL, Jackson RE, Goetz AT. Is the vertical-horizontal illusion a byproduct of the environmental vertical illusion? Evol Psychol . 2020;18(4):1474704920961953. doi:10.1177/1474704920961953

Eaton WW, Bienvenu OJ, Miloyan B.  Specific phobias .  Lancet Psychiatry . 2018;5(8):678-686. doi:10.1016/S2215-0366(18)30169-X

American Psychological Association. What is exposure therapy?

Oing T, Prescott J. Implementations of virtual reality for anxiety-related disorders: systematic review . JMIR Serious Games . 2018;6(4):e10965. doi:10.2196/10965

Azimisefat P, de Jongh A, Rajabi S, Kanske P, Jamshidi F. Efficacy of virtual reality exposure therapy and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy on symptoms of acrophobia and anxiety sensitivity in adolescent girls: A randomized controlled trial . Front Psychol . 2022;13:919148. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2022.919148

Sulway S, Whitney SL. Advances in vestibular rehabilitation . Adv Otorhinolaryngol . 2019;82:164-169. doi:10.1159/000490285

Hofmann SG. D-cycloserine for treating anxiety disorders: Making good exposures better and bad exposures worse.   Depress Anxiety . 2014;31(3):175-177. doi:10.1002%2Fda.22257

By Sarah Bence, OTR/L Bence is an occupational therapist with a range of work experience in mental healthcare settings. She is living with celiac disease and endometriosis.

How To Overcome Your Fear of Heights

The degree to which discomfort, apprehension, anxiety, or fear can manifest and cause impact will vary between individuals and in relation to different kinds of struggles or scenarios. Plus, having certain fears and phobias might also be more prevalent in those who suffer from generalized anxiety or chronic stress and who tend to be more panicky by nature.

• Kassondra Glenn, LCSW , licensed clinical social worker and recovery specialist

While there are many types of phobias that exist (with “phobia” indicating there’s a deep-rooted fear with exposure to a certain experience or thing), fear of heights, or acrophobia, is at the top of the list, and people who struggle with it may feel scared in situations that force them to be above ground.

“Heights can be scary because from an evolutionary standpoint, they threaten survival, which is why it’s a more common fear in the general population,” says Kassondra Glenn , LMSW, licensed social worker and therapeutic consultant at Diamond Rehab .

Even just thinking about it, through visualization or virtual means, can get the heart racing, too. Hands may get moist and hot, and you might feel lightheaded or woozy, with a spiked heart rate, excess production of cortisol (the “stress” hormone) and lots and lots of jitters.

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How To Know if You Have a Fear of Heights

The degree to which you’re afraid and its influence in your day-to-day life and well-being will determine whether or not you have a phobia as well as how to overcome fear of heights with the help of a professional.

For example, if you become sweaty and anxious as you look down at the ground when standing on top of a mountain or sitting in preparation for “jumping off” on a zipline or acrobatics course, you probably don’t have a fear of heights and just a case of butterflies, which are common and usually pass quickly.

On the contrary, those who are particularly sensitive to and fearful of heights (with a level of severity that would be classified as a phobia) find it to be disruptive to their daily lives. For some, learning how to overcome fear of heights could be life-changing, opening the doors for new opportunities while decreasing chronic stress and anxiety levels.

What might this look like? Apprehension may come with little mundane things, such as riding up the elevator. Similarly, you may be particularly frightened by roller-coasters or balconies, and you might not be able to make it on board an airplane for a flight, if your fear of heights is too extreme and hard to overcome.

“It can be easier to avoid heights or try and suppress fear, rather than confront a fear of heights; however, many people find themselves missing out on experiences or struggling with other aspects of mental health due to fear of heights and so want to make a change,” she says.

Luckily, therapy can help, and with dedication, patience and practice, it’ll become easier. Certain therapies and techniques are quite beneficial and most popularly used as treatment to help lessen anxiety and fear and learn how to overcome fear of heights for a more flexible and capable lifestyle.

How To Overcome a Fear of Heights

The greatest challenge with treatment is that in order to heal and reduce fear and uneasiness, direct exposure to what it is exactly that’s causing all the nerves (in this case, heights).

Facing your fears isn’t easy and requires bravery and the ability to let go so that you can be open to positive changes and experiencing things that are new and different—and way outside your comfort zone.

There are two types of therapies that are most efficient for treatment and can speed the process for overcoming a fear of heights. “Exposure therapy is gradual exposure to the source of fear, which helps people adapt to the situation and become more comfortable in it,” she says.

“In fear of heights, this may look like working with a trained therapist on creating situations where fear of heights is present,” she explains. In these situations, you’ll work through the fear together by taking on IRL challenges, such as riding a roller coaster, rock-climbing or walking on a trapeze, for example.

You’ll directly face your fears and experience what it’s like to be higher up and above ground. Another therapy that’s helpful is CBT therapy, especially as an initial treatment or first step, prior to using exposure therapy. (You likely need both for learning how to overcome fear of heights.)

“CBT therapy focuses on thoughts, feelings and behaviors,” she says. So, it’s more of a “virtual reality” exposure, with an emphasis on changing old thinking patterns and breaking through mental blocks.

CBT therapy also uses visualization, the imagination and the senses to change how the mind and body views and feels towards the fearful situation, with a goal of reducing apprehension and making it less automatic in response to stimuli. Over time, you’ll notice progress in training your brain in new ways of thinking so it no longer gets that knee jerk reaction and frightened feeling, in the future.

Tips To Remember When Tackling Your Fear of Heights

For starters, don’t bottle up your emotions and keep everything in. Find a few confidants to share your experience and struggles with, and let them be a supportive aid along your journey. “I would suggest that someone struggling with a fear of heights talk with supportive people about their experience, such as trusted friends or loved ones,” she suggests.

“Group therapy can also be helpful in that it provides a community that’s bonded over shared experiences,” she adds. It’s easier to process fear and overcome it when you don’t feel alone in your fear, as if you’re the only one working through it that exists and you’re all by yourself.

Group therapy signifies that fear isn’t unique, and there are people who feel just as scared and are working through obstacles, too. And together, you can hold one another accountable.

You also don’t want to be impatient and give up due to frustration. Overcoming your fear will take time and require hard work, so don’t erroneously expect immediate results.

“It is important not to put a strict timeline on overcoming a fear of heights and to also remember that everyone is unique in both the intensity of their fear and the time it may take to process and mitigate the fear,” she explains.

“In general, exposure therapy consists of five to twenty sessions, while the length of CBT is often adjusted based on need and on a case-by-case basis,” she says.

Avoid pushing yourself to the extreme. Instead, pace yourself based on how your body is feeling and responding, without comparing yourself to anyone else or having too high of expectations and standards.

“Therapy and overcoming fear should bring up discomfort, however it should not be completely dysregulating, and going too far too fast can be retraumatizing and/or make fear worse,” she says. Remember, the "right" pace is one that brings sustainable progress for long-lasting change.

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• Higher Education

Fear of heights

Updated 10 June 2022

Subject Higher Education ,  Learning

Downloads 46

Category Education

Topic Academic Achievements ,  Student

Academic success and extracurricular activities

Academic success, as well as extracurricular sports, are extremely important in the American educational system. However, the majority of American students, especially adolescents, are preoccupied with extracurricular activities that interfere with their academic performance. Bob Chase contends that academic success, rather than extracurricular sports, should take precedence in the American educational system. I strongly disagree with the author since, in the long run, both academic success and extracurricular experiences form students' personalities. Both academic achievements, as well as extracurricular activities, equally contribute to the cognitive and physical development of the students.

American educational system and overall development

American educational system is based on overall development of the students. The overall development would in turn affect the very existence of the United States. It is because the present student generation is the future of the country and it should be able to figure out its accountability towards its safe, secure, and sustainable future. However, according to many research studies, American student population is losing its focus on the purposes of education, which results in their poor performance in the long run. One of such proofs was discovered during Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), which showed that United States 12th graders presented pitiable performance and ranked at or near the lowermost level in Math and Science (Chase n.p.). Most of the American teenagers prefer after-school doings and pay lesser attention to their homework and school activities, according to many research studies.

The need for a strict framework

TIMSS advanced some indications regarding the meager presentation in math and science of the U.S students which include a lesser amount of time spend in learning things outside school (Chase n.p.). The American educational system needs to come up with a strict framework to establish better platform for all round development. Also, it needs to be reframed keeping in view the need of the academic performance of the students.

Academic knowledge and extracurricular activities

American educational system is inclusive and treats parents as one of the main force of motivation for the students. They do want a better and balanced performance form their students in academics as well as in extracurricular activities. Subject knowledge increases awareness regarding a specific area of academia but, it may not be enough for overall personality development of the students. Most of the studies have revealed that extracurricular activities are essential for better cognitive as well as physical development. Most of the population would not be happy with only one sided satisfaction i.e., either with commendable academic achievement or active participation in extracurricular activities. According to a survey most of the people agree that "people who are highly educated often turn out to be book smart but lack the commonsense and understanding of regular folks" (Chase n.p.).

Education as a means of lighting a fire

William Butler, a poet, once stated, "Education is not filling up a pail but lighting a fire" (n.p.). His understanding seems beyond academic achievement and extracurricular activities. Majority of the population in America wants their teens be active in both academia as well as extracurricular actives because that is what would be called the overall personality development. Such system would pave better space for 'sound mind in a sound body'.

Reframing the American educational system

American educational system needs to be reframed according to the above quotation. It should incorporate both the academic quintessence and extracurricular activities in its framework to deal with the growing ignorance of the math and science education and, also, to give importance to the balanced synchronization between the two areas of education.

Involvement of all stakeholders

TIMSS recommends more strict academic curricula to facilitate the present academic scenario of the United States. But, that does not mean that the students, teachers, parents, people, and the government etc. should remain as still. All the stakeholders have their respective roles to facilitate the scenario of the education of the country.

In conclusion, academic achievement would not be enough for overall positive personality development of the American teenagers. They would need extracurricular activities to carry on in their lives successfully. Academic subjects would teach them math and science but, the extracurricular activities would provide them with better platform to implement their academic experience in decision making and understand life. Bob Chase, in Fear of Heights: Teachers, Parents and Students Are wary of Achievement, puts academic achievement essential for development but, I think participation in games and sports or real life activities would boost the confidence among the teenage generation of the United States. American educational system need to reconsider its policies towards all round personality development including better cognitive as well as physical development of the teenage and student generation. One of the main advantages of education is modification of behaviours for better, and when we say education, it encompasses both academic knowledge as well as extracurricular activities; we cannot leave any one of these.

Works Cited

Chase, Bob. "Fear of Heights: Teachers, Parents, and Students Are Wary of Achievement." Antiessays, http://www.antiessays.com/free-essays/Essay-355012.html. Accessed 24 February 2017.

Yeats, William Butler. "William Butler Yeats Quotes." BrainyQuote, https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/w/williambut101244.html. Accessed 24 February 2017.

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The Real Reason Why People Are Afraid Of Heights

Fear is a normal, often beneficial phenomenon that can serve to keep a person safe, but phobias are different from standard, often explicable momentary fears, and differ as well from anxiety disorder . Per Talkspace , phobias "provoke excessive and persistent fear" and affect around 10 percent of people in the United States. Fear of heights, or  acrophobia , is one of the more common phobias. The article points out that we all need to be a little afraid of heights, as falling can actually be dangerous, but why do some people have a "hyper-reaction" to being up high, even when there's no possibility of falling?

According to  Psychology Today , many of the physical symptoms present in people experiencing acrophobia are similar to those in people having a panic attack — shaking, sweaty palms, nausea, and dizziness. Some people develop a fear of heights because of an actual experience with falling, or because they have a parent with a fear of heights and therefore "learn" the phobia. Both people who are afraid of heights and people who have panic attacks have "cognitive dispositions," however, that include tendencies to be particularly aware of one's body and its sensations, and to interpret certain bodily sensations as threatening. This can cause a "vicious cycle," in which someone is not only especially aware of their body being up high but also perceive the height as dangerous, leading to upsetting thoughts like "I'm going to fall," or "I might lose control and jump off the edge."

Is there hope for acrophobics?

Is it possible to overcome a fear of heights? Per Psycom , acrophobia can negatively affect a person's quality of life. Heights are hard to avoid entirely, and many people don't relish a life of constant hyperawareness and fear concerning being up high, be it on a ladder performing home repairs, on a hike that overlooks a valley, or in a hotel room on an upper level.

Is it possible to overcome a fear of heights? There are various therapy options that can help those who suffer from a fear of heights, including CBT, or cognitive behavioral therapy, which is a method of treatment in which "behavioral techniques that expose the individual to the feared situation ... are employed." It's even possible to use virtual reality equipment to simulate exposure to heights without actually going to high places. 

Another option is medication. As Psycom explains, Beta blockers and sedatives have been effective for short-term relief, as they help control panicky or anxious mental and physical reactions. Since 2008, several studies have examined the efficacy of the drug D-cycloserine on anxiety disorders. Some findings indicate "using D-cycloserine with CBT may yield better results than the drug or CBT on its own." More research is necessary, but it sounds like a promising option for those living with severe acrophobia, 

97 Fear Essay Topics & Examples

🏆 best topics about fear & essay examples, 📌 good fear essay topics, ❓research questions about fear.

If you study psychology, you will probably have to write a fear essay at some point. The emotion is strong and can significantly affect any person, with effects potentially impairing his or her judgment and performance.

It can also result from a variety of sources, such as phobias or trauma, and manifest in many different conditions, taking the person by surprise. As such, it is essential to study the topic of how a person may deal with fear, with the most well-known one being courage.

However, there are many ideas on how the trait can be developed that can be used as fear essay hooks, but not all of them are viable. This article will help you write a powerful essay on the various topics associated with fear.

Fear is an emotion triggered by a perceived threat as a response that prepares the person to address it in an appropriate manner. As such, it is a reaction that helps people cope in the short term, but its effects when the person is constantly in a state of fear can be dangerous.

Examples include physical health deterioration due to the hormone production associated with the reaction and permanent mental health effects, such as PTSD.

As such, people who are affected by chronic fear should try to escape the state to avoid threats to their well-being. The first step towards doing so would be to discover and investigate the causes of the emotion.

Fear triggers in response to danger, whether real or perceived, and the nature of the reaction can provide you with ideas for fear essay titles. While it may be challenging to alleviate real conditions of real danger, not many people have to live in such situations.

Most chronic fear comes from various phobias, or persistent fear reactions to situations that may not warrant such a response. There are numerous variations, such as acrophobia, the fear of heights, and they are interesting topics for an investigation.

Between the many tall buildings designed by people and travel methods such as airplanes, a person with the condition may find it challenging to avoid stressful situations. However, they can generally avoid worrisome conditions with careful planning and the help of others.

Courage is a well-known quality that helps people overcome their fear, one that is described in many stories and images. However, it should be noted that courage is not the absence of fear, but rather a willingness to acknowledge it and confront the source.

The act involves a conscious effort of the will, and many people believe they do not have the capacity to do so. You should discuss the ways in which people can learn to be courageous and the methods that can be used to inspire them to try.

Here are some additional tips for enhancing your essay:

• Focus on the positive implications of fear and courage, as they are responsible for many of humanity’s great successes, and provide fear essay examples. Our society is safe from many different dangers because people were afraid of them.
• Make sure to cite scholarly sources wherever appropriate instead of trying to rely on common knowledge. Psychology is a science that has developed considerably since its inception and can offer a wealth of knowledge.
• Follow standard essay formatting guidelines, such as the use of academic language, the separation of different essay parts with appropriate titles, and the use of an introduction and conclusion.

Get more fear essay theses and other useful paper samples at IvyPanda!

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• Summary of the Article “Should We Fear Derivatives?” It is necessary to become more attentive to the use of derivatives, to follow the development of derivatives, and to study the peculiarities of each derivative’s type in order to use them properly.
• Hopes and Fears in Regard to the “Network Society” On the other hand, the importance of mass media and communication means has led to prevailing role of computers and other instant messaging devices over personal communication, and the resulting depersonalization of human relations.
• The Culture of Fear The culture of fear is not new: it continues to breed with the sustaining efforts of the opportunistic politicians seeking votes from the public by playing on people’s emotions through mass media.
• Embracing the Entire Globe: Globalization Is not to Be Feared! Despite the fact that globalization is designed to reunite people, restoring their economical, political and personal links with one another, there are certain suspicions that the effect of globalization can possibly harm the ethnicity and […]
• The Pianist: When the Mercy Comes Where Angels Fear to Trod Among them, there is the film called The Pianist, a winner of the Palme d’Or on the Cannes Festival and the movie that has raised a great stir among the audience, them regarding the film […]
• Fear and Trembling in Las Vegas In the book “Fear and Trembling in Las Vegas”, the author takes his readers through their experience in the chase of the American Dream.
• Machiavelli’s Claim to Be Either Feared or Loved In describing a leader’s demonstration of his personal skills and knowledge for the attainment of the state’s good, Machiavelli focuses the importance of statesmanship.
• Aerophobia or Fear of Flying The main aim of the careful explanation of the positive reasons of recovering from the condition is to enable the victim to have a feeling of absolute calmness as the session winds up and to […]
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• The Fears Within: What Do You See in the Mirror? Without thinking much of what she should take with her, or where the trip would take her, Cassie had bought the tickets and soon was flying away to the islands where the world would be […]
• Fear associated with sexuality issues in society This essay has shown how sexuality particularly in Africa is an issue that has for a long time served to propagate the fear of different people.
• Fear’s Psychological Aspects The controls and the fearful research participants were quicker in finding a target that was fear relevant, which the research group did not fear.
• SARS: It’s as Bad as We Feared but Dared Not Say The cornerstone of the study is the article written by Jennifer Eagleton wherein she described not only the SARS outbreak in Hong Kong in 2003 but also the way the media dealt with the crisis […]
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How to Overcome a Fear of Heights

Last Updated: September 21, 2021 Approved

This article was co-authored by Trudi Griffin, LPC, MS . Trudi Griffin is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Wisconsin specializing in Addictions and Mental Health. She provides therapy to people who struggle with addictions, mental health, and trauma in community health settings and private practice. She received her MS in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Marquette University in 2011. There are 19 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. This article has 14 testimonials from our readers, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 800,969 times.

Extreme fear of heights, also known as acrophobia, is estimated to affect up to 5 percent of the general population. [1] X Trustworthy Source PubMed Central Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health Go to source While nearly everyone experiences some degree of anxiety at the thought of a great, perilous drop, the fear is debilitating for some. If your fear of heights is so extreme that it interferes with your performance at school or work or hampers your enjoyment of everyday activities, you might have acrophobia. Learn about acrophobia and effective methods to deal with your fear.

Understanding and Potentially Facing Your Fear

• For example, have you ever not taken a job because it was located above a certain floor, or passed up the opportunity to meet with important people because they asked you to meet at a location too high off the ground? If so, it could indicate something more serious than a mere “fear of heights,” like a phobia/anxiety disorder.
• If you aren’t sure how many times your fear of heights has kept you from doing what you want, sit down and make a list. Think back to all the times you didn’t do what you wanted or needed to do because of your fear. Putting them down on paper could give you a better sense of how seriously your fear has impacted your life.

• For instance, depending on the airline, the odds of being involved in a fatal plane crash can be as low as about 1 in 20 million. [7] X Research source . Compare that to the odds of any given US citizen being struck by lightning, which are estimated to be about 1 in 1 million. [8] X Research source .

• Getting regular exercise, plenty of sleep, and maintaining a healthy diet are all great ways to regulate physiological processes related to phobias and anxiety. Starting small, like going on walks regularly or drinking more homemade fruit smoothies instead of eating fatty snacks, can get you on the right path.

• It can be very difficult to force yourself to do something you know will make you nervous. To give yourself a little extra "push", create situations where you'll have to confront your fear. For instance, if you're at a carnival and a friend wants you to go on a certain scary ride, tell him you'll do it and buy yourself a ticket. You're more likely to do it if you're already invested in the experience. Don't forget that you can use relaxation techniques to calm your jitters.

Trying Therapy

• Studies have shown that various forms of treatment you might encounter in therapy, such as Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), are helpful in managing specific phobias like acrophobia. [12] X Research source

• Accreditation. Before beginning a therapy program, look into the education and certification of those therapists and counselors you are considering. Try to find a therapist or counselor who is licensed in his or her field, and with some type of expertise in phobia/anxiety treatment.
• Experience. Try to find a therapist who has been in practice long enough to generate a number of happy, healthy former patients. If you can, talk to some. Ask them how effective and comfortable their experience was and whether they would recommend their therapist. Think twice about therapists who seem inexperienced or are unable to back up claims of success.
• Method of treatment. Most reputable therapists use modern, scientific techniques that have been subjected to peer review in legitimate medical publications. But, holistic and alternative methods have been researched and are widely effective for some people.

• Also, be sure to communicate with your therapist as to what techniques do and do not seem to be working.

• Eventually, when the patient has made significant process, the patient may take a plane flight or some other act that initially would have caused great fear.

• Homework may include activities like breathing exercises, thought experiments, and more. [15] X Research source

Treating Acrophobia with Medication

• Realize that medication-based options will not solve the underlying psychological issue that causes acrophobia. But, it can make life much easier by easing your anxiety and allowing you to relax.
• Consider using alternative and natural medications/treatments. They could include acupuncture, meditation, or essential oils. Be sure to talk to your doctor before trying of these methods.

• Antidepressants such as SSRIs or SNRIs are drugs that typically act upon and increase the levels of certain neurotransmitters responsible for regulating mood.
• Benzodiazepines are fast-acting, psychoactive drugs that can be useful for short-term relief of anxiety. While effective in the short-term, benzodiazepines can be habit forming.
• Beta blockers work by blocking adrenaline. This medication is mainly useful for the relief of the physical symptoms of anxiety, such as trembling or rapid heartbeat. [17] X Research source

• In this case, acrophobia may have a physiological cause, rather than a psychological one, so talk to your doctor. You may be referred to a medical specialist who can give you insight into physical causes of your fear.

• As with most practices, it’s always a good idea to consult a trusted physician before beginning any form of intensive practice.

Avoiding Damaging Myths

• Further research is needed to find a definitive cause for acrophobia. Until the fear is fully understood, it is not a good idea to expose acrophobics to extreme heights without first treating the fear with therapy, medication, etc.

• You are stronger than you realize. Show strength by seeking real treatment. [21] X Research source Meet with a doctor, psychiatrist, or experienced therapist to begin overcoming your fear.

Expert Q&A

• In the United States, certification requirements vary from state to state - many states and jurisdictions require therapists and counselors to possess a special license from a non-government agency like, the Behavioral Analyst Certification Board (BACB) or American Psychological Association (APA), to practice certain types of therapy. [22] X Research source Thanks Helpful 2 Not Helpful 1
• Try using diving boards at your local swimming pool, starting at the lower level and gradually building your way up. Thanks Helpful 3 Not Helpful 0
• Try to find other people who suffer with acrophobia. Belonging to a community can offer some solace as well as open you up to new resources and ideas you may not have considered on your own. Thanks Helpful 4 Not Helpful 0

Tips from our Readers

• Check the height before you climb onto the apparatus. Start low. Tell yourself that the height is low and don't look down. It may look high but that's from your eye's view, not the actual height.

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• ↑ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20821801
• ↑ http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/anxiety.html
• ↑ http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/phobias/basics/definition/CON-20023478?p=1
• ↑ http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/457032/phobia
• ↑ http://www.planecrashinfo.com/cause.htm
• ↑ http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2013/02/04/life-at-the-top
• ↑ http://planecrashinfo.com/cause.htm
• ↑ http://discovertheodds.com/what-are-the-odds-of-being-struck-by-lightning/
• ↑ Forsyth, J. P., & Eifert, G. H. (2008). The Mindfulness and Acceptance Workbook for Anxiety: A Guide to Breaking Free from Anxiety, Phobias, and Worry Using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (Pap/Cdr Wk edition). Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications.
• ↑ http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/PhysicalActivity/Yoga-and-Heart-Health_UCM_434966_Article.jsp
• ↑ http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=4996824
• ↑ http://www.adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/specific-phobias/treatment
• ↑ http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/phobias/basics/treatment/con-20023478
• ↑ Jang, D. P., Ku, J. H., Choi, Y. H., Wiederhold, B. K., Nam, S. W., Kim, I. Y., & Kim, S. I. (2002). The development of virtual reality therapy (VRT) system for the treatment of acrophobia and therapeutic case. IEEE Transactions on Information Technology in Biomedicine: A Publication of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society, 6(3), 213–217.
• ↑ http://www.nacbt.org/whatiscbt.htm
• ↑ http://www.changethatsrightnow.com/acrophobia/medication-and-drugs/
• ↑ http://www.allaboutcounseling.com/library/acrophobia/
• ↑ https://www.thebmc.co.uk/aim-high-four-tips-to-fight-your-fear-of-heights
• ↑ http://www.bacb.com/index.php?page=4

About This Article

Medical Disclaimer

The content of this article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, examination, diagnosis, or treatment. You should always contact your doctor or other qualified healthcare professional before starting, changing, or stopping any kind of health treatment.

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If you have a fear of heights, there are many methods, like relaxation and gradual exposure, to help you overcome your anxiety. Try deep breathing or yoga and meditation to learn how to calm your body and mind. These practices can then be used when you’re in a situation where heights are involved. Another method to deal with your fear is to gradually expose yourself to it. For instance, start by hiking up a large hill and looking down over the distance you’ve covered. When you feel comfortable doing this, push yourself a little further, like taking the elevator up to the top floor of a hotel. Celebrate each accomplishment as you slowly overcome your fears. To learn how to use medication to overcome your fear of heights, keep reading! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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If people didn’t feel fear, they wouldn’t be able to protect themselves from legitimate threats. Fear is a vital response to physical and emotional danger that has been pivotal throughout human evolution, but especially in ancient times when men and women regularly faced life-or-death situations.

Today, the stakes are lower, but while public speaking , elevators, and spiders don’t present the same type of immediately dire consequences that faced early man, some individuals still develop extreme fight-flight-or-freeze responses to specific objects or scenarios.

Many people experience occasional bouts of fear or “nerves” before a flight, first date, or big game. But when someone’s fear is persistent and specific to certain threat, and impairs his or her everyday life, that person might have what’s known as a specific phobia.

• Why People Feel Fear
• Specific Phobias
• Social Anxiety
• Overcoming Fear

At least 60 percent of adults admit to having at least one unreasonable fear, although research to date is not clear on why these fears manifest. One theory is that humans have a genetic predisposition to fear things that were a threat to our ancestors, such as snakes, spiders, heights, or water, but this is difficult to verify, although people who have a first-degree relative with a specific phobia appear more likely to have the same one. Others point to evidence that individuals fear certain things because of a previous traumatic experience with them, but that fails to explain the many fears without such origins.

Personality traits such as neuroticism appear to increase one's likelihood of developing a phobia, and a tendency toward frequent worries and negative thoughts may also increase the risk, as may being raised by overprotective parents, losing a parent, or sexual or physical abuse. Most likely is that people follow multiple pathways to fears , not least among them the emotional response of disgust.

Throughout human history, certain animals, such as snakes and spiders, have caused high numbers of deaths. Thus, some researchers believe, men and women may have evolved to carry an innate instinct to avoid such creatures, as it would deliver a survival advantage. Some studies have shown that it’s easier to condition people without apparent fears of any animals to fear snakes and spiders than to fear dogs or other “friendly” creatures. Studies of other primates show that they share humans’ fear of snakes , leading some to speculate that such fears themselves may have spurred the growth of primate intelligence overall, as humans and others evolved to avoid the dangers posed by such threats.

Research shows that babies do not appear to show signs of fear until around 8 to 12 months of age, usually in response to new people or events, but they are less likely to show a fear of strangers when sitting on a parent’s lap. And while some fears may be innate in humans, many fears are learned , perhaps most commonly by seeing a parent react fearfully to an animal or situation, or to frequently warn a child about its dangers.

There are times when people actively pursue experiences that could scare them, like a roller coaster or a haunted house attraction . Some research suggests that even though these experiences can be truly frightening in the moment, they may also boost people’s moods: The scare response is sincere, but the quick reassurance of safety delivers an equally strong jolt of relief and enjoyment that may linger well after the experience.

Some feelings commonly described as “fears” are not strictly phobias, but mental obstacles that limit people’s actions and decisions, often preventing them from making progress, such as the fear of failure , the fear of success, the fear of rejection , the fear of missing out, or the fear of commitment. These feelings of insecurity, unworthiness, or indecision can often be addressed in therapy .

A phobia is a distinct fear or anxiety about a certain object or situation, exposure to which consistently provokes fear or causes distress in the sufferer. The fear experienced is almost always disproportionate to the true danger the object or event poses, and people with specific phobias generally know there is no real reason to be afraid and that their behavior is not logical. However, they cannot avoid their reaction.

Phobias fall into five broad categories:

• Fears of animals, such as fear of dogs (cynophobia), spiders (arachnophobia), or bugs ( insectophobia or entomophobia) . These fears, known as zoophobias, also include the fear of bats ( chiroptophobia) and of snakes or lizards (herpetophobia).
• Fears of the natural environment, such as a fear of heights (acrophobia) or of storms. These phobias also include fear of fire ( pyrophobia) and fear of the dark (nyctophobia).
• Fears related to blood ( hemophobia) , injury, and injection, such as a fear of needles ( trypanophobia) or medical procedures including dentistry ( dentophobia).
• Situational fears, such as a fear of flying ( aerophobia), a fear of public speaking (glossophobia) , or a fear of riding in elevators, which is itself a type of fear of closed spaces ( claustrophobia).
• Others, such as a fear of vomiting or choking.

Phobias can manifest at any time, but tend to emerge in childhood or adolescence , and the symptoms are often lifelong. In some cases, exposure to the feared object or situation (the phobic stimulus) can cause full or limited panic attacks. As many as 9 percent of Americans annually experience a specific phobia, according to the DSM-5 , and women are twice as likely as men to have a phobia. It’s not uncommon to have multiple phobias: three-quarters of individuals diagnosed with a specific phobia have more than one and the average sufferer has three. The onset of a phobia can sometimes be traced to a specific event, like surviving a plane crash or being attacked by a dog. But for many more people, the origin of the phobia remains unknown. Some people with a specific phobia change their lifestyles to avoid their triggers, moving to a region where certain animals are rare, for example, or where there is no subway.

To learn more about causes and treatments, see our Diagnosis Dictionary .

Agoraphobia is the fear of situations that would be difficult to escape from or from which it would be difficult to get help, such as being in a movie theater or subway car. People with agoraphobia may fear public transportation, open spaces such as bridges, enclosed spaces like elevators, crowded places like concerts, and being away from home in general. Sufferers may become highly distressed when they find themselves in such situations and will go out of their way to avoid them.

Fear of heights is a common phobia, and one that is often experienced intensely. In fact, the symptoms often mirror those of a panic attack, including trembling, sweaty palms, nausea, and dizziness. Some have this phobia because of a traumatic experience but research suggests that, for many others, this fear, and similar ones such as claustrophobia, is a consequence of being more acutely aware of their bodily sensations than others, and more likely to interpret those sensations as threatening, leading to negative thoughts about jumping, losing their balance, or having a heart attack.

It’s often stated that the fear of public speaking is the most common phobia. It isn’t; only about one in four people report experiencing it. But when those with glossophobia are asked to speak before a group, the fear can be paralyzing. People who generally experience high levels of anxiety may worry not only that their speech will be ineffective but that their anxiety will somehow undermine their performance. For others, there are plenty of other sources of discomfort, such as feeling unqualified to speak with expertise, worrying about being evaluated by higher-status colleagues, and, quite commonly, overestimating the stakes of their performance.

Preparation, practice, support from others, and learning to put oneself in a calmer, more relaxed state can all help ease the fear of public speaking , but one of the most important steps people can take is to challenge their beliefs. Cognitive reframing of one’s worries—challenging beliefs about being boring , anxious, or uninformed and replacing them with more favorable, supportive, and, significantly, realistic statements can help someone gain confidence and more accurately perceive the level of threat.

Clown-like characters have been a part of popular culture for centuries. Yet some people have always found them creepy, and about 2 percent of the population experiences coulrophobia, or a fear of clowns . The reaction may be due not just to news reports of crimes by people in clown masks or makeup, but to the ambiguity that even harmless clowns present. With painted-on, unchanging expressions, clowns’ emotions can be hard to read and their intentions may seem unpredictable. The phenomenon known as deindividuation, leads to further unease: Since the identities of the men or women behind the makeup are hidden, others may become fearful of what they might do under cover of anonymity.

Tokophobia, or the fear of pregnancy and/or childbirth, is a longtime phobia but one that has only recently been seriously researched. It affects both women who have experienced pregnancy and those who have not. Sufferers can experience terror, panic, or intense disgust at the very idea of becoming pregnant, leading to difficulty in forming romantic relationships and depriving women of the family they sincerely desire to have. (Women who simply do not desire children do not have tokophobia.)

Nomophobia is a recently coined fear, with “nomo” standing in for “no mobile.” Researchers who have observed individuals experience intense anxiety, fear, or withdrawal when separated from their mobile phones (or even from mobile phone reception) believe the response is based on the devices’ primary function as a means of connection with close attachments like friends, partners, and relatives, and their role as “human attachment substitutes” because they carry photos, messages, and other cherished personal information.

Fear often takes forms other than specific phobias. For example, social anxiety disorder , which is also known as social phobia, entails a deep fear of other people’s judgment, evaluation, and rejection that limits sufferers’ enjoyment of life. Individuals with social anxiety may avoid situations in which they will be exposed to the scrutiny of others, such as giving a speech, eating in front of others, meeting new people, or engaging in group conversations.

To learn more, see Types of Anxiety.

No, but social anxiety can lead to depression , and vice versa. People who experience social anxiety may endure extreme unhappiness, self-doubt, and even hopelessness, symptoms which overlap with those of depression. But research on the two conditions reveals a core feeling of worthlessness, or feeling that one is undeserving, whether of happiness or of other people’s friendship . Addressing that symptom in therapy could help to address social anxiety before it triggers depression.

The techniques of cognitive behavioral therapy may help sufferers begin to overcome social anxiety . Practicing approaches to social situations through limited exposure, and beginning to question the internal stories that lead them to avoid others, can foster confidence in sufferers they are in fact the type of people who can handle social situations. Testing predictions that things will go wrong, to prove that they are incorrect, can further help people challenge anxious thoughts, as can learning to credit or reward themselves for steps toward socializing, as opposed to criticizing themselves unrealistically in post-mortems.

To learn more, see Social Anxiety Disorder.

When fear disrupts or overtakes an individual's life, therapy can help. A core treatment for fears is exposure therapy, in which a therapist guides the client to gradually and repeatedly engage with the source of their phobia in a safe environment to help strip away the threat associated with it. For example, someone with a fear of flying may be prompted to think about planes, view pictures of planes, visit the airport, step onto a plane, and eventually complete a flight. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is often applied in combination with exposure therapy, to help sufferers challenge and reframe their harmful beliefs.

Medication such as beta-blockers, which block adrenaline and lower heart rate and blood pressure, may be prescribed in the short-term, often when a feared situation is necessary or unavoidable, such as before a public speaking commitment.

Minding one’s thoughts, acknowledging their fears, and being present can go a long way toward managing everyday fears . The first step is to question the story behind a fear. When one’s mental predictions insist that something will go wrong or that an individual faces imminent danger, the ability to step back, recognize those thoughts as stories, and calmly evaluate whether they are true or rational can be a powerful step toward overcoming them.

Using the technology of virtual reality to simulate exposure to fears has emerged as a useful therapeutic tool. Evidence suggests that Virtual Reality Graded Exposure Therapy (VRGET) can be especially helpful in addressing concerns like specific phobias , agoraphobia, and anxiety disorders . Patient outcomes appear to be no different in virtual and real settings, but VR may enable therapists to reach more people with accessible and affordable care.

No one lives without fear, but those individuals perceived as courageous may respond to and manage their fears in ways that may offer models to others. First, they are not afraid to be afraid , knowing it’s a feeling that is sometimes unavoidable, and that it’s a feeling that can be useful when it’s recognized as an alert and not a barrier. With this knowledge, they can prepare without panicking, take action instead of shying away from it, and ask for help when their fears clue them in that it may be needed.

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By Marc Tracy

• April 8, 2024

Over the last five years, the Jewish political advocacy group J Street reached new heights of influence. The center-left lobby, whose slogan upon its founding in 2008 was “pro-Israel, pro-peace,” saw five Democratic presidential candidates stump at its 2019 convention. It helped persuade 48 congressional Democrats to back a 2021 bill that would have pressured Israel to further a two-state solution. In 2022, J Street had its best fund-raising year up to that point, a spokesman confirmed.

With the pro-Israel lobbying group AIPAC increasingly identified with the right, J Street appealed to many American Jews as reasonably moderate: standing by a democratic Israel, opposing the expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and supporting the coexistence of Palestinians and Israelis in two states.

Then came Oct. 7.

For months after the Hamas attack on Israel, J Street did not call for a cease-fire. In late January, it backed a “stop to the fighting ,” humanitarian aid for Palestinians and an end to Hamas control of the region. Just last month, an internal J Street email said the organization would use the word “cease-fire” — and it clarified that this was a semantic step and not a change in policy.

“I’ve never hidden the fact that I want J Street to be on the 50-yard line of the American Jewish community,” Jeremy Ben-Ami, J Street’s founder and president, said in an interview.

Mr. Ben-Ami said Friday that J Street backs the Biden administration, which warned American aid would depend on Israel’s treatment of civilians , and supports a negotiated cease-fire.

But the war has raised serious concerns within J Street’s ranks about its ability to hold that middle position without being pulled apart by forces on the right and the left. Internally, some staff members have been frustrated that the group did not call for a cease-fire much earlier. They fear J Street’s delay alienated younger Americans, including Jewish ones, who are much more likely to oppose Israel’s conduct in Gaza, as the death toll soars past 32,000 and more than 100 hostages languish.

J Street’s cautious footing contrasts with the uncomplicated starkness both of left-wing groups — such as Jewish Voice for Peace and IfNotNow, which quickly called for a cease-fire and are often on the front lines of pro-Palestinian protests — and of ones to its right, like AIPAC, which praised U.S. support for Israel’s military and is pushing for more.

The turmoil has also raised larger questions of whether a middle lane on Israel remains tenable.

“J Street is still there politically, but the times have moved on,” said Catie Stewart, who used to work at J Street but now runs her own political communications consultancy.

Employees have quit J Street because of its refusal to take a harder line against Israel, according to interviews with more than a dozen current and former staff members. Several significant donors said in interviews that they have told the group they will no longer be giving money for the same reason.

Mr. Ben-Ami said he was aware of the “handful of folks” who have stopped giving, but that they were outweighed by the extra donations coming in since the start of the conflict.

He acknowledged that among staff “we have had some very healthy disagreements, there have been a couple of staff who have left because they don’t agree with what we are doing.” He added, “You shouldn’t work in a place where you don’t agree. It means you’re really unhappy.”

In late October, dozens of former J Street employees and student leaders supporting a cease-fire signed an open letter condemning J Street’s “alignment with pro-war forces.” A similar, internal letter signed by current staff followed in November, as first reported by Jewish Currents.

“J Street’s mission was to be a bulwark against the forces in American politics that seek to entrench the occupation and blockade, and lack any regard for Palestinian lives,” the first letter said. “J Street was founded to push for diplomatic solutions over military solutions.”

Marisa Edmondson, a former J Street communications and operations associate who departed in December because of discomfort with the group’s position on the war, said that J Street had squandered hard-earned credibility with its monthslong deference to the Israeli government’s policies.

“We set ourselves up as the counter-AIPAC, and we have this power, and why wouldn’t we use it?” she said in an interview.

She added, “People to our left, whom we should be organizing with because they’re against occupation, now do not trust us.”

Mr. Ben-Ami acknowledged that the criticism has come “a little bit more from our left” than usual.

But J Street’s defenders say the group remains at the center of American Jewish opinion and insists it has adhered to its first principles.

“J Street is a Zionist organization,” Peter Frey, a financier and chairman of J Street’s board, said in an interview. “It’s ‘pro-Israel, pro-peace’ — it starts with ‘pro-Israel.’”

J Street was founded on the belief that a large swath of American Jews — a group that broadly is liberal in its politics, as well as supportive of Israel — was not represented by groups on the right or the left.

J Street would defend Israel’s right to exist while pushing for a two-state solution, a position that would align it with the nearly two-thirds of American Jews who believe that possible, according to an extensive 2021 Pew Research survey of the American Jewish community. J Street’s fundamental pro-Israel outlook would also give it the credibility to criticize the Israeli right, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Butthe politics of the post-Oct. 7 world have divided liberal Jews from one another and scrambled Democratic politics.

A different Pew poll of Americans released last month showed that 62 percent of Jews say the way Israel is carrying out its war in Gaza is acceptable, and 45 percent — an unusually high figure among the religious groups surveyed — feel President Biden has struck the right balance in how he favors the two sides.

That survey also found that 45 percent of American Jews, a plurality, support both military aid to Israel and humanitarian aid to Gaza, which describes J Street’s position.

Yet 31 percent of Jews in the same study said both sides’ ways of fighting the war were unacceptable. And a November study from the nonpartisan Jewish Electorate Institute found divides within the Jewish community. Most notably, while 82 percent of both middle-aged and older American Jews approved of Mr. Biden’s strongly pro-Israel stance at the time, just 53 percent of Jews between 18 to 35 did.

Such findings, along with personal accounts of generational divide that many Jews have confronted, have led to fears among J Street employees and supporters that the organization will alienate millennials, Generation Z and beyond.

“Each day, we are losing the support of younger generations, Jews and non-Jews,” said the letter signed by 20 staff members in the fall, “who once saw J Street as an essential player in U.S. politics and as the only viable left-leaning organization with sway in Washington over Israeli policies and practices.”

The majority of American Jews “still support Israel and still support the war against Hamas,” said Dov Waxman, a professor of Israel studies at U.C.L.A. “But over time, they have had growing misgivings about the way in which Israel is conducting the war and the impact on Palestinian civilians.”

The civilian toll in Gaza was too high for Dan Recht, an attorney and former head of J Street’s Denver chapter, a volunteer position. He told the organization in the fall that he will no longer support it financially.

“Netanyahu and his extreme right-wing regime were prosecuting a war in an extreme way and thousands of innocent Palestinians were dying, and it became quickly offensive to my notion of Jewish ethics,” he said.

Yet there is also evidence that J Street’s strategy is working with the kinds of people it internally refers to as “second-lookers” — those who dismissed J Street at first as too far to the left, but, disaffected by Mr. Netanyahu’s policies, former President Donald J. Trump, AIPAC or Israel’s conduct in the current conflict, have reconsidered the organization.

Marc Israel, the lead rabbi at Tikvat Israel Congregation in Rockville, Md., said he had long felt welcome within AIPAC as a supporter of Israel who favored a Palestinian state alongside it. And for years he had viewed J Street as, he said, “always a little too quick to be critical of Israel in situations where I thought there was more nuance.”

But Rabbi Israel drifted toward J Street following AIPAC’s decision in 2022 to endorse candidates for the first time and back some Republican politicians who had said the 2020 presidential election was a fraud. Rabbi Israel has been appointed to J Street’s clergy advisers . J Street’s responses to the war over the past months have cemented his sense that he is on the correct course.

J Street, Rabbi Israel said, is “one of the only, if not the only, Jewish organizations in America that is really expressing the nuanced view that many people I encounter feel.”

Marc Tracy is a Times reporter covering arts and culture. He is based in New York. More about Marc Tracy

Our Coverage of the Israel-Hamas War

News and Analysis

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At the International Court of Justice, Germany defended itself against accusations  brought by Nicaragua that its arms sales to Israel were abetting genocide in Gaza.

President Biden has again criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel and called his approach to the war in Gaza a “mistake.”

Turmoil at J Street: The war in Gaza has raised serious concerns within the Jewish political advocacy group about its ability to hold a middle position  without being pulled apart by forces on the right and the left.

Challenging Democratic Leaders: Protests over the Biden administration’s handling of the war in Gaza are disrupting the activities of Democratic officials, complicating their ability to campaign during a pivotal election year .

Germany’s Upended Arts Scene: Berlin, the home of boundary-pushing artists from around the world, has been turned upside down by debates about what can and can’t be said about Israel and the war in Gaza .

Internal Roil at TikTok: TikTok has been dogged by accusations that its app has shown a disproportionate amount of pro-Palestinian and antisemitic content to users. Some of the same tensions  have also played out inside the company.

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