Acrophobia: The Fear of Height (Symptoms, Treatment)

Height-related phobias are acrophobias. Akron means summit or peak, and phobia is the term for fear. Acrophobia is a phobia that belongs to the category of specific phobias known as space and motion discomfort.

The fear of falling occurs in this specific type of phobia when people are exposed to heights. The word “head of heights” refers to someone who has minimal fear of heights as compared to those that do not. Those who hike or mountain climb or work on wind turbines would benefit from this head of heights.

Based on the severity of the fear of heights, the less severe grades are afraid of high floors while the higher grades will be afraid of climbing ladders in the evening.

Symptoms:

As the main symptom of acrophobia, you will experience panic and anxiety when facing heights. This fear is triggered by extreme heights for some people. Some people are afraid of heights of any kind, even small stools or stepladders.

This can lead to a range of physical and psychological symptoms.

Physical symptoms of acrophobia include:

• When noticing or thinking about high places, you sweat more, feel tighter in your chest, and have an increased heartbeat
• Height-related sickness or lightheadedness
• Fear of heights is accompanied by shaking and trembling
• If you look up at a high place or look down from a high place and feel dizzy or lose your balance, you may have vertigo
• Avoiding heights at all costs, even if it makes your life more difficult

Psychological symptoms can include:

• The fear of going up to a high place or seeing high places
• Feeling extreme fear if high up
• You feel anxious and afraid when you have to climb stairs, look out a window, or drive over an overpass
• Excessive fear of heights

Treatment:

Treatments for acrophobia include:

• Psychotherapy: Specific phobias are usually treated with cognitive-behavioral therapies. In addition, you learn how to stop the panic reaction and regain control of your emotions using behavioral techniques. You are often exposed to the feared situation either gradually (systematic desensitization) or rapidly (flooding).​
• Exposure: It is traditional to expose a person to actual heights as a remedy. Research published in 2017 suggested that virtual reality might be equally useful.5 There is also an advantage in that virtual reality treatment may be less expensive and require less time since no other people need to accompany the client. As virtual reality equipment costs come down, this method will likely become more accessible as time goes on.
• Medication: Occasionally, beta-blockers and sedatives may be used to relieve panic and anxiety in specific situations for short-term relief. Clinical trials for D-cycloserine, a drug for anxiety disorders, began in 2008. Study findings from 2012 indicate that cognitive-behavioral therapy can be used in tandem with medication. According to the study authors, more research is needed on dosing and duration of treatment.
• Relaxation: You can cope with stress and anxiety by doing yoga, deep breathing, meditation, or progressive muscle relaxation. Exercising regularly is also beneficial.