However, fear and especially fear of heights can also trigger such panic attacks that it massively affects the person in his life and leisure activities. Accordingly, fear of heights can be pathological.
What is fear of heights?
For most people, being at a great height gives them a queasy feeling. Looking out the window of a skyscraper or climbing landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower in Paris is associated with respect for height, a certain innate caution makes us humans behave prudently so as not to endanger our lives. Fear of heights cannot be defined in terms of centimeters or meters, which cause blanket problems for anxiety sufferers. Rather, fear of heights is individual. While for one person the view from the third floor causes abdominal pain and anxiety, another may already suffer downright panic attacks by climbing a ladder. People with a fear of heights usually panic that they might fall to the ground, and the apparent loss of control over the situation makes them uncomfortable. Confidence in structural safety precautions, such as railings or thick window glass, dwindles abruptly, and the person feels at the mercy of their fear.
Causes
The causes of fear of heights can be varied. Most often, the cause lies in traumatic experiences in earlier history, for example in childhood, or simply in the fear of height as an unfamiliar event because one has never been confronted with high altitude before. The new situation can be so upsetting to anxious, insecure people that they develop a fear of heights as a result.
Symptoms, complaints and signs
Fear of heights makes itself felt through repeated episodes of anxiety and panic. Symptoms occur in situations associated with height. While some sufferers experience anxiety only at high altitudes (for example, looking straight down from a skyscraper), others experience anxiety even on bridges or in an average stairwell. For some sufferers, the fear of heights is so severe that they cannot stand on a ladder or on a chair. In addition to the feeling of fear, anxiety and restlessness can also occur. In addition, specific phobias are often accompanied by symptoms that are physically noticeable. These include tingling sensations in the arms or legs, sweating, dizziness. Nausea, shortness of breath, hyperventilation, and rapid heartbeat. Phobics may also experience a tightness in the chest or be very aware of their heartbeat. This often gives the impression that the heart is beating unusually loudly. The symptoms of fear of heights can be reminiscent of those of a heart attack. For this reason, it is important to rule out medical causes that could explain the symptoms. Other symptoms may manifest in response to the repeated anxiety attacks. Typical is the avoidance of situations in which the anxiety might occur. Many sufferers are ashamed of their anxiety because they recognize it as unfounded or exaggerated.
Diagnosis and course
Symptoms of fear of heights are expressed just as individually, but basically they coincide with any notable symptoms of other neuroses or anxiety disorders, such as claustrophobia (fear of confined spaces), agoraphobia (claustrophobia), or arachnophobia (fear of spiders). With a slight increase in altitude, for example when climbing a staircase to a very high floor, the first nervous symptoms appear, such as sweating, difficult breathing, pulse increase (tachycardia) and/or inner restlessness. There may also be abdominal pain or headaches, dizziness or similar psychosomatic phenomena. The greater the feeling of acute threat becomes, the more violently the anxiety begins to express itself. The stressful situation can lead to outright crying fits and screaming fits, aggressive behavior, but also to fainting that occurs in the short term.
Complications
As a rule, fear of heights itself does not lead to any particular complications or dangerous health conditions. Life expectancy is not limited by this condition. However, fear of heights can have a negative effect on the psyche of the affected person, causing many patients to suffer from inferiority complexes and lowered self-esteem. Especially in children, fear of heights can lead to social exclusion, teasing or bullying.The patient’s quality of life is greatly reduced in such situations. If necessary, certain activities or work are not possible for the patient, and flying in an airplane can also be affected by the fear of heights. This results in relatively large restrictions in everyday life. However, if the patient does not go to high altitudes, there are no further complications. Fear of heights usually manifests itself in breathing difficulties and an increased heart rate. The affected person may also lose consciousness and possibly injure himself in a fall. A direct treatment of the fear of heights is not possible, although the symptoms can be limited with therapies. For this reason, no further complications occur in the process.
When should one go to the doctor?
Consultation with a physician is recommended as soon as the affected person notices that he or she is developing unnatural anxiety. If emotional distress sets in as a result of the anxiety or if life changes occur, a visit to the doctor is advised. In case of sweating in places with high altitudes, palpitations or high blood pressure, a control visit to a doctor or therapist is necessary. Headaches, indigestion or tearful behavior should be investigated. If there is inner insecurity, a strong experience of stress or increased irritability, a doctor must be consulted. If the anxiety increases in intensity or if new anxiety states develop in other situations, a clarification of the health condition is necessary. If everyday tasks can no longer be performed as usual, if withdrawal behavior develops, or if the person no longer leaves his or her own home, the symptoms should be discussed with a doctor. If the affected person consumes medication or addictive substances due to his inner experience at height, he should consult a doctor. It is alarming if the person cannot go to work because of the fear or if panic attacks occur. In these cases, medical help should be sought as soon as possible. If the fear of heights arises continuously at lower and lower altitudes, a doctor or therapist should be asked for advice as well as support.
Treatment and therapy
Anxiety patients or individuals with a fear of heights should in no way be forced to face their fear, unless they are trained professionals who specifically make the fear situation part of the therapy. In most cases, the only way out of fear of heights is therapy, psychological measures can help the “sick” person to get rid of the fear that is limiting him. Essential pillars of the fear of heights therapy or generally the treatment of anxiety neuroses are, on the one hand, to find out where the fear comes from and whether there has been a concrete event in the past history that triggers the fear. Secondly, the anxiety is then approached step by step, with the therapist accompanying the anxious person into the anxiety. First, in stages, an attempt is made to increase the level that the person in therapy must deal with. Possibly the therapist will confront the patient with a ladder and gently elicit and reflect on what is going on in the patient’s incipient anxiety. The therapist usually increases this slowly until the desired outcome occurs. This approach of confrontation therapy is part of the classical psychological model as applied in behavioral psychological therapy approaches. Of course, there are a number of other models as well. Hypnosis, acupuncture or other applications of traditional Chinese medicine are very popular. Homeopathy also promises long-term improvement when the correct remedies are used. Still others swear by measures such as yoga or meditation to increase self-awareness. First and foremost, it is important for the anxiety patient to establish that he or she wants to accept help. Without the patient’s compliance (willingness to cooperate), therapy for fear of heights is not possible. Only the patient can find out which form of therapy is the most suitable. The patient may have to try out many approaches and measures until he decides that he can be helped. Not every fear of heights requires therapy. Many people live with it and do not feel significantly affected by it. However, if the fear reduces the quality of life and is perceived as a burden by the person himself, treatment is definitely advisable.
Prevention
There are hardly any preventive measures against fear of heights, however, some prevention can take place at a young age by parents getting their child used to heights and showing that appropriate safety precautions have been taken. If these are followed, heights are usually not dangerous.
Aftercare
If the fear of heights has been successfully overcome, for example, with appropriate therapy or another method, it is important to always continue to work on it and not adopt the attitude that you cannot get this fear again. Complete overcoming of fear of heights is often temporary. Often a small residue of the fear of heights remains for life, even if it does not seem likely after the recently ended therapy or method. If, on the other hand, everyday life gradually resumes without special attention to the fear, and the fear of heights is not sufficiently counteracted, it can increase again. If a new attempt is made to avoid areas and situations at high altitudes, further therapy is required. It is relevant to detect this development in its beginnings in order to prevent wasting time, money and energy. To notice the onset in time, situations can be regularly brought about in which fear was felt before treatment. If comparable feelings can be perceived again as in the time before the healing procedure, the fear of heights should be actively combated repeatedly. However, if fear continues to be not felt, situations to check for the return of fear can be done after longer intervals.
This is what you can do yourself
Sufferers in many cases show increasing avoidance behavior with fear of heights. This usually increases insidiously over a longer time window. However, it has been scientifically proven many times that it is helpful to face the fear. This can be done in different ways, cognitively as well as physically. In order to avoid uncertainty, cooperation with a therapist or psychologist should take place. This allows the anxious person to have positive experiences and gain new information. Daredevil situations on one’s own should be avoided as a matter of principle, as they can lead to a reinforcement of the anxiety. Running away or breaking off a stay in a higher position too early also leads to a reinforcement of the already existing fear. Therefore, it is necessary to wait for the moment when it is realized that after the fear, the habituation, habituation and then relaxation occur. The risk of circulatory collapse or loss of consciousness do not occur in these situations for physiological reasons. In order not to be alone, the affected person can ask someone he trusts to visit situations together with him that are anxiety-provoking for him. A visit to a high-rise building or a secured roof of a house is sufficient for this. Situations from everyday life should be visited so that there is a realistic reference to the affected person’s way of life.
