How to Cope with a Fear Of Heights
We’re all born with a little acrophobia, or fear of heights. But when a healthy fear turns into crippling anxiety, it’s time to get help.
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You Will Need
- Determination
- Therapy
- Breathing exercises
- Distractions
- Medication
Steps
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Step 1
Learn breathing exercises
Learn to calm yourself through deep breathing. Being able to control your breathing when you’re in the anxiety-provoking moment, like on a ladder, will help fend off the physical aspects of fear, like nausea and heart palpitations.
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Step 2
Distract yourself
Find ways to distract yourself when you are doing something frightening. Try a mental exercise, like adding large numbers in your head, or bring along your favorite music.
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Step 3
Get virtual therapy
If your phobia is more serious--and you can afford the treatment--find a therapist who offers virtual reality exposure therapy. A computer will put you in a simulated scary situation, like standing on the edge of a cliff. This is considered the gold standard of phobia treatment.
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Step 4
Try graded exposure therapy
If virtual reality treatment isn’t available, go for graded exposure. A therapist helps you tackle small challenges (like standing on a platform) as you gradually work up to your biggest fear (say, going to the top of a skyscraper). Eight to 15 sessions are generally needed.
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Experts say continued exposure to the fear is the key to overcoming it, so keep forcing yourself into high places after therapy officially ends.
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Step 5
Consider flooding
If you want a quick cure, consider flooding. That’s when a therapist makes you confront your greatest fear in one brutal, on-site session.
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Flooding can be an intense experience--be sure to do it under the guidance of a trained professional.
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Step 6
Ask about medication
Ask your doctor about prescribing a medication you can take when you’re forced to be in a terrifying situation.
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The drug D-cycloserine has been proven effective in treating fear of heights when combined with therapy.
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Step 7
Try talk therapy
Try talk therapy. Though behavioral therapy works best for phobias, traditional talk-it-out counseling can be helpful for people who developed their phobia as the result of a specific incident, like a childhood fall.
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Some of the more obscure phobias include ereuthophobia (the fear of blushing), scopophobia (the fear of being stared at), and gymnophobia (the fear of seeing a naked person).
