From the article: Acrophobia
I have never been officially diagnosed with acrophobia, but I discovered my own fear of heights when working on Universal Orlando's Earthquake attraction. Part of my job was "stunt coordinator," hanging out on a small ledge 30 feet above the concrete stage. On my first day, I became hot, dizzy, and disoriented. I hugged the wall and refused to move! My trainer slowly talked me through my reactions, encouraging me bit by bit, and I was gradually able to conquer the fear.
What about you? When and how did you successfully confront your own acrophobia? Share your story! Share Your Story
Pilot and afraid of heights
- Been a pilot for 30+ years and have no fear when I'm in the aircraft but I cannot walk over to the edge of a non fenced building more than two stories without almost passing out from fear. I also have a hard time going across big bridges. Weird isnt it!!
- —Guest Bob
It's going to be ok
- Im 21 years old and a firefighter on a paid department, while doing the academy i found my fear of heights, a simple 12-15 feet does not bother me, anything more than that i feel like hanging on for dear life, i shake and feel impending doom, we have a 93 foot platform ladder and one of the requirements is you climb all the way up and touch the top rung and then decend..when it was my turn i made it up to the 20feet mark, i felt sheer panic i tried to keep going i froze, as the instructors were trying to coach me and cheer me on i freaked even more got dizzy and held on for dear life, and instructor came up to my point and asked if i wished to continue and he would climb with me, i agreed took it rung by rung and eventually made it to the top and began my decent, once on the ground i was shaking like crazy and could barely stand up! thankful my instructors took the inititive to assist for telling me it would be ok and encourage me. i still dread the ladders to this day
- —Guest Caitlyn
Acrophobia and fear of flying
- I have been avoiding the flight journey and prefer to travel by Rail/ Road. When the flight is in air, i always feel restless till it lands.The entry to airport s will be uncomfortable but the sooner i emerge from the Airport and heading residence, i feel relieved
- —Guest Murthy
Ski Lift Panic
- I suffer from acrophobia but forgot about it when I jumped on a ski lift without thinking. Half way up, the panic started. It's debilitating. I closed my eyes the rest of the way and tried to focus on 'avoiding the fear'. What made this worse was my fear/panic made it dangerous to be on the ski lift. I somehow realized that and just tried to be still and endure the ten minute ride.
- —Guest Dwight
Fear is the Root
- I belive that if you find the root of this burden, its a begining. When you learn to understand it, your half way there, to Conquering it. Easier said than done I Know. I belive that mine stems from a chilhood situation. I loved to climbe as a child but when my mother found me on the roof of our home her reaction of shear terror and panic affected me also. It took me a while to find what i belive is the root (my mothers reaction) and now i am looking at what makes the brain do what it seems to do very well, React when confronted with hights. The reactions that we all seem to have in common is demoralising and embarrising. For me personally I fear going over the edge. Scary isn't it. I suffered this only yesterday when trying to cross over a castle bridge. So now my question is, Would my brain Let me Fall? thats the Real Fear, or this this a Vertigo symptom because i feel like I'm going to fall when near the edge of anything high? Any surgestions.
- —Guest Guestenough
Working in High Places
- I have a fear of heights, though it's not to any extreme. I work as a lineman on the railroad and I have to climb steel towers, up to 120 feet straight up. When I get to about 50 feet, I start to sweat, my heart rate goes up and my knees feel weak and shaky. I have been trying to beat this fear for a long time, but it still haunts me after a few years of doing this.
- —Guest MCD
someone2
- I not only have fear of heights for myself but cannot be around another person on a ladder or in a height position. I start lowering myself down and go into panic mode. Also have panic attacks on airplanes-don't know if this is the fear of height thing but definately not claustrphopia. Also have fear of groups, when people start talking all at the same time I want to run and hide. fine way for a great grandmother of 68 years to act. Imagine what I am missing with this silliyness.
- —Guest Someone2
the height game
- you think thats bead I am having panic attacks on escalators (moving strairs) in british metro stations its the enormity of the space above and below its getting worse but I never was awareof this fear until two years ago - I have no fear of a roller coasters unless I had to climb down!
- —Guest Sol
lol i just found myself
- im still afraid of heights...um 50 characters.................................................................................................................................................................................................................that should be enough
- —Guest galifreygirl
Weird Symptom
- When I read the symptoms related to acrophobia, I surmised that I do not have that phobia. However, when I'm in high places near an edge (such as a cliff) with no barrier, a get a tingling sensation in my groin area. It is not a sexual feeling. It feels very strange. As soon as I move away it disappears. I've not been able to find an answer as to why this occurs. Any ideas?
- —Ovlov
my greatest weakness---my fear
- i am so afraid of height that whenever i see ground floor from my 4th floor classes, my legs start to shake and i start sweating ...at that time i need something to hold..... this fear has really restricted me from many cases....i have been hiding it but now i can't..any suggestions will be great
- —Guest bookbipii
Paulingrams
- 43 years ago, I travelled on a student expedition to India by bus. Going through southern Turkey we climbed to 9,000 feet and around every bend was a sheer drop of maybe 2,000 feet. The driver was a student who had passed his PSV test only two weeks earlier. Every bend had a burned-out bus or truck upside down. On the way back, eleven students died in an accident on a flat road in then-Yugoslavia. Some years later, I went on vacation to Madeira. I hired a car to tour the island but there was only one road, wound like a helter-skelter around the volcanic cone. There was no safety barrier. I drove at 3 mph, hugging the inside for dear life. While I can now climb a ladder, I recently tried to do a job on a platform, and 8 feet up, had to cling on for dear life. I am 60! It's awful. A friend has asked me to go hiking in Corsica and I am terrified of letting us both down if the path overhangs a drop. What can I do?
- —Guest Paulingrams
knee-lock
- whenever im crawling a ladder, i start shaking. when i try to walk across a diving board my knees lock,unlock, shake, and lock again. im usually quite a dare-devil, but not when it comes to heights. my legs start shaking when im only thinking aboout heghts. please help me!
- —Guest galifreygirl
Panic Attack
- I push myself to not let it get in my way, i've been up the Eiffel Tower and walked on rope bridges high above the floor. The panic never gets better, but the experience is always worth it. Every time my heart beats at an insane level, endorphines flood my body and I have an insane urge to jump over the edge.
- —Guest Kristian
My fear
- I'm deathly afriad of heights. I start hyperventilating at only the mention of sky diving. This is annoying because some boys at my math table enjoy the "fun" of describing these scenerios to me to throw me into a mild panic attack. I also tend to have an overreaction due to my ADHD, and I end up completely fulstered. then my dyslexia and stuttering disorders kick in. I try to hide it but that's really hard. Everything seems hopeless....I almost feel like panicing just writing about it. any more suggestions?
- —Guest fifi
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