I’m afraid of heights

Hi sunshine, I also have a fear of heights. I didn't when I was younger but one day when I was in my late 20's it just struck me. I don't know of anything that could have caused my fear. Nothing happened to me. But now I can't stand on a ladder, 4-5 steps up, without my knees shaking and I get scared that I will fall. It doesn't bother me much, though, because I'm never in a position to have to be up anywhere. But here's a site you might find helpful http://phobias.about.com/od/introductiontophobias/a/acrophobiaprof.htm I can't really find any natural or homeopathic remedies for acrophobia. I don't believe much in modern medicine and mostly stick to Ayurvedic or Traditional Chinese Medicine or homeopathic remedies. But I hope the article helps a little. I know they say that understanding our fears is part of the remedy. Good luck!

I think you will have to learn to control it. When you are in that situation, take deep breathes, which will slower your heart rate and send enough oxygen to the muscles and brain. You will feel more relaxed. Live in a single-story house and try to avoid high places.

Some people say that if you face your fears then you can overcome your fear of heights, there is nothing to fear but fear itself, it's your imagination that is conjuring up these horrid thoughts, it's not sitting on the bridge itself, but it's what's you have created in your head, if you tell yourself enough times that you will fall, then it sends messages to the brain which accepts this and will prevent you from falling from the bridge. However if you actually do it and break the signals you are sending to your brain you will find in actual fact you won't fall! Sometimes just thinking about something is far worst than doing it!

If you have fear of heights, it is better you stay away from heighted places. When you see someone else sitting on a height, you do not need to be scared as it is that person's responsibility to take care when he/she is on a height. I stay on the fourth floor of my building but since i have a grill on the window i do not get scared. In my native place when i go on the terrace on the first floor and look down. I feel scared as it is high, i feel a crow should not peck me and drop me down. In my building terrace there is no wall, so i am scared to go up as i feel a strong breeze will push me down the building.

hi sunshinesophie, if you plan to avoid being uncomfortable, yes, staying away from high places is the way. but if you are actually planning to overcome acrophobia, then you should do something to deal with it rather than avoiding it. first, it is important to know your own acrophobia case whether it is severe or less severe. for severe case, you may feel very uncomfortable even though you were inside a safe environment of a tall building. for less severe case, you may feel uncomfortable or dizzy only when you try to look down from a high place. after understanding your condition, try to practice stress or anxiety relieving techniques such as deep breathing or you may try yoga or other forms of meditation which is helpful for you to relax in this kind of situation. then, you may train your mind and use positive thinking to change the way you will respond to the feared situation. finally, challenge yourself to put yourself gradually in situations that cause your fear of heights. a simple method is to go to the first floor of a building and try to look out from the windows. after you managed to do so, go to the second floor and look out from the windows, and so on. this would help you gradually to conquer your fear of heights. and while doing this, you may combine with the relaxation technique (deep breathing) and positive thinking technique. all the best to you, sunshinesophie!

Hi SunshineSophie, The only solution is to face your fears. Let that frightening feeling absorb you. I have this fear of blood before...like I would tend to vomit whenever I see oozing of blood but as time goes by and as I tend to engage myself to seeing it all the time (since its part of my job)...I became used to it. It's just a matter of time...and for sure, like me, you will get accustomed to it. Happy Holidays!

As a therapist I have seen this problem with so many people. The only way to deal with a phobia is to face the phobia and be with it. To go to a high place and make sure that you are physically safe and cannot fall, obviously. The just look over the edge and allow any feelings to arise, just observing them as if the feelings belong to somebody else. Stay with all the feelings until they disappear, which they will, if you stay with them. It may be a good idea to have a trusted friend with you. You don't have to suffer phobias, but you need to face them to overcome them. It may also be a good idea to visit a good therapist who specializes in phobias and fears. _Derek

hi there sunshinesophie, same as you are, i do also have the fear of heights now. and this fear develops when my vertigo arise. however, though i have this fear of heights, i am trying my best to conquer it since i loved to go places. aside from that, i always get annoyed whenever i feel dizzy, so i always put a piece of tablet inside my purse so i can drink it if the need arises.

I cant give you any tips since i scare the heights also. i don't dare to look down when i stand in a high place...and i don't dare to climb a tree also... I think it is not easy to pass it, better we avoid it whenever we can, i don't want to get troubles with it.

I'm also afraid of heights. When I'm at the top of the high rise building and look down, I'll feel scared and dizzy too. Eventhough there's a wall surrounding me, prevent me from falling over, I still can feel like I'm going to fall over. The only thing that we can do is not to look down when we are on the high level of the building.

I feel insecure when I am in high places, too. I discovered it when I went on a ski lift for the first time. We went up in the lift and we came down by foot! A couple of years ago I wanted very much to go on the London Eye. This is one of those wheels that goes round slowly but gives a fantastic view of London. Eventually I plucked up the courage to go with a group of friends. I decided to put the blinkers on, in a manner of speaking and did not look up at the wheel at all, either during the queuing or getting on to it. The wheel moved so slowly that I did not notice it until we were some way up. To my surprise I felt OK, I did not look down directly but across at the view of London. Only one person in the 'pod' was affected but each one has a staff member appointed to help them and there is a seat in the middle of the pod and she sat there and managed to get through the 'flight'. When the flight was over I walked a little distance away and looked up at the height of it. I was amazed at how high it was and I knew that if I had looked before I went on I would never have dared. So a little mind over matter does help and also learning to adjust to a potentially scarey experience helps too.

I would suggest face your fears and take it slow with having yourself adjust to high places. Or if it's too much for you, just try to avoid such high places. Otherwise, if you really want to get rid of your fear, seek some professional help to give you some guidance on how to overcome your fears.

First, be aware that you are in a high place. Never look down, it will be the reason for you to fear heights. Be yourself. Enjoy the view from your horizon and up. Enjoy the cool breeze. When you are used to that, you will feel fear no more and you can start looking down if you are comfortable to heights. Good luck!

Hi Sunshine, I am tremendously fearful of heights as well. The only advice I can give you is to face your fears and pray and have faith. I notice that when I pray and repeat to myself I can do this I can do this when approaching high places I seemingly get through the fear for that moment. You can't concentrate on your fear so much you must focus on overcoming it and thinking positive thoughts like I'm not afraid of heights, just keep saying things that you want to come true and they will okay!!!

Hmm...I know how you feel Sophie. i wouldn't say I am scared of heights but I don't really like beibg in a vulnerable place if I am high. I have had to go on to the roof of my house quite a few times to do repairs and I get nervous climbing the ladder, especially if it is windy. The way I combat this is not to look downwards and I try to think about something else. I even talk to myself reminding me what I have to do at the top or even what plans I have later. If you are at a high position, then I think it's important to hold on to something, then you will have re-assurance that you are safe. Always look forward and not down and I think you would boost your confidence each time. :-)

hi.this is the same fear i had when i was child but as i grew up i became resistant to it.but in your case i think you need to consult to psychiatrist to remove the fear permanent.my cousin was not able to sleep alone in the room thinking that someone is in room,he consulted to psychiatrist and now he is well.psychiatrist are best for these type of jobs

I think when you at higher place you should not try to looking down. It just make you feel afraid and thinking something negative.

They say "one should conquer his fears. " I did that. I had fear of waters before. What I did, I dived in a 10 feet deep swimming pool and I floated. From then on, my fear was lessened and gone. :-) Have a nice day!

This is a very interesting discussion and it really helps people who have fear of heights. I do have phobia with heights too... So I avoid going to a high place as possible as I could. It is better to avoid places that will trigger our fear for I don't know what will to do to conquer this fear too.

Haha,for what you mentioned above,according to my knowing,most people does...from my personal experience,I am sure it can be overcome. Years ago, I am carsick,very very seriously carsick.But in 2008, due to job demand,I needed to go out for businees trip often and often. And you konw, business trip means that you shoud take the cars,although I got carsick badly that time, especially in the beginning. But half years later,I found that slowly and slowing,I was far away from being carsick. So,just conquer yourself and you can overcome it.