worsening fear of heights

Bookworm85 · 28-04-2010 10:45PM #1

Hi all,

just wanted to get some of your thoughts on my fear of heights.

This fear has only come on recently, say within the last 5 years.

I never used to have a fear as heights. I was always climbing trees as a kid, or climbing up onto the extension roof. I was always the one who got things out of the attic for my mam! As a teenager I was always on the scary high rides at the merries and Funderland. But now I cant even stand on the kitchen chair to change a light bulb withour having a mini panic attack. Even seeing heights on the telly is enough to make me dizzy and start my heart racing.

Weirdly enough I am fine indoors, I could go to the second highest floor on the empire state building and stand on the windowsill to admire the view! But if you put me on the roof I would probably die

Would anybody have any idea why I have developed this phobia. I never had a fall or anything that would have triggered it.

Does anybody have any thoughts?

regedit · 29-06-2011 12:13PM

Bookworm85 wrote: »

Hi all,

just wanted to get some of your thoughts on my fear of heights.

This fear has only come on recently, say within the last 5 years.

I never used to have a fear as heights. I was always climbing trees as a kid, or climbing up onto the extension roof. I was always the one who got things out of the attic for my mam! As a teenager I was always on the scary high rides at the merries and Funderland. But now I cant even stand on the kitchen chair to change a light bulb withour having a mini panic attack. Even seeing heights on the telly is enough to make me dizzy and start my heart racing.

Weirdly enough I am fine indoors, I could go to the second highest floor on the empire state building and stand on the windowsill to admire the view! But if you put me on the roof I would probably die

Would anybody have any idea why I have developed this phobia. I never had a fall or anything that would have triggered it.

Does anybody have any thoughts?

About the same here but I would not stand oin windowsills etc. Driving in "high" altitued situations is difficult for me. Last week-end the bay of Kilary in Connemara/Mayo was a difficult experience.
Went for NLP-nothing (150 Euro).
Went for hypnotherapy (250 Euro)-nothing
Stared CBT last week and will have to have some 6-8 sessions (80 Euro per session) so will wait to see what happens.
I would say that something happened to you to trigger the fear to emerge. This could have been anything-from a bad dream, scary movie or even something you saw, read etc. Fear of heights is a primordial fear but why it emerges in some and not the others, that I do not know.

JaneHudson · 30-09-2011 09:14PM

I think phobias are worse in times of stress. I developed a really bad fear of heights a few years back but it went away after a while when I was a bit more relaxed in myself. I didn't force myself to go up high or anything like that.

AnnaVanilla · 22-11-2011 02:50PM

I realize this thread's a bit old but just came across it and I've the exact same thing - never used to be afraid of heights but it started about maybe 5-6 years ago and gets a little bit worse every year. Walking up a flight of stairs can make me dizzy and I have to walk as close to the wall as possible. I don't like balconies, even on the first floor. I've also started having this dream in the last year or so where I fall of a roof top and I wake up just after going over the edge. It's very strange but fortunately nothing that affects me too much so far. I really wonder what triggers it but it seems to be a common enough thing.

worsening fear of heights

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