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Fear Of Heights
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By Steve Hill
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Psychiatry identifies three different categories of phobia:
Agoraphobia is a fear of open spaces. It is also a fear ofhaving a panic attack in a public place, of losing control in anarea from which escape may prove difficult or embarrassing.
Social Phobia is an irrational anxiety brought forth by exposureto certain social situations, leading to avoidance behaviour.
Specific Phobia is a persistent and irrational fear in responseto some specific stimulus, which commonly results in avoidanceof/withdrawal from that stimulus. It could be triggered by aninsect or animal (zoophobia), by a situation like being trappedin an enclosed space (claustrophobia) or it could be a fear ofdisease (pathophobia).
Fear of heights is one of the most widespread of fears. In somesituations a fear of heights is quite appropriate and a matterof common sense. According to psychologists, there are only twonatural fears - fear of loud noises and fear of heights.
However, a morbid fear of high places, which is the definitionof acrophobia, can be very bad for you. If you found yourself ina "high" situation, it would be much better for you to have yourwits about you. Feeling an intense fear while inside a safeenvironment such as a skyscraper is not an appropriate response.
As with many fears, acrophobia often goes hand in hand withother phobias, a fear of flying in particular. As it is a fairlycommon phobia, many sufferers choose to live with it rather thantry to get help, accommodating their lifestyle to thelimitations. This can prove crippling to many aspects of lifefrom holidays to accommodation, even limiting your possiblecareer options.
The best methods for curing acrophobia involve gradualdesensitisation, slowly exposing the sufferer to ever-greaterheights while teaching them relaxation techniques that willenable them to maintain their presence of mind. Some of themethods that work best are NLP and timeline therapy.
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