Acrophobia

Do you panic when you're high above the ground? Can you look down from windows on the highest floors of buildings? When you get on a plane, do you prefer the interior seats rather than the window seats? Does it bother you to even look at a photo of someone sitting on the edge of a cliff?

Acrophobia (fear of heights) is an anxiety disorder that affects approximately 5% of the general population. It comes from the combination of the Greek words "acron" meaning height and "phobos" meaning fear.

Symptoms:

• When the person perceives that he is above the ground, he begins to panic. He involuntarily looks for a place to hold on and doubts the balance of his body. He tries to lower himself quickly, for example crawling or kneeling.

• He begins to tremble, sweat, experience heart palpitations, and even cry or scream.

• He may feel terrified, scared, or paralyzed.

• He has difficulty thinking because he is in panic.

• A certain anxiety and avoidance is observed. For example, making a home visit to a relative who lives on the upper floors and has a balcony or large windows makes the person anxious.

Phobias and Disorders Related to Acrophobia:

• Vertigo: Vertigo is dizziness that creates the perception that objects around them are moving. Neurological tests such as blood tests, tomography and MRI should be performed to distinguish it from acrophobia.

• Batmophobia: It is the fear of stairs or slopes. When a person sees a steep hill, he may panic, even if he does not have to climb there. Many people experiencing batmophobia may also show symptoms of acrophobia.

• Climacophobia: It is the fear of stairs. Difference from batmophobia; In climamophobia, fear occurs when the person intends to climb or descend a steep staircase. When the person sees the staircase, he does not become alarmed as long as it is on the ground. Climacophobia can be seen together with acrophobia.

• Aerophobia: It is the fear of flying. Depending on the severity of the fear, it may vary from being afraid of airports, planes or being in the air. Aerophobia is sometimes seen together with acrophobia.

Reasons:

• All people may experience fear of heights, but the severity of this varies from person to person. varies. This fear is also present in animals and is adaptive, protecting them from falling from heights. Reasons may vary in people with height phobia:

• It is usually caused by traumatic events experienced in childhood or serious accidents that result in a fall, which affects the person very much.

• Even if people experience these accidents themselves and are not injured, this phobia can also occur in people who witness an accident or fall. This process is called "representational learning".

• Genetics may also play a role among the factors that pave the way for this phobia. Children whose families have this disorder grow up observing this stress and are more likely to experience it.

• Deviations in cognitive processes are the source of many phobias. Processing incorrect data in the brain regarding the concept of height creates extreme anxiety and leads to stress. Exaggerating the occurrence and severity of accidents in people's eyes and visualizing them in exaggerated ways in their minds is also effective in the formation of this phobia.

Treatment:

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is an effective method for certain phobias. Behavioral techniques such as gradual exposure to the feared situation (systematic desensitization) can be applied. It is aimed to reduce panic reactions and regain emotional control

• Virtual reality method can be applied. Through the computer, the perception that the person is in the environment where the situation he fears is in three dimensions is gradually created using appropriate techniques, and a kind of exposure method is applied. It is advantageous financially and temporally.

• In terms of medical treatment, some medications (sedatives or beta blockers) may be useful for short-term relief and reducing anxiety in times of panic.

• Relaxation techniques such as yoga, breathing exercises, meditation, and muscle relaxation exercises are also known as effective methods to cope with stress and anxiety.

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