UNDERSTANDING ACROPHOBIA :

Have you ever felt shivering and trembling when faced with heights? Or have you experienced this feeling when you are at the top of a building and you are counting your breaths? Or when you go to your rooftop, instead of enjoying this thing you start feeling dizzy or like you are failing or losing your balance when you look up at a high place or down from a height? Does simply standing on a ladder reinforce the knowledge that you are scared of heights?

 

If you have experienced these things then it can be said that you may have fear of heights or in other words you have acrophobia. The term “Acrophobia” clarifies the fear of heights that can cause crucial anxiety and panic. If we explain it more plainly then acrophobia is the fear of height. Those who have a fear of heights, typically don’t enjoy outings in the hill track areas. Because all the time they are frightened of heights and feel as if they are stuck here. So this type of outing gives them stress instead of enjoyment. Studies have said that women have this fear twice as common as it is in men.

 

REASONS BEHIND ACROPHOBIA :

 

The seed of phobia develops in childhood. But sometimes horrendous experiences or worse injuries develop a fear in people’s minds. Researchers develop theories based on studies of people’s experiences or gathering knowledge of their childhood. These are-

EVOLUTIONARY:

Evolutionary theorists believe that the fear of heights may be innate. Because according to their studies, it denotes that people are predisposed to fear certain things that might be hazardous. In simple words, this theory explained that this fear might be genetic. Like those who are acrophobic, they might get this fear from their parents.

 

BEHAVIORIST THEORIES:

This theory says that people develop fear through interaction with their surroundings. This can be through observance, trauma, classical conditioning. Suppose a baby is observing that its parents fear heights and ask them to avoid height. This observation automatically grows a seed in their mind that height means fear or danger and thus the fear grows. Again, trauma can be a rational reason for acrophobia.

 

Because if a person sees someone had died from falling off a mountain then it is scary. This can be another reason for acrophobia. Additional reason can be if a person falls out of a  tree or experiences height-related injuries, it is normal to fear heights. because no one wants to get hurt again for the same reason. But phobias including acrophobia can also develop for no reason.

 

SYMPTOMS:

The main symptom is fear of height. But here is a latitude fact. Like some people may face this fear when he is at a drastic height. Others may fear any kind of height. Even they fear going to the rooftop.

Here one thing you have to remember that symptoms can be both physical and psychological.

 

   1. PHYSICAL SYMPTOMS :

• Sweating, chest pain, or breathing problems at the sight of height.
• Feeling lightheaded.
• Feeling nauseous when faced with heights
• Dizziness

 

   2. PSYCHOLOGICAL SYMPTOMS :

• Reckoning about going to a high place gives panic attacks.
• Extreme fear of thinking of being trapped in a high place.
• Create a fictitious high place and start worrying about it.

 

IS BASOPHOBIA A PART OF ACROPHOBIA?

This already has been claimed to be Acrophobia is all about fear of height. But what is Basophobia then? Well, Basophobia is the fear of falling. Now a question can arise that fear of falling from a peak is one of the practical symptoms of Acrophobia then why do these two phobias have different names? Are Basophobia and Acrophobia the same thing? Or Basophobia is A part of Acrophobia or are they both different? The answer is although Acrophobia and Basophobia have connections both are different from each other.

 

Simply, Basophobia is all about fear of falling whereas Acrophobia is fear of heights. But, there is a but here. When Acrophobia develops in a person’s mind, gradually some part of Basophobia like the fear of falling off a higher place grows. But those who have basophobia not necessarily that they are also facing acrophobia.

 

The major symptom of Basophobia is not being able to stand up or walk because of fear. Now one thing that is noticeable here is, Basophobia can happen when someone is on the peak of a mountain and also someone who is on the ground but not able to stand up. So now it is clear that Basophobia and Acrophobia are not the same. Additionally, Basophobia is not a part of Acrophobia. These two are closely related but there is a big difference between them.

Acrophobia is one of the most widespread phobias. It can be treated without a therapist by facing the fear. Overlooking fear is the main reason for accumulating that fear inside of your mind strongly. So if an acrophobic person tries to face the fear, he or she can overcome it easily. But you will need professional help if the fear reaches the peak level. To wrap up, fear is a common thing in life. Overcoming fear makes life interesting and hence you can explore yourself more.