my problem with heights

[Wyndham]

whenever I'm up high and am near the side (for example the barrier of a bridge, or an open window on the 3rd floor) I start freaking out, and see me or the person near the edge falling over and over in my head, and it doesn'tstop until I'm on the end of the bridge, or theyre away from the open window. so this makes it very hard to walk across bridges, or even drive. it stinks, and it's scary as hell.

[ABDUR101]

Stop concentrating on it. You're the one that keeps reliving the experience in your head.

[Broodstar1337]

I can fly in a passenger plane no problem. Ironically, I get scared shitless when I'm up on a ladder working on an aircraft.

[ABDUR101]

I have a problem with heights aswell, though I've worked on numerous roofs. I can climb trees and so on, but once I'm on the roof, I have a hard time when I get near the edge and need to get on the ladder.

However, I have no issues flying and rather enjoying looking out the window during ascent/descent and banking turns.

[Sinue_v2]

Same here. I think it's the idea that once you're up 30,000 feet or so, if you fall from that distance - you're dead. And pretty much instantly. I don't really have a problem with that. It's the falling and living through it that bothers me.

[DizzyDi]

Yeah I have issues with being near railings or whatever higher up. I always think "what if a strong wind comes along and pushes me over" or "what if the railing collapses and i fall" etc, etc.

[Noblewine]

Just don't look out of the window and don't think about it. That'll help.

[Scrub]

It's really an inborne fear. Common sense says not to stand against the edge of something where you fall off, you die, because it's not worth the risk.

I myself love to look down from high spots, to the ground. High as in 'deadly fall' heights. There's something magical about it, and if I have to die, than I want to fall from a few thousand feet. When I get nervous is at the bottom of tall buildings, looking up at them. Being in a city makes me really uneasy.

[Anduril]

I have an issue with heights as well, but for me it is more of non-straight down height that freaks me out. Rolling and breaking bones for who-knows-how long freaks me out quite a bit because of the thought of the pain I would be feeling. I also have an issue being near very tall things, fearing that some freak accident will cause them to crush me. I have basically gone my whole life thinking about what can kill me, and how.

[TetsuyaHikari]

I think my case is similar to that of ABDUR's actually. I don't have a problem climbing ladders or trees, but it's when I get to the edge of the roof and have to climb back down the ladder, I get this trembling feeling, like, "What if something goes wrong?".

I guess I just feel more comfortable climbing up, because I think, "Well, I can't fall up, sooo..nothing can go wrong, right?", but when I climb down, I think, "Well..I can fall down, sooo...hmmm...ho boy..x_x;;".

[ABDUR101]

Well, the issue arises with the ladder for me because it's never secured enough. When I'm on a ladder that has one leg thats firmly planted, and the other side of the ladder is wobbling and pivoting, but you don't notice it until you're most of the way up; thats when I get pissed off and think "Why the hell would someone half-ass this??"

So getting up isn't the issue, I can get up to the edge of a roof and pull myself up and over, but try putting yourself back on the top of a wobbly ladder and your entire brain is saying "Hey, that isn't safe...DON'T DO IT". There have been times where I've jumped from one roof, to a lower roof, and then to the ground, just to avoid using a wobbly ladder; and then I said the hell with it and stopped getting on ladders altogether.

Some people like the thrill that extreme heights bring, others don't. But as was said, I'd rather fall from a fatal height and die on impact, than fall and have something broke.

[Darkly]

the more you think the worse it gets. The more you think about what you are doing also increases the risk of an accident.

An example is when someone see a spider and they jump, that over the top action can cause them to slip and fall and actually hurt themselves, in this case if you are scared of looking over the edge you may start to act rash and a sudden movement may make you slip.

If you suffer from this fear their isn't an easy solution, it's just coming to terms with the danger your in and accepting it.

[Wyndham]

sorry i didnt respond fast enough. I don't freak out as much when I'm near a ledge as when someone i know is between me and the ledge, because I see me pushing them off. I hate it.

[ABDUR101]

You see yourself pushing them off? Issues much?

[Wyndham]

its that it scares me more than myself falling.

[omegapirate2k]

If you see yourself pushing people off the ledge, perhaps seeing a psychologist might be a good investment. There are a number of fairly proven methods therapists use to curb fear of heights (And most other fears, for that matter)



<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: omegapirate2k on 2007-12-17 11:46 ]</font>

[omegapirate2k]

EDIT: Server hiccup

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: omegapirate2k on 2007-12-17 11:45 ]</font>

[Wyndham]

I talked to my shrink, and he said just to ignore it. I've been getting slightly better.

[omegapirate2k]

On 2007-12-17 11:51, Wyndham wrote:
I talked to my shrink, and he said just to ignore it. I've been getting slightly better.


Well I guess he's right if it seems to be working for you http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_razz.gif

[Wyndham]

well, its been 2 years since i talked to him, so itll take a while, i think.

[omegapirate2k]

On 2007-12-17 11:59, Wyndham wrote:
well, its been 2 years since i talked to him, so itll take a while, i think.




Things like that are usually long term recoveries, so that seems appropriate.