Cause And Effects Of Acrophobia

Acrophobia is another word for someone who has a fear of heights and it affects 1 in every 20 adults. Chris DeVille has suffered from acrophobia since the first grade. When we was little he would go to the pool with his sister and cousin and they would always jump off the high dive, but each time that Chris approached the ladder he would begin to tremble and could not bring himself to climb it. When he was planning a trip to Chicago he planned to go to the Willis Tower and when he was standing in line to step on the glass edge he was not nervous, but once it was his turn he could not bring himself to do it and his knees began to tremble. In this essay I will talk about the cause, symptoms, and treatment for acrophobia. The term …show more content…
When you experience acrophobia you might not experience vertigo symptoms along with it, but instead you have panic attacks when up in high places. Also, if you feel like you are up to high you might try and find something to hold on to, start to crawl on your hands and knees, or not being able to trust your sense of balance. When experiencing a response to acrophobia it is similar to responses of other phobias. Some of these might include sweating, shaking, crying out, or increased heart rate. Those with a fear of heights could dread future situations they might have to experience. For example, going to the mall where they have to use the stair, escalator, or elevator to get to another floor, doing house work that involves a latter, or going on vacation where their hotel room in on a higher …show more content…
CBT is a technique that exposes the fear that someone has either gradually or rapidly, so this treatment is not only for acrophobia but for other phobias also. In addition to this the patient is also taught different ways to stop the panic reaction and regain control. Even though actual exposure to heights is the most common way to gradually overcome the fear; there have been studies that using virtual reality as a form of treatment for acrophobia and this form of treatment has been shown to be just as affective. The advantage of the virtual treatment is the savings in time and cost because there is no need for an on location therapist. There are also some herbal remedies that are said to help effectively to relive the symptoms associated with acrophobia without any side effects. The combination of herbs are suppose too help soothe the nerves and maintain a positive