Many people suffer with phobias but the most common is a fear of heights. This is known as one of two things, altophobia or acrophobia. This is not just a basic fear of heights but an incredibly distressing situation for many people. Many situations can set off the trigger including: climbing stairs, driving alongside a cliff, riding an escalator, going inside a tall building or standing on a ladder.
It is important to know if you have a normal fear of heights or altophobia. Some of the symptoms that should alert you include: rapid heartbeat, panic attack, trouble catching your breath and sweating profusely. If you are, in fact, dealing with a fear of heights then it can wreak havoc in your life. It goes without being said that you need to face your fears and reclaim your life!
There are many things that can cause a person to become afraid of heights. It can come about as a result of having some type of traumatic experience in your past. Sometimes people develop a fear of heights from simply watching TV programs that depict another person experiencing a traumatic event! If you have had a time of major emotional trauma then this could have inadvertently led to a fear of heights.
Our unconscious minds are very powerful and can easily associate a negative situation with a fear of heights. This is how easily this terrible phobia can materialize in the mind of the unaware.
There are many ways to confront a fear of heights. Exposure therapy, psychotherapy, flooding therapy, cognitive behaviorial therapy and systematic desensitization are some of the most common approaches to healing an individual. All of these have proven to be very successful but only one of them might work for you.
Your therapist will work closely with you by helping you to learn a better way to react in a given situation. They will help to encourage positive thought patterns and arm you with a set of skills that can help you to confront the fear and panic. In extreme cases medication is sometimes prescribed to help lower the symptoms that are experienced physically. Make sure that you know the side effects of these medications because sometimes they are even worse than the phobia itself.
Lemon Balm, Lavender and Passion Flower are herbs that can help to calm you down without the side effects of conventional medicines. They help to keep your nervous system calm while reducing your feelings of anxiety and the symptoms that are common in altophobia. If you are unsure about which herbs to use, or just need more advice, then talk with a herbalist in your area.
Author Resource:-
Dee Braun, a single mom of 6, is a Cert. Aromatherapist & natural health practitioner. Click now to visit Natural Holistic Health Blog which offers info on more natural home remedies & healing techniques for common health & emotional ailments and conditions at http://www.Natural-Holistic-Health.com/
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