Skip to the content
Yes, I’ve helped several people overcome the fear of heights.
Acrophobia, from the Greek word Acro meaning high. The highest point in Athens, Greece, is called the Acropolis, meaning high city. Acrophobia is not the same as Agoraphobia, which means fear of open spaces.
This is quite a common phobia. Many people are embarassed by their phobia and go to great lengths to hide it, even though they could overcome it with the help of hypnotherapy.
Yes, because due to fear of heights some people will actually avoid a medical appointment if the clinic is on an upper floor of a hospital building.
Guy’s Hospital in London where I used to work includes one building which is thirty floors in height!
Other people might have to live in substandard accommodation because the better flats available are in a tower block.
By limiting their job prospects and their enjoyment of life, and by making travel more expensive and time-consuming. Some people might turn down a good job if it involves working in or visiting a high building.
Fear of heights also limits travel, if the road or railway crosses a high bridge or is adjacent to a steep cliff.
In the Southwest we have the Tamar Bridge, the Avon Bridge, and the Severn Bridge. These can be all the more intimidating because you can see them from a long way off.
Some people take long detours to avoid bridges, wasting huge amounts of time and petrol.
Fear of heights also cuts down on recreational activities.
Many tourist attractions involve heights, such as ski lifts, mountains, towers, castles, and cliffs.
My own favourite is the Golden Gallery at St Paul’s Cathedral.
This is not so high as the Shard but it feels higher because it’s outdoors and you go up on a spiral staircase.
Plus which there’s a whole Cathedral to see- much better value for money!
I discuss HERE about how phobias generally develop.
Fear of heights could also result from a traumatic experience in childhood such as falling from a tree while playing.
But in many cases the client cannot clearly remember how the phobia started.
A powerful cause for fear of heights is that when looking over the edge, the person may think how easy it would be to jump off.
In reality this never happens unless the person is already suicidal.
However such random thoughts can seem very real when you are in the grip of extreme terror.
You can read more HERE about how I help my clients to overcome phobias.
Strictly speaking no, they are different things. Vertigo is
“the sensation of moving or of surrounding objects moving when they are not. Often it feels like a spinning or swaying movement. People with vertigo may experience nausea, vomiting, sweating, or difficulties walking.”
Vertigo is caused by a malfunction of the balance mechanism in the inner ears.
This is normally due to a physical illness which will require medical treatment.
Of course a person who has vertigo will also probably have a fear of heights but in their case the fear is justified as they are more at risk of falling.
For more about how hypnotherapy can help to overcome phobias, click HERE.
Therapy sessions are £60 per session, which is about the average going rate in this area.
How many sessions are needed varies from person to person, as no two people are the same.
However in my experience it’s normally between three and eight sessions.
Hypnotherapy can create a permanent change in yor mindset, because the things and experiences you feared will now be a normal part of your life which you enjoy. This is not like seeing a hairdresser where you keep on going back on a regular basis.
To make a start on overcoming this phobia, call me on 01392574669 or use the contact form below.
Remember to tick the “consent” box or else the form won’t send.
I see clients at Holmedale Health, near Magdalene Road in Exeter.
You can also use the form to contact me with any other questions which have not been answered on this page. You will get a personal reply, not AI-generated and not a sales pitch!
