Acrophobia

Fear of heights is a forwarding to this article. Further meanings are listed under fear of heights (disambiguation) .

Classification according to ICD-10
F40.2	Specific (isolated) phobias acrophobia
ICD-10 online (WHO version 2019)

Acrophobia (also called altophobia or hypsophobia in various technical terms ) or fear of heights describes a fear that can be triggered by staying at (greater) heights. It is one of the anxiety disorders . The name is derived from the Greek word ἄκρος "ákros", which means summit , peak or height. The opposite of fear of heights is no fear of heights .

description

Acrophobia occurs on towers , high mountains , in front of slopes, on bridges , high-rise buildings , balconies and ladders , among other things . Sometimes acrophobia is combined with other anxiety disorders. Acrophobia can also be involved in the fear of flying . However, it is not to be equated with this.

By definition, fear of the situation is inappropriate because there is little or no objective danger . A great height is not necessary to trigger the fear. A few meters are often enough. In depth psychological concepts, fear of heights is combined with the fear of "letting go". There are people who experience acrophobia only outdoors. If they stand behind a pane of glass, for example, there is no fear reaction.

In addition to the actual fear reaction, psychological symptoms of acrophobia include depersonalization , intense ideas, accidentally falling into the depths or doing this consciously while losing control.

As with other phobias, physical discomfort occurs here too. Symptoms can peak within a few seconds or minutes : These include shortness of breath , palpitations , rapid heartbeat , drowsiness, dizziness , sweating , chest pain or tightness in the chest . The height from which the fear of heights begins is called "fear height". It is different from person to person. The vertigo should be distinguished from the actual fear of heights .

Origin and handling

Acrophobia can have very different causes. The divergent appearance also makes a quick and easy diagnosis difficult. Basically, acrophobia can be innate as a special hypersensitivity, but it can also be learned from an unfortunate fall. Usually the development of mental instability is already recognizable in early childhood. Apart from the possibility of deep psychological investigation of the causes, the fight against the symptoms of illness is nowadays very successfully approached in a pragmatic way in the form of early risk education .

Therapeutic approaches

Fear of heights can be treated therapeutically either with drugs , by means of various relaxation techniques or by means of psychotherapy . In the meantime, hypnosis techniques have also found their way into the treatment repertoire. As part of risk education, fear therapy is practiced using the methods of “confrontation” and the so-called “gradual approach” to the specific target problem. It is about carefully building up self-confidence and controlling fear in a reflected, practical way of dealing with the form of phobia.

literature

• Stefan Knössel: Hypnotherapy for fear of heights (acrophobia) . Thesis. Constance 1999
• Rudolf Marx: Anxiety Disorders - An Introduction . In: Beiglböck u. a .: Manual of clinical-psychological treatment . 2nd edition, Springer, Vienna 2006, ISBN 3-211-23602-3 , pp. 197–203.
• Hans Morschitzky: Anxiety Disorders. Diagnostics, explanatory models, therapy and self-help for pathological anxiety . Springer, Vienna 1998
• A. Perkonigg, H.-U. Wittchen: Epidemiology of Anxiety Disorders . In: S. Kaspar, H.-J. Möller (Ed.): Anxiety and Panic Diseases . Gustav Fischer Verlag, Jena 1995
• Siegbert A. Warwitz: Search for meaning in risk. Life in growing rings . 2nd expanded edition, Schneider, Baltmannsweiler 2016, ISBN 978-3-8340-1620-1 .
• Siegbert A. Warwitz: Forms of fear behavior . In: Ders .: Search for meaning in risk. Life in growing rings . 2nd expanded edition, Schneider, Baltmannsweiler 2016, ISBN 978-3-8340-1620-1 .
• Siegbert A. Warwitz: Avoid fear - seek fear - learn to fear . In: Ding-Wort-Zahl , 112, 2010, pp. 10–15

Web links

Wiktionary: Acrophobia  - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations

Individual evidence

1. ^ Siegbert A. Warwitz: The field of fearful feelings . In: Ders .: Search for meaning in risk. Life in growing rings . 2nd expanded edition, Schneider, Baltmannsweiler 2016, pp. 36–37
2. ↑ Rudolf Marx: Anxiety Disorders - An Introduction . In: Beiglböck u. a .: Manual of clinical-psychological treatment . 2nd edition, Springer, Vienna 2006, pp. 197–203
3. ^ M. Elze: Fear of heights or vertigo? 2014
4. ^ H. Morschitzky: Anxiety disorders. Diagnostics, explanatory models, therapy and self-help for pathological anxiety . Vienna 1998
5. ^ Siegbert A. Warwitz: Avoiding Fear - Searching for Fear - Learning to Fear . In: Ding-Wort-Zahl , 112, 2010, pp. 10–15
6. ^ Siegbert A. Warwitz: Do children need risks and dares? In: Grundschule , 11, 2002, pp. 54 ff
7. ↑ Stefan Knössel: Hypnotherapy for fear of heights (acrophobia) . Thesis. Constance 1999
8. ^ Siegbert A. Warwitz: Forms of fear behavior . In: Ders .: Search for meaning in risk. Life in growing rings . 2nd expanded edition, Schneider, Baltmannsweiler 2016, pp. 37–39
9. ^ Siegbert A. Warwitz: Growing in the risk. From the contribution to your own development. In: Ding-Wort-Zahl , 93, 2008, pp. 25–37

This article is about a health issue. It is not used for self-diagnosis and does not replace a diagnosis by a doctor. Please note the information on health issues !