Dramamine is a pretty effective anti-nausea medicine and helps with dizziness and balance issues. Doing cognitive distractions, such as naming items from a certain category. When it comes to ways on how to get rid of fear of heights, forget the past. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications. Remember that any physical sensations are just the bodys natural response and dont necessarily mean that youre in danger. Fifty trial participants with a fear of heights either completed a four-hour height training program (one 60-minute session and six 30-minute sessions over the course of two weeks) using virtual reality, or were assigned to the control group, which did not complete these training sessions. Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances. A study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences has revealed that giving a cortisol pill to people who have a fear of heights-in combination with behavioral therapy-"dramatically reduced their aversion." How do I calm my fear of heights? Like other specific phobias, acrophobia is treatable with a psychological therapy called exposure therapy. Will Future Computers Run on Human Brain Cells? For the easiest steps, you could begin with looking at pictures of heights, or creating mental images of heights. This article has been viewed 774,453 times. . [CDATA[ (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); // ]]> This made a fear settling on the mind and heart. In general, phobias have at least four criteria for diagnosis, including: Acrophobia can usually be treated with psychological treatment (psychotherapy) such as exposure therapy, virtual reality exposure therapy and/or cognitive behavioral therapy. Follow all directions on your medicine label and package. These include physical symptoms such as shaking, sweating, a racing heart, difficulty breathing, nausea and a dry mouth. . A person may . Many of the unpleasant symptoms of anxiety arise because our body is trying to pump more blood towards our muscles, to prepare us to fight or run away. Riddle Solved: Why Was Roman Concrete So Durable? Then my back thundered into hard-packed dirt. "What is new, however, is that smartphones can be used to produce the virtual scenarios that previously required a technically complicated type of treatment, and this makes it much more accessible," explains Dr. Dorothe Bentz, lead author of the study. Your negative thoughts are also linked to the loss of body control and mind. feeling like you might faint. ", "That was great way to be less afraid of heights. A Star Is Born: Study Reveals Complex Chemistry Inside 'Stellar Nurseries'. Blue sky was above, and for one swift second, nothing was below. Keep reading the next part to know how to get rid of fear of heights fast and instantly. Since it lasts only a few hours, Xanax is useful for flight anxiety. Consider using alternative and natural medications/treatments. Following each behavioural experiment, think about what youve learnt. An intense fear of heights might develop for several reasons. The control group exhibited no positive changes. 22,620 posts. Your healthcare provider will likely use the criteria in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), a publication by the American Psychiatric Association, to diagnose acrophobia. What happened when you did or didnt use your defences? For best results, take Dramamine 30 to 60 minutes before traveling or before any activity that may trigger motion sickness. Putting them down on paper could give you a better sense of how seriously your fear has impacted your life. Graded exposure therapy makes use of the transient nature of anxiety, helping you to tolerate and ride out your bodys anxiety response. Joining a support group for people who have acrophobia or specific phobias in general. Focus on taking deep breaths with attention to exhale for mobilizing your relaxation response. Further research is needed to find a definitive cause for acrophobia. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Its a type of anxiety disorder. The idea is that, once you test out your fears, you see that the worst doesnt actually happen or that, if something difficult does happen, its not as bad as you feared. There is currently no cure for acrophobia, but exposure therapy, a form of psychological therapy, is successful in treating it. Generic name: dimenhydrinate [dye-men-HYE-dri-nate] Ask them how effective and comfortable their experience was and whether they would recommend their therapist. Dramamine is generally considered safe when used as directed, but it is not completely without risks. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. It is not known whether dimenhydrinate passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. Usually, you have to have had experienced persistent fear and anxiety of heights for at least six months in order to be diagnosed with acrophobia. Drop your comment at the end of the post and share it! Jang, D. P., Ku, J. H., Choi, Y. H., Wiederhold, B. K., Nam, S. W., Kim, I. Y., & Kim, S. I. In the UK where I work, VR therapy for height phobia is now available in some NHS services, and might become available in other countries in the near future. For instance, if you're at a carnival and a friend wants you to go on a certain scary ride, tell him you'll do it and buy yourself a ticket. Try to find a therapist who has been in practice long enough to generate a number of happy, healthy former patients. #7. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/6\/69\/Overcome-a-Fear-of-Heights-Step-11-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Overcome-a-Fear-of-Heights-Step-11-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/6\/69\/Overcome-a-Fear-of-Heights-Step-11-Version-2.jpg\/aid125606-v4-728px-Overcome-a-Fear-of-Heights-Step-11-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"
License: Creative Commons<\/a> License: Creative Commons<\/a> License: Creative Commons<\/a> License: Creative Commons<\/a> License: Creative Commons<\/a> License: Creative Commons<\/a>
\n<\/p>
\n<\/p><\/div>"}, {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/3\/33\/Overcome-a-Fear-of-Heights-Step-12.jpg\/v4-460px-Overcome-a-Fear-of-Heights-Step-12.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/3\/33\/Overcome-a-Fear-of-Heights-Step-12.jpg\/aid125606-v4-728px-Overcome-a-Fear-of-Heights-Step-12.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"
\n<\/p>
\n<\/p><\/div>"}, {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/7\/71\/Overcome-a-Fear-of-Heights-Step-13.jpg\/v4-460px-Overcome-a-Fear-of-Heights-Step-13.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/7\/71\/Overcome-a-Fear-of-Heights-Step-13.jpg\/aid125606-v4-728px-Overcome-a-Fear-of-Heights-Step-13.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"
\n<\/p>
\n<\/p><\/div>"}, {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/d\/d1\/Overcome-a-Fear-of-Heights-Step-14.jpg\/v4-460px-Overcome-a-Fear-of-Heights-Step-14.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/d\/d1\/Overcome-a-Fear-of-Heights-Step-14.jpg\/aid125606-v4-728px-Overcome-a-Fear-of-Heights-Step-14.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"
\n<\/p>
\n<\/p><\/div>"}, {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/e\/e7\/Overcome-a-Fear-of-Heights-Step-15.jpg\/v4-460px-Overcome-a-Fear-of-Heights-Step-15.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/e\/e7\/Overcome-a-Fear-of-Heights-Step-15.jpg\/aid125606-v4-728px-Overcome-a-Fear-of-Heights-Step-15.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"
\n<\/p>
\n<\/p><\/div>"}, {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/a\/af\/Overcome-a-Fear-of-Heights-Step-16.jpg\/v4-460px-Overcome-a-Fear-of-Heights-Step-16.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/a\/af\/Overcome-a-Fear-of-Heights-Step-16.jpg\/aid125606-v4-728px-Overcome-a-Fear-of-Heights-Step-16.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":325,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":514,"licensing":"
\n<\/p>
\n<\/p><\/div>"}, {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/4\/45\/Overcome-a-Fear-of-Heights-Step-17.jpg\/v4-460px-Overcome-a-Fear-of-Heights-Step-17.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/4\/45\/Overcome-a-Fear-of-Heights-Step-17.jpg\/aid125606-v4-728px-Overcome-a-Fear-of-Heights-Step-17.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"