Hang Gliding Therapy
Acrophobia is the technical name for having a fear of heights. People suffering from this problem often experience other types of phobias that compounded it. Aerophobia, which is the fear of flying, is one such fear. Many therapists suggest facing your fears head on as a way to overcome them. The thought of doing this can actually paralyze a person into inaction. However, there has been a lot of proven success in this type of therapy, so if you are one such person, please read on. It is completely normal and natural to have feelings of dread and anxiety over something, but if those issues affect the way you live your day-to-day life, then you might want to consider taking steps to overcome them.
Ways Acrophobia Can Affect Your Life
An overwhelming fear of heights can bring problems into every area of your life. Affliction with this terror will have you bound to the earth in both large and small ways until you are able to overcome it. Indeed, most don’t think about a fear of heights until an attempt to do something as simple as assisting a child trying to live normally. Climbing a tree to reach your son or daughter’s Frisbee or ball can become a source of debilitating anguish. Landing a job interview, which takes place on the upper floors of a building, can bring on a cold sweat and feelings of nausea. Indeed, unless you can overcome this immediately, you may miss out on that dream job! A family emergency on the other side of the country brings to mind heart-stopping images of engine trouble and plane crashes, causing torment at the thought of traveling.
Facing Your Fears
There are many therapists who recommend confronting your issues and have several suggestions for doing so. One of the first steps to dealing with your phobia is meditation and deep breathing. These will calm you down and help you wrap your mind around the other steps you are about to take. Slowing your heart rate down will help your feelings of anxiety dissipate. It is nearly impossible to attempt to overcome your fear until you have begun to breathe normalyl and stopped doing what is known as hyperventilating.
Facing your fear is part of a therapeutic treatment called behavioral therapy. Someone who suffers from acrophobia will most likely crumble in terror at the thought of hang gliding. Luckily, by the time the patient has reached this point, he or she has taken a number of small steps to acclimate them to the larger leap ahead of him or her. Advancing to the point of hang gliding and breaking through the fear you are suffering is a huge accomplishment for an acrophobic. Of course, due to the dangers of an acrophobic person panicking while in the air, it is typical practice for them to fly in tandem with someone more experienced.
Completing a tandem glide with someone can be a tremendous step for someone with a fear of heights. Even if that person does not suffer from a serious form of acrophobia, any fear at all can be problematic. Listen to the instructor and do not be afraid to ask questions if you have them. Your comfort during this process is the most important piece to the puzzle of confronting your issues. Never worry that someone will find your fears funny or ridiculous. In fact, anyone who has flown in tandem with a person afflicted with a fear of heights has likely done so many times previously. He or she will not only be sympathetic, but will also know precisely what to say to get you to jump off that cliff, have the ride of your life and have a smooth landing. In fact, you may even do it for fun the next time!
