I am sometimes asked if a fear of heights (acrophobia) and a fear of flying (aviophobia or aerophobia) are connected as I have came across many people happy to get on an aeroplane to cross an ocean yet can’t climb a ladder to clean a window and vice versa.
Like most phobias the psychological and physical responses are the same such as:
• increased heart rate, sweating, dizziness, and panic attacks.
• negative thinking patterns and previous experiences, can influence both fears.
However the triggers are different :
• Acrophobia: This fear is triggered by situations where an individual is at a high elevation and can see the drop, such as being on a tall building, a ladder, or a cliff. The fear is often related to the potential for falling(basiphobia)
• Aviophobia: This fear is specifically related to the act of flying in an airplane. It can be triggered by various aspects of flying, such as takeoff, turbulence, or the confined space of an aircraft, and may include fears of crashing or lack of control.
Yet there are overlaps and differences:
• People with acrophobia may also experience fear when flying because airplanes are high above the ground. The thought of being high up can trigger anxiety even if the context is different.
• However, not all people with acrophobia have a fear of flying. Some might feel safe within the enclosed environment of an airplane, where they do not perceive the height in the same way as being on an open structure.
• Conversely, some people with a fear of flying do not have a fear of heights. Their fear may be more related to the specifics of being in an aircraft, such as claustrophobia, turbulence, or the inability to escape the situation easily.
Thus , while there is a potential connection between a fear of heights and a fear of flying, they are distinct phobias with different triggers and may or may not co-occur in the same individual. Yet other phobias such as basiphobia and claustrophobia may be more connected and play a part in the fear triggers and responses.
Hypnotherapy is a powerful proven therapeutic method for dealing with the emotional responses to these fears and phobias and can easily be applied to anyone who wants to get on with their lives. Perhaps visiting people in far away places or getting on the rollercoaster rides with the kids.
You see you don’t have to succumb to your fears and phobias and miss out on the pleasures in life.
There is always a choice, a choice to live your life on your terms and seize the opportunities that fear can rob you from.
David McAllister
++353(0)858435939
Anxiety Clinic Dublin 