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Posted: 10/3/2014 10:04:22 AM EDT
It ruins my life, I am deathly afraid of heights, like when I go on a hike I hug the inside of the mountain, have any of you all conquered this fear? If so any tips?
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Oh yes. Back in the army. It was either rope down or stay up. After that it was shitty russian helos maintained with duct tape since the fall of soviet union. Now my fear of heights has become more like deep respect to cliffs or edges without rails...
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I used to do alot of work in refineries and other similar heavy industries. Part of the job was climbing in excess of 150ft on a daily basis. I ended up quitting because i couldn't overcome this fear.
Good luck. |
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This pertains to me. I missed going up in the sears tower because of my fear of heights...
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You don't need help unless it renders you paralized and gives you panic attacks. Acrophobia is serious; what you have just seems like a natural fear (being able to hike still while being afraid of the height)
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In my younger days I couldn't go up a ladder more than 7 or 8 steps. I couldn't go up to the second floor window to cover the air conditioner for the winter. As I got older and had to do work on my house up high it kind of just went away. Last summer I spent 3 months up on a ladder on the second floor working on the gutters and had to be careful I didn't forget where I was and fall off I was so relaxed. I had to keep an arm around the ladder to remind myself. Just doesn't bother me anymore. I don't know why but a lot of things change as you get older.
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Just have to expose yourself to it. It will feel uncomfortable; but you can't let that feeling control you.
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Not so much the height but the fear of falling, but not so much the falling as the sudden stop at the end.
when I was a kid I had a pretty nasty fall that gave me a concussion for 8 days and left a permanent dent in my skull. Now I have a healthy respect for high places and just follow safety procedures. |
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I think I'm just afraid of falling.
I can pilot a small ultralight fine, but get me on a lift running cable @ 50' and it scares the shit out of me. It's something to do with perceived control. I think. |
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Watch the movie Reo Williams: The Adventure Begins
There are techniques in it to get over your fear. Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile |
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I'm a structural engineer and afraid of heights. It sucks, but you gotta do what you gotta do.
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I am not afraid of falling, just the sudden stop.
I am not afraid of drowning, but taking my last shot. I am not afraid pain, but the lack of pain I fear. I am not afraid of dying, but knowing I won't be here. - Shotgunfatcat |
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x87. One slip or muscle cramp and its over. |
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View Quote watching shit like that actually gives me a mild panic attack. I cant help but feeling like I'm about to fall to my death, or worse, live through it... |
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Tall buildings and airplanes don't scare me. Going up/down ladders does.
When I had to go up a 32' ladder on a daily basis at a job, I got used to it after a week and it didn't bother me. Didn't do it for a month and the fear set right back in. I guess repetition will keep it at bay. |
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If it's an irrational fear of heights I don't know how to help.
A rational fear of falling can be overcome pretty easily by working your way up slowly and building confidence in your ability to avoid falling. I had a lot of trouble with working at heights when I started framing houses, that was after I'd been in the military and jumped out of airplanes and such. Experience and confidence eventually fixed it, I had no trouble at all. Now I don't do that kind of thing anymore it would probably scare me because the muscle memory and confidence in my skills is eroded. Wish you the best either way. |
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As a kid going over (and stopping in the middle of ) The Royal Gorge Bridge on a windy day.....
Looking out into the Grand Canyon from an observation area with 2 foot high cable fence.... Looking over the edge at Lembert Dome in Yosemite... Ok with flying, sat in the plexiglas nose turret of a B-24 out over Long Beach Harbor and stood at the open gun turret at the side. Also sat in helo in Kauai with plexi floor...spooked the wife a bit. Doesn't take much to be a statistic. Good luck thrill seekers. |
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Quoted:
watching shit like that actually gives me a mild panic attack. I cant help but feeling like I'm about to fall to my death, or worse, live through it... View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
watching shit like that actually gives me a mild panic attack. I cant help but feeling like I'm about to fall to my death, or worse, live through it... I don't watch it..only link to it |
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I used to do a fair bit of rock climbing. One time, I took a first date "sport rappelling" and ended up on crutches after botching my testosterone-fueled show-off descent.
I still like climbing, but don't like heights as much. The St. Louis Arch is something my kids love, climbing up onto the ledge to look down. I look once and get the primal "butt-tingling" self-preservation reaction. Roller coasters? I like them just fine. Those hateful random drop towers, no thank you. To change my smoke detector battery at the apex of my living room ceiling, I stand at the top of a 17 foot extended ladder and still can barely reach it. The top legs are against the sheetrock wall. I balance on almost tiptoes on one rung and balance my fingertips against the wall. Then I stretch my other arm behind my head to flick the battery cover open and change the battery blindly. I do not like it, not one bit, and had to do it twice one weekend when the detector was going bad. Next time, I'm changing the battery with a shotgun. Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile |
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I was afraid of heights. I became a Fire instructor teaching firefighting. Did you know they have long Ladders? They have 100FT aerial trucks. They have really high snorkel trucks. Guess what new guy (me) got to teach. Yep LADDERS and AERIALS. First off no one can hear you if you are more that 20 ft off the ground that helped. However you still have to demonstrate stuff. You know, like how to climb a 100 ft ladder all the way to the top. I taught in 28 different fire depts. in 5 yrs and had a ball doing it. Start out low and work your way up.
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I don't mind flying. I like sitting by the window and watching the world below.
I can't stand going over tall bridges though and I don't like going up into tall buildings. It seems that once I get past the 10th floor is when I have a problem. My current job has me on the 5th and 6th floor and I'm good to go with that. I had a job interview once that was on the 33rd floor. As soon as the elevator opened there was giant glass windows all around. Thank God I didn't get that job. |
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View Quote How long we have to wait for Darwin to show up? Fuck that shit. |
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I rode roller coasters, any coaster I could find, preferably sitting in the front. Dosent bother me now.
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Falling is the fun part, hitting the ground is what sucks.
I do ndt work and an constantly at heights. There is nothing like 14 inches of sway at the top of some distillation towers. It doesn't bother me, but you would be foolish to not respect what the outcome would be if you fell. Which is the reason for the safety equipment. My 5 yr old got scared on the monkey bars at school and froze. My solution was to set up a confidence course in the back yard. Start small with an elevated beam to walk across, small ladders and the such.... Work your way up. She thinks it's great fun zip lining from tree to tree now about 30 ft off the ground. I have a different outlook then most people, I look at a situation, figure out what is the worst case scenario,...... Dieing in this case, accept the fact that if you screw up your dead(it going to happen sooner or later anyhow) , and go about your business as normal taking steps to reduce the risk of said outcome. Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile |
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If you get panic attacks, you won't overcome it, and may die trying, seriously.
Panic was a good survival mechanism prior to civilization, but is no longer needed. In panic, every inividual tends to respond differently, some will move in an obviously unsafe direction, some will freeze, some will lean the wrong way, etc. The idea being that out of all that chaos, somebody will survive to let the rest of the group know what not to do. If you just get really nervous, and not panic (you'll know panic, your brain goes out of your complete control), you can try to overcome it. Start with meds if you must until you are acclimated, then go without meds. The single most important fear reducer is confidence. If you can walk a straight line and know it, pull yourself up a level and know it, and have safety equipment you know how to use, you are well on your way to not being bothered by heights. Knowledge also helps beat fear, but properly placed self-confidence conquers it. |
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I am scared of heights too. Just do things to overcome it. There is really not much else you can do other than decrease your sensitivity to it.
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Quoted:
Just have to expose yourself to it. It will feel uncomfortable; but you can't let that feeling control you. View Quote yup, every time i have to get in a high-lift or the like its 30 minutes of cold terror sweats, then i'm good as in hanging over the side on my tip toes and such, till the next time i use one which is always like 2 years later. |
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get the jumpmaster to plant his boot in your ass while you're standing at the door hooked to the static line..
fear is fear, only way to conquer it is face it..there is a "group" somewhere in your city that will help you deal.. CHEF.. |
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Quoted:
yup, every time i have to get in a high-lift or the like its 30 minutes of cold terror sweats, then i'm good as in hanging over the side on my tip toes and such, till the next time i use one which is always like 2 years later. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
Quoted:
Just have to expose yourself to it. It will feel uncomfortable; but you can't let that feeling control you. yup, every time i have to get in a high-lift or the like its 30 minutes of cold terror sweats, then i'm good as in hanging over the side on my tip toes and such, till the next time i use one which is always like 2 years later. What's funny is I have zero issues with an articulated Manlift, the largest one I drove was 120ft capability,Rock climbing, repeling off the side of a 60 ft high tank, climbing trees 30,40,60 ft off the ground, walking on 8 in I beam a few stories up .... but put me on a damm 30 ft scissor lift and watch me get a little squirrely. I just don't trust the equipment not to overturn..... Edit - I had a guy up in an 80 ft lift not to long ago, he was nervous to start with, he started holding on tight after about 30ft... Where we had to go was a tough spot, through a pipe rack or two.... When he asked what the beeping noise was I informed him that it was the tip over alarm..... When we got to the location, I tied off and stepped out on to some structural beam, he stayed with the lift ;-) Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile |
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Is it a fear of heights them self, or a vertigo-induced sense of panic when you see a huge difference in heights?
Afraid to fly, or just afraid to stand at the edge of a cliff or open elevator shaft or whatnot? |
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The best way is to start low and work your way up.
When I was learning to paraglide, the instructor started me out on low, short, flights about 2-3 feet off the ground. Eventually I worked up to the top of the hill where I had no hesitation hurling myself into the abyss once conditions were right. |
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Used to LOVE heights, could climb like a squirrel.
Then had an accident that gave me vertigo. I can barely look up while walking, lest I start feeling like I'm free falling. |
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I learned how to rock climb.
I'm still uncomfortable with heights. I also have an irrational fear kick in when swimming next to a big ship. Never heard of anyone else with that one. |
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x87. One slip or muscle cramp and its over. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
x87. One slip or muscle cramp and its over. Fuck'in A |
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I can rappell off of a 20 foot ledge now, anything higher than that liquifies my guts, and I think it is just irrational fear I have had since I was young, I don't know why, I never fell or anythng
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