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Lani
29-05-04, 19:15
I'm not totally sure what type of phobia i have now, i have had a fear of heights since i can remember, i've tried exposure - or my parents didn't give me much choice in the matter.

After a few years it developed into a fear of high ceilings, maybe because i started to have thoughts relating ceilings to heights and it spiralled out of control. After that i lost a bit of self confidence and stopped eating out and stopped going shopping. Some things have improved, i can eat out in certain places now, i can walk down the street alone, but if i feel exposed or i'm anywhere with even a slightly high ceiling i feel terrified and want to get out but don't want to move.

Any help would be greatly appreciated, it's so frustrating.

Bigcloud
30-04-08, 10:24
Hi Lani,

I decided to look up fear of high ceilings on the net, and then i found your Comment. I have never met or talked to anyone with this fear, and people dont understand it.

My fear started about ten years ago, and has goten better I thought. But last sunday I went to mass (it was my mother annivarsary of her death), and i walked into the church. This church has huge high ceilings, and when i walked in, it was like everything turned up side down or somthing. I was so scared that (this might sound insane) I was on the ceiling looking down, clinging on for dear life incase I fall. I had to hang onto somthing, and stand under a ledge.

When i tell people "I gota hang on hear incase i fall up to the ceiling" they just stare at me. haha! Its horrible. do you feel like this? I remember in college in the lecture hall, id cling onto my chair for dear life, incase id be flung into the air and hit the ceiling. You prob think im nuts, but any way.

Im John by the way, I live in ireland.

Hope to hear a reply.

John

Tom_M
30-04-08, 21:28
Hi John, Lani

It always intrigues me how phobias actually start. I remember a few years back when the nights where starting to get dark. I was getting ready to take the dog for a walk, and for some reason thought about it being a bit scary with it being dark, after it being so light in the summer, and developed a mild phobia of the dark. I soon got over it but is showed me that you can imagine scenarios in your mind, that can develop into phobias. Is it possible that the same thing might of happened to you? Maybe you imagined what it would feel like dangling from a high ceiling, and the thoughts created a fear which turned into a phobia. I think the best way to start getting over a phobia is to first create a scenario in your mind that involves the phobia, but without having the fear. Sort of do it feeling strong and comfortable doing it. I know the same sort of things happen in our dreams when we try to resolve a problem that we fail to do at the concious level. Anyway, hope you overcome the phobia soon,

Tom

Redhead35
08-05-08, 19:39
I am so glad to hear others have this same fear. I have found out its altocelarophobia. My son is almost 6 and suffers from this. He dreads getting up for school because he might have gym that day. I just made an appointment for him to see a psychologist. He has had it for a couple years and i don't want him to suffer from it his whole life. He gets scared going into Wal-Mart or warehouses, like my husbands work. He thinks he is going to float up. Any suggestions or help? Mornings are so tough!

Charlottie
08-05-08, 23:35
I have this fear too!!

I just thought I was weird and had a backwards height phobia because when I'm high up I can look down no problem but if I look up it completely freaks me out!

kristiturpin
28-05-08, 14:25
I am so glad to discover that there is finally a name for this and other people who actually have it. Ever since I can remember I have had this phobia. When I was little I couldn't even walk through department stores without clinging to people who were with me or the sides of the store. Now I am in my thirties and only have problems if it is a Cathedral or a Stadium or someplace like that that has an exceptionally high ceiling. I feel like I am loosing my balance and have to hold on to someone or something. I get sweaty and my heart races. It's almost like I'm walking on ice. It is really bad if the place has a shiny floor because it seems even more likely that I will fall. I don't really know why. I don't get images of hanging from the ceiling or anything like that.

Task
29-05-08, 09:49
Up until a few days ago, I never bothered looking into this. Fear of falling up towards ceilings wasn't something I considered believable, so I did my best to hide it (as best as I could). Recently, I found out my eight year old son doesn't like looking up at high ceilings (as I found out at a hockey game), so it bothered me that he should have to suffer it as well. Knowing you're not alone makes it seem more tangible. If others suffer from it, perhaps there's hope.

Do any of you have problems looking up at the stars or the tops of mountains, as well? It always feels like I'm moving abit and that I will fall up towards them. My heart starts racing and I get dizzy. Palms sweat. When it's really bad, I get sick and feel like I'm falling even when I force myself to look away.

Another is movie theatres. Do any of you feel like you are falling towards the screen? Most movies it's managable, but some movies like Star Wars, it gets worse. Even a blank screen can get me feeling panicked. Planatariums are horrible.

Recently I was asked to do some work up in the mountains of Alberta and had to make up excuses for why I couldn't go (even though I would have loved to), simply because I knew I couldn't handle working around the mountains (looking up at them).

I am not afraid of looking down from heights. I've wired a few lights on communication towers. Looking up at them was horrible, but I was okay once I got to the top (though I got quite panicked when I looked up at the clouds going over head with nothing inbetween me and them.

Any thoughts or feedback would be appreciated. I feel better knowing my son and I aren't alone.

kristiturpin
29-05-08, 23:27
When I was about your son's age, we went to eat at a restaraunt that had high ceilings. I was so terrified that I clung to the table. My uncle was there with us and he was wearing a baseball cap. He let me wear it and the bill blocked me from seeing how high the ceilings were and that actually made it a little easier. This may help your son... good luck!

Task
30-05-08, 05:39
It's a good idea, and something I've never really thought of. He loves wearing caps and sometimes when I feel discomfort, I'm suprised that he seems okay with it. Not wanting to put the phobia into his head, I never mention it, but the caps would explain alot of it. Instinctively, I always avert my eyes from getting drawn in (or rather, up), but caps would divert his eyes from looking up.
Coolness

Bigcloud
03-06-08, 12:24
I should not be laughing, but i am so relieved that im not the only one. I havent been to the cinima in so long, because of the fear of being dragged, or falling toward the screen. You have described exactly how I feel. Has any one come accross a cure?

craftyone23
17-06-08, 19:49
I have a 6 year old daughter that will not go anywhere with a high ceiling, wondering if there is any help for her out there at all?

mattfromleeds
29-08-08, 02:54
hi everyone.

i fear tall buildings 3 stories or more and also have a fear of the horizon and things that are far away. i struggle in places like tesco with high ceilings and i recently went to wembley to watch Leeds Utd play, it turned out to be traumatic for the first 20 minutes with the loud speaker system and immense size of the structure. my anxiety and panic seemed to plateau after that and it was not too bad once i got my mind off it. i cannot watch a sunset or stare in awe at the beauty of the stars or the sky. i feel truly terrified of going to certain places. i will never see the grand canyon or new york, go to the pyramids or niagra falls. even photographs or tv footage of such places hit me with a psychological sledge hammer giving me feelings of dizziness insanity and terror. sounds dramatic i know but at the age of 22, my life has now changed forever, some of my dreams are shattered and i feel i will never be the same person again. just yesterday i collapsed in the street while running away from a block of appartments!!?? inside i cant help feel like a freek and like my life is over. i would rather have broken arms and legs than what i feel at the moment.
negative it may sound, but apart from feeding you horrible side effect riddled drugs there is not much doctors can do to give an instant fix. like all mental health problems prolonged treatment is the case. studies say that the average person with similar symptons take on average 2-3 years for an accurate diagnosis, further prolonging the right treatment.

Some professionals in USA also believe medicinal drugs can hinder natural psychologial healing processes. I believe exposure therapy is the preferred method of treatment. My fear also seems to include any vast expanse. Just THINKING about the size of a mountain, or depth of the ocean or vastness of space can send me into a psychological spiral which means i need to tap myself on the head or take deep breaths to control.

i dont see my friends anymore, i feel i will be alone with this for the rest of my life. what desirable woman wants to involve herself with a freek who cant even go to a night club or go to the cinema, or get on a plane for a holiday?
although my family are aware of it none of them show any signs of concern. my brothers have never asked me how it feels and if im getting better. ive told them sure and they are hearing me but not really listening with a genuine intrigue or passion into how they can help or how i can help myself. Im sure people dont believe me. Although it sounds cruel i wish my family and everyone else i know could have my condition for a dayso they ould know whats its like. If i was in a wheelchair i would get so much sympathy and understanding
but because people cant physically see whats parallysing me from living my life no one seems to care or believe a word i say. what im trying to say is i think this is an underestimated illness. People cant seem to grasp what its like.

Thanks for listening. Any questions or feedback welcome.

Oh an im 22 only started getting this 6 months ago.

ladybird64
29-08-08, 21:22
Hi Matt

There are many things that you have mentioned in your post that have struck a chord with me.
My reations to telly adverts etc are not as severe as to make me feel I want to die but they sure as hell make me feel uncomfortable. I almost "propel" myself into the view that I'm observing be it on TV or in a book and I can feel the fear and the certain knowledge that "I could never go there".
If I go into a hospital/block of flats/something similar I'm terrified to look up or around me, if I have to go to another floor I feel an overwhelming panic that tells me I need to get back to the ground again.:wacko:
I don't like looking up into the sky, when I go for a walk in the park (as I did recently) I don't feel comfortable looking at the trees in the distance, looking at the view over the large pond..the list could go on and on.
I joined here a few months ago and have had good support from others, I have chosen not to go down the "referral to mental health" route as I have been there before and feel too embarrassed to ask for another referral, I knew what I needed to do after the sessions last year (exposure) but was unable to do it.
I have also found myself with a confusion over what I DO actually have. I was under the impression that my symptoms matched those of Agoraphobia, then I saw posts like those on this thread and realised that I have those syptoms also, the terrifying episodes that I have when I'm out are Panic Attacks and it seems to be a general anxiety that sparks everything else off. Hmm.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not looking for added symtoms and labels but they are there so I can't really ignore them.
Maybe the search for an "accurate" diagnosis is difficult to find, if there is such a thing that is!
I would advise you to go to your GP though as you may want to access CBT/Exposure therapy or the others things that are available. It may not take as long as you think once you have made the initial contact.
I do understand that at 22, this is torture for you. There are so many others who are going through the same thing as you and the lack of understanding by your family is nothing unusual, although upsetting.
I think that when you have made the first move to getting some help you may actually feel some relief as you know you are facing the problem.

Good luck and keep us posted. :)

mattfromleeds
31-08-08, 04:33
I went to a Leeds Untd game today and convinced my self i was going to overcome any anxiety and stay for the whole game. I found it difficult been around and in the stadium just because of the vastness and size of the building. everytime i tried to go out into the stand out of the corridor, i felt completely overwhelmed and unable to cope. I ended up in the first aid room but im glad i at least tried exposing my self to a situation that i feared, rather than letting my avoidance behaviour take control.

Ive been going to the doctors for a couple of months and they cant deccide on what is wrong, therefore what to do about it. Got an appointment next week so things may move forward. Thanks for your reply, Means a lot.

corvint
13-10-08, 00:25
Altocelarophobia... so that is what it's called. The first time I really noticed it was on holiday in Taiwan. I visited a monument similar to the Lincoln Memorial building. I was terrified to look up at the ceiling. I was on my hands and knees having a major panic attack wondering what was wrong with me fearing that I'd fall upward.

After reading this thread I think I have a mild form of the phobia since I haven't noticed as problems for years. Cinemas and big shopping malls are fine. But this weekend I visited a friend in Canberra (Australia). There are lots of high ceiling buildings there. I can now handle being in places like that by focusing my attention on the ground. I hope you all find a way to relief this condition too. I know everybody's different and need different ways to deal with it.

As far as the initial trigger, I'm not sure if I was born with this condition or experienced something that triggered it. What does come to mind was a scene from the 1972 film Poseidon Adventure starring Gene Hackman. If you've seen that movie, you'll know which scene I'm refering to. I saw that movie when I was child.

sebbers
18-10-08, 12:49
I have this very same phobia and really thought I was alone! It has happened to me my entire life. I remember days in gym class where I dreaded being there not because I hated the activities but because the height of the ceiling frightened me. I have since had panic attacks in malls, museums, and office buildings with tall ceilings. Sometimes it seems that the type of shoes I am wearing can influence this - wearing high heels makes the panic worse. Basically I will envision floating to the ceiling and then crashing to the floor. It is strange in that I have absolutely no problem with heights. I can look down from high above and have no problem. Also being outside and looking at the sky is not an issue. It is only in buildings with high ceilings. I wish I could give some advice as to how to handle this but I have absolutely no idea. Whenever I have confided this fear with others it usually results in complete lack of ability to comprehend. It's at least nice to hear I'm not alone!

Sam 11
31-12-08, 04:32
I'm not totally sure what type of phobia i have now, i have had a fear of heights since i can remember, i've tried exposure - or my parents didn't give me much choice in the matter.

After a few years it developed into a fear of high ceilings, maybe because i started to have thoughts relating ceilings to heights and it spiralled out of control. After that i lost a bit of self confidence and stopped eating out and stopped going shopping. Some things have improved, i can eat out in certain places now, i can walk down the street alone, but if i feel exposed or i'm anywhere with even a slightly high ceiling i feel terrified and want to get out but don't want to move.

Any help would be greatly appreciated, it's so frustrating.
I have had a fear of high ceilings ever since I can remember. I would cling to someone next to me. It's not that I think the ceiling is going to fall I just get really scared and can't look up and I feel like I can't move. I have even had dreams of me being under a high ceiling. Even today I still have to hold someones hand when I get under them. I'm not scared of heights at all. I just recently googled this fear and found out it had a name. I feel better to know other people have it too.

Bato
12-01-09, 05:09
Hello everybody, I'm new here!

My problems started right after 10th grade, when I was in Wildwood, NJ. For reasons unexplained when I was near the huge Ferris wheel, or the roller coasters I had this feeling like I was "Falling off the earth." I tried to explain it to people but no one understood. I have since grown to fear being around large buildings, bridges, or wide open spaces. In theaters I don't like seats that only go up to my neck, I get the feeling that I am going to fall backward. And while I CAN look up at the sky, night or day, there is something about the late afternoon sky that just makes me...idk it's wierd.

Longer than this I have had the fear of passing out, and I believe it has developed itself into making me feel dizzy anywhere involving heights [as they are the easiest to feel dizzy in] and that dizzy feeling reminds me of what it felt like before I passed out, and so I panic about it.

The roots of my phobia may be different from everyone elses but it still feels good that there are people out there that understand what I'm going through [my one friend make's a joke about it, he doesn't understand it at all].

I often try to take on my phobia. NYC might not be the obvious place to go with this phobia, but I went there anyway, and while I was fine on the bridges both there and back, the city still freaked me out. Even if I know I won't enjoy an event to the fullest, I usually try to have some fun, so while I do keep a decent social life, everybody still thinks i'm wierd!

btw, my name is Rob

mamajkl
15-02-09, 03:48
Hi, I am new to this and like many people looking for answers... I don't know if it's altocelarophobia or not... I am ok in a large room with high ceilings, but if it's a smaller room like a washroom, the garbage room in may apartment, or the equipment room in the school's gym I start to panic... Any suggestions?

Maddness
16-06-10, 04:37
I just recently discovered that i have Altocelarophobia. I am 12 almost 13 and i wanted to figure out why i always freaked out when i was i a building with a tall ceiling and a wide space. I'd always freak out in movie theaters, museums, aquariums, and more. One day my class and i went on a field trip to an aquarium and it was huge with a giant whale. It even had a enormous tank for the fish at the other side of the room of the entrance...... anyways i freaked out and i begged my best friend to at least hold my hand cause i was freaking out. she wouldn't. by the time we got to the whale on the second floor i lost it. There was a noise machine of different whales that the class had to push so i had to go to another room to keep slightly calm but i still freaked out. I dont know why i have this. I'm glad i finally figured out what it is. My friends all thought i was insane for this fear and im gald to find out that its a real phobia and others have it.




P.S.
mamajkl
I think u r claustrophobic...... its very common..... its when u freak out from small spaces. hope i helped :).

Diamond of Neptune
23-07-10, 17:06
i know this is an old thread, but someone referred me to it.

I've had this phobia for as long as i can remember. and while for most people, it seems its a fears of only high ceilings, mine is also a fear of the sky. If i look up at the sky, i feel as though i'm going to .."fly off into space." I know it sounds ridiculous, but its what it feels like. and when i look up at the high ceilings, i feel disoriented, and i feel as though i'm going to just fly off into something, or fall.

I'm with you guys! I'm so glad i'm not alone in this :)

PROUDMAMA2
10-06-11, 15:56
Hi I am new here, my 4 year old son has been having a problem with a fear of high ceilings for the last year. Has a very hard time with school gyms. We have tried many things, rewards, wearing a cap,etc. I was just wondering if anyone out there has tried treatment and if it worked. He starts school this August and I am really worried.

ellieisawesome
04-07-11, 23:09
I suffer from batophobia.. Although it has gotten a bit better.
My batophobia was awful, to the point where I would see a picture of a tall building or high ceiling, and I would hyperventilate.
I am just back from Rome, Italy and it definitely made a slight change. We went to the Vatican and decided to climb the dome of St.Pauls. I wasn't planning on going into the church at all, but when you get down, there is no way out but to walk through a bit of the church. I had a slight panic attack when I found this out, and my mum told me just to look down, but that doesn't work for me as I still know it's there. When I eventually stepped into the church, I looked up and panicked. After about 10 seconds though, I was surprised at how 'okay' it seemed. I walked out, proud of myself. This was a small step in the right direction, and I managed to go into the Pantheon too.
I still suffer a bit from batophobia, but my advice to you is to force yourself into these situations. It sounds scary but it is the easiest way to ease your fear :)
Hope I helped a little bit :D

Falling_up
28-08-11, 16:04
i know this is an old thread, but someone referred me to it.

I've had this phobia for as long as i can remember. and while for most people, it seems its a fears of only high ceilings, mine is also a fear of the sky. If i look up at the sky, i feel as though i'm going to .."fly off into space." I know it sounds ridiculous, but its what it feels like. and when i look up at the high ceilings, i feel disoriented, and i feel as though i'm going to just fly off into something, or fall.

I'm with you guys! I'm so glad i'm not alone in this :)

Hey Diamond of Neptune, this is exactly what I go through. Such a phobia is so hard to explain to others without feeling stupid. I'm glad im not alone, yet I don't wish this feeling to anyone!