Batophobia/Acrophobia?

[Lani]

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]

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]

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]

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!

[craftyone23]

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?

[sebbers]

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!

[Charlottie]

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]

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]

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]

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!