Myth: Fear of heights is "timidity"

This is a rumor, fear of heights is a real psychological disease, and it has nothing to do with guts and courage.

Heightsphobia, also known as heightophobia, is a phobia in which excessive and abnormal fear and worry are the main manifestations of altitude or height environment. Epidemiological studies have found that about 2%-5% of people suffer from fear of heights, and the number of women affected is twice that of men.

Fear of heights is the result of multifactorial effects, including genetics, traumatic experiences, and social circumstances. Typical symptoms are that when the patient is in a high-altitude environment, there are symptoms of tension, anxiety, and loss of control that are inconsistent with reality, and they are worried about falling and falling. Feeling dizzy or out of balance when looking down from a high place or from a high place, and even fearing the thought of a high place. Often accompanied by autonomic symptoms, such as rapid heartbeat, chest tightness, chest pain, gastrointestinal discomfort, nausea, vomiting, chills, weakness, weakness of legs and feet, dizziness, etc. Patients also have anticipatory anxiety and develop avoidant behaviors.

Not all fears of heights need to be treated. For some patients, daily life functions can be restored after avoiding the object of fear, such as high-altitude environments. If it is found that fear makes it impossible for them to live normally, and there are symptoms such as dizziness, palpitation, shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting, etc., and they cannot be relieved for a long time, it is recommended that patients go to the psychiatry department of the hospital in time.

At present, the treatment of fear of heights mainly includes systematic desensitization therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, virtual exposure therapy, etc., and oral drugs when necessary to reduce the impact of heights fear on the lives of patients.