Acrophobia, anyone managed to cure or improve their fear of heights ?

Ridgeway

Ridgeway

LIFE MEMBER
Joined
Mar 10, 2012
Posts
4,078
Likes collected
7,865
Location
Lausanne
Funster No
20,102
MH
NiBi Arto 85E
Exp
Since 2012
20yrs ago i could climb any tree, ladders no issue and quite happy to hang off anything in some times the most precarious ways, heights just didn‘t worry me at all.

About 15yrs back we drove up Mont Ventoux and as we crested (me driving) i suddenly felt a strange feeling of wanting to be closer to the floor and not sitting high up in a 4x4 vehicle cresting a mountain. Got out at the top and basically had to sit on the floor and it took me a while to even think about driving down again. Ever since then heights are a real issue although in the last 2-3 i feel I’ve been better with them. Symptoms are always the same and usually brought on when driving mountain passes which i do pretty much monthly although I tend to drive the same ones and know how to manage myself on them. I simply avoid high buildings or at least letting myself know how high up i may be ie not looking out of hotel windows from the 8th floor or more.

Recent few weeks in Norway brought it back again and once it had been triggered then i was hyper sensitive during the whole trip.

I can only really find “desensitisation“ cure/improvement methods online (without going down the weird and wonderful route) but wondered if anyone here had managed to improve their fear of heights ?

Bizarrely i would have no issue in jumping out of a plane or off a mountain for a paraglide, i think the adrenaline takes over before the fear (done it a few times now).

So looking for some MHF creative ideas 🤔
 
Learn fo fly!
I have always been afraid of heights but found concentrating on instruments,air speed etc took my mind of it to a certain extent.
After a while you become generally de-sensitised to it and realise that no matter how high the road is planes always look down on them.
Mind you, sedatives are a lot cheaper 🤔

Graydo
 
I don't think I can help but in my case the fear of heights is I think the knowledge that at my age a fall can hurt, not only hurt but reduce my future mobility. I've had a few falls and feints which has heightened my awareness. It's also a reduced ability to balance, some of the tablets I'm taking say, in effect, you may become dizzy when you stand up. Thanks! In order to move about, I have to stand up, for f's sake!
 
Graydo said:
Learn fo fly!
I have always been afraid of heights but found concentrating on instruments,air speed etc took my mind of it to a certain extent.
After a while you become generally de-sensitised to it and realise that no matter how high the road is planes always look down on them.
Mind you, sedatives are a lot cheaper 🤔

Graydo
Click to expand...

Generally concentrating on driving is a good distraction as you say, but it seems every now and then the fear creeps in and then every high bridge or mountain pass gets very challenging😮‍💨
 
Think of how many times vehicles have been over that pass or down that steep hill, and then ask yourself, what are the chances it is going to go wrong, right now, right here with me.
The odds are in your favour big time.

Graydo

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
I can relate to this, but not to the same extent. As a youngster I went climbing and abseiling with the air cadets, in my 20's I could work at heights on ropes but nowadays I really don't like heights at all, even getting on the roof of the motorhome leaves me uncomfortable. I think in my case I have lost confidence because of a loss of fitness as i've got older, i just avoid heights if I can.
 
ChrisL said:
I can relate to this, but not to the same extent. As a youngster I went climbing and abseiling with the air cadets, in my 20's I could work at heights on ropes but nowadays I really don't like heights at all, even getting on the roof of the motorhome leaves me uncomfortable. I think in my case I have lost confidence because of a loss of fitness as i've got older, i just avoid heights if I can.
Click to expand...
About MoHo roof height I’m ok, probably from about 4m and up then the fear starts to slowly creep in. The worse times are these episode when up high and getting all irrational, especially for the worlds most unemotional person 😂
 
I can honestly say I know how you feel I was a member of the Coastguard cliff rescue team for many years and being then slight of build was always the first one to be put over. Then on day crossing the Tamar Bridge which is not really high or anywhere near the edge I got a fit of the shivers.a trip to Italy in the motorhome was pretty scary. Having researched quite a lot and seen all the (Miracle cures) decided there is only one way to fix it. Went to the the cliffs of Dover walked along the top starting far away from the edge and over a few days got a bit closer. Would then stop halfway have a cuppa and a sandwich. Each day a bit closer would just relax look around watch the birds etc till a feeling of calm and being unafraid but still cautious. Found it strangely comforting the I no longer felt unease. Still tens a bit when on our last trip we climbed up into the
Alps but was fine. Good luck
 
Bessy765 said:
I can honestly say I know how you feel I was a member of the Coastguard cliff rescue team for many years and being then slight of build was always the first one to be put over. Then on day crossing the Tamar Bridge which is not really high or anywhere near the edge I got a fit of the shivers.a trip to Italy in the motorhome was pretty scary. Having researched quite a lot and seen all the (Miracle cures) decided there is only one way to fix it. Went to the the cliffs of Dover walked along the top starting far away from the edge and over a few days got a bit closer. Would then stop halfway have a cuppa and a sandwich. Each day a bit closer would just relax look around watch the birds etc till a feeling of calm and being unafraid but still cautious. Found it strangely comforting the I no longer felt unease. Still tens a bit when on our last trip we climbed up into the
Alps but was fine. Good luck
Click to expand...
That’s great to hear and very encouraging, now off to find a big cliff 😂
 
Ask Jaws about some of the jobs he did in the past......climbing huge aerial masts made me feel odd just listening......
This isn't Jaws but shows what I mean. I couldn't contemplate being so high. I also find a fear of heights and being whoosy of visiting something like the Shard is increasing with age after calmly doing tree top courses and military obstacle courses in my youth......
Screenshot_20240720-202717.png

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
Jev88 said:
Ask Jaws about some of the jobs he did in the past......climbing huge aerial masts made me feel odd just listening......
This isn't Jaws but shows what I mean. I couldn't contemplate being so high. I also find a fear of heights and being whoosy of visiting something like the Shard is increasing with age after calmly doing tree top courses and military obstacle courses in my youth......
View attachment 925722
Click to expand...

Electriccery and heights😳 nah not on your nelly🙃
 
Nope, I have tried all of my life but still have a fear of heights. Sorry !!
 
Graydo said:
Learn fo fly!
I have always been afraid of heights but found concentrating on instruments,air speed etc took my mind of it to a certain extent.
After a while you become generally de-sensitised to it and realise that no matter how high the road is planes always look down on them.
Mind you, sedatives are a lot cheaper 🤔

Graydo
Click to expand...
I agree.

But don't focus on instruments more than 10% of the time !

Keep your eyes OUTSIDE of the cockpit.

Last night a fixed-wing approached me on a collision course.

Happily, the gyro is extremely agile... [And he didn't show upon SkyEcho II]
 
Last edited:
Besides - going flying... you can meet the most interesting people. :happy:



We need MORE female pilots ! :p:love:

COME ON GIRLS ! YOU CAN DO IT !!!!!!

No need to squeeze into a flying-suit ! :ROFLMAO:
 
Last edited:
In my younger days I’d climb ladders and the odd drain pipe with no fears, now I struggle to climb any higher than the upstairs widows of a house, however at work where the ladders are secured I easily climb our silos a couple of times a year and they’re over 120ft. Some guys at work can’t walk on the Mezzanine floors if you can see through them, none of this bothers me.

My daughter also booked a bungee jump a week before I had my new hip🤣 she knew I wouldn’t be able to do it afterwards, it’s scary throwing yourself off a 40 metre platform 😂
 
lorger said:
In my younger days I’d climb ladders and the odd drain pipe with no fears, now I struggle to climb any higher than the upstairs widows of a house, however at work where the ladders are secured I easily climb our silos a couple of times a year and they’re over 120ft. Some guys at work can’t walk on the Mezzanine floors if you can see through them, none of this bothers me.

My daughter also booked a bungee jump a week before I had my new hip🤣 she knew I wouldn’t be able to do it afterwards, it’s scary throwing yourself off a 40 metre platform 😂
Click to expand...
Omg that is amazing you did that (y)
 
Gina M said:
Omg that is amazing you did that (y)
Click to expand...

It was actually scarier watching my daughter throw herself off a perfectly safe platform 😂😂

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
nicholsong said:
I would not mind pulling her collective.
Click to expand...
There's no collective on a gyro.

The rotor is unpowered, and spins purely in autorotation, due to aerodynamic forces...

Mind you, the video can explain this far more simply - if you watch very, very closely... :LOL:
 
Last edited:
I don’t mind falling it’s hitting the ground I’m not keen on!

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
GyroPilot said:
There's no collective on a gyro.

The rotor is unpowered, and spins purely in autorotation, due to aerodynamic forces...

Mind you, the video can explain this far more simply - if you watch very, very closely... :LOL:
Click to expand...
I saw she had full flaps on take off.
Phnarr
 
stevewagner said:
I don’t mind falling it’s hitting the ground I’m not keen on!
Click to expand...
If you like "old school", let Ken Wallis be your guide...

Wing Commander Kenneth Horatio Wallis MBE, DEng, PhD, CEng, FRAeS
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_Wallis

We shall never see his like again - the last of the great British genius-eccentrics... R.I.P.

92574766_666189747509730_5264626750859509760_n.jpg


Ken flew for 75 years, until the age of 96. He wangled himself into the RAF in 1937, with one blind eye...
He flew everything from Gypsy Moths, Lysanders, and Wellingtons to the 10-engine B-36 bomber.

For the last 50-odd years of his life he devoted himself exclusively to the most tiny, versatile and safe of aircraft - the autogyro... He hand-crafted and home-built nineteen of them.

Ken did all the flying in his own creation "Little Nellie" in the James Bond film "You Only Live Twice" (1967).

"Oh, she's a wonderful girl... Very small. Quite fast... Can do anything. Just your type..."​

84 flights, 46 hours in the air, at 6 o'clock in the morning - for 5 minutes of screen time, over the volcanoes of Japan.

According to Ken, the pilot of the following camera-helicopter was a Japanese ex-kamikaze pilot whose number had not come up before the end of the war - "a nicer chap you could not hope to meet..." :LOL:

His voice kept coming over the radio: "Please slow down - we can't keep up !" ::bigsmile: The gyro is very agile...




Ken Wallis always said he was afraid of heights - cliff edges, tall buildings, bridges, etc.

But he simply never got that feeling while flying during those 75 amazing years...



[Ken Wallis was about 94 when that was filmed. The "Scalextrics" in the video are not Scalextrics. Ken designed and hand-crafted them from crashed German and British bomber parts during the War - to pass the time - about 15 years before [the inferior] Scalextrics ever appeared on the market ! ]
 
Last edited:
GyroPilot said:
There's no collective on a gyro.

The rotor is unpowered, and spins purely in autorotation, due to aerodynamic forces...

Mind you, the video can explain this far more simply - if you watch very, very closely... :LOL:
Click to expand...
I've always found gyros interesting, especially the way the prop only pushes the gyro forward.
I've often seen pilots hand push the rotors to get them started whilst rolling down the runway.
Always reminds of little nell from the Bond movies.

Graydo
 
Graydo said:
I've always found gyros interesting, especially the way the prop only pushes the gyro forward.
I've often seen pilots hand push the rotors to get them started whilst rolling down the runway.
Always reminds of little nell from the Bond movies.

Graydo
Click to expand...
The hand-starting of the rotors - or "Arm-strong" method - was mostly used on the light, home-built, single-seat gyros in the 1960s.

With sophisticated modern machines, the engine is now briefly engaged to a belt-drive, which pre-rotates the rotors to about 200 RRPM. This is the only brief moment that the rotors are powered, while stationary on the ground.

The pre-rotation is disengaged at 200 RRPM and take-off roll is commenced, the increased airflow spinning the rotors - now in autorotation - up to about 250 RRPM, and flight is achieved shortly afterwards. The rotors remain purely in autorotation thereafter, and the engine is never engaged again.

The modern, precision-engineered, factory-built machines, from Germany and Italy, are a blast, and bear no resemblance to the garage-built death-traps of the 1950s-70s.

The gyro is known as "the motorbike of the skies", and statistics seem to suggest it is much safer than its earthbound namesake...
 
A quite moving, short documentary about Wing Commander Wallis, made not long before his passing, aged 97.



Remember, these were the gentlemen and heroes who put the "Great" into Great Britain.

We shall never see their like again, which is our terrible tragedy.

F the woke, nihilist, traitor destructors, who have contributed and achieved NOTHING, except damage...

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
Last edited:

Join us or log in to post a reply.

To join in you must be a member of MotorhomeFun

Join MotorhomeFun

Join us, it quick and easy!

Join us

Log in

Already a member? Log in here.

Latest journal entries

Back
Top