HACKER Q&A
📣 voisin

Any tips on overcoming fear of heights?


Any tips on overcoming fear of heights?


  👤 mrks_ Accepted Answer ✓
How I overcame my fear of heights: indoor bouldering.

You can pace yourself with respect to the height you’re comfortable experiencing. It forces you to learn to fall safely. Most importantly, it progressively associates a positive outcome (route completion) with height.


👤 qq4
Heights don't scare me. It's the risk of falling from greater heights and being less in control of mitigating that outcome. Like others have said in the thread, trusting the gear makes most of the difference. I'm always iffy on a roof unless I have a harness, because well, it's not that hard to fall off!

👤 giantg2
I think it depends on your level of fear. For me, I don't like getting on 2 story roofs, especially the transition to/from the ladder. If I have a safety system then I don't care. More experience also helps.

If it's still a problem even with a railing, safety system, etc, then I would think some sort of therapy or controlled exposure might help.


👤 MerelyMortal
For me, it was when I had to climb a metal structure for work. I didn't want to be afraid in front of my peers.

My palms still get sweaty, but mentally I have no irrational fear anymore. As long as think the harness is good, I'm okay.

I don't think it's so much that I got over the fear, just that mentally I know that the equipment has me and I'm not going to fall to my death.

I went tandem skydiving for the first time. I think I felt afraid, but I just decided to go through the motions.

As corny as it sounds, I think it's just mind over matter. Know that you're capable of doing whatever simple thing is required, and knowing that the bridge railing, safety harness, etc is going to protect you.

If you can stand on a bridge 1 foot in the air, you can stand on a bridge 1,000 feet in the air. If you can balance on a beam 1 foot off the ground, you can balance on a beam 100 feet off the ground. If you can climb a rock wall 6 feet high, you can climb a rock wall 600 feet high.


👤 kowlo
I woke up 13 years ago and decided I could never go on a plane again. Before that, I used to fly often for work.

13 years and I've not been able to visit any countries that I'd love to visit. It's shit. There is no advice that can help me.


👤 ksaj
You could probably use a VR headset to habitualize yourself to the sensation of height.

👤 MH15
Indoor rock climbing! Many cities have rock climbing gyms that offer top-rope or autobelay climbing that prevents you from falling if you slip off a hold. I climb actively and while I've never had a fear of heights, several of the people I climb with had a terrible fear of heights when they started climbing. In fact, after a few climbs the (now slightly diminished) fear of heights can often be what keeps climbers coming back.

Indoor bouldering is also a great way to get started. I'd avoid anything outdoors as a beginner, also lead climbing is probably not your best bet.


👤 taxcoder
Can you give us more details of what situations you have difficulty in or want to conquer? When I was younger I enjoyed working at height, now I am in poorer shape and am nervous in more situations. Try acclimation, slowly pushing the envelope. Make sure you understand, not just on a theoretical level, that if you can feel confident at three feet, thirty feet only requires a bit more care, nothing more. And remember, it doesn't hurt to fall, it's just the sudden stop.

👤 kleer001
exposure therapy, slowly but steadily increase your exposure to the phobia, be kind and gentle with yourself and celebrate every step until you're rid of it

👤 betwixthewires
Go ride a rollercoaster or 5.

I did it the other day, it was intense. The hardest part is the anticipation. Once you're stuck and experiencing it and realize there's no backing out you just let it happen. Also you're experiencing a lot more than heights so it makes it easy to get over that part. Do that a few times and you'll condition yourself. That's what I'm going to do.


👤 account-5
Bungee jumping. It sounds stupid but after that I realised I wasn't scared of heights, I'm actually scared of falling, really scared.

👤 ctack
For me it’s a mind game. I remind myself that I trust the gear and I trust myself to be responsible using it. The gear can be a ladder or a harness or a structure. If don’t actually trust the gear then I’d like to think that I have will to refuse no matter if there is peer pressure.

👤 simonblack
Do a few tandem free-fall parachute jumps.

I have a reasonable fear of heights. And I thought that I'd 'freeze' at the plane's doorway. No such thing. It was literally a breeze. So much so that I immediately wanted to repeat the experience.


👤 notdang
I have a fear of heights that I cannot control. It terrifies me. I jumped multiples times from planes (solo, not tandem), however it doesn't seem to help.

👤 d--b
If you’re receptive to hypnosis you might give it a shot.

👤 dmitrygr
Get a pilot's licence. You'd be surprised how many pilots got into it specifically because of this.

👤 randomopining
Go climb Mount Olympus in Greece. Good scrambling the last 1 hour.