subject: Acrophobia And Hypnotism [print this page] The fear of heights, known as acrophobia, is an extremely common fear experienced by people of all walks of life. In fact, studies suggest that to some extent, being afraid of heights is natural to many people and mammals. What transforms a natural fear of heights into a phobia is that the fear is so severe that it is viewed as irrational, or it interferes with a person's day-to-day life. In an effort to avoid heights, people with acrophobia are often forced to avoid balconies, tall buildings, and other frequently encountered areas and situations. In some individuals, just thinking about heights can be enough to trigger a panic attack.
The fear of heights can be set off in any high-up location that could make someone feel anxious. This includes roller coasters, ladders, rooftops, staircases, bridges, and multiple other situations we visit in daily life. Many people with a fear of heights may feel comfortable in some areas, like their own balcony, but get scared in other areas, such as when they are climbing up a ladder.
Acrophobia can trigger very severe symptoms, including dizziness, fainting, shaking, sweating, anxiety attacks, nausea, and many others. Unlike some other common phobias, numerous people with acrophobia do not respond by getting "hysterical," but instead become "petrified" or frozen with fear. For example, a person might climb up a ladder, but suddenly feel too nervous to climb down and become stuck in this manner.
Acrophobia can be particularly crippling because sufferers often find themselves panicking in situations where they must keep calm and collected in order to keep safe. People who find themselves in a high up place, such as the top of a staircase or a ladder, may suffer an anxiety attack resulting in physical injury. Or, a sufferer might start trembling so hard that they risk falling and getting hurt. It is thus crucial for people whose phobia could be harmful to get help for their condition.
Past treatments involved repeatedly exposing a person to heights so they could try to "face their fear." This method proves distressing and unsuccessful for most. Other, more effective treatments include anti-anxiety medication and counseling. Hypnotherapy is a particularly good treatment because it's safe, effective, and non-invasive.
Conventional hypnosis works by giving direct post-hypnotic suggestions to "tell" people what to do. In today's world, this approach often doesn't work. These days, people tend to be independent thinkers and will resist direct suggestions by unconsciously refusing their orders. Knowledgeable hypnotists now use more sophisticated Ericksonian hypnosis techniques to avoid this issue.
Ericksonian hypnosis, as developed by Milton Erickson, MD, is a greatly enhanced mode of hypnosis than traditional practices. It utilizes indirect suggestions rooted in metaphors, stories, and conversation to lead the unconscious mind into a new, phobia-free thought process. This is effective because it's much more difficult for the unconscious mind to resist suggestions set in a dialogue, than direct suggestions that are apparent to the conscious mind.
A well-designed hypnosis therapy program will include a variety of different techniques to guarantee its effectiveness for every individual. The combination of many Ericksonian hypnosis therapy and Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) techniques is perfect for virtually everybody trying to shake a phobia.
The combined program begins with a relaxation therapy session. Once your mind is calm and clear, NLP techniques can be used to eliminate a phobia. All phobias arise from the same thought process, so all you need is one hypnotherapy program with the right formulation to cure any fear, or even multiple phobias.
Summary: Many types of therapy rely on conscious effort to resolve a phobia, but this often does not work because phobias stem from deep in the unconscious mind. The techniques available in Ericksonian hypnosis and NLP are particularly effective at treating phobias because they function at the unconscious level of the mind. Phobias are set off when the emotion of fear is unconsciously linked to a vivid mental image, such as the view from a high position. By disconnecting or separating the feeling of anxiety from the image, certain hypnotic and NLP techniques can permanently cure a fear very quickly.
Hypnotherapy sessions can help a person quickly and easily vanquish a fear of heights. Hypnosis therapy is among the safest types of phobia remedies available, with no negative side effects. For men and women trying to overcome the fear of heights or any other panic disorder, hypnosis provides a well-balanced form of stress-free phobia relief.
