Introduction
This paper will discuss the fear of heights, also known as acrophobia and it effect on the mental state of people in different settings. We all have fears of things whether big or small and some may even be irrational or even completely rational fears, and these fears are also known as phobias and there are hundreds of different kinds of phobias. My theory about phobias is that if someone experiences some sort of traumatizing event in their life, then they will develop a rather completely rational or irrational fear based off of the traumatizing event. Many people develop a fear of heights and there are many theories as to how this fear is developed. My theory for how the fear of heights is developed is that some kids/people have
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Most people can experience the fear in cases of sleep while dreaming and others may have a very serious case of PTSD, which makes them almost relive this fear over and over without them wanting to but with them knowing fully what is happening. “It has been shown that body sway increases significantly with increasing distance between the nearest stationary surroundings and the subject’s eyes [3,5]. Visual control of postural sway becomes impaired because the retinal slip of the environment during translational movements becomes critically small.” (Kugler, 2014) This meaning that the mind and eyes will distort reality more giving off the illusion that a person is far off from the ground or is up …show more content…
Using a survey would gather the basic data that is needed about those who have a fear of heights. Furthermore, if there is a survey people can be as open as they want if a question is open ended. Using a case study would prove to be equally as effective if not more effective because then it would be easier to further observe what causes, triggers, or triggered the phobia in the first place. It would give a window of opportunity to find a cure or treatment to the person who is experiencing the phobia and give a new hope. Finally it would also be a chance for research and researchers to look more into other unexplored aspects of treatment and
According to Mr. Tierney, people can overcome or head off fears before they start in the playground. For example “While some psychologists — and many parents — have worried that a child who suffered a bad fall would develop a fear of heights, studies
A phobic disorder is marked by a persistent and irrational fear of an object or situation that presents no realistic danger. Agoraphobia is an intense, irrational fear or anxiety occasioned by the prospect of having to enter certain outdoor locations or open spaces. For example, busy streets, busy stores, tunnels, bridges, public transportation and cars. Traditionally agoraphobia was solely classified as a phobic disorder. However, due to recent studies it is now also viewed as a panic disorder. Panic disorders are characterised by recurrent attacks of overwhelming anxiety that usually occur suddenly and unexpectedly (Weiten, 1998).
Fear is a potent emotional response developed by the intrinsic need to learn in order for one to better their means of self-preservation. Though often overlooked, fear is a mental construct which presents great importance in understanding an individual’s thoughts and mannerisms. Children can help scientists to better recognize how these fears emerge. The early years of life can be considered the most daunting; everything in the environment surrounding a child is fairly new, strange, and unfamiliar. In the psychological community, it is widely accepted that fears are determined from two main constituents: biological and environmental factors. Both factors play an essential role in defining fear as well as the determination of what a child may
Not so long ago, my sister and I went to a haunt attraction an amusement park was holding. We walked through a house where people would jump out of nowhere to scare you. From time to time, we’d walk through items that had either moved or rattled. These simple changes made both my sister and I very uncomfortable and left us terror-stricken all night. No one would feel comfortable to look at an object, blink, then see that the object wasn’t at it’s rightful place. That’s not normal, especially when you're by yourself. That would mean someone or something else is with you. You know what else would scare us? When people around us transform. It’s like meeting someone new and thinking hey, she’s cool… but once you get to know her, you realize you
“At the University of California at Irvine, experiments in rats indicate that the brain’s hormonal reaction to fear can be inhibited, softening the formation of memories and the emotions they evoke” (Baard).
In confronting any type of learned fear, you must reprogram your inappropriate fight or flight response. This means you must purposely do things that frighten you. When you are scared, an automatic reaction of resistance and anxiety occur. You don’t even have to consciously think about the feeling; it just happens. Your body reacts with an increased heart rate, breathing and muscle tension so you know to defend yourself. This built-in survival mechanism called the “flight or fight” response is hardwired into our DNA. This is why your reaction can occur without you even consciously thinking about.
Just imagine for a moment that you have a cynophobia or the fear of dogs, would this be how you would feel. Driving down the road the oil light comes on. "I must stop the car to add more oil or I will damage the car engine. This looks like a good place to pull over. I'll just stop in front of this house. The oil is in the trunk, so I'll pop the top first, then get the oil out of the trunk. OK, I have the oil, but what if there is a dog at this house. Hurry, I have to hurry. A dog might come running out and bark at me any minute. Just get the oil in the engine. I can't my hands are shaking. Don't worry, there is no dog. Just get the oil in the engine. I don't care if I spill it, just get some in the engine. Take another look around, is there a dog anywhere. OK, the oils in, now hurry get back in the car. I can't breath. I'm safely back in the car, now just take a minute and breath. When will my hands stop shaking." This is how a person with a phobia of dogs might feel. There is no dog around anywhere in sight, but the thought of a dog running at them barking is enough to cause a panic attack. In "Exploring Psychology" David G. Myers defines phobia as "an anxiety disorder marked by a persistent, irrational fear and avoidance of a specific object or situation" (432). This paper will explore the history, causes, effects, and treatment of Phobias.
This is for instance the case when one develops a panic attack simply because they find themselves in an elevator or other enclosed space especially if they have a fear of heights or are claustrophobic. For the former, if an individual is in an elevator and realizes that they are in the fiftieth floor of a building, then they can easily get terrified and even develop panic attacks fearing that the building might just collapse leading to their demise. In such a case, one can begin trembling and holding on to solid items in the room in a bid to ensure that a solid structure is protecting them, and not simply the glass on the walls. Another symptom is the use of all efforts to ensure that one does not encounter the item or situation that causes phobia (American Psychiatric Association, 2015). This can for instance be in the form of avoiding an airport at all costs where an individual suffers from aviophobia. Where one suffers from agrizoophobia, then they will try as much as they can to avoid contact with an environment that has animals. Such an individual will always come up with strong excuses on the reasons why it is a hundred times better to go swimming in a pool as opposed to visiting a zoo. This is all in a bid to ensure that one is as far away as
Almost everyone alive has a fear of something whether it be heights, spiders or even clowns. Some people however have more serious issues with their fears, fears that follow them almost everywhere they go, these fears are called phobias. It is estimated that 4 to 5 percent of Americans have some type of phobia, which is an irrational fear of situations and certain objects. There are over 500 known phobias; a very common phobia is social phobia.
The Dangers of Fear Irish Playwright, George Bernard Shaw, once said, “The worst sin toward our fellow creatures is not to hate them, but to be indifferent to them; that's the essence of inhumanity.” Inhumanity is mankind’s worst attribute. Every so often, ordinary humans are driven to the point where they have no choice but to think of themselves. One of the most famous examples used today is the Holocaust. Elie Wiesel’s memoir Night demonstrates how fear is a debilitating force that causes people to lose sight of who they once were.
This paper is focused on how fear as a subject is being perceived by many as a dominant and primitive human emotion. An uncontrollable energy that’s exists and created within every individual, which is directed towards an object or a given situation that does not present an actual danger. The individual then analyzes that the fear is contradictory and thus cannot help the reaction. Gradually, the phobia aims to build up and aggravate as the fear of fear response takes hold. Eventually they distinguish their fear responses as negative, and go out of their way to avoid those reactions. ‘Fear is derived as a basic feeling and therefore created by us – it is not something we have, but something we do. The principle of fear is to keep us safe.’
Death it is something we all must face at one point in our lives or another. It is either a death of a loved one, friend or co-worker. Sometimes it’s the devastation from a natural disaster. No matter what makes us face the idea of death it is how we handle this realization that truly matters. When Gilgamesh is faced with the horrendous loss of his dear friend and comrade Enkidu he begins to fear death. In Gilgamesh’s youth he is proud without fear of death, it is not until he watches his friend die that his own mortality becomes a fear.
I have this fear that causes my body to shake. When I think about it, my skin becomes pale and cold. It’s death speeding through my mind. Once I have seen these monstrous roller coasters, the only thing in my mind was fear. Knowing that I’m afraid to go on these rides, I didn’t want to look like a fool in front of my friends. My mind is thinking of deadly thoughts. My palms were sweaty and I was twitching like a fish. I was petrified of heights.
We all have our fears, rather it be flying or driving. However, when a phobia is present the individual has extreme irrational fears that interfere with their quality of life. For example a fear of heights may limit an individuals living or employment choices. If this individual is offered the job of a lifetime, however, the office is located on the twentieth floor; they will refuse the job due to the fear of heights.
...6. Generalization from the original phobic stimulus to stimuli of a similar nature will occur; 7. Noxious experiences which occur under conditions of excessive confinement are more likely to produce phobic reactions; 8. Neutral stimuli which are associated with a noxious experience, may develop motivating properties. This acquired drive is termed the fear drive; 9. Responses (such as avoidance) which reduce the fear drive are reinforced; 10. Phobic reactions can be acquired vicariously (Rachman 31). These theories are used to identify how people obtain phobias and other situations that may occur with phobias.