Extreme phobia of heights and fear of jumping

[xratedmoralstory]

I’m sharing something today that causes me shame,anger and a whole lot of other emotions.

I’ll try and make this short and to the point.

I'm in my late 30’s and suffer from an anxiety disorder/depression.

through my entire life, heights have always been a huge hinderance for me.

I can’t explain it, but for the last 10 or so years, I feel as if I can’t trust myself... 

meaning I get a very strong impulse to jump off a place of considerable height.. but I physically and mentally have to fight it off.

I'm not suicidal tho.

Any thoughts or questions are more than encouraged.

thank you for your time.

 

[Susanc241]

As I understand it, this is a common urge, stronger in some than others.  I have it to a mild degree (I also suffer with anxiety but not depression).  When in a high building or on a high bridge or cliff where I can look over to see the drop I get a strange feeling behind my knee joints and a fleeting thought as to what it would be like to jump or just allow myself to fall off.  I am not suicidal either.  If it is bothering you to the degree you say, and is obviously disrupting your daily life, I suggest you have some CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) or something along those lines.  Speak to a mental health practitioner at the very least to be pointed in right direction for help.  Try not to fret about it as this will only make it worse by giving it more of an importance than it should have.  Try positive thoughts at these times rather than negative ones.  Tell yourself you are safe at your high vantage point and 'look at that wonderful view'.  Not being patronising as I use these techniques to reverse my negative thinking in other stressful or anxiety inducing situations.  Good luck.

[Unusual Tournament]

try bungy jumping. you're cured. 

[janejackson]

49 minutes ago, xratedmoralstory said:

I’m sharing something today that causes me shame,anger and a whole lot of other emotions.

I’ll try and make this short and to the point.

I'm in my late 30’s and suffer from an anxiety disorder/depression.

through my entire life, heights have always been a huge hinderance for me.

I can’t explain it, but for the last 10 or so years, I feel as if I can’t trust myself... 

meaning I get a very strong impulse to jump off a place of considerable height.. but I physically and mentally have to fight it off.

I'm not suicidal tho.

Any thoughts or questions are more than encouraged.

thank you for your time.

 

Hi,

I would like to tell you that there is absolutely nothing wrong with being afraid of heights and jumping, unless it interferes with your everyday life but i am sure that doesn't happen. There are so many people that share this phobia with you, including me, but i am not ashamed of that. 

Can you believe that there are people who are afraid of cute little fluffy dogs , but even that is nothing to be ashamed of. 

However, they say that if you are afraid of something then you should do it so that the fear goes away

 

[quiXilver]

I've read and heard several times that the underlying source of the fear of heights, is the fear of the subconscious desire to leap...

[I'mConvinced]

Some people know this condition by the name 'Call of the void'. An inexplicable urge to hurl oneself towards oblivion. I believe it to simply be a symptom of vertigo.

It's normal, I have a mild form of it myself, but I mostly cured it by, guess what, throwing myself off of a bridge (technically abseiling but didn't feel like that).

[quiXilver]

I developed vertigo, but no desire to leap, it's an inner ear side effect due to medication.

 

I used to love roller coasters.  Now I ride one and spend the next 30 minutes wondering why the world is still spinning faster than normal... sigh.

[+and-then]

Go skydiving... you can give in to the desire in a relatively safe manner!

[xratedmoralstory]

I would like to thank all of you for treating me with respect.

I felt the need to share my story, in hopes of perhaps hearing that I wasn’t alone in my experience.

This in all honesty does affect me a great deal.

I guess sometimes a little reassurance and a listening ear, can help me feel less awkward.

Again, thank you all for your responses.