The acrophobia word comes from the Greek word Acron –heights and Phobos-fear Acrophobia describes the fear of heights which causes anxiety and panic. It is one of the most common phobias. The person suffering from acrophobia Does not enjoy outings to amusement parks if these involve roller coasters and ferris wheels, because of their phobia of heights. Can be victim of unpleasant symptoms that result in him avoiding the possibility of higher altitude situations altogether. GTO task of SSB 3 obstacles(Tarzon Swing,Tiger Leap,High Rise plat form ) are there to check though we call Courage but it at best can check Phobia of Height only. Many candidate hesitate to take risk of going up/taking a leap /or even jumping down. Many avoid going up .Many cling to the structure to save themselves .GTO rates them “Doubtful in Courage”,”Avoids taking Risk”etc. Psychologically it is Phobia of height which will most probable get corrected during training due to “Shaping” and “Exposure”

1. Col Mukteshwar Prasad(Retd),
MTech(IITD),CE(I),FIE(I),FIETE,FISLE,FInstOD,AMCSI
Contact -9007224278, e-mail –muktesh_prasad@yahoo.co.in
for book ”Decoding Services Selection Board-A Career in
Armed Foces As An Officer” and SSB guidance and training at
Shivnandani Edu and Defence Academy
Acrophobia(Fear of Height)

2. Story
 I had joined NDA in Jul 1970 in Delta Squadron. Lt
Cde D S Brarar ,an enthusiast equestrian and an
excellent swimmer was our Sqn Cdr. Dhaka Singh
(Maj Darshan Singh was our PTO (Physical Training
Officer).During swimming all of us whether we knew
swimming or not were required to jump from 10 mtr
board. Looking from top down below was very scary
specially if you did not know swimming. Dhaka singh
will take you on 10 mtr ,make you stand and will
without warning push you in water. Though life saver
Ustad were in attendance, yet one could shiver on its
thought only. Two of our Course mates Yargop and
C G Pawar ran away from academy never to return
only because of panic and scare of jumping from
10 mtr.
 Many of us had had close save, when while being
pushed we used to cling on the edges only to fall
down in water on our belly with impact so severe that

3. State of Fear &
Definition
In order of intensities
Action
Withdr-
aw
Screa
m or
Yell
Freeze Worr
y
Ruminat
e
Hesitate Avoid
1 Terror Maximum Fear
2 Horro
r
Mixture of Fear
and Disgust
3 PANIC A consequence
of Desperation
4 Despe
ration
A response to
the inability to
reduce danger
5 DREA
D
Anticipation of
severe danger
6 ANXIE
TY
Inability to cope
with an
anticipated or
actual threat
7 NERV
OUSN
ESS
Uncertainty as
to whether
there is a
danger

4. Definition of Action of Fear
 1.Withdraw-Physically or mentally leave the scene of threat.
 2.Scream or Yell—Lose control of how one speaks . Speak
in a loud volume and when screaming in a higher pitch
 3. Freeze – Become incapable of acting or speaking
 4.Worry-Anticipate the possibility of harm (Destructive
& inhibits collaboration)
 5.Ruminate-Repetitively think about the emotional
experience
 6.Hesitate-Hold back in doubt or indecision
often momentary
 7. Avoid-Either physically stay away from
someone or something or internally keep one’s
mind away from what is triggering fear

5. Introduction
 The acrophobia word comes from the Greek word
 Acron –heights and
 Phobos-fear
 Acrophobia describes the fear of heights which causes anxiety and
panic.
 It is one of the most common phobias.
 The person suffering from acrophobia
 Does not enjoy outings to amusement parks if these involve roller
coasters and ferris wheels, because of their phobia of heights.
 Can be victim of unpleasant symptoms that result in him avoiding
the possibility of higher altitude situations altogether.
 GTO task of SSB 3 obstacles(Tarzon Swing,Tiger Leap,High Rise plat form )
are there to check though we call Courage but it at best can check Phobia of
Height only. Many candidate hesitate to take risk of going up/taking a leap
/or even jumping down. Many avoid going up .Many cling to the structure to
save themselves .GTO rates them “Doubtful in Courage”,”Avoids taking
Risk”etc. Psychologically it is Phobia of height which will most
probable get corrected during training due to “Shaping” and

6. Obstacle No5:parallel ropes
Two parallel ropes at approx ht of 15 ft from ground.
Two ladders and two ropes are hanging on either side to go up the
rope. On reaching on top hold one of the rope on top and slide to other
side . Don’t look down . Use ladder if you don’t have sufficient
strength

7. Obstacle No6:Tarzan’s swing
A platform with a ladder at approx 8 ft.On reaching on top free hand of rope is
handed over
Hold the rope as high as possible. stretch yourself and fold both legs to prevent
touching ground. Take a jump like Tarzan and land beyond imaginary red lines
on sand indicated by two red brick

8. Obstacle No7:Double platform
Two platform one at 10 ft and other at 5 ft .Sand pits are in front.
Climb up higher platform using ladder like bars and jump on the lower
platform and then on ground .
Land on your toes else you may trip and fall down.Don’t touch sides
painted red

9. Obstacle No9:Commando walk
A narrow plank with a victory stand in the middle fixed at a
height of approx 10 ft . On either side there are ladder.Side
of the ramp and victory is painted red and can not be
touched. Don’t look down.

10. Science of fear of Height
 Fear of height when not enclosed may involve
proprioception (perception or awareness of the
position and movement of the body.), the brain’s
unconscious sense of body-in-space orientation.
 Five systems help us sense where we are in relation to
the environment and objects in the environment, moving
or static:
 Inner ear—senses the position of the head, the pull of gravity,
acceleration
 Eyes—distance to objects, placement of objects, size of the
environment
 Touch—various sites on the body provide a sense of balance
 Smell—distance and direction of objects
 Hearing—distance and direction of objects
 If any of these systems are not informing us, it
lessens our sense of body-in-space and of our body

11. Conditions Related to Acrophobia
 Vertigo: True vertigo is a medical condition that causes a sensation of
spinning and dizziness.
 Illyngophobia is a phobia in which the fear of developing vertigo can actually lead to
vertigo-like symptoms.
 Acrophobia can induce similar feelings conditions are not the same.
 Bathmophobia( The fear of slopes and stairs) is sometimes related to
acrophobia.
 In bathmophobia, you may panic when viewing a steep slope, even if you
have no need to climb it.
 Although many people with bathmophobia have acrophobia, most
acrophobia sufferers do not also experience bathmophobia.
 Climacophobia: This fear is related to bathmophobia, except that it
generally occurs only when you're contemplating making a climb.
 If you suffer from climacophobia, you're probably not afraid to see a steep
set of stairs as long as you can remain safely at the bottom.
 Climacophobia may occur in tandem with acrophobia.
 Aerophobia: This is the specific fear of flying. Depending on the severity of
your fear, you may be afraid of airports and airplanes, or may only feel the

12. Causes(Typically develops in Childhood)
 Evolutionary- People are predisposed to fear certain things that might be
dangerous.
 For acrophobia it is falling from a height threatens survival hence
innate.
o Experience fear of height without direct or indirect contact
with heights.
 Behaviorist theories-Develop fear through interactions with their environment
e.g.
 Observation: A child who observes their parents or caregivers experiencing
fear around heights may develop the same fear or watching someone else fall
from a high place
 Trauma: A person who has had or witnessed someone else have a
bad experience with heights may develop acrophobia or had a panic
attack while standing at a height
 Classical Conditioning: If a person has a bad experience, such as
falling out of a tree/high place, they may associate this experience
with heights.
 Having a panic attack or negative experiences while standing at a height
 The person then learns to associate heights with falling, leading

13. Symptoms
 For a person to have a phobia, the fear typically persists for 6 months or
more.
 The symptoms of acrophobia are similar to those of other anxiety disorders.
 Emotional Symptoms:
 You may feel a sense of panic when you perceive that you're high off the
ground.
 You may instinctively
 Begin to search for something to cling to and
 Find that you're unable to trust your own sense of balance.
 Common reactions include
 Descending immediately,
 Crawling on all fours, and
 Kneeling or otherwise lowering your body.
 Physical symptoms at the thought or sight of places that are high up:
 Palpitations
 Shortness of breath
 Sweating

14. Symptoms…..
 Physical symptoms at the thought or sight of places that are high
up:…..
 Chest pain or chest tightness
 Feeling sick or lightheaded
 Shaking and trembling when faced with heights
 Dizziness
 Feeling like you’re falling or losing your balance when you look up at a
high place or down from a height
 Behaviours demonstrated:
 Avoiding scenarios that may expose them to heights
 Avoiding talking about heights
 Experiencing panic at the thought of having to be somewhere high up
 Worrying about future scenarios in which they may encounter heights
 The fear of entrapment in a place that is high up
 Avoiding media that centers around heights, in severe cases

15. Symptoms…..
 Psychological Symptoms of Acrophobia Includes:
 Experiencing a panic attack when seeing high places or thinking about
going at the height
 Feeling of extreme fear of being trapped somewhere high up
 Experiencing anxiety & fear when you have to climb stairs, look out a
window, or drive along an overpass
 Worrying about encountering high places in future

16. Health risk and diagnosis
 Health Risks of Acrophobia
 Like any other phobia there is risk of limiting your life and activities to avoid
the feared situation.
 In acrophobia one can have a panic attack while high off the ground leading
to the imagined danger.
 Panicking could lead you to make unsafe moves.
 How to Diagnosis Fear of Heights Issue?
 Acrophobia is diagnosed if you:
 Actively avoid going to heights
 Spend sufficient time worrying about encountering heights
 Find that this time spent worrying starts to affect your daily life
 React with immediate fear & anxiety when encountering heights
 Have the above mentioned symptoms for more than six months

17. Treatment Strategies for Acrophobia
 One is made to watch some video clips of people crossing tightropes,
climbing, or crossing narrow bridges. Make you climb step ladder etc which
will help you learn relaxation techniques to help you kill your fear of heights.
 Exposure Therapy: Here one is exposed slowly to what you’re afraid of.
 Use of Relaxation Technique : Affected people can do yoga, deep breathing,
muscle relaxation, and medication can help you cope with anxiety and stress. Regular
exercise can help too.
 Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: Cognitive-behavioral therapy or CBT may
help if you do not feel ready to try exposure therapy. In CBT, you’ll be working
to challenge and reframe negative thoughts about heights.
 Hypnosis To Overcome: It involves helping a person to enter deeply in a
relaxed state and use guided imagery and suggestive techniques to help
unlearn the fear response to the phobia.
 Virtual reality: Some experts take virtual reality (VR) as a potential method
for treating phobias. An immersive VR experience can provide exposure to
what you’re afraid of in a safe setting which has the option to stop if things
one feels feel overwhelmed.
 Action steps: Educate yourself about the acrophobia and look for the
treatment options which can help the individual to manage the fear of