High-altitude phobias

A phobia is like a wave of terror that sweeps over us, a fear so intense and irrational that it seems insurmountable. It is the heart beating furiously, the breath becoming short, the legs and hands trembling, the cold sweat wetting the forehead. It is the body invaded by uncontrollable fear. It is an incessant cycle of anxiety that makes us prisoners of our own fears. It is a monster that can be related to past traumatic events or be influenced by the reactions of our loved ones when faced with the same feared situations.

Fear of flying is just one of the many faces of phobias that lurk in the furthest reaches of our minds, turning even the most innocuous situations into minefields of anxieties and fears for no reason.

Facing a phobia is like fighting a silent battle, hidden behind the steering wheel of a car, the seat of an airplane or the railing of a balcony.

Whenever we get close to the core of our fear, we feel vulnerable, powerless in the face of an invisible enemy that locks us in a cage, which seems to have the power to control our lives.

And the more we try to control it, the more it escapes our control. Precisely because of this terrible fear, we find ourselves trapped in a series of wrong ways of handling it, which end up exacerbating the problem. Avoiding the phobia and all those situations that are associated with their fear may seem like the best solution, but by doing so we not only allow it to win, we also allow it to expand, finding new ways to torment us.

Indeed, in the long run, avoidance generates a vicious cycle that increases inner discomfort: we lose confidence in our ability to cope with what we fear, while our social relationships and personal autonomy may suffer a slow but steady deterioration.

Yet, there is hope. We can face and combat these fears by seeking help from professionals to guide us through the maze of our emotions.

For example, we can embark on a gradual and controlled path, boldly exposing ourselves to what frightens us. We can understand why we have a particular phobia, or overcome the trauma that caused it. And during this challenging journey, it is possible to learn valuable breathing and relaxation techniques, and to visualize with confidence a future in which our fears no longer control us.

If you have a loved one who struggles with phobias, we want to give you some advice on how best to support her: do not belittle but try to understand what anxiety means to her, support her on the path to appropriate treatment, show empathy and show her how close and helpful you are, be a safe haven of understanding, offer her support without ever taking her place, and, if you feel she needs it try to offer gentle, respectful and kind advice.