<p>Yesterday DH and I went to the Texas State Fair in Dallas. I had biked 15 miles that morning (I’m a relative beginner), but I felt okay for most of the day. Finally, in a moment of fatigue and mental weakness, I agreed to ride the Skyway ride, a kind of gondola which travels over the fair grounds. DH knows I have a fear of heights, and once we were on our way, he said, “Wow, I’m surprised you agreed to go on this.” The whole time I feigned calm and oohed and ahhed over the various sights below. But on the inside I couldn’t help but feel terrified. My palms were sweaty and I kept having images of crashing to the ground below. It occurred to me later that I’ve often ridden ski lifts at that height or even higher and I do so much better. Mountain roads in Colorado with no guard rails put me almost into a total panic attack. We went across the Royal Gorge bridge and I thought I was going to have a stroke. Luckily it is a short bridge.</p>
<p>We did some hiking this summer in Oregon and Washington that had trails with huge drop offs right next to these paths, some that were barely 24" wide. Twice I reached points where I had to turn around and go back - I couldn’t go any further. I would try, try, try to keep my eyes on the trail directly in front of me, but if my eye wondered ever so slightly, and perceived the huge drop off right next to me, I’d get vertigo. At the Oregon coast, these drop offs were probably 500’, while the ones at Mt. St. Helens were probably several thousands of feet down. I couldn’t understand how there aren’t more accidents/falls at these places based on my experience!</p>
<p>That being said, I don’t have any problems flying, I can zipline and do large ferris wheels like the London Eye with no problems. In a couple of weeks, H is taking a flying lesson that I bought for him last winter (we couldn’t fit it in this summer) and we paid extra for the teacher to allow me to go up with them, then he will take us up and down the Lake Michigan shoreline off Chicago. I’m a tad bit nervous about that, and I’m not sure why! But I will do it.</p>
<p>Oh, yes, I had some trepidation as H was driving along the Oregon coast (and up by Mt. Rainier), and found myself leaning in toward him. I might or might not have also said a time or two, “DON’T TAKE YOUR EYES OFF THE ROAD!”</p>
<p>Yes, yes, yes and it’s getting worse the older I get! I don’t remember having a big issue with heights when I was young but now, even the thought of balconies and the like can make my heart race. The problem is, the rest of my family ls just the opposite. I think I can tolerate heights a little bit better if there is something, anything, between me and the edge but it is really starting to be across the board. A ride on a ferris wheel would probably do me in!</p>
<p>The most stressful day I have ever spent was when we took the kids to the Grand Canyon. By the end of the day I was emotionally exhausted and had the worst headache of my life. I think my heart raced for 8 straight hours! I have appeased my family and forced myself to do things like walk across the Golden Gate Bridge, climb the Eiffel Tower and ride the no guard rail road up Mt. Washington, but it has felt like torture. I need everyone to stay away from me and let me just go on my own; no talking and definitely going to the edge for a look!!!</p>
<p>^^^I drove DH crazy doing that and saying “get towards the middle! Get towards the middle!” I finally had to put my head down on the seat (I had my own pillow) so I couldn’t see. DH kept saying “but you are missing some beautiful scenery! Look at those big elk!” </p>
<p>I have no problem flying or being inside a skyscraper; it’s when I feel there’s a real possibility of falling that I freak out. Once when my husband and boys were scrambling on some (generally safe) rocks that were fairly high up I had to go sit in the car so as not to pass along my phobia to the kids. The worst time I remember was hiking at one of the National Parks, maybe to the top of Yosemite Falls, and towards the peak there was a rail on the inside of the trail to hold on to; one slip of the hand and you were a goner. I also hate those high mountain roads, especially when I am on the side looking down-cliff and DH (the driver) is exclaiming about the view. Sometimes I have to shut my eyes in the passenger’s seat.</p>
<p>Okay, talk about coincidences. I’m watching a recorded Will and Grace episode and at the end of the recording is the first part of that show starring Kendra something and her football player husband Hank. They are on some kind of mountain road and she is going “Oh my God, Hank! Please slow down! Please slow down!”</p>
<p>We went across that Royal Gorge bridge several years ago. I also thought I’d have a stroke and was terrifred about the return trip. Fortunately they have a back exit they will let you use if you are a complete wimp. I am and we did</p>
<p>I have issues when we go to Houston for my husband’s medical visits because they have lots of very high very narrow flyovers. We go to great lengths to avoid them. One time I had to drive and ended up driving on one - I think I was actually crying. Probably looked pretty comicam with my death grip on the wheel and tears on my cheeks and driving really slow. </p>
<p>my-3-sons - Mine has also gotten worse as I’ve gotten older. I think part of it is knowing my balance isn’t what it used to be 20-30 years ago. On those trails, I worried so much about stumbling and falling - and there wouldn’t be anything to stop me between the trail and the cliff drop-off. On one trail, I was cruising along (not along a cliff), watching the trail pretty closely (it was still somewhat hazardous - rocks, tree roots, twigs, lots of elevation change, etc.), and I must have missed seeing it, but the middle of my right foot landed right on a twig that was about 4" long, and the twig rolled, with my foot on top of it. I ended up down on one knee in such an instant and it just reinforced my fears when I got to the scarier trails. </p>
<p>I broke up with a boyfriend because he was driving on an outside lane going over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and not moving to the middle lane. I also had to be talked through the ferris wheel ride in Paris (why I went on it the <em>second</em> time, I don’t know). I hate to fly. Yeah, I’m scared of heights. The worst is being a passenger in a car on a mountain pass. Ziplining is fine and fun. I have no problems with that but most ziplines have been fairly straightforward. One zipline start required me to run <em>off</em> a short downward sloped platform into thin air. Even though I knew the zipline was safe (I had seen 4 year olds run off gleefully), it was hard to just follow suit.</p>
<p>That said, I try to (foolishly) challenge myself. Mainly because the rest of my family seems to enjoy heights. I took up rock-climbing at 48 and loved it. I decided that it was an issue of trust (e.g., I trusted the professional rock climber to belay me but not my then 13-year-old daughter). I’ve done aerial forest ‘adventures’ where you find yourself stuck up in the trees up 15, 25, 35 feet in the air trying to get from one platform to another without hurting yourself, usually walking on some wire or rolling log. </p>
<p>After spending a night in the hospital following an attack of vertigo and having both parents break hips within the same year, I’ve been working hard on my balance. A lot of it is just core strength. One of the hardest exercises I do is the anterior reach–<br>
<a href=“- YouTube”>- YouTube;
It is more difficult than it looks, at least for me, but I’ve slowly gotten better.</p>
<p>Raising my hand! Have always had a fear of heights. I do ok flying. CANNOT stand near the edge of anything high - used to freak when my kids would get anywhere near a second story mall overlook/balcony. </p>
<p>I know those amusement park gondolas you speak of. I am OK in those - just ok. Helps that I am sitting down, but when they sway a bit…and ferris wheels - ok (just ok) if it is an enclosed one but if your feet dangle or anything - JUST NO! Climbing high stairs outside - especially if they are open stairs - NO! </p>
<p>Weirdly, I think I might be able to zipline and would like to consider it sometime - wonder why? </p>
<p>This is interesting. It seems so far the consensus is “I’m afraid of heights when I <strong><em>, but I do okay when I </em></strong>______________.” It doesn’t yet seem to be an absolute.</p>
<p>I’m not afraid of heights themselves. I love looking out of airplane windows and tall buildings. But I am afraid of very long slopes - like mountain sides and three story escalators like those in subways and World’s Fair pavilions. I never knew why until my mother recently told a story. Our family lived in Boulder, CO until I was six. This was long before the Eisenhower tunnel. Apparently one year we went on a trip west where we had to drive over the Rockies. My brother and I clung to the mountain side of the car on every curve because we were so afraid of falling down the mountain. For 58 years I never knew where my fears came from - and now I know!</p>
<p>I’m ok being high up (like a ferris wheel, top of a tower, edge of a cliff) but I am afraid of the sensation of falling. So I can’t do roller coasters, water slides, etc. I also am afraid of rock climbing walls but Im ok with ladders.
My family said I fell down a steep flight of stairs several times as a toddler in our old home.</p>
<p>Then you for sure wouldn’t like the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror at MGM or Universal Studios in Orlando (can’t remember which one). You are in a little car zig zagging around in the dark listening to Rod Serling talk about whatever (it’s been a while since I was on it). All of sudden the “elevator doors” open and you are literally outside up high on a tall tower. The “elevator” does a free fall. Everybody screams, then something “catches” and the fall stops… Then it drops again, as more shrieking ensues. This goes on for a bit before you finally slowly drift to the ground and the ride is over. My daughter insisted upon riding it, and I tried to discourage her. I kept thinking as we were falling that she was laughing, but when we got to the bottom, I saw she was crying. Well, lesson learned. :)</p>
