My Recently Developed Acrophobia

Growing up, I was never afraid of heights. But in the last few years I've developed a fear of heights and I have no idea why. What's peculiar to my fear of heights is that I'm OK if I'm enclosed safely in a elevator, office building, jet, etc. In fact, at the end of this month, I'll board a jet and fly at 35,000 feet with a problem at all. Two years ago I thoroughly enjoyed spending an hour atop the Sears Tower with some friends. What bothers me is when I'm in an open air high place.

Earlier this month, when we were in Southern Illinios visiting my parents, my wife and I drove to Giant City State Park, where we enjoyed a lovely hike. Prior to the hike, we parked near the Lodge and I said, "Let's check out the view from that observation deck." I was referring to the observation deck on the water tower pictured above. Halfway up the spiral staircase, I found myself almost hugging the center leg of the tower. My heart was racing and I was beginning to feel queezy. I stopped and said, "I'm sorry, honey, I can't go any higher. I don't understand, but I got to go back down. I'm sorry." I was a whopping 20-55 feet above the ground.

Today at lunch I picked up the Sunday paper someone gave me and flipped through it while I finished off the last half of yesterday's chicken wrap. Section C, front page: a picture of a crane operator walking along the arm of his crane 400 feet above the ground (his "floor" is see-through metal grating). Thought #1: You could not pay me enough money to do his job. Thought #2: I'd hate to be that photographer. Thought #3: How on earth did I get this way?

Previously my only fear, and a right healthy one I might add, was of snakes. I hate snakes...no, hate is to gentle of a word, try abhor...loathe...despise...and any stronger synonym you can find. You won't find me watching Samuel battling snakes at 35,000 feet!

So why now this fear of heights? After lunch I googled acrophobia and then clicked on the Wikipedia entry and found this:

Some neurologists question the prevailing wisdom and argue that acrophobia is caused by dysfunction in maintaining balance and that the anxiety is both well founded and secondary. According to the dysfunction model, a normal person uses both vestibular and visual cues appropriately in maintaining balance. An acrophobic overrelies on visual signals whether because of inadequate vestibular function or incorrect strategy. Locomotion at a high elevation requires more than normal visual processing. The visual cortex becomes overloaded and the person becomes confused.

Obviously written by a med student well on his or her way to also becoming an illegible prescription signer. But I'll attempt to decipher. I think I have developed this phobia because my brain isn't processing the experience properly and is therefore sending alarm signals to my body that I am in danger. Thus the fast heartbeat, queaziness, etc. One thing I have noticed is that my balance does seem a little off when making such a climb. Why it is always in association with open air I am not quite sure.

Do you know anyone whose developed acrophobia also? Have you ever been afraid of heights?