re: Anyone else scared of heights?

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You just got to keep exposing yourself to it. I used to be terrified of snakes - embarrassingly scared. Then I started just grabbing them. Now I’m not scared of snakes.

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Makes a lot of sense actually. Going to keep scheduling tandems until I can get a license to go solo.

Expensive “hobby” though. Then again, I do a lot of other shite that scares me like, tracking motorcycles and dealing with my potential mother in law.

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I suggest not conquering your fear of heights by means other than relying on a parachute to keep you from high velocity impact on a solid surface.

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I mean... if the parachute does it's job, hopefully, his fear of heights will be conquered. If the parachute doesn't do it's job, his fear of heights will be no longer a problem at all, nor will any other fears, for that matter.

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I wouldn’t be able to do my job if I was. Have faith in your safety equipment/self will help you look past it.

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For you and the rest of those in this thread that ignore the fear to do this stuff for a living, that’s really admirable honestly.

The question is why do you want to erase the fear? Humans have an innate and healthy fear of heights. Outside of robots like Alex Honnold most people display it at times. He and most rock climbers I know still have a fear of heights, most of us just couch it as a healthy respect. Climbers without any fear of heights will likely soon be dead: there are old climbers and there are bold climbers but no old bold climbers.

If you want to be able to manage fear then you need to be off the ground regularly. The only thing that works is habituation, so that the stimulus has a decreased effect on you over time. Single extreme exposures almost always do the opposite, plus I don't find skydiving to be the same stimulus as being 20-200 feet off the ground, your brain processes that differently than being 12,000 feet off the ground.

If you want to reduce your fear reaction to heights, start low, like a ladder, and repeat it often, increasing the height over time. That being said I am not sure it is needed for most people. Unless you have a gripping fear of bridges, elevators, tall buildings, or other things many people experience every day there is not much need for it.

Something that has gotten much worse the last few years. Watched the glass bridge video and my nutz did the stomach thing.

Side note. Even if I wasn't uncomfortable with heights, no damn way I would get on that glass bridge. I've worked in Chiney and have seen first hand how they build stuff.

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Now I’m more scared of heights than ever. Any better ways to conquer your fear of heights?

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Jump without a chute. You'll never be scared of heights again.

As I got older I started to feel uncomfortable on a tall ladder, such as a 32 foot extension ladder. A few years go at 69 years old I did 6 zip lines with the longest being a quarter mile and 300 feet over a valley. This was in NC. It did not cure my fear of heights as I aged. It was an accomplishment at the time though.

No, but the Lake Charles I-10 bridge makes me pucker in the rain!

Heights and being closed in

Depise flying...no wait, airports

Do not like elevators

Started as a child. Was on the observation deck at the State Capitol....could only see on a horizontal plane. Wanted a vertical view, grandmother placed me on her knee....game/set/match

It all depends on whether or not I'm secured or not. A balcony on the 30th floor? No problem, I'm hanging out at the railing and enjoying the views.

Going down a 15'+ ladder? My a-hole is puckered up.

I got into engineering/construction 10 years ago, dealing with lots of ladders, and it has not gotten better with experience.