Why do older people have high fear of heights?

About 1 in 10 adults are thought to have some fear - an abnormal fear of an object (fear of spiders, fear of blood, .), situations (fear of going to a dentist, fear speaking to the crowd, .) or certain feelings (bad fear, .).

According to Paul Blenkiron, a psychiatrist at Park Hospital and a spokesman for the Royal College of Psychiatrists, these fears often begin between the ages of 15 and 25.

"Many children also have fears, but get rid of them when they grow up. We don't see it as a fear at this stage. If fear continues to haunt them to adulthood, it's is a fear and can continue for life, " explains Mr. Blenkiron.

Picture 1 of Why do older people have high fear of heights?
The fear of height becomes worse with age.

However, fear of height often starts later in life. Kevin Gournay, emeritus professor at the Institute of Psychiatry at King's College London (UK), said this fact is mainly due to our sense of balance. In particular, when people get older, the agency responsible for the sense of balance tends to deteriorate and employers are more likely to feel physically vulnerable.

Older adults also tend to be relying on others. And this may make them more worried about the risk of falling. Such worries can promote elevation fear.

Professor Gournay added that, while fear of heights worsens with age , other fears occur in the opposite direction, with less seriousness. This is because as we get older, we produce fewer hormones that determine whether or not to cope with or run adrenaline . It is adrenaline that the culprit makes our hearts pound and feel dizzy and dizzy when faced with something we fear. Adrenaline depletion causes many fears to diminish. We may still have fear, but will not feel as strong as younger.

Experts insist, the key to overcoming a fear is facing it. In other words, the best treatment for fear is coping, rather than taking medicine. For example, with fear of height, the optimal and inexpensive treatment is that you go to a multistage shopping center. You go up one step at a time, every time you feel okay on a certain floor.