Worthing Hypnotherapy For Fear Of Heights
Would you like to learn, at a pace that is comfortable for you, to stop feeling panic when you are off the ground?
Do you want to be able to enjoy a fantastic view with dignity and composure instead of inner turmoil and fear of embarrassment?
Would you like to expand a world that feels too small due to the panic you feel on hills, mountains, buildings or theme parks?
My Name is Alex Vrettos, I am a therapeutic Hypnotist based in Worthing, and I've been helping people with a fear of heights since 2011. In person and online.
“Most clients are happy with what we achieve in three sessions”
I recommend my three-session structure for £270, but a pay-as-you-go option is available.
Sessions are calm, conversational and tailored to your comfort level.
You do not need to keep avoiding places and activities or living in a state of dread.
Many people with acrophobia experience major improvements surprisingly quickly once they understand how the fear cycle works. Would you like to find out more?
FEAR OF HEIGHTS TESTIMONIAL
“I have to tell you about today. I went to Harrison Rocks with the kids. I can’t believe how calm I was. I was able to stand on the edge of quite a drop and stay calm. My son went and sat on the edge, and I didn’t get anxious at all! I’m amazed at how much calmer I felt in this situation. Just wanted to let you know! Thank you again.”
There is so much more to the world than what’s down here in the ground, but the thought of anything above sets your mind and heart racing, and your knees turn to jelly.
Your family and friends have activities and places they wish to share with you, but you can’t join them because of the embarrassment of the certainty that you will lose all dignity and composure. Perhaps they are sympathetic. Perhaps they tease you relentlessly.
You know you can do these things, but your nervous system disagrees. You know you are safe, but your body gives in to shaking, palpitations, sweating and crying, losing all control.
This doesn’t only stop you from doing things you want to do, but makes some things you have to do a nightmare that regularly comes with a whole other dose of anticipatory anxiety.
Does this sound familiar?
Other people simply aren’t thinking about it, or they’re able to simply marvel at the view, so why is it so terrifying for you?
What Causes Fear Of Heights (or Acrophobia)
If you experience fear of heights, it doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with you. Your mind is actually working exactly as it was designed to.
You like being well and healthy, and you know you will dislike falling and impact. An aversion to these things is sensible. Your brain is wired to protect your well-being.
It's the most natural thing in the world to have thoughts focussed on keeping you away from heights or anything else that could cause you harm.
Almost everyone likely has the same thoughts as you when it comes to being up high. The difference is that for most people, those thoughts quickly pass into the background.
When you struggle with a fear of heights, those thoughts feel convincing and emotionally real. Your imagination starts treating possibility as danger. Your thoughts about falling feel more real than the sturdy surface beneath your feet.
Once that happens, your nervous system responds as though you are in genuine danger, even while your body is well and functioning normally.
How To Overcome Fear Of Heights With Hypnotherapy
During your sessions with me, you will learn how the mind and body work together to create the fear response.
Together, we’ll work on changing your relationship with the thoughts and feelings that currently feel so threatening, helping your nervous system respond in a calmer way.
Instead of becoming pulled into catastrophic “what if?” thinking, you can begin focusing on things that are more fun and directing your energy towards enjoying the moment or getting the job done without excessive fear.
We’ll mentally rehearse scenarios that once filled you with dread with a cool head and a calm heart, helping your mind and body learn a different response to the thoughts of things that could go wrong ‘up there’. All this will be done at a pace that feels comfortable for you.
Imagine the mental freedom of being able to go anywhere and do anything spontaneously without having to calculate anxiety or plan escape routes.
See yourself enjoying yourself with family and friends without limitations.
Think about the confidence as you feel more independent, proving to yourself again and again that you can do it, and it’s easy.
How nice would it be to just feel normal when admiring a view, while no longer worrying about embarrassing yourself?
What Treatment For Acrophobia Looks Like With Me
I generally work within a three-session structure, although some people choose to have additional sessions depending on their goals and previous experiences.
Session 1: We’ll explore your experience of fear and help you understand how the mind and body work together to create the fear response. I’ll also introduce you to hypnosis through some simple experiential exercises and thought experiments, which can be good fun, so you can begin seeing your anxiety in a different way.
Session 2: Using hypnosis, we’ll explore how your mind learned this fear response. From there, we can begin reshaping those responses into something calmer and more helpful.
Session 3: We’ll strengthen the progress you’ve made, build confidence around places and situations that used to be inaccessible or extremely stressful, and help your mind and body become more familiar with responding calmly as we expand your comfort zone.
If you'd like to explore whether this approach feels right for you, you’re welcome to get in touch.
Fear Of Vomit FAQs
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Emetophobia is an unhelpful form of self-hypnosis. Thoughts of being sick and thoughts of other people being sick are experienced as reality and as a real threat. You are experiencing imagination as reality. With therapy there is no one size fits all, but hypnosis is a good choice for emetophobia as it uses the same psychology to resolve the issue. Hypnosis engages your imagination as a way to unlearn the fear response.
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There is often great comfort in discovering that your mind is actually working as minds are designed to work, and that it is your relationship with the thoughts and feelings around vomit that has become fearful.
When you learn how to step out of that fear loop, the thoughts themselves stop feeling dangerous, and your mind and body can begin responding calmly again. Many people find that once this happens, the emetophobia no longer feels like something controlling their life.
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You could teach your brain to fear the word 'geranium' if you screamed and hid behind the sofa every time you heard it. Emetophobia is this conditioned response with the thought of vomit. One the thought of vomit becomes a threat, everything that might lead you to think of it becomes a threat.