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fear of falling vs. heights

PostPosted: Wed Feb 08, 2006 6:28 pm
by Tenshi no Ai
I wanted to know if there was others like me who have the same fear: not of heights, but falling. I've always stated that I'm not scared of being high up, but just the falling part^^ Although, how is it for those that are scared of heights? Is it bascially the falling part or are you guys just feel uneasy for being up so high?

Also in my psy class, the prof quickly explained "vertigo" and somethign about when you look down from somewhere you get dizzy or something? I find more that if I'm say, in a mall that has a few floors and has a central part that looks down to the bottom and I look down, not so much I feel dizzy, but more it seems as though there's so much to observe that my mind gets overwelmed (find that on a flat floor in a mall usually too... more so my woman's shopping' over-stimulus, probably^^)

One odd question though: If I AM in a high place and I lean over the edge or something, doesn't usually bug me unelss I think about it, but I always think the edge will snap off and I'll fall or something. But, sometimes I feel if I'm high up like that, I want to get down. Almost like the feeling you want to jump off to be off, but it's not like I WANT to go jump off and kill myself or something. :/ Just that.... I dunno^^ But I feel I need to be back on ground level, or something.

So anyone else know what I'm talking about and would rather say they fear fallign rather than heights and all that? And even know what I mean by "jumping to get off?"

PostPosted: Wed Feb 08, 2006 6:30 pm
by Warrior 4 Jesus
Fear falling more? I would say yes. I used to have lots of dreams where I fell for ages through the blackness and then just before I hit the bottom I would wake up terrifed in a cold sweat. I still think really high heights aren't the best though.

PostPosted: Wed Feb 08, 2006 6:34 pm
by Da Rabid Duckie
Oh yeah, I know exactly what you're talking about. For me, it all has to do with unstable footing. I used to work in drama production, and I'd have to be up in the rafters all the time. It didn't bother me a bit because I was either on a very stable scaffolding or had a safety harness... but buddy, you get me on something shaky like a standard ladder, and I get shaky and break out in a cold sweat. The same thing with having to stand on a countertop and lean over to change a bulb... I feel like it takes a few years off of my life everytime I have to do that.

PostPosted: Wed Feb 08, 2006 6:40 pm
by Sakura15
YES! I love being up high. I'm just scared of falling from up high :lol: so that's my big fear, not the height itself...just falling from it. And yes! I do know what you mean about "Jumping to get off" Oh my gosh! im so like that on roller coasters..it's SCARY! I'm so scared I'll like lose control of myself and just jump off! freaky freaky feeling.

Oh yeah, im pretty sure I have Vertigo too, because I do get dizzy when I look down from waaay up high.

PostPosted: Wed Feb 08, 2006 6:40 pm
by Lynx
i definatly have vertigo. and yeah, i'm afraid of falling and afraid of heights... probably both cuz of the vertigo.

PostPosted: Wed Feb 08, 2006 6:41 pm
by Tenshi no Ai
Da Rabid Duckie wrote:Oh yeah, I know exactly what you're talking about. For me, it all has to do with unstable footing. I used to work in drama production, and I'd have to be up in the rafters all the time. It didn't bother me a bit because I was either on a very stable scaffolding or had a safety harness... but buddy, you get me on something shaky like a standard ladder, and I get shaky and break out in a cold sweat.


I myself would probably worry more in one of those catwalks than a laddar^^ But knowing about all the safety features, probably not really :/

Reminds me this once I had to cross this suspension bridge and lemme draw you a picture of it: it was a metalic one so had chains and all that, but where the chains heldup the walkway to the chained railing to hold onto, it looked about a foot apart^^ So you really COULD slip and fall on that thing :/ Didn't help when soem of the guys wanted to be all cool and started to shake and rock it :/ This was all went we went to these caves and wow it was so muddy in there! Some people were clostiphobic and didn't go in, but not only did I wanna mud myself up to climb up the rocks inside, but I didn't wanna slip and fall^^ Some of the guys though went like, 50 feet up! *sigh* I thought it would be like the movies where it was one straight path v_v


Sakura15 wrote:And yes! I do know what you mean about "Jumping to get off" Oh my gosh! im so like that on roller coasters..it's SCARY! I'm so scared I'll like lose control of myself and just jump off! freaky freaky feeling.


Rises worry me too sometimes :/ Not only does it move my body into a position it's not used to (going backwards, upsidedown) but sometimes I think it'll snap off with me inside (and I have heard of cases where the safety cage/bar broke off with people inside >_<) More scared that I'll just end up throwing up while inside, really^^
Heh, Final Destination 3 won't really help any though^^ I'm still watching it though.

PostPosted: Wed Feb 08, 2006 6:44 pm
by mastersquirrel
The only thing I'm afraid of is unstable footing. That's what bugs me. If I'm up high, like on scafolding, or on a ladder, or standing at my full height (:lol: ) it doesn't bother me. It's when my footing starts to slip that I start to get scared.

PostPosted: Wed Feb 08, 2006 6:48 pm
by Sakura15
Rises worry me too sometimes :/ Not only does it move my body into a position it's not used to (going backwards, upsidedown) but sometimes I think it'll snap off with me inside (and I have heard of cases where the safety cage/bar broke off with people inside >_<) More scared that I'll just end up throwing up while inside, really^^


Yeah, I don't like that. I'm ssoooo scared I'll just snap and go crazy or something lol. (Yeah, I've heard of those cases too)

PostPosted: Wed Feb 08, 2006 7:11 pm
by Scribs
I am only afraid of hights becuase of the falling bit. So I think they are pretty much the same thing for me at least.

PostPosted: Wed Feb 08, 2006 7:13 pm
by Tenshi no Ai
Another story involving the same group of people^^

So this one time we went campign in the woods and you had to cross a creek either by walking through it (shallow) or crossing a log that lay on both banks. Well, some of the guys RAN across it >_< If you walked up it, it got very narrow at the top and everytime I went up, I would NOT walk on two feet :/ Had to crawl or at least touch along the log with my hands :/ Even THEn it was a bit wet so my foot slipped at one point and I was like 0_0 Oy...

PostPosted: Wed Feb 08, 2006 7:16 pm
by Sakura15
Tenshi no Ai wrote:Another story involving the same group of people^^

So this one time we went campign in the woods and you had to cross a creek either by walking through it (shallow) or crossing a log that lay on both banks. Well, some of the guys RAN across it >_< If you walked up it, it got very narrow at the top and everytime I went up, I would NOT walk on two feet :/ Had to crawl or at least touch along the log with my hands :/ Even THEn it was a bit wet so my foot slipped at one point and I was like 0_0 Oy...


Lol, that reminds me of one time when my church had a cook out near this river, some of my friends and I went out onto this tree that was hanging over the water...well the guys ran right up it, no problem, us girls on the other hand...scooted our way up :lol:

PostPosted: Wed Feb 08, 2006 7:45 pm
by Tenshi no Ai
Sakura15 wrote:Lol, that reminds me of one time when my church had a cook out near this river, some of my friends and I went out onto this tree that was hanging over the water...well the guys ran right up it, no problem, us girls on the other hand...scooted our way up :lol:


Wow it's like you were out on MY trip! Cept you weren't since says you're from West Virgina and not anywhere in Canada :p But yeah... them youth guys... :/ Seems like not too many guys have any fears of falling or anything (at least the ones I know) just... being guys basically^^

PostPosted: Wed Feb 08, 2006 8:01 pm
by Yumie
I'm not afraid of heights. I'm not even afraid of falling. I'm afraid of hitting the ground! :lol:

PostPosted: Wed Feb 08, 2006 8:09 pm
by Kiba-kun
I can handle most falls but when I was a child I would have dreams about my falling off a high place, it would seem to happen for hours and it's just stuck with me. Has anyone ever had that feeling while reading or something that you just falling forward real slowly but you havn't moved at all? That's one of the effects of my falling dreams.

PostPosted: Wed Feb 08, 2006 8:12 pm
by Tenshi no Ai
Kiba-kun wrote:I can handle most falls but when I was a child I would have dreams about my falling off a high place, it would seem to happen for hours and it's just stuck with me. Has anyone ever had that feeling while reading or something that you just falling forward real slowly but you havn't moved at all? That's one of the effects of my falling dreams.


Well if I'm that half-asleep just drifting off state, it feels like something titled my bed up and I'm falling down :/ Werid pseudo sensation, but it always makes me fully awake again :/

PostPosted: Wed Feb 08, 2006 8:16 pm
by Kiba-kun
it makes my stomache churn whenever it happens. and it makes me shivver alot.

PostPosted: Wed Feb 08, 2006 10:06 pm
by ssj2gohan61
i dont really have either i wanted to go sky diving so bad when i was in mississippi but katrina messed up there plane or something

PostPosted: Wed Feb 08, 2006 10:20 pm
by livewire
I am a very odd person in that I am afraid of heights...but I love Rock Climbing...
and doing challenges such as the High Loop and the Leap of Faith...

PostPosted: Thu Feb 09, 2006 12:00 am
by Joshua Christopher
I like to take practice falls every few weeks. Strengthens the bones in case I ever end up falling off something high.

PostPosted: Thu Feb 09, 2006 7:28 am
by Soukoru
I love heights and being up high. I actually wanted to be a pilot before a got into the world of computers. But I just hate falling. Falling to me means ground is going to hit you. The longer the fall the more the damage. <sigh>

PostPosted: Thu Feb 09, 2006 7:45 am
by Scepth
Heights is not a problem to me, it's the falling part that I'm scared of. >.>;;

PostPosted: Thu Feb 09, 2006 8:36 am
by Rexman64
Yumie wrote:I'm not afraid of heights. I'm not even afraid of falling. I'm afraid of hitting the ground! :lol:

I clicked on this thread today fully intent on making that very joke. You stole my moment of glory! :lol:

It's not the fall, it's the landing that kills you.

PostPosted: Thu Feb 09, 2006 8:39 am
by Sakura15
Rexman64 wrote:I clicked on this thread today fully intent on making that very joke. You stole my moment of glory! :lol:

It's not the fall, it's the landing that kills you.


Yeah! but the falling part is scary!! just the feeling of falling scares me! lol

PostPosted: Fri Feb 10, 2006 4:36 pm
by TurkishMonky
my fear of both was pretty much quenched when i rode one of those looping rides 12 times in a row (it was like 95 F with full humididty, and it was a cool ride)

anyway, as a random extra: i climb trees feet first....

PostPosted: Fri Feb 10, 2006 4:53 pm
by Anti-me
I love heights, up on the German Alps was amazing.
However, even the dinky roller coasters in Maine kinda freak me out when we go down a drop.

PostPosted: Sat Feb 11, 2006 11:32 am
by mitsuki lover
I have both,which are both related to having epilepsy.I think part of it is when I was smaller I sometimes had seizures where I ended up falling down the basement stairs when we lived in Minnesota.So that's why I fear both now.
My vertigo is so bad that I even get it when watching tv.For example when
Labie nearly falls off going for the stuff goat in Last Exile,even though it's not real it still gives me the willies. :sweat:

PostPosted: Sat Feb 11, 2006 11:59 am
by Icarus
I'm afraid of an uncontrolled fall from a great height. I love high places, and will jump from trees at the drop of a hat. I'd probably jump off the roof if there was soft dirt around.

PostPosted: Sat Feb 11, 2006 1:32 pm
by Little T-chan
OMGOODNESS, I always have dreams of me FALLING! But falling in dreams feels really weird...can't describe it. My mommy says it's because I'm growing. But...I've remained 5'1 and half" for a long while now~ -0-; And I'm afraid of heights...>0<; Just looking over the edge of somewhere high makes me squeal with fear. haha ^^;

PostPosted: Sat Feb 11, 2006 4:05 pm
by Jack Bond
Hmm... so much to say...

Well. I'm afraid of high hights because I imagine myself falling. Being in hights where I have a sturdy rail and wide solid ground is ok, but being like, on the end of a crain with a 2 foot rail, 45% ramp and 2 foot wide footing... no. Like one time, I was in the Grand Canyon. there was a cliff. everyone in my family, got on their stomaches and crept as far up the cliff as they were comfortable going. I actually got pretty far, but it still weirded me out. I used to have dreams often where I was half awake, and some vision came to me where I was standing in some random place and just tipping forward. As soon as I hit the ground, I jerked and woke up. Sometimes on high roller coasters, I get freaked out but not all that bad. I'd never go on one that goes upside down. Hights and upside down, never in my life. Oh yeah, also once, maybe when I was 9 years old, I was at summer camp and they were doing some thing where you stand on a table and fall backwards and fall into people's arms (put together to resemble a bed or hammock.). I did that and ended up crying and shaking... *sigh*

PostPosted: Sat Feb 11, 2006 8:50 pm
by Allegro
I'm not really afraid of heights. But I am afraid of widths. :)

I believe the fear of heights can be overcome after a couple of flying lessons. At that point, you will start to enjoy the scenary as opposed to fearing it. As long as you have a strong grasp of the yoke or joystick, you really don't have anything to be afraid of as far as falling (as long as you don't drop your pitch down 90 degrees).

Riding in rollercoasters scare me 100x more than flying a Cessna!