Acrophobia: Fear of Heights, Symptoms, Causes, Treatment

This overview describes Acrophobia, a common, intense fear of heights classified as a specific phobia or anxiety disorder. Individuals experience various psychological and physical symptoms such as panic, dizziness, rapid heartbeat, and a strong desire for avoidance of high places.

The causes may include traumatic experiences or an evolved survival mechanism, with recent brain research indicating related neuronal activity in the basolateral amygdala. Diagnosis is typically made by a mental health professional following DSM-5 criteria. Effective treatments primarily involve psychological therapy such as exposure therapy, virtual reality (VR) exposure therapy, and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), sometimes supported by medications to temporarily relieve anxiety symptoms.