TakeMyHand
March 7th, 2010, 02:18 AM
Has anyone else even heard of this? I'm certain I have it and it's basically the opposite of Claustrophobia. Aeroacrophobia is the fear of wide open and/or high spaces.
Basically, any big empty areas make me sweat, shake, and feel nauseous. I suddenly get this intense feeling like I'm going to start "falling" into that empty space (usually that means falling up) so I try to stay near some object I could grab onto or just leave the area completely. It's almost like my mind doesn't differentiate between the fear of large spaces that are below me (fear of heights) and large open spaces above or beside me, they are all equally as scary, so seeing the sky above me feels as if I am hanging on the ceiling (ground) of a room with a literally never ending pit below me (sky and space)! Yeah, see how scary that would be? Especially since I'm not hanging onto anything, I'm just sort of sticking lightly onto the ceiling (ground) with my feet. It's not as bad as it used to be though, lately I can shut it out pretty well and ignore it even though it's still there, I just try not to think about it.
But it used to be absolutely terrible and life-controlling, about 3 years ago I was taking PE and we had to go outside every other day to practice football or walk/run on the track. It was terrifying for me and I'd always try to get out of it somehow (fake being sick, casually hide where the gym teacher wouldn't realize I was missing, etc), one time it was so bad I nearly blacked out, I could see things getting fuzzy and I couldn't hear very well, so I finally ran like mad back to the school. It was so embarrassing. Other times I'd choose not to leave the house or refuse to get out of the car in a parking lot so I wouldn't have to see or think about the large open sky above me.
The places where I am affected the most would be:
A field such as a football field or a cow pasture.
The beach, seeing the nothingness stretching out over the horizon.
In a gym, auditorium, church, or any other big rooms with a high ceiling.
In the middle of a city with skyscrapers.
When there are clouds in the sky, but not when it's completely overcast, mostly only when it's those big lumpy Columbus clouds. I think it has something to do with the details (lumps and edges) that give me a perspective of just how high up it is, whereas on a clear or completely overcast day, it's more difficult to tell so it doesn't bother me as much.
Everyone I ever tell about it always laughs it off and calls it stupid "oh toughen up, the sky's not going to get you! HARHAR!" But I say just because it's stupid doesn't mean it isn't there. Nobody (or at least fewer people) laughs at people with Claustrophobia or any other more common phobias, why should this be any different just because you haven't heard of anyone else having it? I mean if you actually think about it, the reasons I gave for why it's scary (falling up, feeling that "down" is in whichever direction it wants to be at the moment) should make since, right?
Anybody else have this or know someone who does?
Basically, any big empty areas make me sweat, shake, and feel nauseous. I suddenly get this intense feeling like I'm going to start "falling" into that empty space (usually that means falling up) so I try to stay near some object I could grab onto or just leave the area completely. It's almost like my mind doesn't differentiate between the fear of large spaces that are below me (fear of heights) and large open spaces above or beside me, they are all equally as scary, so seeing the sky above me feels as if I am hanging on the ceiling (ground) of a room with a literally never ending pit below me (sky and space)! Yeah, see how scary that would be? Especially since I'm not hanging onto anything, I'm just sort of sticking lightly onto the ceiling (ground) with my feet. It's not as bad as it used to be though, lately I can shut it out pretty well and ignore it even though it's still there, I just try not to think about it.
But it used to be absolutely terrible and life-controlling, about 3 years ago I was taking PE and we had to go outside every other day to practice football or walk/run on the track. It was terrifying for me and I'd always try to get out of it somehow (fake being sick, casually hide where the gym teacher wouldn't realize I was missing, etc), one time it was so bad I nearly blacked out, I could see things getting fuzzy and I couldn't hear very well, so I finally ran like mad back to the school. It was so embarrassing. Other times I'd choose not to leave the house or refuse to get out of the car in a parking lot so I wouldn't have to see or think about the large open sky above me.
The places where I am affected the most would be:
A field such as a football field or a cow pasture.
The beach, seeing the nothingness stretching out over the horizon.
In a gym, auditorium, church, or any other big rooms with a high ceiling.
In the middle of a city with skyscrapers.
When there are clouds in the sky, but not when it's completely overcast, mostly only when it's those big lumpy Columbus clouds. I think it has something to do with the details (lumps and edges) that give me a perspective of just how high up it is, whereas on a clear or completely overcast day, it's more difficult to tell so it doesn't bother me as much.
Everyone I ever tell about it always laughs it off and calls it stupid "oh toughen up, the sky's not going to get you! HARHAR!" But I say just because it's stupid doesn't mean it isn't there. Nobody (or at least fewer people) laughs at people with Claustrophobia or any other more common phobias, why should this be any different just because you haven't heard of anyone else having it? I mean if you actually think about it, the reasons I gave for why it's scary (falling up, feeling that "down" is in whichever direction it wants to be at the moment) should make since, right?
Anybody else have this or know someone who does?