All About Barophobia, the Fear of Gravity, and How to Overcome it with Psychological Therapy & Counselling

What is Barophobia?

Barophobia is the Fear of Gravity and, like all other fears and phobias, can be a cause of significant anxiety and stress if you suffer from it.

Your fear of gravity may actually be Acrophobia (the fear of heights) rather than a fear of the gravitaional force.

Furthermore, there is no scientific evidence that Barophobia is the result of any kind of biological fault or chemical imbalance in spite of the traction that biomedical models of mental illness are given in the media.

On the contrary, Barophobia is much more likely to be the result of your own, subjective evaluation (meaning-making) of what happened to you and is therefore better described as a psychosocial phenomenon.

Barophobia Symptoms & Behaviours

All phobias, including Barophobia, create feelings of anxiety because phobic objects or situations are always perceived as a threat.

Consequently, the symptoms of Barophobia are both specific and generic and may include:

• Avoidance of high places.
• Worrying about falling.
• An elevated heart rate.
• A sense of dread about what might happen.
• Worrying that you might pass out.
• Feeling dizzy or disoriented.
• Heart palpitations.
• Having a dry or sticky mouth.
• Hot sweats.
• Feeling Stressed.
• Difficulty breathing easily.
• Feelings of panic.

You may have all, some or even different symptoms to these listed here and this is due to the subjective nature of Barophobia.

However, you should also be aware that many of these somatic symptoms (symptoms felt in the body) WILL subside over time and rarely last for more than 20 to 30 minutes.

What Causes Barophobia?

It’s possible that your Barophobia may be the result of traumatic events or adverse situations that you experienced when growing-up.

For example, you may have become very fearful on a plane and wondered how the plane could stay up in the air against the force of gravity.

However, because a Fear of Gravity is by no means universal, the most likely explanation for your Barophobia is the way you understood and made sense of your earlier experiences around which you have built a set of beliefs.

Counselling and Therapy for Barophobia

We offer a number of different types of therapy and counselling for Barophobia the Fear of Gravity.

Choosing the most suitable therapy depends on a number of different considerations including factors such as:

• How long you have had your phobia.
• Your personal preferences.
• How your phobia is affecting you today.

You can read more about the different types of therapy for Barophobia on the following links:

• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Barophobia
• Counselling for Barophobia
• Pluralistic Therapy for the Fear of Gravity

Although all forms of psychotherapy use slightly different approaches, the one thing they all have in common is the relationship that is formed between the client and therapist.

Furthermore, research also suggests that the therapy relationship may be the most important factor in achieving a good therapy outcome.

Arrange your FREE initial consultation here.

If you’d like to find out more about overcoming Barophobia or recovering from related mental health problems then why not arrange a free initial consultation with us.

During this consultation we will discuss your particular phobia and the different types of mental health counselling we offer without you having to commit to any counselling going forward.

The consultation lasts around 50 minutes and is a great opportunity to meet with either Paul or Joan and decide if you would like to proceed with any support.