Cremnophobia is the irrational fear of precipice. There are countless phobias out there, and Cremnophobia is one of those fears.
Someone who is suffering from Cremnophobiacan expects to experience a high amount of anxiety from merely thinking of precipices, let alone experiencing them.
Their anxiety might be so intense that they may endure full-blown panic attacks as a result of it. Though the influx of anxiety might not always be the same for everyone suffering from Cremnophobia, it can happen.
Anyone who suffers a full-blown panic attack due to their level of Cremnophobia can experience an increased heart rate, increased rate of breathing, high blood pressure, trembling, excessive sweating, and muscle tension, among others.
Panic attacks might not always be the case for all who suffer from Cremnophobia, but depending on the level of Cremnophobia, a panic attack is possible.
Someone who is suffering from Cremnophobia will find themselves avoiding situations that lead to various results of anxiety.
They usually avoid places with precipices; in most cases, they ensure that they never come in contact with any precipice.
For example, someone who has Cremnophobia may decide never to go near anywhere that has cliffs and other high places due to their irrational fear of precipices.
Someone with this condition may actively avoid precipices or places that have the goal of helping themselves reduce the chances of danger; this might not be the best option, as they are only justifying their fears to themselves, which can have a bad long-term result.
Symptoms of Cremnophobia
Like all other phobias out there, a person who has Cremnophobia can experience anxiety, and this anxiety can rise to a level where a panic attack could be imminent, as mentioned above.
Depending on the level of their panic attack, they might need to be hospitalized, though this usually varies for different people, and various factors also determine it.
Furthermore, people who have Cremnophobia go through a lot of effort to make sure they don’t come in contact with their fears in any way.
Below are som other symptoms of Cremnophobia
- High level of anxiety when thinking of precipice
- Constantly avoiding precipice
- Being unable to cope with their fear of precipices
- Muscle tension, shakiness, and excessive sweatiness
- Might even experience panic attacks
- Racing heart
- Falling out of touch with reality
- Feeling dizzy, choky, lightheadedness, etc
- Cold or hot flushes
- The thought of death or dying
- Chest pain
All these are usually some of the symptoms that are seen in people who have Cremnophobia.
They are not always limited to Cremnophobia but might also be seen in many other phobias.
Causes of Cremnophobia
There are no definite causes of Cremnophobia, but certain factors have been said to cause Cremnophobia. Environment and genetic factors play a huge role in the formation of Cremnophobia.
Assuming someone was born into a family history of mental illness, especially with anxiety disorder, it would be easy for that person to develop phobias or Cremnophobia.
Suppose some were to have a necessary genetic predisposition to developing Cremnophobia. In that case, all that might be left is to have some form of traumatic experience that might lead to them having a full-blown Cremnophobia.
Although there isn’t a specific factor that causes Cremnophobia, census among health practices is that the environmental and genetic makeup of people could play a huge role in the formation of Cremnophobia.
Treatment for Cremnophobia
Treatments for Cremnophobia might include some type of Therapy like Cognitive-behavioural (CBT) or Exposure therapy.
Exposure therapy is seen as one of the most common forms of treatment for those who are suffering from various phobias.
Below is a list of treatments that might have helped those who are suffering from Cremnophobia
Exposure Therapy
Exposure therapy is one of the prevalent ways of treating various forms of phobia. Exposure therapy works well for most patients suffering from phobias, including Cremnophobia.
Its procedure is quite adequate, as people who have Cremnophobia are gradually made to put themselves in various positions where they find themselves looking at a precipice and learning to cope with their fears while in that state.
The next face might include the patient having to be in a place where there are precipices of high areas.
The patient would be made to remain in the place for some time. If the phobic develops confidence through this, he might advance to a more advanced form of treatment.
During the treatment of cremnophobia, the doctor might start by showing the patient pictures of various precipices, cliffs, and high places; after some time, he might also have to introduce the patient to a video of these objects.
The Doctor would use this as it is said to be one of the best ways of treating Cremnophobia.
This method is proposed to help disordered or Cremnophobia patients overcome their fear of all forms of high places or precipices.
Theoretically, the more exposed a patient is to the object of his dismay, the more he can overcome that fear and the less bothered he will be by it.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
This is an option that focuses on changing the negative thoughts that people who have Cremnophobia have to healthier ones to help improve their lifestyle. Phobias can cause visible activation and changes in neural pathways of the brain.
Through research in 2013, studies have found that CBT has a significant impact on people who have specific phobias, such as Cremnophobia.
Medication for Cremnophobia
There aren’t really that many drugs out there that cure phobia. No medication is specifically designed to cure Cremnophobia or any other kind of phobia.
However, some could manage the phobia in the short term.
Beta-blockers
Beta-blockers are a medication that helps with physical symptoms of anxiety. Increased heart rate and dizziness, among others, are some physical symptoms Beta-blockers treat. They are used before a situation that might trigger the physical symptoms.
Benzodiazepines
These are some forms of sedative that help to decrease anxiety symptoms in patients. These medications could be very addictive; this is one of its downsize, so it is usually used occasionally and as prescribed by the doctor.
D-cycloserine (DCS)
This is a drug that is said to help exposure therapy work better. A result of a 2017 review that supports this claim.
Exercise for Cremnophobia
Exercise is known to be effective for people who have various mental disorders, which include Cremnophobia; cardiovascular exercise is one of the best practices that relieve stress.
Aerobic exercises have been hugely helpful to people, and they are effective at releasing some of the chemicals in the brain, namely endorphins.
Since stress had been seen as a significant course of anxiety, the doctor has advised that regular exercise would yield a good result for Cremnophobia.
Support Groups
There are various offline and online support groups. This is a form of treatment where people are suffering from all kinds of phobias and anxiety or stress-related problems to find a solution to their worries.
Sharing one’s experience with others helps to know that they are not alone and might be able to overcome their fears.
