Verti-Go Away?

[king tut]

When I was younger, I would ride the ski lifts without putting the bar down, I would walk over cliffs without a care. Sometime in my early 20's, I would freeze up on ledges, tweak out riding chairlifts while skiing, and be incapacitated while hiking gnarly trails.

I realized today while skiing that I never had any anxiety about falling off the chairlift, and that while hiking this year I never had any anxiety about cliffs. The main question is this. Does vertigo just fade away?? It has been years since I have not had some sort of anxiety attack while hiking cliffs or riding chairlifts while skiing. I would love to go do some hikes with exposure, but am still kinda nervous. I have no problem doing things that normal people might think insane, but somehow heights creeped into my mind at some point. Any thoughts?

 

[bikehikeskifish]

Is that really vertigo? Or is it anxiety? I worked for a guy who had vertigo, caused by an inner ear problem. When it acted up he'd not be able to walk, or drive, and occasionally would end up puking. Eventually they did some procedure which destroyed some part(s) of his inner ear (he was already mostly deaf in that one ear) and has been fine ever since.

So as I understand vertigo it is caused by your brain confusing signals from your inner ear, specifically concerning balance.

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vertigo_(medical)

Tim

 

[DougPaul]

If it makes you feel any better, Don Whillians (used to be one of the world's top high altitude mountaineers) suffered from vertigo. He climbed his share of 8000 m peaks...

Vertigo is a disorder of the balance system. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vertigo_(medical)

If it is fear of heights, you might try some roped rock climbing. The rope keeps you safe while you learn to control your fear of heights.

Or maybe you have just realized that you are mortal.
(We will see how well I do next time I ski past a blowdown...*)

Doug

*=the last blowdown jumped out and broke my leg.

 

[Barbarossa]

I used to be under the impression that I had a fear of heights; what I really have is a fear of falling.

In the Army I went for a couple hundred or more helicopter rides, even rappelled out of them. If my office building had a glass elevator I could ride it to the top floor, but if I get close to a ledge I want a hand-hold or I'll tense my legs to lean away.

I'm pretty sure it boils to to control, in my case. Keep looking. I'm sure you'll work it out, or at least find a toe hold.


"The unexamined hike is not worth hiking" -- some wise guy

 

[hikerfast]

my fear of heights is getting debilitating. I can't even approach an open staircase to walk down. The days of Hamlin Ridge, Tuckerman Ravine, and Abol Slide seem far behind me. I wish there was a pill I could take and make it that simple. What a life. If anyone hears of anything let me know.

 

[MattC]

I used to be under the impression that I had a fear of heights; what I really have is a fear of falling.

I don't even have a fear of falling. I have a fear of landing!

But seriously, I used to be really bad with heights and only recently have been getting slightly better. I used to not even be too good with climbing fire towers-now that's nothing. I think like others have said, slowly building up positive (or at least not terribly negative) experiences to look back upon helps.

King Tut, haven't you written in the past about hiking the Knife Edge and some of that other crazy stuff on Katahdin? Or am I thinking of someone else?

Matt

 

[spider solo]

There should be a good thread on the subject from a year or two ago.
I've had a life long fear of heights that spiraled to far a few years back and I had to seek help to deal with the subject.

It can be a simple or more complex... as in fear of heights linking into fear of open spaces etc. etc.

I've had good luck with hypnotisim to varying degrees.

I think the last thread was from someone who devolped the problem later in life.

It's nice to read of someone who may have had it fade away on it's own.

I don't mind if someone wants to contact me about it aside from this thread.

One positive way to aproach the subject is that some of us are born or blessed with an extra dose of self preservation when it comes to heights....similar to someone who is afraid of water for example...

surprisingly I am much more fearless when there is snow on the ground..perhaps it is even how the brain interpets the percieved danger that it is viewing.

 

[rhihn]

Might be of interest to some:

http://www.lef.org/protocols/eye_ear/vertigo_01.htm

 

[king tut]

I don't even have a fear of falling. I have a fear of landing!

But seriously, I used to be really bad with heights and only recently have been getting slightly better. I used to not even be too good with climbing fire towers-now that's nothing. I think like others have said, slowly building up positive (or at least not terribly negative) experiences to look back upon helps.

King Tut, haven't you written in the past about hiking the Knife Edge and some of that other crazy stuff on Katahdin? Or am I thinking of someone else?

Matt

Yea,
I have hiked the knife edge 4 or 5 times, and done the Precipice Trail in Acadia a few times, and a few other trails. There were times where I was perfectly fine, but other times where I was scared into inaction on those hard trails and some other really easy trails. Just kinda hanging on an edge, not able to take a next step until I calmed myself down. I also used to grip the safety bars with both hands on high ski chairs, b/c I was frightened of the heights and falling to my death. It might have just been some sort of panic attacks caused by fear of heights, who knows? But I guess whatever it was, vertigo, anxiety or whatever, it just seems to have gone away or lessened quite a bit. I guess I was just curious if anyone else had a similar experience. Thanks for all the info though, lots of good stuff. Hopefully someday I can make it back to Yosemite and climb Half Dome, I skipped the last few hundred vertical last time, b/c it scared the bejesus out of me!

 

[spider solo]

Might be of interest to some:

http://www.lef.org/protocols/eye_ear/vertigo_01.htm

Rhihn
That is an excellent link...
I think I learned more from that than anythng else on the subject over all these years.

I have one pilot friend who had to retire because he devloped it as an illness in his fifties. I have never been with him when he has had an "episode"
but know that he has fallen and literally had to crawl back to his farm house.
He still ice climbs, rock climbs and kayaks...he has been told it will moderate with time...

Aside from the medical versions of vertigo there is the kind that is generally refered to as a "phobia" of which there are many, many types.
These type, for me at least, kind of lend themselves to a case of "mind over matter" you may or may not reason your way through the panic depending on a fair amount of varibles.
(It is said a panic attack last about 20 minutes)

If I were to give a simple answer to King Tut I would have to say ....yes, I have had that happen where it bothers me less than it did a few years ago....
but, I would also have to say there have been times where the reverse has also happened.

Interesting subject either way ...it's a wild and whacky world.

 

[JOD]

High Anxiety

I'm not a doctor, nor do I play one on TV. I like to play doctor...

I think it’s acrophobia that's triggering the anxiety or panic attack that King Tut is experiencing. If you are truly debilitated enough to inaction while out you should probably see your doctor and describe the situations that trigger the attacks.

I was diagnosed with vertigo about 16 years ago. It was quite debilitating for about 4 months. The Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) in the link provided by rhihn described me to a “T”. I would get the spins and fall down when I stood up while getting out of bed. I learned to take my time to sit, then put my feet over the side of the bed, wait then stand and lean against the wall. This process would take 5-10 minutes. Any sudden change in my head position would render me useless. It eventually went away on it’s own. I’ve had minor experiences since. I’d never get my pilots license now! I can’t suba dive anymore either. For the most part it’s gone and I carry on a “normal” life.

Rent the Mel Brooks movie "High Anxiety" and you'll see what happens to an acrophobic. I love Nurse Diesel.