All About Barophobia, the Fear of Gravity, & How To Overcome it with CBT, Therapy & Counselling in Wolverhampton & West Midlands

What is Barophobia?

Barophobia is the Fear of Gravity.

Most frequently it is associated with the idea of falling from high places and so may be easily confused with Acrophobia, the fear of heights.

There are some research theories based on evolutionary ideas (for example ‘Evolved Navigation Theory’ – Jackson and Cormack, 2008)  that we have an innate fear of heights as these represent dangers to ourselves (in terms of survival) and as a result our perception of high places is over-emphasised (we see high places as higher than they actually are) resulting in these types of phobic reaction.

There are also many psychologists who believe that these types of fears are ‘learned’ rather than have a genetic foundation.

As with most human behaviour, the most likely explanation is that Barophobia is a combination of both genetic and learned components.

All of the phobias, regardless of what the feared object or circumstances are, cause anxiety and stress for the sufferer.

Because the Barophobia sufferer perceives Gravity to be a real threat, the fear that they experience is real and makes complete sense based on what they believe.

Whilst many Barophobia sufferers do recognise that their fear of Gravity may be irrational, this knowledge does little to alleviate the reaction that they experience when exposed to the phobic situation.

It is important, therefore, to be aware that each of us makes sense of our life experiences in ways that are unique to ourselves and what has happened to us during our lives.

We completely understand this and will treat you and your Barophobia seriously when you consult us for help.

Barophobia Symptoms and Signs

The symptoms of Barophobia are very similar to other specific phobias and will often include:

• Anxiety
• Insomnia & sleeping problems
• Low Self-Esteem
• Low Self-Confidence
• Panic attacks
• Overthinking
• Stress

Barophobia may be the result of negative emotional experiences from the past but it may also be acquired from a parent or caregiver in the form of a learned behvaiour.

Whatever the original cause for the phobia may be, the key to overcoming Barophobia is to recognise that it is the perception of Gravity that leads to the symptoms and not the trigger situation itself.

By following a course of therapy or counselling and changing the individual meanings attributed to the idea of Gravity, Barophobia sufferers can almost certainly overcome their phobia and any associated symptoms..

Therapy & Counselling for Barophobia

Tranceform Psychology offer a range of different therapy and counselling solutions for Barophobia, the fear of Gravity, which you can read about below.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Barophobia

If you’re determined to overcome Barophobia then we highly recommend following our 10 module Cognitive Behavioural Therapy programme.

The programme is a grounded in clinically proven CBT principles and is designed to teach you the key understandings of how our thoughts and beliefs create the emotions that we experience.

By understanding how your mental processes work you will be in a better position to learn how to change any limiting beliefs or unhelpful thinking styles that are contributing to your symptoms.

The course has been designed to progressivley build-up the core knowledge and skills that you need to understand and change the way you think about and respond to your fear of Gravity.

Because different people need different levels of support to overcome Barophobia, the CBT programme is available in three different versions:

1. The 10 module course with 2 support sessions (£299).
2. The 10 module course with 5 support sessions (£499).
3. The 10 module course with 10 support sessions (£799).

We also offer this CBT course as a self-help programme for only £149 which you can purchase without even having to see a therapist!

Alternative Therapies for Barophobia

In spite of the excellent track record that CBT has for dealing with anxiety-based problems like Barophobia, some people find the psycho-educational aspects of cognitive therapies difficult to grapple with.

For these people, we also offer a number of different therapy and counselling approaches including:

Psychodynamic therapy which focuses more on emotional difficulties and relies on the therapeutic relationship to bring about change.

Counselling which is less structured but still provides a safe and non-judgmental environment to discuss issues which is therapeutic in its own right.

Hypnotherapy is an alternative form of therapy that can be applied to a very wide range of problems and is available with Joan.

Free Initial Consultations for Barophobia

We offer all prospective clients a FREE initial consultation to discuss your Barophobia prior to commencing any treatment plans.

The consultation is free and lasts around 50 minutes.

During this consultation we will discuss the various therapy options that are available to you and make a considered recommendation based on your individual personal circumstances.

Initial consultations are also available as part of our online therapy service.

At Tranceform Psychology we recognise the importance of the therapeutic relationship in helping people to bring about effective change, so its important to be able to ‘meet’ to discuss any therapy treatments BEFORE proceeding.

Our policy is to help people make a fully balanced & considered decision about undertaking work with us, including both the financial and personal implications.