Dealing with Heights

[Yakima]

Not an issue for me, but a friend suffered from similar symptoms.
Turned out to be some sort of inner ear thing.
He learned to stand on one foot for extended periods and that regaining of muscle-balance cured his fear of heights.
When muscles no longer balance well (the interplay between inner ear and muscles in feet and legs) we compensate with vision.
By retraining his muscles and inner ear, problem was solved.
YMMV

[scottrnelson]

You guys remind me of the guy "in the chair" in this commercial:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uaFy0x_Uixo

[crofrog]

Originally Posted by cafebmw

I've had inner ear issues my whole life. Started getting more and more vertigo in situations around them. Told my doctor and he sent me to Physical Therapy for Vestibular Rehab. They determined my balance was over reliant on my vision and out of sync with my inner ears. 8+ weeks of vision/balance exercises to help get them back aligned. Still working on it, but surprised how much it has helped. Still don't like bridges, cliffs, etc, but don't loose my balance around them as much as I used to.

Some other good advice in this thread on how to get through it. When in doubt, speed up, a rolling wheel can't fall over .

I've injured my ankle a few times and had to do PT. One of things they had me do was stand on a trampoline and balance with my eye's closed on the injured ankle


Also played catch standing on one foot.

My balance wasn't bad before but it was better after that. I also got an indo board that I play with allot, pretty much whenever I'm watching TV.

[Pantah]

I hate that Visa commercial where that pretty thing balances on top of a Utah pinnacle. I can barely watch. Also, I doubt I'd enjoy being a high rise window washer or standing on the very edge of the grand canyon on one foot!

But narrow dirt roads like the one in the Moab video don't bother me. I do get bouts of inner ear vertigo, though. Doesn't last but a few days, but I don't ride during them and try not to drive too. I live in a place I can walk everywhere.

[Snarky]

I do not have a fear of heights. That said, there are some interchanges in Dallas and Houston that make my butt pucker a bit.

Like the Hi-5 in Dallas, I think the highest deck is 12 stories off the ground.



Houston I-10/Beltway Ramps


Houston Ship Channel Bridge.


All of these roads are basically Highway Speed bridges. You're doing 50-60 mph on them. Even if you aren't scared of heights, they can be worrying. Considering most of them of are also curved I keep reminding myself to look through the turn and not off the edge. Also not to be a hooligan because a good wind can move you out of an ideal line.

[bogey78]

I had to climb a ladder to inspect a toilet vent boot on my elderly dad's house the other day. I was probably 12 feet off the ground and my knees were shaking a little. I was never afraid of heights as a kid and would ride any coaster, rappel, fly in small planes, worked on roofs, etc. However, over the last 5 years or so I have become a great big wuss when it comes to heights and also closed in spaces. Now I'm kind of scared of heights and I even get a little claustrophobic if I have to work under the house or in the attic.

I also went with our church to Six Flags in Atlanta last year and was terrified while on Goliath. Honestly, that ride seems to need more straps and handholds to be safe. Of course, nobody fell out but it sure felt like I would. The only way I would ride it again is with a couple of ratchet straps around my chest and thighs and I don't think they'll go for it. My wife still laughs and calls me a chicken when the subject of roller coasters come up. It's the only one I won't ride though!

[perterra]

Originally Posted by Snarky

I do not have a fear of heights. That said, there are some interchanges in Dallas and Houston that make my butt pucker a bit.

Like the Hi-5 in Dallas, I think the highest deck is 12 stories off the ground.



Houston I-10/Beltway Ramps


Houston Ship Channel Bridge.
All of these roads are basically Highway Speed bridges. You're doing 50-60 mph on them. Even if you aren't scared of heights, they can be worrying. Considering most of them of are also curved I keep reminding myself to look through the turn and not off the edge. Also not to be a hooligan because a good wind can move you out of an ideal line.

A few years back some dumbass entered the high 5 on a sportbike with passenger at a very high rate of speed, hit the rail and pitched his lady passenger over the side, I think 87 or 97 ft to the highway below. Long ways to fall,

That one in Lake Charles is a tall son of a bitch.

[ADW]

Originally Posted by ttpete

You'd have a rough time on the Mackinac bridge in MI. The center two lanes are steel grating so you can see straight down. I usually use the concrete curb lane, mainly because the grating can be slippery.

I prefer the grating because the side rail on the bridge is so low I wanna be as far away from it as I can! VERY easy to just fall right over it when perched on a cycle (at least that's what my brain says).

[eepeqez]

Originally Posted by espacef1fan

fear of heights. This is a fear of mine, but I experience it strangely. I'm terrified of working ont he roof of a house..or standing near a window ina skyscraper. I ok sitting on the ramp of a Chinook helicopter with my feet dangling..more than 10000 ft off the ground....Make sense? It doesnt to me either.

Makes perfect sense to me.
Fall off a roof and it hurts very immediately.
Fall out of a Chinook and there is about a minute to do something to save yourself (never mind that without a parachute, there's not actually anything useful you can do in that minute), and you're not going to hurt when you land anyway.

[DrLewall]

Originally Posted by eepeqez

Makes perfect sense to me.
Fall off a roof and it hurts very immediately.
Fall out of a Chinook and there is about a minute to do something to save yourself (never mind that without a parachute, there's not actually anything useful you can do in that minute), and you're not going to hurt when you land anyway.

and if it does hurt, it will be briefly!

[blues]

Originally Posted by cafebmw

I've had inner ear issues my whole life. Started getting more and more vertigo in situations around them. Told my doctor and he sent me to Physical Therapy for Vestibular Rehab. They determined my balance was over reliant on my vision and out of sync with my inner ears. 8+ weeks of vision/balance exercises to help get them back aligned. Still working on it, but surprised how much it has helped. Still don't like bridges, cliffs, etc, but don't loose my balance around them as much as I used to.

Some other good advice in this thread on how to get through it. When in doubt, speed up, a rolling wheel can't fall over .

This is interesting. My vision has gone down hill the last couple years and my vertigo has gotten much worse. I'm scheduled for cataract surgery in a couple weeks and am being sent to PT for the vertigo. I had never heard of PT for vertigo before last week and it will be interesting to see if the vision issue is related.

At this point the vertigo is so bad I am having a difficult time functioning and am concerned that I ll be retiring a couple years sooner than expected. Obviously I haven't been ridding for the past couple months.

To some extent the vertigo feeling is similar to the fear of heights sensation. When I was a kid I had no problem with heights. My balance has always been excellent until recently.

[Mr.Dabalina]

A friend of mine's wife was having vision vertigo problems as well. My friend had been taking his wife to and from work for several months. She started pt a few months ago. He no longer has to drive her. She says she still has some issues but not nearly as troublesome as before. So the pt has helped her thus far. Last I heard a couple of weeks ago she is still going to pt regularly.