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Environmental Phobias

Gephyrophobia – The Fear of Bridges

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Conquer Gephyrophobia One Bridge at a Time

Crossing over a vast body of water, walking over a rickety footbridge or just being very high off the ground can be frightening for most. Being fearful of bridges is not unheard of, in fact, it is normal. But if your anxiety levels skyrocket as you cross that bridge, then the fear isn’t normal. You could have something called gephyrophobia, which is the excessive fear of crossing bridges.

Do you experience overwhelming physiological symptoms as you approach a bridge? Does your heart begin to beat rapidly? Do you squeeze your eyes shut? Does the fear creep in so deep, your palms become sweaty? Fear like this can become all-encompassing and begin to take over certain aspects of your life.

It’s just a bridge, you tell yourself, but you are completely helpless when the phobia sets in. You start making decisions based on this fear. It dictates where you go and where you can’t go. In short, gephyrophobia now has a say over your life.

This phobia, like many others, can and must be conquered. It puts a strain on your freedom, and you need to rise above it. The first step is decoding the what and the why. Work to understand what it is exactly and why you have it.

What Is Gephyrophobia?

Gephyrophobia is an anxiety disorder or a phobia mainly associated with a fear of bridges or tunnels. People who suffer from this phobia avoid bridges whenever possible. When they encounter a bridge, they may feel overwhelming fear and stress. The fear may come from imagining being blown off the bridge by a gust of wind or that the bridge will break apart while crossing it. People with gephyrophobia could put themselves and others with them at considerable risk, especially if they happen to be driving over bridges. The fear could cause them to lose concentration while driving.

Whether it is fear of bridges over water, viaducts, or any kind of motorway bridge, people with this phobia react the same way. This phobia is similar to the fear of heights known as acrophobia. People who suffer from both phobias fear falling, and the danger is all too real for them, though some may think otherwise.

Gephyrophobia Causes

The cause of a fear of bridges, or gephyrophobia, is similar to most phobias in that it is difficult to identify a particular reason. Many factors can be attributed as probable causes. It can, however, develop from the fear of closed spaces, known as claustrophobia. It could also stem from acrophobia. People who have these phobias could have experienced some kind of traumatic experience while crossing bridges or know someone who has. The mind will replay the events, building them up until they are close to panic.

If you suffer from gephyrophobia, being on a bridge may cause you to think about the impending danger. You may feel you could lose control of the car while driving. If you’re not the one driving, you’ll still panic thinking that the driver could go over the railings. You may also have a fear of driving on highways and bridges. You may miss out on fun trips because you are afraid of crossing over bridges.

Phobias can also be inherited. Just like the way a child inherits a parent’s blue eyes or blonde hair, phobias can be passed on as well. A child can inherit a parent’s excessive anxiety and grow up to be extremely fearful of certain things or situations.

Also, when a family member is usually stressed, tensed, and anxious about a particular thing or situation around a child, the child learns it. Yes, fear, too, can be acquired.

Symptoms of Gephyrophobia

The symptoms of gephyrophobia are similar to those of other phobias. Almost all people exhibit fear the same way, regardless of what they’re afraid of. That said, every phobia might have some unique symptoms. Symptoms of gephyrophobia include:

Physical Symptoms

  • Staying away from all kinds of bridges
  • Avoiding high places
  • Getting short-tempered
  • Headaches or migraines
  • Feeling dizzy
  • Dryness of the mouth
  • Sweating
  • Tiredness

Psychological Symptoms

  • Panic attacks
  • Prickly pains like being poked with needles
  • Loss of breath
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Inability to relax

People with gephyrophobia find these symptoms uncontrollable, gripping them without warning, and leaving them helpless. If not addressed in time, gephyrophobia, like any other phobia, can take over a person’s thoughts and cause them to behave irrationally.

Ironically, the longing for safety only makes the phobia stronger. The stark terror that grips you squeezes tighter the more you try to find a way out.

The symptoms reinforce negative emotional experiences. These experiences can be linked either directly or indirectly to the object or situation.

How to Overcome a Fear of Bridges

If you’re wondering how gephyrophobia can be treated, you don’t have to search too far. You can overcome your fears no matter how unreasonable or irrational they might seem. It is all a matter of will power.

Helping Yourself Overcome Gephyrophobia

Sometimes just getting your mind under control might be all that is needed to rid yourself of fear. Face the fear while you hold the mind down. Tell it what you want it to know. The thoughts that come to mind might leave you helpless, but the power lies within you to push them out.

Constantly tell the mind it is just a bridge, and the fear of it is irrational. Let the mind know over and over again what you want it to know about bridges. Gradually, you will be able to overcome the phobia.

Helping yourself could also include some lifestyle changes. Lifestyle change could reduce symptoms of the phobia.

Some simple changes you can make include:

  • Regular exercises
  • Eating healthy regularly
  • Getting sufficient sleep
  • Reducing caffeine intake

Relaxation is another great self-help technique. Breathing and relaxing is a great way of conquering anxiety.

Visualization can be combined with breathing and relaxation exercises. While you relax you visualize how you’ll conquer your fears. You picture yourself successfully crossing a bridge and having fun while you do it.

Self-help groups are an excellent way to meet others with gephyrophobia and share different ways of coping. They know exactly how you feel, can relate with you better, and can provide the support system you need to overcome your fear.

Professional Help for Gephyrophobia

While self-help methods might sound simple, seeking the expertise of a professional therapist still goes a long way.

Exposure therapy is one form of gephyrophobia treatment. It means exposing yourself to that very thing you’re afraid of. Looking at pictures of bridges, for example, might be the first step. Start slow; a glance in the beginning could be enough. Doing this successfully for a while means you can graduate to videos and subsequently try to approach bridges. Take care not to force it. Exposure therapy requires patience and should not be done alone.

Cognitive therapy also helps with the phobia. Therapists treat the phobia by dealing with your thinking. Unhelpful thinking only tends to strengthen gephyrophobia. Hypnosis can be another therapeutic tool you can consider, but ensure it is done by a trained therapist.

Therapists offer different ways to deal with this phobia, but treatment for each person will most certainly be tailored to your specific needs.

Coping with Gephyrophobia

As stated earlier, it is normal to be afraid of bridges. It crosses the bridge of normalcy only when it takes over your physical and psychological well-being. How you will overcome gephyrophobia is mainly up to you. Seek help, talk to people, and this ‘battle of the bridge’ will be one you’ll certainly win.

Bridges are thrilling. Your fear of them could affect your freedom. Some of the things you desire most could simply be waiting across the bridge. So next time you see the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, just breathe easy, and cross that bridge when you get to it.

FearAZ.com is looking for personal stories of any 'fear of' or phobia. If you have an interesting story you'd like to share, we welcome your submission. If the story fits with our content and guidelines, we'll add it to our site.
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Your Fear Goes Up and Down

Are you someone who would rather climb the stairs than take the elevator? You call it squeezing in a workout after being sedentary the whole morning. Or perhaps you claim it's a faster route. These are both typical, normal, and acceptable reasons. But what if you need to be in the conference room on the eleventh floor in five minutes, and you're wearing your business suit and wingtips? Would you still prefer to take the stairs? If your answer is yes, then maybe it's time to take a closer look at your reasons for avoiding elevators. Elevators stir all sorts of emotions in passengers. From the discomfort of closeness to strangers to the sensations in our gut, elevators can be a source of the heebie-jeebies for many, but for some, they can also be a source of terror. Let's dig a little deeper into the latter, and see what this terror is all about and what can be done to manage it. To begin with, does being inside an elevator give you chills or the sweats? Or does it trigger an unpleasant memory? Perhaps you remember movies you've watched where something terrible happens inside an elevator. From Silence of the Lambs, The Shining, Final Destination 2, or the king of all elevator horror films, 2010’s Devil, the elevator becomes witness to something sinister and horrible. And you want nothing to do with any of it. You know that you're not claustrophobic. You can deal with heights just fine, too. And you know that you're not going to be trapped inside. All of these contribute to a fear of elevators—but they don't apply to you. Yet being inside one does something to you. It's hard to explain.

What is the Fear of Elevators Called?

What you have is a fear of elevators, which is called elevatophobia. It is most commonly triggered by an experience of getting stuck inside either due to a power outage or technical maintenance. Hearing about other people's experiences or watching a movie about similar circumstances can prompt a fear of elevators getting stuck with you inside. Usually, claustrophobics and agoraphobics may also develop elevatophobia because the triggers and objects of these fears are related. Claustrophobia is the fear of closed and cramped spaces, while agoraphobia is the fear of being trapped without any means of escape. Put the two together, and the elevator becomes the perfect combination of both phobias. The space is limited and closed, with only one means of entry and exit. You can add another point of access if you consider climbing the cables like they do in the movies, but that certainly isn't ideal.

Symptoms of Elevatophobia

If for some reason an elevator stops due to an outage or some technical difficulty, passengers with elevatophobia may go into full panic mode. Even if the maintenance team advises that it will just be a matter of minutes, by then, the person's mind has become irrational with the fear of the elevator falling, being stuck for hours, or other unpleasant thoughts. You would expect a person to exhibit the following physical symptoms: Additionally, you would be filled with that overwhelming anxiety where you feel that you have zero control over the situation. You start fearing the unknown and are filled with negative thoughts about death and imminent doom. You become irrational and unresponsive.

Possible Complications of Elevatophobia

When the panic sets in, the possibility of emergencies related to pre-existing conditions may make themselves known. This might include serious health crises like heart attacks or asthma attacks. When this happens, fear becomes a medical emergency. Elevator rides do not last long; it's just a matter of minutes or even less. But the fact that a person can escalate from panic to a near fatal medical situation classifies the fear of elevators as a 'hard phobia.'

Trying Some Self-Help Methods

Your fear of elevators can likely interfere with your social and work life and relationships. Not everyone understands that elevatophobia, like most phobias, can be crippling. But don't be disheartened. Depending on the level of your fear and level of control, you can gradually face and manage your phobia. Here are some recommendations you can try:
  1. Make a List of Everything that Entails Riding in an Elevator This is a systematic approach to getting over your anxiety. By following a step-by-step process, you can identify where the fear kicks in at its strongest. You can write a list of steps like pressing the topmost button and waiting to arrive on that floor, watching as the door closes and opens, being alone inside the elevator, or having delays with the doors opening. Now try doing the opposite. For example, face away from the door or occupy yourself with your phone so that you are distracted.
  2. Create Your Fear Ladder Although the name says fear of elevators, it is not the whole process that scares you. There are just phases and parts of the elevator riding experience that cause you to panic. So go back to the list you initially created and label the fear level you feel. You can do it numerically, too, like ten being 'really scary,' six, 'manageable scary,' and one, 'not scary at all.' You can put the corresponding fear levels so you can focus more time and effort into activities that are more scary to you.
  3. Face Your Fear By now, you have identified what scares you the most. You can try repetitive action to minimize your fear and increase your sense of ‘normalcy’. Remember that the longer you expose yourself to your fear, the better you get at handling your emotions. If you are feeling overwhelmed, stop. Pushing yourself too fast and too soon can backfire. Modify your pace and go slower instead.
  4. Talk About Your Fear People by nature, unfortunately, are not quick to offer understanding and support. You need to tell them what's wrong before they can empathize. Talk to someone who you trust and ask for their support, especially in the initial phase of overcoming your fear. If you are too afraid to ride the elevator alone, you can ask them to go with you, and before you realize it, you are on your floor, and there was no indication of panic.
  5. Learn To Be Patient Be patient with yourself and your predicament. This is, after all, your fight against fear. It might take hundreds of elevator ride practices before the fear gets under control. Even then, there might be some hesitations and episodes of nervousness. These are acceptable and expected, so cut yourself some slack and congratulate yourself for every progress.

Seeking Professional Help

Along with self-help, you can always enlist a medical professional's aid to support you with your elevatophobia. Talking to someone who has experience with similar cases can be comforting, because you know that you are not alone, and this situation can get better. Talk to your doctor about the severity of your fears and the symptoms that you experience. Explain how you deal with it in an attempt to control it. An exam and a health history are made to ensure that there are no unrelated or underlying problems that your symptoms might mask. Usually, phobias like this are approached with a combination of psychotherapy and medication. Your doctor will talk about these options with you, and it's entirely up to you, with your doctor's recommendation, what you want to pursue. For psychotherapy, the most common type is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which aims to help you find different ways of behaving, thinking, and reacting when about to step inside an elevator or when already inside it. With medications, there are beta blockers and benzodiazepines, but note that these can have side effects. Whatever these side effects are, you should promptly share it with your doctor.

Simple Tips to Overcome Elevatophobia

Elevators are not perfect, but their likelihood to malfunction, fall, or get stuck is very low. If you are not fully confident with this information, you can help overcome your elevatophobia by learning common elevator safety tips and basic elevator operations. These should help curb your mild fear until you become more self-assured. In addition to that, here are some of the things that you can do to gradually overcome your fear of elevators—both in getting on and riding one.

Conclusion

Yes, elevatophobia can be a challenge in today's world, but don't allow the elevator to win. Don't let it stop you from taking a job on the top floor or attending a social gathering on the rooftop. Sure, you can take the stairs if you insist and arrive winded and sweaty, with the party about to wrap up. But is this the quality of life you seek? Elevators are designed to make life easier. There are guaranteed ways to help you overcome elevatophobia. Take the first step and seek help. Soon, you’ll see yourself breezing through the floors with those arduous stair climbs little more than a memory.
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