Skip to content Skip to sidebar Skip to footer
3K
3K
740
3K
Menu
Menu
static-img
Situational Phobias

Ambulophobia – Fear of Walking or Standing

Share This Article
Share Post

Excessive Fear of Walking or Standing Is Serious to Some

The fear of walking or standing is called ambulophobia, or ambulomophobia. It is a type of specific phobia characterized by an excessive and irrational fear of walking or standing. People with this phobia experience extreme anxiety and panic when faced with the idea of walking or standing, and may avoid situations where walking or standing is required.

This somewhat rare phobia may seem strange to some, as most rare phobias do, but having an excessive, compulsive fear of an action that is so necessary in daily life will make moving through your day almost impossible. It may even border on a complete disability. Let’s dig into this troublesome and unnerving phobia.

 

Causes of Ambulophobia

The excessive fear of walking or standing can be caused by a variety of factors. Some possible causes include:

  1. Past traumatic issues: If someone has had a traumatic experience while walking or standing, such as a fall or an injury, they may develop a fear of walking or standing as a result.
  2. Medical conditions: Some medical conditions can make walking or standing difficult or uncomfortable, such as balance disorders or chronic pain. In these cases, the fear of walking or standing may be a secondary fear related to the underlying medical condition.
  3. Learned behavior: Sometimes, people may develop a phobia of walking or standing as a result of learned behavior. For example, if someone has been told that they should avoid walking or standing due to a medical condition, they may develop a fear of walking or standing as a result.
  4. Existing mental health conditions: Ambulophobia can be a symptom of an underlying mental health condition, such as panic disorder, depression, or PTSD. These conditions can manifest into a full phobia.
  5. Genetics: Some research suggests there may be a genetic component to certain phobias and anxiety disorders. So, if someone has a family history of anxiety disorders or phobias, they may be more likely to develop a fear of walking or standing.

 

Symptoms of Ambulophobia

Common symptoms of ambulophobia, or the fear of walking or standing, include:

  • Extreme anxiety or panic when faced with the idea of walking or standing
  • Physical symptoms of anxiety, such as a rapid heartbeat, sweating, and difficulty breathing
  • Avoidance of situations where walking or standing is required, such as going to work or school
  • Difficulty functioning in situations where walking or standing is required
  • Difficulty sleeping or concentrating due to thoughts of walking or standing

 

Treatments for Ambulophobia

Self-Help

Here are a few self-help strategies for managing ambulophobia, or the fear of walking or standing:

  1. Gradual exposure: Gradual exposure to the feared activity (in this case, walking or standing) can be an effective way to help reduce fear and anxiety. Start with small, manageable steps and gradually increase the difficulty level.
  2. Relaxation techniques: Relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, and meditation, can help reduce anxiety and stress. Practicing these techniques regularly can help manage anxiety related to walking or standing.
  3. Mindfulness: Mindfulness practices, such as yoga or tai chi, can help a person focus on the moment and reduce the impact of negative thoughts and fears related to walking or standing.
  4. Positive self-talk: Try to focus on positive thoughts and self-talk when faced with the idea of walking or standing. Challenge negative thoughts and beliefs, and try to replace them with more positive and realistic thoughts.

Keep in mind that these self-help strategies may not be enough on their own to manage the intense fear ambulophobia can cause. It very well may be necessary to seek professional help, such as talk therapy or in some cases medication.

Professional Treatment for Ambulophobia

Professional treatment for ambulophobia typically involves one or more of these common therapies:

  1. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT): Helps individuals understand and change their thought patterns and behaviors that contribute to their fear.
  2. Medication: May be used to help manage anxiety symptoms during treatment.
  3. Exposure therapy: When used in a controlled setting, can help the person face their fears and reduce anxiety.
  4. Physical therapy: If you have a medical condition that causes pain or discomfort when walking, working with a physical therapist may be the needed first step.
  5. Talk therapy: May be the most convenient and effective tool for easing the discomfort. This therapy can be done in the privacy of your own home.

If you think you may have ambulophobia, walk right over and speak with your mental health professional today. Get a proper diagnosis and treatment plan. With the right help, it is possible to manage or even overcome this phobia and improve your quality of life. Walk, stand, and live your life free of excessive fear.

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.
0LikesShare Post

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.
This Pop-up Is Included in the Theme
Best Choice for Creatives
Purchase Now