why have i gained fear of heights?And how do i overcome it?

Usually, fears are triggered by something scary or uncomfortable in the past. I gained a fear of vomiting (Emetophobia) and its awful. To overcome your fear, start with a ladder. Go higher and higher. Then, when you're at a fair or carnival or amusement park, take rides like baby steps. little rides first, then medium. If you feel up to it and face your fears, go on a couple big rides! I hope you overcome it soon (:

Well, no, pain is caused by a well understood mechanism involving pain nerves. Fear doesn't make you hurt. It just makes you tense up so that things like being stretched are more likely to hurt. And yes, I do believe it's possible for some people to block that pain so they never feel it - I've seen an interview with a lady who had a major operation without pain relief using the same techniques that freebirthers use. It's not for everyone, though. I wasn't afraid of giving birth. I was going to be fine. I knew what was going to happen and I'd written myself a drug free birth plan. I ended up with an epidural and, a few hours later, an emergency C-section when my daughter's head was simply too big to fit. No mental state can compensate for a head off the top of the centile chart. If I'd had a freebirth, we'd probably both be dead.

As we age, we often develop more sense, and can assess risk better. FEAR OF HEIGHTS: Because acrophobia can cause debilitating panic attacks, you first need to learn, and practise an anti panic attack breathing technique, until proficient, when on the ground. From: http://au.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=201... about panic attacks (also see page H at 8m.com, and re-read the full post on acrophobia, on page V ): Advice from a clinical psychologist is to breathe in to the count of 3: (one thousand one; one thousand two; one thousand three) each takes around a second to say to yourself, in your mind, and out to the count of 3. Repeat as necessary, until feeling better. If you experience a panic attack, when at any height, try to look neither up, nor down, but focus on employing the breathing technique which you have learned. Expect to still feel some level of fear, or anxiety, but now that you know that you can control any panic attack, it should give you the confidence to know that you can still act, even if afraid. Courage is not the absence of fear, but having the resolve; the determination to still act effectively.

Once you undergo the experience, you will eventually become accustomed to it, at least to some degree. One method: Start off from a low height, perhaps a couple of feet/ 60 cm above some mats, so you have the confidence that, even if you fall, you won't be hurt. Then move a little higher, the idea being to induce a panic attack that you can then practise your control techniques on. You may not even need to undergo the experience of a panic attack, depending on your psychological makeup, but some people do, and this is for them. Next, you could go and try rock climbing, with a rope attached for safety. At a fairly low height, you could even try looking down, and up, as a means of inducing a panic attack, which may, or may not occur, but you will be prepared for it, if it does. Then go even higher, and try the above again. If no panic attack, continue. I'd leave abseiling until later. Baby steps first. If you can climb a wall to the top, either without an attack, or by controlling any which happen, you are ready to try abseiling. You could also go to a pool, and jump from a low height, then higher.

Read: Overcoming Fear of Heights: How to Conquer Acrophobia & Live a Life Without Limits (Pocket Phobia) by Martin M. Antony and Karen, Ph.D. Rowa, & Handbook of Exposure Therapies by David C.S. Richard and Dean Lauterbach, from your bookstore, or amazon.com

Hypnosis is merely a heightened state of suggestibility, in which you are better able to communicate with your subconscious mind. 85% of people are suggestible, to some degree, so you could either preferably seek professional hypnotherapy, or, if not an option, hypnosisdownloads.com has: Overcome Fear of Heights. "There have been a number of promising studies into using virtual reality as a treatment for acrophobia".

I suggest using nothing more potent than a cup of (cooled, bottled?) chamomile tea, or Tension Tamer (from supermarkets; use no milk) an hour beforehand, to mildly relax you, if rock climbing, or abseiling.