On Tue, 3 May 2005 09:12:09 +0100, "spamfrog"
<[email hidden]> wrote:
| The person who now accompanies me hillwalking has vertigo. He was freaked
| out on the last ridge walk we did and wants to use a rope next time, he
| doesn't like the idea of just tying the rope around the waist and would
| prefer to wear a harness.
| He has also asked about using a belay device for tricky steps or possible
| escapes.
| I am just wondering whether the above would be considered overkill or worth
| it to give someone a bit of confidence and stop them freaking or freezing on
| the next ridge or rock tower.
If it is really bad, send him/her to a GP. The good old NHS can help.
http://www.netaxs.com/~aca3/ad-eng-d.htm#Phobia
Vertigo >>>Acrophobia - a phobia of height<<<. is basically another
Phobia, an unreasonable fear of heights. <<<Phobia - an exaggerated fear.
Adj. Phobic. Anxiety and panic disorders are known to enhance preexisting
phobias or even introduce phobias not previously experienced. The so-called
"simple phobias" are phobic responses to a specific thing; such as
height>>>
http://www.guidetopsychology.com/sysden.htm
Quoted message said:Quoted message said:Quoted message said:
Systematic Desensitization
One method that has been consistently proven to be effective in the
treatment of anxiety and phobias is systematic desensitization. In this
procedure, events which cause anxiety are recalled in imagination, and then
a relaxation technique is used to dissipate the anxiety. With sufficient
repetition through practice, the imagined event loses its anxiety-provoking
power. At the end of training, when you actually face the real event, you
will find that it too, just like the imagined event, has lost its power to
make you anxious.
Originally developed to be administered by a psychotherapist, systematic
desensitization has been shown to be effective when self-administered as
well, and your greatest gains will come through your own regular practice.
The examples utilized here will be for desensitizing yourself to Fear of
Flying; you can, however, alter the examples to suit any type of anxiety.
<<<
So as with most phobias it should be susceptible to desensitization, which
is to slowly expose the sufferer to slowly increasing amounts of the
problem. So do not take your companion straight onto a ridge walk. Start
with ordinary hills, and then steeper hills, then when he/she is used to
them move to wide ridges, when he/she is happy with that move to narrow
ridges.
But remember that walking ridges does involve some risk, so all fear on
ridges is not necessarily a phobia.
--
Dave F
If you do not vote,
you will get the polititians you deserve.