As we get older, everything from our political views to our taste in food can change. That’s because, even though our brains stop developing around our mid-20s, the combination of life experience and the ageing process transforms the way we view and approach the world around us. It’s not surprising, then, that age can have an impact on the severity of phobias.
In this article, Climb Above Fear explores the various factors that can influence whether acrophobia is likely to get better or worse with age. Let’s begin!
What is acrophobia?
Acrophobia is a specific phobia, meaning it focuses on a certain object, event or action. Acrophobics have an intense fear of heights and scenarios that involve being far away from the ground. There are an array of height-related situations that may produce severe anxiety in people with acrophobia. These include:
- Approaching cliff edges
- Moving up floors in high buildings
- Standing on balconies
- Climbing stairs
- Using ladders
Sometimes even just the thought of the above scenarios can cause acrophobics to experience symptoms like heart palpitations, sweating, panic attacks and nausea. In addition, people with acrophobia will actively avoid any situations that may involve heights, which can result in them living a very restricted life.
When does acrophobia develop?
Like most phobias, acrophobia usually becomes evident in childhood or adolescence. This is because intense fears are often caused by some kind of trauma in these formative years. However, social, biological and evolutionary factors also play a role in phobias, so they can technically develop at any age.
How does age impact acrophobia?
There are numerous age-related factors that can impact a phobia. It’s tricky to definitively say whether acrophobia gets better or worse as we get older because some of the most significant changes that come with age have contradictory influences. We’ll explore some of these below.
Keep in mind that we are examining how age impacts those who already have acrophobia, not the likelihood that one will develop this phobia in old age.
Why acrophobia may get better with age
Adrenaline levels
Our brains may be fully developed by the time we hit our mid-20s, but the ageing process does cause alterations to important functions like brain chemical production. When it comes to phobias, one hormone in particular is of particular relevance: epinephrine, more commonly known as adrenaline.
If a phobia is triggered, the resulting symptoms (like rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath and shaking) are part of our fight or flight response. This response is fuelled by adrenaline, which floods the body when it perceives a threat. Along with the physical symptoms mentioned above, adrenaline makes us feel anxious.
It is thought that our adrenal glands don’t produce as much adrenaline as we get older, which may explain why some people report that their phobias become less severe with age. This theory is backed by a 2012 Japanese study that examined the production of catecholamines (hormones produced by the adrenal glands) in ageing mice. The results found that adrenaline “undergoes a significant decrease with advancing age”. In 2019, a study on adrenal ageing and stress responses in humans confirmed that “current evidence shows that adrenal medullary secretion and release of epinephrine are lower in older people, both at rest and during stress.”
As a result, while ageing may not eradicate a phobia, it can cause symptoms to become less intense.
Why acrophobia may get worse with age
Cognitive function
It tends to go that the older we get, the more cautious we become. Young people are much more likely to throw themselves into situations with little thought to the potential risks. According to Neuroscience Professor Mouna Maroun, this is because “childhood is a period when the brain and the prefrontal cortex are still developing”.
As we age, the prefrontal cortex becomes more flexible, which allows for more complex cognitive functioning. Adults are therefore able to draw from the wealth of knowledge and experience they’ve built up over the years to analyse the potential dangers of situations they are faced with. In the case of people with existing irrational fears, these complex thought processes can provide them with more reasons to worry.
Balance issues
One of the main reasons acrophobics fear heights is that they anticipate falling from them. Even thinking about it can make someone with this phobia feel unsteady on their feet. Thus, when they find themselves away from the ground, they often react as if they are in danger of hurting themselves.
A range of physical changes associated with old age can cause our sense of balance to deteriorate. This includes:
- Poor circulation
- Changes in blood pressure
- Low iron levels
- Alterations in gait
- Medications
- Inner ear issues
- Neurological conditions like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s
- Dizziness and vertigo
You can imagine, then, how these natural consequences of ageing can exacerbate the existing anxieties of those with acrophobia. Rather than being completely irrational, the older we get, the more risk there is that we will actually lose balance and fall.
Frailty
Not only does the likelihood of falling increase with age, but older people can also expect to take longer to recover from a tumble. This is because as we age, important health factors like physical strength and bone density start to decline. Add to this picture issues like reduced mobility and slower reflexes, and the prospect of falling becomes even scarier!
Responsibilities
Older adults are likely to have more people depending on them, whether it be children, partners or employees. This responsibility brings with it an awareness of the fact that anything that happens to them can also impact the people they care about. In individuals with phobias, this can mean that they go through life with an increasing sensitivity to potential triggers, because it is not just their wellbeing that is on the line.
Does acrophobia get worse with age?
Realistically, any phobias that continue into adulthood are likely to require professional intervention to truly improve or suppress them. Acrophobia is a particularly problematic one because, as we get older, being away from the ground genuinely carries a greater risk. As a result, although there are some aspects of ageing that may improve phobia symptoms, there are multiple reasons to suggest that acrophobia gets worse with age.
Thankfully, there are a range of treatments that can help people with acrophobia manage their symptoms, no matter how old they are. At Climb Above Fear, we have a friendly team of experienced therapists who can provide you with the knowledge and tools necessary to manage your phobia.
Ready to take the first step to a life free from fear? Simply fill out a contact form and we’ll get in touch to let you know how we can help you wave goodbye to acrophobia.
