A few days ago, at my friend’s sister’s wedding, I was reminded of how I dealt with fear of high ceilings. It’s a peculiar phobia I used to have. This particular fear is so rare that I’ve only ever met one other person who shared it.
My phobia made it challenging for me to enter churches and cathedrals, causing a great deal of inconvenience and social embarrassment.
This fear? It was a phobia of very high ceilings.
I used to think of it as the opposite of Acrophobia, the fear of heights. I found it amusing that I could stand on the edge of the highest cliff without feeling any fear, but sitting in the nave of a church would make me sweat, shake, and cling to the pews for dear life.
To this day, the reason behind my phobia remains a mystery. I can’t recall any trigger or conscious reason for my fear of high ceilings. I never imagined the ceiling collapsing or being sucked into the rafters.
It was utterly inexplicable.
A few days ago, I found myself sitting in the nave of a beautifully adorned Polish village church with a very high ceiling. The service lasted about an hour, and during that time, I couldn’t help but think how, just a few years ago, I wouldn’t have been able to even enter the church, let alone sit through a service.
I felt an overwhelming sense of pride as I realized how far I’ve come, not only in overcoming my fear of high ceilings but also in reducing and eventually eliminating inappropriate anxiety altogether.
Today, I’m doing things, going places, and enjoying experiences I never thought possible just a few years ago, thanks to my progress in managing generalized anxiety, panic attacks, and social phobia.
If you’re anxious about attending a wedding or public event and worry about panicking and needing to leave, you can try something similar to what I did—gradually pushing yourself into the fear zone.
When you feel anxious, focus intently on a small detail of the scene around you. For instance, at a wedding, you could study the bride’s dress and think about how you would design it, what you would add or change.
Alternatively, focus on the speeches and find deeper, positive meanings in the words. Think about how you would express the same sentiments more eloquently.
By concentrating on something other than your fears, you can reduce your anxiety. You may still feel some fear, but it will diminish. The more you distance yourself from distressing mental images, the better you’ll feel.
This approach conditions your mind to experience less fear and anxiety in similar situations in the future, which is essentially how I overcame my anxiety.
For more effective methods, you might consider the Linden Method, which played a crucial role in my recovery from multiple anxiety disorders and phobias. It teaches you to use your mind’s power to heal yourself quickly, rather than relying on the inconsistent effects of medication and costly therapies.
The key to reducing and eradicating anxiety is changing how you react to anxiety-inducing situations. Medications, herbal remedies, and talk therapies can provide temporary relief, but they are like band-aids—they eventually need to be removed.
When you change your reactions, thoughts, and behaviors regarding anxiety, you gain the keys to a permanently relaxed, balanced, and confident life. It becomes nearly impossible to revert to old patterns.
Now, I’m off to explore Warsaw and perhaps visit one of its cathedrals.
It’s warm and sunny here.
Have a lovely day.
(note: this post was originally published on the previous reincarnation of this website by the previous owner. If you’re interested in the current content, please visit Can’t Overcome Anxiety? Why Not Outsmart It Instead? )
If you’re interested in the Outsmart Anxiety course, please visit its page.
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