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Jayo
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21 Oct 2012, 1:16 pm

I'm wondering, is it more common for people with Asperger's to be afraid of heights? Something to do with sensory issues perhaps? For me, my fear of heights is more conditional - if I'm in an enclosed area, even a glass elevator, it's not that bad. I've been on the observation deck of tall/famous buildings before and loved it. However, if I'm on say the roof of a tall apartment building, or on a mountain peak, different story. So, basically, I could be a crane operator (although I pursued another career path in IT, ha ha) but ask me to climb up the crane...forget it.

Maybe the fear is more correlated due to factors like motor skill challenges - I mean, if we KNOW that we have motor skill and balance issues...same reason why we'd have more fear of getting into fights.



Radiofixr
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21 Oct 2012, 1:30 pm

as long as there is something around me I am ok but also if I am on a roof with nothing around me I have trouble.


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FishStickNick
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21 Oct 2012, 2:23 pm

Radiofixr wrote:
as long as there is something around me I am ok but also if I am on a roof with nothing around me I have trouble.

I'm kind of the same way. I have no problem with observation decks on tall buildings, but climbing a ladder to fix something on the roof? Forget it.



iggy64
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21 Oct 2012, 4:01 pm

I convinced myself I was scared of heights when I was younger. Now I realise I enjoy walking on glass floors or rock climbing. The only thing I know I'm scared of is going "over the edge" when assailing (although I've only done it once). I don't think I'd trust myself with an open edge and nothing to grab, I slip and trip far too often.

As far as safe situations go though, as long as you can look past the distance between the floor and you, and concentrate on what you need to do, it's all in the mind and can be overcome, if you think about it hard enough. Or at least it did for me.


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LeeAnderson
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21 Oct 2012, 4:08 pm

Yeah even imagining being on top of like the Empire State Building makes my head swim..



oliverthered
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21 Oct 2012, 4:21 pm

I have a fear of heights I feel like I'm going to throw myself off of the edge. It's also activated when I look up at tall things. My friend is also like this.



MrStewart
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21 Oct 2012, 4:21 pm

I am afraid of heights, certainly. I don`t see why that would necessarily go hand in hand with autism. An awful lot of people are afraid of heights.

Funny thing about it, though. For me it's primarily a matter of not trusting spindly looking structures. For example, I would be very nervous standing on the ground near one of those tall radio towers for fear that it will fall on me. Not as nervous as I would be climbing the thing of course.

oliverthered wrote:
I have a fear of heights I feel like I'm going to throw myself off of the edge. It's also activated when I look up at tall things. My friend is also like this.


Yep, this as well. I have control over suicidal ideation now, for the most part, but putting myself in a position where it would be very easy to toss myself over the side.... that is a concern. It's best if I avoid the temptation and stay away from such scenarios.



billiscool
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21 Oct 2012, 5:43 pm

Yeah. I am scared of heights



Si_82
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21 Oct 2012, 5:45 pm

I do get a touch of vertigo but one of my current interests happens to be urban exploring. I get so passionate about the exploring and the photography that I push myself to climb to the top of abandoned roller coasters and 200ft steel bridges. Knowing that it is something well outside of my comfort zone makes me more determined to proove to myself that I can do it.

However, put me in a room full of strangers and that's a whole other matter!

Ps don't try this at home, kids.


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Dillogic
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21 Oct 2012, 5:57 pm

Not a symptom last time I heard.



chris5000
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21 Oct 2012, 6:56 pm

im not scared of heights when I have a safety harness on



blackelk
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21 Oct 2012, 7:08 pm

I'm scared of heights.


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emimeni
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21 Oct 2012, 7:11 pm

I'm not really afraid of heights. I'm afraid of being unbalanced. If I feel unbalanced, I will do whatever I can to feel balanced again.


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Logicalmom
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21 Oct 2012, 8:33 pm

I'm like the OP. The way I figure it is I have trouble walking a straight line on flat ground, I don't trust my balance where I am going to fall more than the length of my body. I don't mind heights if I am harnessed, inside something, or otherwise secured. Otherwise, I am too klutzy to take the chance.



r84shi37
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21 Oct 2012, 11:01 pm

I've climbed 60-70 feet up a tree and wasn't scared at all. Then I climbed about 12 feet up a ladder and was almost shaking. Instead of climbing down the ladder I opted for jumping from the ladder onto an incomplete building. I'm find with heights when I have stuff to grab onto but I strongly dislike climbing ladders or standing on people's shoulders.



BrokenBill
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22 Oct 2012, 3:21 am

Amongst other things I'm a crane driver, I also fish from the top of a 100' cliff. Pretty much standing on the edge looking down.

Dunno, different things scare different folks

(Edit)
Thought about this some more and decided I used to be scared of these things to a degree but like a lot of other AS fences, I got over them.
Not knowing I was an aspie gave me no excuse not to.


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Last edited by BrokenBill on 22 Oct 2012, 6:19 pm, edited 1 time in total.