Conquering Fear of Heights.

By Nadeem Fayaz

27 year-old Nottingham based graduate, Sara Fayaz, decided she must finally conquer her fear of heights by confronting these fears head on. Sara, who works in a law firm, undertook rock climbing lessons in Sheffield, went mountain climbing in Thailand, and went skydiving in New Zealand.

How bad was your fear of heights?

I wouldn't say I had an extreme or seriously bad fear of heights. I did, however, find that it would creep into my life and affect it in some way. I would avoid crossing bridges or standing on high balconies. I could cope with all that, but it's going a step too far when every year I'm afraid to go on the Big Wheel when Goose Fair is on back home in Nottingham!

What made you want to overcome your fear of heights?

I was living in Sheffield at the time and I received a leaflet through the post about an indoor rock climbing centre offering lessons in the city. I gave the leaflet some serious consideration; it was almost like a sign from above! Eventually, I came to the conclusion that I must physically face my fear of heights to overcome it, so I went along.

So you were on your way to the indoor rock climbing centre, how are you feeling as you come closer to strapping on that harness and taking that first step upwards?

Nervous! Extremely nervous, but I gained some comfort in that I was with a friend who was also afraid of heights. I was also excited and tense and couldn't wait to get started. I was eager to learn how the safety equipment is used and how to best tackle rock climbing as the experts taught us.

How did you find the experience and what was going through your head when you were actually rock climbing?

Don't look down! Even though it was not high up at all, at the time, and as I was climbing, I just said to myself, “don't look down!” The experience was a very enjoyable one, it opened up the gates for me to go further, continue coming to the lessons and hopefully, by the end of it, conquer my fears. I found that after attending more and more lessons, I gradually became more comfortable... and yes, I did find the strength to look down to the floor once I reached the top!

So you were seeing results immediately?

I suppose you could say that. Although I still had a fear of heights, I was more comfortable in challenging the fear rather than ducking it.

How often did you attend rock climbing lessons?

There were only 3 lessons, but I enjoyed the experience so much that I continued going once a week for a whole year. As time passed, I gained confidence and was battling well with my fear.

How did you go about challenging your fear further?

As I said, trying something like rock climbing was completely alien to me and having done it, it opened up new avenues. I enjoyed rock climbing, but I wanted to test myself further and so I somehow found myself on a mountain strapped to a harness in Thailand!

So at this point, while you're half way up a mountain, are you still afraid of heights, then?

Sure, you don't completely conquer your fear of heights just by climbing a mountain, I believe it's an ongoing process. Personally, mountain climbing in Thailand helped me tremendously and I would recommend it to anyone with or without a fear of heights.

What did you gain from the experience?

A great amount of satisfaction. I was incredibly proud of what I had achieved, when the instructor lifts the harness from you and you look up to see the mountain you've just climbed, you can't help but feel like patting yourself on the back! Mountain climbing in Thailand just brought me so much more confidence and self belief. There was no mountain high enough for me, excuse the pun!

Would you do it again?

Absolutely, aside from the beautiful scenery you witness as part of the whole experience, if I hadn't of gone mountain climbing, I would never of gained the confidence to go and skydive 6 months later, never.

So what was more difficult, skydiving or mountain climbing?
It would have to be skydiving! You jump out of the aeroplane face first! What's more, you're in the plane as it takes you higher and higher and you sit there wondering just how high up am I jumping from, the thought of it gives me sweaty palms! Despite all of that, it was an amazing experience, you're probably wondering how after I've said all of that, but I guess that's the beauty of skydiving!

You've been rock climbing, mountain climbing and skydiving, surely now you've conquered your fear of heights.

To a certain extent, I guess you could say that. I'm certainly more confident and the Big Wheel is no longer an issue! On the other hand, I still feel that sense of fear at times, but I think back to my experiences and I feel far more at ease than I ever was before with dealing with heights.

What would be your message to people with a fear of heights?

My message would be to face the fear head on. What I've learned most from my experiences is that people can challenge their fears and face their anxieties. I believe this to be true not just for a fear of heights, but for fears that people have in general. Recognizing you have a fear is the first step and conquering your fears is a work in progress, it requires perseverance. In a nutshell, my message is to take positive steps to address your fears.