Fear of falling (basophobia)
Fear of falling, known as basophobia or ambulophobia, is a common anxiety that can significantly impact an individual's behavior and quality of life. This fear can manifest in various situations, such as walking on smooth or rough surfaces, and is particularly prevalent among older adults who may have experienced a fall or injury. The condition may arise from a traumatic event, leading to heightened anxiety about walking or moving in specific environments. Physical symptoms of this fear can include rapid heartbeat, sweating, and a sense of instability, which may cause individuals to avoid situations where they might have to walk.
Basophobia is rooted in a natural instinct to avoid falling, often evidenced by the parachute reflex observed in infants. While this fear can be debilitating, it can be addressed through various therapeutic approaches, including medication, exposure therapy, and behavioral therapy. Additionally, incorporating exercise and adaptive strategies can help individuals manage their anxiety. Understanding the personal and emotional triggers of this fear is crucial, as they can vary widely among individuals. Overall, addressing basophobia can lead to improved mobility and a greater sense of safety in everyday activities.
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Subject Terms
Fear of falling (basophobia)
The fear of falling, also known as basophobia or basiphobia, is a term that is applied to several circumstances. It can refer to the fear of falling when walking in normal situations or walking in special circumstances, such as on very smooth or very rough surfaces. This condition is also known as ambulophobia in some areas. The term is also applied to the fear of falling while walking that occurs in older individuals and others who have experienced a fall. The same terms are also used for the fear of falling from a high place, although this is closely related to acrophobia, or the fear of heights. The fear of falling sometimes begins after a person experiences a traumatic event that causes injury. The fear can be overcome but may require professional assistance if the phobia is severe.
Background
The term basophobia comes from the Greek words bas, meaning "step," and phobia, meaning "fear." Psychologists believe humans and many other mammals are naturally equipped with an instinct to avoid falling. This belief is based largely on the parachute reflex, which has been observed in infants as young as six months old.
Infants who are held by the body and moved in a downward motion while facing the floor will instinctively spread their arms and hands to break their fall. This reflex develops before children have matured enough to be able to walk. Experts say this means it is not a learned behavior from having fallen but an inherent reflex. Unlike many other childhood reflexes, the parachute reflex does not go away but remains into adulthood.
Overview
Some people develop a genuine fear of falling. It becomes a fear when it begins to affect a person's behavior, such as when a person avoids walking in certain circumstances, refuses to walk, or seems to become incapable of walking when there is no physical reason for this. People experiencing the fear of falling may have physical, emotional, or mental symptoms, or a combination.
They may experience a fast heartbeat, chest pains, sweating, and a dry mouth. Their throat may tighten, and breathing may become difficult. They may feel nauseous and shaky, and they may feel as if their legs cannot support them. Some people will experience extreme anxiety when thinking of situations where they may have to walk. They may also obsess about the possibility of having to walk in the ways they fear. Those suffering from basophobia may also feel they will faint when in circumstances that require them to walk. Many will go to extremes to avoid these situations. Some feel great shame about not being able to do something others take for granted. Some also feel guilty if their condition interferes with the ability of loved ones to participate in activities that would require the phobic persons to confront their fear.
Experts say that there are many variations in the symptoms of those who have basophobia. This is in part because the causes vary greatly. For some, the fear is related to a previous fall or near fall, especially one in which the person was injured or could have suffered significant injury. Just as some people who are in a car accident fear driving again, someone who fell may fear the circumstances that brought about the fall. This means that while some people are afraid of walking in specific circumstances, such as on ice or on very smooth, slick surfaces such as marble, others are afraid of walking anywhere.
The issue is often a particular concern for older adults. As people age, balance and strength can be affected, as can eyesight. These factors can make it more likely for older people to fall. Reduced bone density, another side effect of aging, can make broken bones more likely. Aged joints may also be more prone to damage. As a result, older individuals are more likely to suffer a significant injury as the result of a fall.
An older person who falls once may become reluctant to walk out of fear of falling again and suffering another injury. However, experts say that not walking actually increases the likelihood of future fall injuries when the person does walk. This is because unused muscles and joints may weaken further. Additional risk factors for developing a fear of falling include neurological disorders, obesity, and certain medications.
While some people who develop a fear of falling become afraid because they have fallen, this is not always the case. Sometimes, the cause is less clear. It may be the result of what psychologists call emotional contagion, in which the person experienced something else that produced fear while walking. For instance, if a person walking along a street is nearly hit by an out-of-control vehicle, the fear experienced may transfer to the activity the person was doing at the time. It may also be the result of an incident that happened many years before. For example, a person who had a terrible fear of dogs as a child and fell while running from a dog may develop a fear of falling after an encounter with a large barking dog, even if no harm resulted from either incident.
Those with a fear of falling can be treated with medication to reduce the anxiety produced in trigger situations, with hypnosis, with exposure therapy, and with conventional talk therapy or behavioral therapy. A combination of these treatments can also be used. Exercise and the use of adaptive equipment are additional coping mechanisms. Some therapists also suggest a therapy called anchoring. Anchoring takes advantage of the brain's tendency to create links and patterns between memories. Fears develop because the brain makes a connection between a real or perceived danger and some other object or circumstance. This object or circumstance becomes a trigger for the fear. However, triggers can also bring about good memories and associations, such as the way the smell of a certain cologne sparks memories of a loved one who wore it. Therapists suggest creating a strong positive emotion that serves as an anchor whenever the fear of falling emerges, and then using that positive emotion to combat the fear.
Bibliography
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