Altocelarophobia

12/14/2018

Hello friends!
Welcome back to my inner thoughts.

My blog has always been a place where I can transcribe my unruly emotions and also allow you guys to get to know me (or even yourselves along the way) a bit better. So I thought, why not delve in deeper to my more specific fears and help them dissolve over time?

In 2017, I faced my fear of flying on a plane. But there's a fear, similar to a fear of heights, that I have yet to tackle. And as 2018 comes to a close, now became the time to do it.

Altocelarophobia is the fear of tall ceilings, tall buildings, and enormous enclosed rooms. So, basically, the reversed fear of heights. I actually had to research the name for this fear because I never knew what it was, but I always knew I couldn't be alone with this one.

Ever since I was younger, I've always struggled with the little things. Eating at The Cheesecake Factory with friends, sitting in church, going to band class--they all made me feel nauseous because of those high ceilings. I always asked to move seats in school assemblies, even through high school, because I just couldn't bring myself to feel trapped in the packed bleachers in the middle of the enormous gymnasiums. They might not seem that intense to most, but to me, they always made me feel queasy.

One of my biggest struggles with this fear happened years ago when my brother graduated from college. He graduated in the Wright State Nutter Center, which, if you haven't been there, it's pretty big. Like, overwhelming for me. I remember feeling so nauseous that my mom had to try sitting with me in different areas so see where I could tolerate being. I felt so terrible because I was worried people would think I was being self-centered and attention-seeking.

Well, this past Saturday I woke up with the knowledge that I would have to do it all over again. Same phobia, same place. But this time, for my sister's graduation. I didn't want to make a big deal out of my fear to my family because I once again didn't want to seem self-centered. So I quietly told my twin sister and my brother (yes, the same one who graduated from the Nutter Center years ago) in seek of some comfort this time through.

So, keeping my goal to face my fear in mind, I slowly made my way into the auditorium (is that what I can call it?) and sat down. Normally I require knowing that I can escape (fight or flight) if I needed to at any point, but I didn't get an aisle seat this time. I also normally require some sort of sensory stimulus, like minty gum to distract my mouth, so I don't feel as nauseous. But I also didn't have that. This time, all I had was my deep breathing, my siblings' support, and my mindset to help me through this one.

Surely enough, I made it through the entire ceremony and even was able to control my breathing and remain calm. I surprisingly didn't experience much nausea once we were seated! I was able to fight through it without having to exit the auditorium or panicking.

I want to thank my siblings for keeping my mind distracted, to congratulate my sister for graduating, and to give some props to myself for facing one of my other biggest fears just one year after Fight (F)or Flight. I'm not one to normally make resolutions, but I can't wait to see what parts of my anxiety I can tackle in 2019.

I don't think it's conceited to say that I'm proud of how well I've been able to challenge my anxiety in 2018, especially being single for the majority of the year. If you have anxiety, you might know that sometimes it's just harder not having that someone around to comfort you. But I've made it this far. I've made so much progress and have embraced the change that challenged me in 2018. I live on my own now, I work two jobs, I'm in school. I've now faced my (arguably) second biggest fear. I still have my ups and downs, but who doesn't?

Thank you guys for coming on this journey with me and for being patient with the fluctuating blog schedule. It's definitely a hectic time of the year, that's for sure. But I'll be back next week with a Fall Favorites!

Keep on grinning!

Lydia

18 Comments

Sonny

12/19/2018 10:57:51 am

Whatta neat story. Whatta neat woman. Whatta neat human being. Whatta mind. What persistence. What insight/perceptions. How exciting you are!!!!!

uriah

11/25/2021 02:17:41 pm

hello, my friends think that i wrote your comment.

i think that would be weird if i did.

please respond

alexis kyle

4/5/2021 10:53:25 am

I'm starting to think I have this too. I'm already diagnosed with agoraphobia but it's really hard to tell if it's just my agoraphobia but i know that I can't go into Walmart/Kroger/Arenas/Malls/etc.. that are huge on the inside but that means they're open, too - so I guess I suffer from both agoraphobia and altocelarophobia? or Altocelarophobia could just be apart of agoraphobia?

Lydia link

4/7/2021 08:23:26 pm

Hi Alexis!
I definitely think altocelarophobia is something that can be undiagnosed, like how a phobia or spiders or something can exist. But for sure, it could be linked with agoraphobia. Great point! And thanks for reading! As a side note, I totally agree with malls and stores. My stomach drops!

Breanna

4/20/2021 04:26:16 am

Thank you for sharing this! I’ve been dealing with Altocelarophobia since I was four years old. I’m now in my 20s and it affects me more now than it ever has. It’s so hard explaining this phobia to others and I’ve been searching for years to find someone who understands what I’m going through because they experience the same thing. So thank you again.

4/20/2021 02:42:04 pm

I gotchu Breanna! It was kinda hard to find references, myself! Even something so simple, like eating at The Cheesecake Factory, made me feel almost nauseous from the high ceilings!

Kate Drohan

2/18/2022 08:06:11 pm

Hi Breanna, I've had altocelarophobia since I was 3 or 4 also. This was over 50 years ago, so there was no known name for it, and my mother just told me to get over it. Eventually, I was able to get past it, its not as bad now, I just don't look up at the high celings. Movie theaters are the worst, even in the dark. I don't know why, its just creepy to me. hang in there.

Steven E Snyder link

6/9/2022 09:10:25 am

Kate,

I've had this too and I was about 4 years old. With high ceilings do you feel like you might float up to them? I think mime was caused when I was little and lost a helium balloon and for some reason it felt like I would float off too.

Ryken

4/22/2021 10:45:25 am

Is this like anablephobia? Because I think I have both

4/22/2021 11:57:05 am

One of my friends has anablephobia so he feels discomfort looking at the sky. I can see them going hand-in-hand, definitely!

Sam

7/4/2021 04:52:39 pm

I have had this feeling since I was literally in 2nd grade, I was on a field trip to the planetarium. All of my classmates thought it was so fun & all I could do was cringe & curl into a ball with my eyes closed. I always thought something was wrong with me. I'm still facing this issue whenever I go out to certain places. It's literally like I'm falling upward which never made sense til now. I'm glad I'm not the only one.

7/8/2021 08:18:24 pm

Yessss that's such an accurate description, feeling like you could curl into a ball. It's such a nauseating feeling.

Kate

2/19/2022 09:26:23 am

has anyone here heard of kenophobia? It is the fear of large, empty rooms. I would say its related to altocelarophobia, except that it doesn't involve high ceilings. I have to say I don't like large empty rooms either.

Lindsay

3/7/2023 10:22:00 am

Yes!!!! Had this same experience at about the same age!! Feels like you’re falling and I like had to grab onto something. I didn’t understand it, and when I’ve gone inside capital buildings or the Vatican I had to take deep breaths and looks straight ahead of my legs literally go weak and I feel like I’m gonna faint or have a massive panic attack! Such a weird but real phobia! Sometimes even happens when I’m driving through a city with tall buildings.

Larry

3/7/2022 05:34:15 pm

And I thought I was the only one in the world that suffered from this ! It has altered my life more times than I care to remember.. According to family history I was an infant in my mothers arms when she walked into Michigan Central train station. I immediately went white and started crying inconsolably. Fast forward 70 years and I still suffer. Dante's inferno creates a whole new level for me when I have to go into a movie theatre, enclosed stadium, etc. etc. My personal hell is an Imax theatre. It seems to have all the triggers to bring out the worst in me. Although I would never wish this affliction on anyone a modicum of relief washes over me knowing I'm not alone

Walter Batman

8/3/2022 12:56:04 pm

Was researching glad I found this site.
I have been dealing with the same thing since I was very young. My symptoms are exactly like the fear of heights. Any big building with high ceilings trigger anxiety and a feeling like I’m going to pass out

Emily

12/18/2022 01:10:22 am

I'm so happy to be reading this article along with the comments knowing I'm not alone. For as long as I could remember, I've had this phobia and the worst part was feeling alone in it. I remember explaining this to my friends and them or no one for that matter understanding me. I often feel like I'll get sucked up into the ceiling if I look up at it. Sometimes if I even just think about high ceilings or tall buildings or big enclosed spaces, they make me weak. It doesn't help that it have generalized anxiety either. I remember I used to also HATE gym glass in elementary because of the gymnasium high ceilings. It prevented me from wanting to play basketball or volleyball because I didn't want to look up for the ball. I'm 25 now and I can't say the fear has gotten any better, although I sometimes feel like I have a better handle on it than I did as a kid. I'm hoping that at some point, it'll just go away but I feel like I need to mentally overcome it somehow. If anyone has any ideas of a type of therapy that could be useful, please let us know!

12/18/2022 12:02:41 pm

Hi Emily! I'm glad you've found some sense of community by reading this post! I will say that I find comfort sometimes by sitting up higher (I'm also afraid of heights, so I just have to find a good middle ground location) and finding some way to ground myself, even if it means to sitting kind of hunched, resting my face in my hand. Another thing I do for comfort is I pack mints wherever I go in case I need some sensory help. Keeping my mouth busy if my head is spinning helps me feel a lot sharper and aware of what's actually going on instead of how anxious I feel. I hope these help! Feel free to email or add me on socials if you ever want to brainstorm more ideas!

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