acrophobia, or fear of heights

Acrophobia is the excessive and irrational fear of high places or particularly high places. It is a situation-specific phobia, which can be disabling in social, professional and everyday life.

This extreme anxiety is considered dysfunctional because it is not related to the reality of the danger of the situation. Thus, panic can occur in real or imagined situations.

Between 2 and 5% of the general population is thought to suffer from acrophobia, and women are twice as likely as men to be affected.

Virtual reality to overcome acrophobia

For more than 30 years, virtual reality exposure therapies have proven to be effective in the treatment of anxiety disorders and in particular in specific phobias such as fear of heights or heights. A gradual and progressive exposure to virtual reality allows you to desensitise and significantly reduce your anxiety.

« Virtual reality is 80% effective, with benefits that continue for more than a year after treatment. » Eric Malbos, Doctor Psychiatrist

C2Care, the world leader in therapeutic virtual reality (VR) since 2015, now allows you to expose yourself from your home. A psychologist will accompany you in your treatment using cognitive behavioural therapies (CBT) and virtual reality exposure to overcome your phobia.

Over 1000 patients already treated, be the next!

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Virtual reality adapts to your phobia

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Buildings

Buildings can be a source of anxiety for people suffering from acrophobia because of the many anxiety-provoking factors: walkways, stairs, steps in the void, glass lifts, etc. The exhibitions, through virtual reality, will make it possible to modify these environments: modification of the walkway, modification of the railings, alone or with other people, greater or lesser heights… all the conditions will be able to be modulated to adapt to the anxiety of people suffering from acrophobia.

Cliff

Nature, hiking, can be enjoyed but it is difficult to expose oneself to it for people who are afraid of heights. The possibility of falling, the lack of safety railings, the environment that does not seem stable, the weather that seems dangerous… all conditions that favour the appearance of anxiety. Virtual reality technology allows us to modify these environments: to modulate the height, the weather conditions, the narrow or wider paths, the more or less peaks…

Bridge over the Highway

Bridges are becoming more and more common, you can find yourself on a bridge without having planned it in advance and feel the anxiety rise, or even get stuck on the bridge over the motorway: the emptiness, the risk of falling, the vehicles below, the noise… are all factors that increase anxiety. Virtual reality allows you to modulate the environments to gradually change: the traffic, the height, the world around…

How does it work?

I get my headset

You will receive a virtual reality headset with unlimited access to our software, or, if you are already equipped, you can choose to have only the software. Our packages are carefully packed and shipped very quickly.

I carry out my sessions

During 2 sessions per month, the psychologist and yourself will discuss your acrophobia in order to understand it and to give you the necessary tools to reduce it. You will be exposed to virtual reality in a progressive manner adapted to your acrophobia.

I use my headset autonomously

Apart from the sessions with your psychologist, you will be able to repeat as many times as necessary the exposure to the different heights situations in order to create a habituation and thus reduce the anxiety related to them.

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TESTIMONIALS

Each person tells in their own words about the support they have received and the major changes that have taken place in their lives. All these testimonies are proof that yes, one’s life can change, and that we are doing everything we can to guide you on the path to that change.

Marie B.

What an experience! The C2Care team is very responsive and offers lots of different virtual environments. I particularly liked the one in the building. What’s also great is that they don’t throw you right into the deep end. I started with a low floor with barriers. Then, little by little, my therapist took me upstairs and removed the barrier that protected me from the void. Except in virtual reality, I would never have imagined myself doing such feats until now.

Paola R.

My fear of heights causes me a lot of trouble: I often miss moments with my children. The more they grow up, the more I want to spend every moment with them: amusement parks, hikes, visits to monuments (Eiffel Tower), activities such as tree climbing and so on are not feasible for me. I want to overcome my fear and set a good example for my children. The virtual reality situations are great exercises for me and I’m getting better as the immersions go on thanks to the support of my psychologist.

Franck M.

I’ve always been afraid of heights, and as I’ve grown older, it’s only gotten worse. A friend recommended this programme to me and I can’t thank her enough. It was unthinkable for me to combat this phobia by actually exposing myself to heights. Without VR, I would never have taken the step. Today, after a few months of therapy, I am living again. A lot of new activities that I would never have dared to do are opening up to me!

mon aller retour sur passerelle Mazasmet

Paul B.

Here is a picture of the Mazamet footbridge (140 m long and 70 m deep), one of the sites with plunging views where we went in May (the viewpoint of the cirque de Navacelle is not bad either, 300m of almost plunging space, the hamlet and the cars at the bottom are very small…). We can say that the treatment was effective because I wouldn’t have tried this type of exposure 6 months ago. The psychological warfare is not over, but the battles won bode well for a satisfactory outcome…
If I had a recommendation for future patients, regular daily exposure seems essential and 20-30 minutes is very bearable.