I'm terrified of heights. In 2005 when I was on a leadership course, we had an 'adventure day' where we did a bunch of outdoor activities. One of them was a high ropes course. This is like a confidence course, but mostly on robes the height of power lines above the ground. You're in a harness, so you're perfectly safe, but I got up there and... stopped breathing. I kept telling myself to "breathe! breathe!" but my body was frozen except for my tear ducts, and all I could to was hold on tight. I felt like I was going to fall to my death at any minute. My arms felts weak and I was certain I couldn't hold on any longer. Someone had to come up and pry my hands off the rope I was holding onto, and my teammates had to forcibly lower me down be belay while I blubbed.
In 2008 I went on Outward Bound. For three years I had dreaded being up high, growing weak at the knees whenever I was on a rope bridge or near the edge of a cliff. I panicked and cried and collapsed and refused to go places. When I received a scholarship to go on Outward Bound, I made a decision. On the second day, we went round in a circle and everyone in the watch (team) had to say what they thought would be the worst thing about the course and what they were worried about, and let everyone know if there were likely to be problems or how we could help each other out. I took a deep breath and blurted out that I was terrified of heights, but I'd heard there was a high ropes course and I was determined to finish it. "If I cry and say I can't do it, I want you to make me do it. You have my permission to make me scream and yell, but I will finish that high ropes course"
Of course, it was a three week programme and I expected the high ropes course would come near the end - they wouldn't just throw us into something as horrifying as that, would they? That afternoon we were blindfolded and together had to follow the sound of our instructors' clapping. We walked for an hour or so. When we stopped we were told to lie on the ground and take off our blindfolds. We were looking up at a stand of beautiful Kahikateas - a tall, straight tree - with ropes and chains and platforms connecting them in a complicated series of high ropes initiative and confidence challenges. After the safety briefing, my team-mates kindly volunteered me to go first, knowing I wanted to conquer this. I first practiced doing the course at ground level - everything I had to do up there, I could do down here. Right, sorted. I climbed the first tree... and froze. I couldn't do it. But this time, it wasn't just me who wanted me to succeed. I had 13 watchmates and two incredible instructors who all wanted to help me conquer my fear.
Three hours, a billion tears, a log of "Hug the tree!" (that's what you do when you're afraid you might fall), some screaming and panicking and sweating and scrapes and bruises, a lot of nausea, the certainty I was going to die, and non stop encouragement from my teammates later, I completed the course. On shakey legs, I touched back down to ground from the flying fox, and I kissed the dirt. I had never felt so happy in my entire life.
I had let every single one of my teammates pass me (some more than once) as they all completed the course in times between 25 and 70 minutes. I had stood at some obstacles for what seemed like an eternity, trying to get my head around them, before attempting and failing, losing heart, being forced to continue, and eventually succeeding on every one. My heart hadn't slowed for a second. I was exhausted and wanted nothing more than to never have to stand taller than my 5'3" ever again. But I knew I would. Because I had proven to myself that I could.
On Outward Bound I did things I never thought I could have done. Besides the high ropes, I sailed a cutter, I ran 3.2km every morning at 6am, I spent three days on my own in the rainforest with nothing but a tarpaulin, my sleeping bag, a notebook, three apples and my thoughts (oh and a couple of wild pigs, some thieving possums and wekas and a thunderstorm!); I walked 30km days over hills and cliff faces in burning sun, gale force wind and torrential rain with 13kg of pack on my back and screwed knees; I ran a half marathon for crying out loud! But the thing I'm most proud of is doing that high ropes course. I'm still afraid of heights, but now, whenever I see the opportunity to go somewhere high, and do something stupid, I grab it. I hate it and I still get the sick feeling in the pit of my stomach, but I know I can, so I somehow therefore have to do it. My life is richer for it.
), and it's starting to get in the way of everything. It's been going on for about 5 years, and I want to be free of my phobia. Can anyone help me by giving advice on how to cope with it? I want to be able to go out more often, do things I wouldn't normally do 'Just in case'. It's really annoying me now. 5 years! What can I do!?
I too have a phobia, Hemophobia and Coulrophobia and they are stupid than your's. Hmm, advice? well, you could try not to think that you would be sick -I'm not a great adviser- but for me it doesn't do great, I'm still afraid of Clowns and Blood. But trying will not hurt, right? 
