How do you overcome your fear of heights while riding on Mtn. roads?

My husband and I just went on a ride through several different mountian areas last Sun.  I have to admit that my fear of heights made the ride less enjoyable than it could (should) have been.  My stress level was almost off the charts a few times and I had to literally tell myself I was the only one responsible for keeping my ass on top of that mountian.  My favorite saying is "It is what it is...deal with it".  But even with that I found myself slowing when cornering on the edge of a 7000 ft. cliff.  I almost tossed my cookies when we went on the "Rim of the World" road in Big Bear Mtn.  (Theres a reason they call it that..........)

It was especially bad when we climb up hill with a turn to the left and a drop off to no where but down to the right.  Even the SUV trying to avoid "fallen rocks" by screeching his brakes and swerving into my lane didn't phase me like my fear of heights did.  Truthfully, I use to jump out of trees, off of cliffs, dive off bridges for the tourist when I was growing up and I was freaked out everytime. With as many times as I've done that I was always scared.  It was just my pride (and excitment) that kept me doing it.

Any advice?

well, ya suffer from vertigo?! if so, there's not really much ya can do about it, except maybe psychotherapy, or hypnosis or the like?!
as a famous writer's carachter's party piece goes: 'it's not heights i am afraid of, 'tis depths...'

As a matter of fact I do have vertigo due to holes in my eardrums.  (Someday I'll get those fixed)  It usually doesn't bother me flying airplanes or riding bikes, just looking down from high (or not so high) places.

 psychotherapy, or hypnosis or the like?!

As far as psychotherapy probably not, seen enough of them growing up...
Hypnosis?  I don't think anybody needs to be in there, you never know what they might let out...

Maybe back to "It is what it is...deal with it" thing.

Take it slow and concentrate on the road After awhile you won't mind the heights - besides it not the fall from the height that hurts - it's the sudden stop at the bottom that smarts!

When I get scared on the bike I just keep my eyes closed !!!!!!
(Gawd, I'm sure glad I don't scare easy !!!!)

I am extremely afraid of heights, I'm talking like I won't even go to the top of a high ladder. But its funny because when I ride the heights of to the sides off to the road sides never bother me. Maybe just because I am so concentrated on riding, maybe its the movement past them...I don't know. But if I pull over and stop, I can't walk over to the guard rail and look over.

The only exception to that is the Golden Gate Bridge. For some reason I panic every time I ride over that damn thing!!!

Does it kind of feel like it gets 'narrower' or something like that? I had a bout with vertigo some years ago and they never could come up with a diagnosis or 'cure' if you will. We have a fairly narrow 2 lane bridge that goes over to Whidbey Island (Deception Pass) and driving across that sucker with a class 8 truck really freaked me out. Had to focus strictly on the bridge and not look over the sides... interesting how many folks are affected by this!

You could always move to so AZ. Pretty flat out here!!!

I'm sure as a kid you had no fear of heights, kids have very little fear of anything. The best I can tell you is the more you do it, the less it will scare you.

I used to have a fear of heights, as bad as Lucky, until I took the only job I could find...working on an oil rig. First day on the job they told me to go to the top and change the beacon light bulb. Man I seriously debated walking out right there, but I did it. I took me about an hour to climb the ladder, one step every 30 seconds or so. Shaking like a leaf I never looked down. Now years later, I go up there for a break sometimes just to enjoy the view!!!

I don't like heights, never have. The first time i ever flew, when i was about 53 yrs. old, i simply took my prescription of Xanax along. That stuff settles your nerves right down. I moved to a window seat, and enjoyed the view, at 37,000 feet.

Funny, because when I am on an airplane it doesn't seem to bother me at all. I think once I am that high up I loose the sense of height all together.

No sure if Xanax would be a good solution for RaceAngel before riding a mountain road

It's nice to know there are others out there that have some of the same feelings as me with heights. I recently went on a poker run to Hells Kitchen up the Ortega Mountian in So. Calif. I had the same feelings but probably a little worse because it didn't have any guardrails excepts at the top where the turns are. My son had put some music on my MP3 player and just as I was going up the mtn. some sound track came on from the movie Nightmare before Christmas. (My daughter is kind of different with her music) and I freaked out. I thought shutting off the music would be better but it broke my concentration more. I changed the music as quickly as I could and concentrated on the road. I told myself I had 10 ft. of earth, stay on it. I think I will be just fine if I would just quit looking over the sides. I have painted a 120 x 40 ft. murals 12 storys up on the side of a building downtown L.A. Painted billboards out in Palm Springs and go up in buckets hundreds of feet. The difference is I am tied off somehwere. I don't like the scissor lifts because they sway back and forth too much. Especially with an apprentice that likes to "rock the boat". I have vertigo, fear of hieghts, claustrophobic and hate little planes but I'm training for my pilots license. For some reason flying don't bother me because I'm too busy learning. I'll be just fine, I've never let anything stop me from doing anything I want to do. Don't see myself holding back now.

THIS A REAL POST ??

ive snow on ma heed .its cold far i am .

Raceangel, i got my pilots license in 2001 and am extremely fearful of heights. I spent a few years in the Navy as a rescue swimmer as well. Jumping out of the helo or hanging out as a spotter never bothered me. BUT, if I climb anything I get an aching in my gut and my arms and legs feel like what I can only describe as being on the edge of a painful tickling. A couple summers ago we were at a theme park that has a replica of the Ifle Tower. It's about 300 feet high. Had a panick attack right there and demanded my wife and kids comer down from the observation deck with me immediately. I don't understand the fear in one situation but being able to function extremely well in another of similar risk. I've talked to psychs about it when I was in the Nav, and they had no firm conclusions for the duality in my fears. It's very frustrating. The only time I've had an issue while riding is when I travel over bridges that have the open grate deck so you can see straight down to the river bed. When in motion the grating is thin enough that it looks as though nothing is there. The tread pattern on the tires make you shimmy slightly. Once I looked down while crossing the Ohio River into Russel, KY and there was a coal barge passing under me. FREAKED ME out. Had to stop on the other side and smoke a cig.....

you answered your own question Raceangel....your fear and pride and excitement kept you going....stick with them, they work, you conquered that fear and you will the next time too, it was there and you dealt with it. Kudos.

Not sure how to state this without getting kicked off but here goes.....Airplanes don't bother me, heck back in the 70's I use to fly hang gliders off Mt. in California, climbing a ladder no problem, but when I'm on a tall building looking over the edge.....well uh, my uh, you see uh,.....oh hell my nuts hurt. Hey what can I say.
Dragon

O.K. so here's how it's going....last 3 weekends I'be been up Wrightwood Mtn., Big Bear Mtn., Ortega Mtn., and yesterday Idyllwild Mtn. going the back side to Palm Springs. Reminded me of the "Rim of the World". We stopped at the lookout point over Palm Desert. Still am having problems with relaxing and wanting to slow down before I get the the top turn, but doing alright. Not sure why all my rides have to be climbing the highest points of earth in our area. Just the way it goes. Stopped at the Casino and had prime rib dinner, gave my $40.00 donation to the reservation and rode on home. Nice ride and I'm getting the hang of this Mountian riding.

Nice one R.A....fear beaten, now think what else scares ya, and beat the shyte outa that too...NO FEAR, again ..well done.

Yet another ride in the mountians. This time the Ortega Mountains over to the beach. Minimum anxiety, lots of fun. (Excepts for the traffic from Dana Point to Laguna Beach)

It gets easier the more you do it. I love to carve the mountain roads and drag the scrapers all the way around corners, and don't fear going off the edge. But I went out on the glass sky bridge over the Grand Canyon and I was thinking my body was going to throw itself off the edge without help from my brain. Scared the C$%p out of me. Something about looking down and seeing eagles flying under you that is just not right.

The Coronado Bridge freaks me out, even in a car.

Just that little retaining wall and all that empty air.

Here's my freak out.... Climbed up a 200 foot tower one day to work on some antennas. Was up there the better part of the day.. Then I made the mistake of looking UP! The clouds were moving and it gave me the feeling of everything was falling! I was on the ground within the next 15 minutes and done for the day... Never, I repeat, NEVER look up on a partly cloudy day. You get an illusion of falling! Funny.... Looking down doesn't bother me.. Even 200 feet up a tower that moves 3 feet in the wind..