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Gephyrophobia, the fear of bridges, is a common phobia that can be brought on by acrophobia or claustrophobia. Some people experience panic attacks while crossing bridges and may seek professional help to overcome their fear. Businesses exist to guide people with gephyrophobia over bridges.
The fear of bridges is more common than one might think. This fear — called gephyrophobia — is a real terror felt by people who fear the potential experiences brought about by being on a bridge. A gefirophobic may be afraid of a number of bridge-related things, such as the height of the bridge or a fear of walking away from a bridge. The fear of bridges affects many people, although the exact number is not known.
Fear of bridges is not as common as fear of heights. This last fear, called acrophobia, is one of the most common phobias out there. Because the fear of heights is more general, however, phobias like gephyrophobia often fall under its umbrella category. For example, someone who is afraid of flying and has a fear of tall buildings might actually be acrophobic. If you are acrophobic, your fear of heights contributes to your fear of other situations, such as being in an airplane or a skyscraper.
The fear of bridges is common enough, however, that a number of businesses exist because of it. Several companies in the United States alone employ people to guide gefirophobes over bridges. People with a fear of bridges are thought to be perfect candidates for a bridge crossing service, as they feel they are unable to cross the bridge safely on their own.
Someone with an intense fear of bridges can experience something akin to a panic attack. He may sweat, shiver, and start shaking involuntarily while thinking or driving across a bridge. A victim of this phobia may experience vertigo-like symptoms, which is the dizzy feeling brought on by acrophobia. Because gephyrophobia is often an extension of acrophobia, the feelings elicited by fear are quite similar.
Fear of bridges can also be brought on by bouts of claustrophobia, another common phobia. Someone who feels trapped on a bridge might think they may never escape. Anxiety disorder, often brought on by situations like this, is often associated with people having panic attacks in these kinds of situations. In extreme cases of gephyrophobia, a person may travel miles or even hours to avoid crossing a bridge.
Psychologists suggest that someone with an ingrained fear of bridges faces their fear in order to overcome it. To do this, however, the victim must focus on what she is truly afraid of. If it’s the height of the bridge that he’s terrified of, for example, he might choose to work with a specialist in acrophobia.
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