Are You Ready For A Thrill Ride?

Imagine feeling the wind through your hair as a cart carries you through sharp curves and sudden changes. Imagine feeling your blood pump through your veins as that cart transports you through swift twists and loops. Imagine feeling butterflies in your stomach as you plunge from a 100-foot drop. Imagine taking yourself on a thrill ride. 

While roller coasters are the most popular theme park attraction, not everyone enjoys the thrill ride.  Coasterphobia is the fear of roller coasters.  According to psychologist, Lisa Fritscher, coasterphobia is triggered by other phobias. Those phobias include:

·      Acrophobia -The fear of heights is a phobia that can range from standing on the rooftop of a building to the inability of climbing a stepladder. Acrophobia is sometimes confused with vertigo, medical condition that can cause dizziness or a spinning sensation at any height. Roller coasters tend to be tall, with long drops, making them challenging for those with a fear of heights.

·      Illygnophobia - The fear of vertigo may be related to the fear of heights. However, those with illygnophobia are not afraid to be up high. Instead, they are afraid that looking down might cause dizziness and vertigo. Those with illygnophobia fear roller coaster not because of their height, but because of the curves may lead to dizziness.

·       Claustrophobia– For safety, roller coaster seats are small and tight, and the restraints fit extremely snugly. Those who are uncomfortable with enclosed spaces often find that the worst part of a coaster is being locked down with no escape.

·      Social Phobia -Some people do not fear the roller coaster itself, but instead worry that they will have an embarrassing reaction to the coaster. Roller coaster trains tend to be long and hold a number of people. Those with social phobia may worry that they will be judged for screaming, cringing, or otherwise reacting to the coaster’s movements.

·      Mysophobia - On a roller coaster, it is impossible to maintain much distance between yourself and those around you. Those with mysophobia, or fear of germs, may worry about coming into contact with strangers and their germs. In addition, there is always the possibility that someone on the coaster will vomit or urinate, possibly exposing the phobic person to those disgusting bodily fluids.

·      Emetophobia - The fear of vomiting is surprisingly common. Those who suffer from this fear may go to great lengths to avoid situations that they feel could cause an upset stomach. As roller coasters are designed to be unsettling, the physical sensations could cause someone with emetophobia to skip the ride.

 Most phobias involving a certain object or situation are triggered by a traumatic experience that occurred during a person’s childhood. Even if the actual incident is not remembered, the emotional scarring remains. Riding a roller coaster as a young child could possibly be one of these traumatic events.

Symptoms of coasterphobia are generally classified into two different categories: physical and psychological. Common physical symptoms include:

•    Shortness of breath
•     Irregular heartbeat
•  Rapid breathing
• Sweating
• Nausea

The common psychological effects include:

•  Fear
•  Anxiety
• Panic
• Dread

Like other phobias, coasterphobia can be cured and there are ways to face this thrilling fear. In fact, in 1999, Dr. Michael Otto, Ph.D. – director of the cognitive behavioral therapy program at Massachusetts General Hospital and an associate professor at Harvard Medical School was hired by Universal Studios in Florida to come up with a solution to cure coasterphobia. Michael Otto worked with psychologist Brian Newmark to develop the Coasterphobia Stress Management Program. This program's goal was to help coasterphobics learn techniques that they could use before and during the ride to overcome their anxiety.  Here are some of the tips Dr. Michael Otto came up with that are still used today. 

1.    Make sure you are not being pressured or pushed into riding the roller coaster; this will only add to the feeling of not being in control.

2.    While waiting in line, try relaxation exercises. Practice tensing and slowly releasing your muscles as you breathe in for four counts and out for eight.

3.    It is important that you picture yourself enjoying the strange sensations involved in riding roller coasters. Anticipating fear and anxiety will only make it happen faster and stronger.

4.    Outsmart the "scare factor." Remember that the loops and sudden drops are part of the roller coaster and are perfectly safe.

5.    During the ride, scream. Screaming stops you from holding your breath and helps relieve tension.

6.    Keep your eyes open. Being able to see what is happening actually helps terminate fear and nausea.  

Follow these tips and you may learn to enjoy any scream machine.  Stay tuned next week as I introduce a new phobia!