How to overcome the fear of bridges

Bridges are designed to get us safely from one place to another, usually from one side of a river to the other. But if you are one of the people who is filled with fear when you think of crossing a bridge, you are not alone. This phobia occurs frequently, in varying degrees of severity.

Fear can be made up of several components; it is often combined with a fear of heights, since (almost by definition) bridges are usually separated from the ground by a volume of air. There can be other factors as well – if you’re a control freak, the thought that someone else’s work is holding you back doesn’t help, and all of these can play their part if you’re scared of bridges.

At best, your fear means that you are in a state of greater concern when crossing a bridge.

At worst, your phobia means that you have to take a long detour to ensure that you are avoiding bridges on the shortest route to your destination.

So what can you do to at least reduce your fear to a manageable level?

Ask for the help of a friend

Friends can help with peace of mind and can literally hold your hand during the journey if necessary.

If you have access to a friend who is prepared to help you overcome your phobia, this may be a good place to start.

Of course, it is not always practical and there will likely come a stage where your friends gradually make up more excuses as to why they would love to help but can’t this time.

Start small

Most fears are pretty scared.

That may sound strange, but it is definitely the case.

This means that it can undermine the edges of your fears and phobias and reduce your self-confidence. Which, in turn, helps them disappear.

Starting small also means that your fear doesn’t have much of a chance to act; It’s almost taking him by surprise.

There are very likely several small bridges near you. Those that are only a few meters above the ground and that you can cross with just a few steps.

Those “beginner bridges” are worth tracking down and using.

Of course, if they are old and rickety, you may want to move on to your second option, as the lack of real or perceived substance in the bridge may be another component of your fear.

Consider hypnosis

Hypnosis is not just limited to strange television or theatrical shows.

It has been used by countless people over the years to help overcome limiting beliefs like bridge phobia.

In essence, hypnosis is just an enhanced way of daydreaming, except that you will do it consciously by listening to an MP3 rather than just letting your mind wander aimlessly.

Hypnosis works well for fears and phobias, especially those in which there is rarely a rational explanation.

It’s also cheap and has a high success rate, so you’ll be in good company if you decide to go down that path.