Fear of jumping from high places (catapedaphobia)

Catapedaphobia is a fear of jumping from high places, or of jumping down from anything raised. It might show up as refusing to jump off a diving board, a wall or the last few rungs of a ladder, or freezing at the top of a climbing frame. Some people fear the landing more than the height.

About this phobia

Catapedaphobia appears mostly on lists of unusual phobias and has very little clinical documentation. It is closely linked to acrophobia, the fear of heights, and to fears of falling or getting hurt. For many people it is less about the height and more about losing control for a moment in mid-air.

What it feels like

• Freezing at the edge of a diving board, wall or step
• Climbing back down rather than jumping, even from a low height
• A tight stomach just watching other people jump

Explore more unusual fears in the rare phobias A to Z, or browse the common phobias.

Common questions

How is this different from a fear of heights?

A fear of heights can be set off just by being up high, while catapedaphobia centres on the act of jumping down. Many people have both, but some are fine with heights as long as they do not have to leave the ground on purpose.

How can you help?

I use hypnotherapy and NLP to change how your mind responds to the thing you fear, so the old alarm stops going off. Sessions are one to one over Zoom, and you get a recording of the hypnosis to listen to afterwards.

How many sessions will I need?

Many clients notice a real difference after one 90 minute session. If the fear goes back a long way, three sessions gives us room to make the change stick.

Ready to start?

Book a £49 consultation call and we’ll talk through your fear, or take the free suitability test first.

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