What Is Bathmophobia?

The Fear of Stairs or Slopes

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What Is Bathmophobia?

Bathmophobia is the extreme fear of stairs or slopes. It is considered a specific phobia, a condition in which a person has an irrational fear of something that poses little to no danger to their day-to-day life.

Being afraid of falling down the stairs is common; however, someone with bathmophobia has a fear that disrupts their everyday life. Even thinking about stairs or slopes may trigger the symptoms of the phobia.

Bathmophobia can be seen in both children and adults. It is also fairly common among animals, particularly household pets. Dogs trained as service animals may be rejected because of their fear of stairs.

Symptoms of Bathmophobia

Bathmophobia, like other phobias, may cause someone to experience any or all of the following symptoms when confronted by the object of their fear:

  • Anxiety, especially upon encountering stairs or slopes
  • Chest pain
  • Feelings of danger
  • Increased heart rate
  • Irrational worry about encountering stairs or slopes
  • Sweating or shaking
  • Shortness of breath
  • Nausea

The symptoms of bathmophobia vary from person to person. While some people might fear all types of stairs, others might only fear large or concrete stairs.

Someone with bathmophobia might not be able to talk about any kind of stairs or slopes, or even see pictures or videos of stairs or slopes without experiencing anxiety. People with specific phobias often use avoidance behavior to prevent themselves from coming into contact with the source of their fear.

For instance, you might take a completely different route to work to avoid walking up or down, or even seeing, a staircase or slope. Someone with bathmophobia might fear going to new places because they don't know if they'll come into contact with stairs or slopes.

Diagnosis of Bathmophobia

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) outlines the following criteria that must be present in a patient for a doctor or mental health professional to make a diagnosis of a specific phobia:

  • The fear is irrational: A person's fear must be out of proportion to any danger the object of their fear poses. To be diagnosed with a phobia, a person must experience intense and excessive anxiety when confronted by the source of their fear.
  • The fear disrupts everyday life: A phobia limits a person's daily life, including their work, relationships, hobbies, and more.
  • The fear has lasted at least six months: Bathmophobia, as with other phobias, is generally not diagnosed in children or adults unless it persists for more than six months.

A doctor will likely evaluate whether the patient uses avoidance behavior as well, a behavior often present in people with specific phobias.

If your child has a fear of stairs or slopes, keep in mind that fears are a normal part of development and not necessarily indicative of a phobia. Talk to a healthcare professional if you feel your child's fear is excessive, persistent, and disruptive to their everyday life.

Differential Diagnosis

Before making a diagnosis of bathmophobia, a doctor or mental health professional may want to rule out similar conditions.

For instance, bathmophobia is similar to climacophobia, or the fear of climbing stairs. If you have bathmophobia, you might panic when simply observing a steep slope, while people with climacophobia typically experience symptoms only when expected to actually climb or descend the stairs. The difference is subtle but important, and can only be accurately distinguished for diagnosis by a trained clinician.

Bathmophobia may also be related to other disorders. Acrophobia, or the fear of heights, is exceptionally common. What appears to be a fear of stairs may be a fear of the height the stairs bring a person to. Illygnophobia, or the fear of vertigo, can also cause symptoms similar to those of bathmophobia.

Potential medical causes must also be considered. True vertigo is a medical disorder of the balance system that causes a feeling of spinning or dizziness. The term vertigo is also used to describe momentary episodes of spinning or dizziness, even when the balance system is unaffected. Any type of vertigo can be worsened by minor changes in height. If you have vertigo and fear stairs or slopes due to this existing medical condition, it is more rational and not considered a phobia.

Causes of Bathmophobia

Bathmophobia, like other phobias, can be caused by a variety of factors. Someone who had an early negative experience with stairs or a steep hill—or who witnessed someone else's negative experience—may develop bathmophobia.

Of course, not everyone who has a negative experience relating to stairs or slopes goes on to develop bathmophobia. Phobias may also be learned from someone else's behavior. For instance, a child who is raised by a parent with bathmophobia may develop the condition, too.

You may be more likely to develop a phobia if someone in your family has a phobia or another type of anxiety disorder. There are likely several contributing factors to a person's phobia, including genetics.

In addition, phobias often co-occur with other types of psychiatric disorders, including anxiety and mood disorders. Other diagnoses may contribute to the development of a phobia.

Treatment of Bathmophobia

Like other phobias, there are many ways to treat bathmophobia. Some of the most common ways are therapy or medication.

Therapy

If it is determined you are experiencing bathmophobia, your clinician will likely suggest cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). The goal of CBT is to help you replace fearful thoughts and behaviors with more rational alternatives. You will be taught relaxation exercises to help you remain calm, and you may be slowly introduced to the object of your fear through a process known as systematic desensitization.

Exposure therapy is another treatment type that can help you learn to manage, or even overcome, your fear of stairs or slopes. Exposure therapy—similar to systemic desensitization—is when a therapist works with you to gradually face the object of your fear.

Depending on how severe a person's phobia is, a therapist might start by casually bringing up stairs or slopes in conversation, or showing pictures of stairs or slopes to the exposure therapy patient. The therapist should help a patient manage the anxiety that arises in these situations by working on healthy coping mechanisms. The goal is that, over time, a patient's fear will be less disruptive.

Hypnotherapy can also be a useful form of therapy for treating bathmophobia. A hypnotherapist guides a patient into a meditative or trance-like state and communicates helpful suggestions for overcoming their fear. The goal is for the subconscious to learn these suggestions and for the fear to lessen over time.

Choosing a therapist that you trust is an essential component of working through your fear, as the process of exploring your fearful thoughts may be uncomfortable.

Medication

In some cases, a healthcare provider may suggest medications in addition to therapy. Antidepressants such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are often prescribed for people with phobias.

SSRIs work by increasing levels of serotonin in the body, which promotes feelings of well-being and regulates mood. Examples of SSRIs include Celexa (citalopram), Lexapro (escitalopram), and Prozac (fluoxetine).

Alternatively, serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) may be recommended. SNRIs regulate both serotonin and norepinephrine in the body, which can help to reduce feelings of anxiety. Cymbalta (duloxetine) and Effexor (venlafaxine) are examples of SNRIs.

In some cases, a doctor may prescribe benzodiazepines. These anti-anxiety medications produce a calming effect and may help calm someone experiencing extreme anxiety as a result of their phobia. However, benzodiazepines have the potential for dependence and are only recommended for short-term use under the supervision of a doctor.

Coping With Bathmophobia

In addition to receiving treatment, there are practices you can do on your own to manage the stress and anxiety related to your phobia. Meditation promotes feelings of well-being and can help reduce psychological distress. If you've never tried meditation, don't be intimidated.

If you're trying meditation for the first time, find a quiet spot where you can sit and close your eyes. Set a timer—you can start small with just one minute and work your way up over time. Notice your thoughts, but try not to fixate on any particular one.

Breathe deeply to slow down your heart rate and blood pressure, and help you feel more relaxed.

The next time you are having an anxious response to the object of your fear, try taking a few measured breaths in through your nose (filling up your belly with air) and then slowly breathe out through pursed lips.

It's also important to make sure your basic needs are being met when dealing with a mental health conidtion. Ensure you are getting enough sleep, eating a nutritious diet, and exercising. These seemingly basic practices can help you reduce stress levels and avoid burn out as you cope with your phobia.

Recap

If you have bathmophobia, you might be frustrated by how your fear can disrupt your life and sap you of energy. But remember there are ways to cope.

If you think you have bathmophobia, talk to a primary care doctor or mental health professional who can help you take the next step toward treating your phobia. In the meantime, practices like meditation or deep breathing can help you better cope with the symptoms of your anxiety in the moment.

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Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
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Additional Reading
  • American Psychiatric Association (APA). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). Washington, DC; 2013.

By Laura Harold
Laura Harold is an editor and contributing writer for Verywell Family, Fit, and Mind.

Originally written by
Lisa Fritscher
Lisa Fritscher is a freelance writer and editor with a deep interest in phobias and other mental health topics.
Learn about our editorial process