The fear of elevators does not have an official name of “phobia,” the fear of elevators is relatively standard. Many investigations assure that more than 210 billion passengers use elevators in the United States and Canada each year. But many people feel at least a slight nervousness when contemplating a long elevator ride.
In some people, the fear of elevators is triggered by an existing phobia, but the fear often appears on its own.
Index
Previous experiences
Elevators feature prominently in many horror movies, Halloween events, and other pop culture moments. On the rare occasions that something goes wrong with an elevator in real life, the story is constantly broadcast for days in the media, and the video can circulate online for years.
You may also be interested in reading: Fear Of Medications: Causes, Symptoms, Treatments.
The truth about elevator safety
Like anything else, riding in an elevator carries minimal risk. However, some researchers point out that many people have misconceptions about how an elevator works.
In 1853, Elijah Otis revolutionized the elevator industry by implementing a safety brake system that activated in the event of a hoist rope failure. Modern elevator cars are called “safe rooms,” making them the safest place to be in a system failure.
Even more rarely, something goes catastrophically wrong with an elevator. In 2011, for example, two women died two weeks apart in opposite parts of the country.
The accident in California was apparently due to a motorcyclist error: the woman tried to get on the elevator when it stopped between floors. The elevator was inspected and found to be operating normally. However, the accident in New York City that year was attributed to maintenance workers not properly reconnecting a security system.
Security advice
Although it is impossible to eliminate all theoretical risks from any machine, it offers a list of safety tips that users should follow.
- Keep all hand items and clothing out of doors.
- Stay in the elevator car in an emergency.
- Take the stairs if there is fire.
Overcome the fear of elevators
Learning the safety rules and becoming familiar with how the elevator works is enough to curb a mild fear for many people. Simply sitting and staring at a glass elevator for a few hours can also help eliminate some anxiety.
However, if your fear is more severe or persistent, professional assistance may be required.
The phobia of elevators has made people reject good work on high floors, avoid visiting their loved ones in hospitals or tall buildings and push themselves up dozens of flights of stairs.
Hello, how are you? My name is Georgia Tarrant, and I am a clinical psychologist. In everyday life, professional obligations seem to predominate over our personal life. It's as if work takes up more and more of the time we'd love to devote to our love life, our family, or even a moment of leisure.