Does anyone know the ROOT CAUSE of fear of bridges? I used to be so afraid of them.?

Question

I was also prone to panic attacks but am getting better.

Answer 1

Two things.

1. General fear of heights. Bridges are high up!
2. General fear of falling. Bridges are high up!

In other words, there is a certain amount of danger in being on a bridge. Although highly unlikely, it is always possible that the bridge could collapse or you could get blown off of it or knocked off in an accident. On some bridges, a jump would be fatal. So your panic attacks would ultimately be an overreaction to a perceived real threat.

Answer 2

Losing control of the car, or having a panic attack as you cross the bridge and lose control of the car, then crash over the side into the dark, murky waters would be my guess.

Several days ago there was a very bad accident on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge which connects the western shore of Maryland to the Eastern shore, in which 3 people (a father and a son) and another person were killed. A person who witnessed the accident said that he has seen quite a few accidents on this bridge over the last few years. I think this reality adds to peoples nervousness and apprehension about driving across a bridge which is several miles long and high up.

Answer 3

as a young child you could have heard stories or had some experience that involved them falling.

which linked into a fear of death.



a similar thing happened when i watched ghostbusters when i was 3.

the brain makes odd connections when your young.