Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/17/84 chuqui version 1.7 9/23/84; site cadtec.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!mhuxt!houxm!whuxl!whuxlm!akgua!mcnc!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!hao!hplabs!nsc!cadtec!lrolla
From: lrolla@cadtec.UUCP (Larry Rolla)
Newsgroups: net.kids
Subject: Elevator Phobia
Message-ID: <41@cadtec.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 15-Mar-85 10:18:47 EST
Article-I.D.: cadtec.41
Posted: Fri Mar 15 10:18:47 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 22-Mar-85 03:00:26 EST
Reply-To: lrolla@cadtec.UUCP (Larry Rolla)
Distribution: net
Organization: Cadtec Corp., San Jose CA
Lines: 54



(Do line eaters really exist?)

We (my wife and I) have recently encountered a problem with our 7 year
old. The problem is that she is developing a phobia towards elevators. This 
problem seems to have surfaced all of a sudden, leaving us to ask the 
question "Where did it come from?" and more important "How do we deal with 
it?" 

Phobias seem to be present on my wifes side of the family.  My mother in  
law is a walking phobia. She too has the elevator phobia, along with about
a dozen more.

The other day my daughter and I went on an outing that involved an elevator. 
I knew that it would before hand, so I started preparing her for it . We 
talked about the many safety features that elevators are equipped with and 
what to do  in case of an emergency. This all went very well. So I next 
resorted to the old toss of the coin to see who got their choice of using the 
stairs or the elevator in one direction. Either way we would have to use the 
elevator at least once.  Being the lucky guy that I am, I won the coin toss 
and elected to use the elevator on the way up. As we started approaching the 
elevator I could see the anxiety in her face. (Before this I really thought 
that this whole phobia was for attention.)  We pushed the button and she 
wanted nothing to do with the elevator. I showed her the phone, which she 
looked at with most of her body still in the hall way. I then reached for her 
hand to try and coach her in some more when the fear hit. She started crying 
and pulling away with a look on her face that I had never seen before. (we are 
talking about a girl that used to jump up and down in the elevator as it was 
moving) I then decided to let the matter drop. We took the stairs. 

On the way down we got her grandfather involved into the scene and he gave 
it his best shot. She still didn't want to take the elevator. I then picked 
her up and we all rode the elevator down. She wasn't crying or screaming like 
she was before but she wasn't happy either.

Every time we ask her why she is afraid of the elevators she says that she gets
dizzy in them. (I don't believe it.) 

If anyone out there in net land has any experience with this kind of problem I
would deeply appreciate some suggestions on how to deal with it.


Thanks


( I will summarize the responses if theirs enough interest )

=====================================================================
The phobias expressed above are my daughters phobias, and in no way related 
to the phobias of my employer.

Larry Rolla  	Cadtec Corp.  2355 Old Oakland Rd. San Jose, CA 95131
{decwrl!nsc,csi,onyx,teklds}!cadtec!lrolla             (408) 942-1535