Why a Fear of Roller Coasters Is a Complicated Combination Phobia
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For many people, an essential part of any theme park vacation is the roller coasters; others experience roller coaster phobia. If you live with from roller coaster phobia, you may wonder how to get through your next theme park vacation.
What Is Roller Coaster Phobia?
To understand roller coaster phobia, it is necessary to first understand roller coasters. The original precursor to the roller coaster was the Russian Ice Slide, invented during the 17th century in Russia.
Riders climbed a set of wooden stairs, slid down a 50-degree slope on a sheet of ice several inches thick, and then climbed up another set of stairs. The slides were so popular, it is rumored that Catherine the Great had a few installed on her property.
It is uncertain who built the first wheeled roller coaster, although historians tend to lean toward the French. It is known that by 1817, two simple wooden coasters with wheels that locked to the tracks had been installed in French parks.
Today, roller coasters may be created from either wood or steel. They use a combination of elements that may include chain lift hills, powered launches, steep inclines, and banked curves, as well as several types of loops including corkscrews, and even special effects, to invoke certain physical and emotional feelings.
Roller coasters are intentionally designed to be scary, appealing to the same part of the brain that responds to other attractions like haunted houses and other Halloween events.
We seem to be hardwired to enjoy activities that cause fear, provided that we know that we are actually safe. This phenomenon is demonstrated repeatedly in extreme sports, horror movies, and the multibillion-dollar Halloween industry.
Understanding Phobias
If our brains are hardwired to enjoy controlled fear, then why do so many people seem to suffer from roller coaster phobia? To answer that question, it is important to understand the basic psychology of fear as it relates to phobias.
One aspect of anxiety disorders is the fear of fear. While most people are afraid only when confronted by a fear-inducing situation, those with anxiety disorders tend to also worry that they will become afraid. They see fear as something negative that must be avoided at all costs.
A phobia occurs when the normal fear response becomes twisted. Objects or situations that are not inherently dangerous become the focus of fear.
Although people with phobias know that their reactions are irrational, they are unable to control them.
read it here : https://www.verywellmind.com/roller-coaster-phobia-2671853