A brief novel intervention for acrophobia (fear of heights)

ObjectiveTo investigate a unique brief intervention, which offers a combination of neuro-linguistic programming and practical graded exposure therapy, to overcome a fear of heights.BackgroundA fear of heights or acrophobia is common and often deters people from perusing activities like climbing. It can also interfere with routine activities of daily living.Case reportThis two-day intervention is set in the Peak District (Derbyshire, UK) and works with a maximum of eight individuals to four instructors. The first half-day involves working with a psychotherapist using neurolinguistic programing techniques. The next 1.5 days involves graded exposure using abseiling over gradually increasing heights, to a final height of approximately 40 feet.DiscussionAll eight individuals on the two-day course felt their fear of highs had significantly decreased. All eight individuals would recommend this intervention to others suffering from a fear of heights.ConclusionIt is noteworthy that the group undergoing this intervention were self-selected and highly motivated to overcome their fear of heights. The sample size was small and outcome measures were subjective. However, this is a novel and effective approach to helping people overcome their fear of heights. Further research with larger sample sizes would be beneficial in further assessing the impact of this intervention.Declaration: Permission was granted by the organizers of this intervention to submit an abstract to conference. There are no conflicts of interests. This intervention is run by a private company ‘Will4Adventure’, I have no finical or other interests in this company. I privately funded my own place on this course.

The contribution of publications of the Yorkshire Geological Society to the understanding of the geological development of the Carboniferous Pennine Basin, northern England

The Carboniferous rocks of the Pennine Basin form the topographical spine of the region between the Scottish Border and the Peak District. They provided many of the mineral resources that fuelled the Industrial Revolution and the growth of the great northern English cities. The description of these resources was very much a focus of early papers in the Proceedings, but they went beyond the assessment of their economic importance, providing striking early insights into our understanding of deep time when the Bible still had a strong control on scientific thinking. Over a 180 year history of publication, the Proceedings and Occasional Publications contain an unparalleled description of the rocks of the Pennine Basin of Carboniferous deposition, and they continue to provide great insight into what have been intensively studied successions but of which much still remains to be learned. This review considers the relevance of these publications to our understanding of the sedimentology of Carboniferous strata, the geometries of Carboniferous basins, how these basins constrained the formation of reefs and controlled the movement of rivers and deltas in the process of eventual infill of these basins, and how sea-level variations influenced the development of cyclical successions, the hallmark of much of the Carboniferous succession.

Buxton and the Peak District

This chapter is designed to analyze and interpret the demand from a new and anticipated international visitor market to the small market and spa town of Buxton, Derbyshire. It offers an audience development plan for the newly renovated Crescent Hotel and Spa (CHS). The hotel is currently in the final stages of re-development following a major refurbishment to a culturally important, both environmentally and socially sensitive, icon in Buxton. Benefits to the town include heightened awareness of tourism's contribution, through income from staying visitors and a resultant boost to the incomes of a range of stakeholders in the supply chain. A secondary analysis of two case studies, best practices of Harrogate and Bath, has been considered as these are both similar spa towns. The chapter concludes with several recommendations for the CHS to encourage international tourists to visit and stay a while.