DR. JOHN'S CASE NOTES :  BRIDGE ACROPHOBIA

Professor Hu Chi Ku Chi's recent article has strangely overlooked the biggest fear affecting huge numbers of rank and rile club members : bridge acrophobia. This condition is a fear of heights,  real or imaginary, but in the context of the bridge arena it is a fear of being in a lofty position.
For instance, if an afflicted player finds himself at the top of the ladder, or well above the chasing pack by getting to the top table, the symptoms of this condition immediately appear. Once the realisation sinks in of how high up he is, then comes the recognition of how far down he can plummet. Indeed, it is this fear of height ( coupled with the fear of falling ), which triggers the very neurological processes that help bring about such an immediate and dramatic fall.
Reaching the top is akin to being high up a mountain where the cold rarefied air causes the victim to experience giddiness, faintness, nausea and blackouts. With these symptoms in place, the victim becomes so light headed, even drunk, that mistakes quickly creep into his game, which soon bring about an inevitable and rapid descent towards the bottom. The fear of course turns out to be a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Other manifestations of this fear are :
1. Climacophobia - when the sufferer claims not to be afraid of climbing up the ladder or field, so endeavours to remain close to the bottom by electing to play naff bridge
2. Aerophobia - a condition which causes the victim to fear and avoid flying. So whenever he perceives himself to be  " flying high " following a set of really good boards, his thought processing engines are quickly turned off as he embarks upon an emergency landing manoeuvres.
3. Vertigo - this is what acute victims experience when right at the very  top,  looking all the way down : an awful sensation of spinning and dizziness which causes them to lose their balance and conscoiusness, topple over and fall headlong into oblivion
4. Bathmophobia - this is the fear of climbing ladders and how high one has go up them to reach the top. After each and every upwards step the fear intensifies, to such an extent that paralysis can set in at a very early stage. This means the victim clings on for dear life to maintain his present position, before gently easing his way back down.
In conclusion,  bridge acrophobia starts off as an imaginary fear of heights, where being at the top automatically spells danger, with the chasing pack  " breathing down your neck, and desperate to stick one on you ".  Not surprisingly,  once the victim experiences that awful sensation of being toppled and sent hurtling towards the bottom, that fear becomes very real indeed the next time round. Now the symptoms will include panic, which leads to a catastrophe of woeful bids, defensive leads and play of the cards. Bridge acrophobia then becomes an ingrained condition which will never go away. In the main It is a learned response to previous falls, but its onset can also be down to partner's nervous reactions to unfamiliar heights, or lofty positions.