Do you get that sinking feeling when you consider swimming in the sea? Are you terrified when you think of what huge beast might be lurking beneath the waves? Do you realize that the ocean is the most dangerous location on the planet? If you experience this, then you my friend, have thalassophobia.
Modest fear of the ocean is something that some people can quickly overcome. For others, fear of the ocean is a much more serious issue. You may have thalassophobia, or a fear of the sea if your dread of it is so intense that it interferes with your daily life. Thalassophobia and aquaphobia. Aquaphobia is fear of water itself and thalassophobia is more of fearing what lies beneath the water.
Causes
There are of course several causes of this phobia and they come in three parts which are genetics, environmental and developmental factors.
Genetic Factor-Having a family member who is afraid of the sea can raise your chances of having thalassophobia.
Environmental Factor-Hearing about other horrific incidents, such as drownings or attacks in the ocean, especially if they were tied to parental figures or other significant people who also had a phobia of deep water, could be a contributing factor in developing an aversion to the sea.
Development Factor- This phobia may have been partially learned as a result of past experiences with water. Being scared by something while swimming, for example, could be a source of this form of terror.
Symptoms
To know you have a phobia, of course, you will notice some signs of it and if you must know, a phobia can cause worry and terror in both the physical and emotional realms. Here are the common symptoms of thalassophobia:
As for the emotion part, people with thalassophobia tend to feel:
- overwhelmed
- anxiety
- the need to escape
- a feeling of impending disaster
- feeling disconnected from the situation
So, how do know if you have thalassophobia? Easy. A variety of tools can be used by your doctor to identify thalassophobia. The first step is to figure out if your anxiety has an underlying reason. Your doctor may utilize diagnostic criteria from the American Psychiatric Association to guide the diagnosis of a specific phobia after determining that there is no physical explanation for your phobia. These diagnostic criteria might include:
- A long-term, extreme, and irrational fear of the sea
- When exposed to the water, the body immediately goes into fight-or-flight mode.
- Complete avoidance of the ocean
- A dread of the ocean that has lasted at least 6 months
- A knowledge that the fear is out of proportion to the danger posed by the ocean
Sad to say that there is no available treatment specifically for thalassophobia. But not to worry because you can still help yourself if you have this phobia. You don’t need to feel weird because specific phobias are extremely prevalent, so while not everyone has the same fear as you, many others have been in your shoes and understand how it feels to be overcome by dread. Allow yourself the time and resources you require to address your worries, and don’t be hesitant to seek help from a doctor or therapist.
Sources: Very Well Mind,Atlas Obscura,Healthline