The thalassophobia It is a type of phobia in which you have an excessive and recurrent fear of large bodies of water, especially the ocean. It is included within the disorders known as "specific phobias", that is, strong fears of a specific element that cause anxiety and irrational thoughts.
In the case of thalassophobia, there are several versions. The most common of these is the fear of what may be hiding under the surface of the water. Thus, people suffering from this disorder have an irrational terror that a marine or aquatic creature may come out of the bottom to attack them..
Another version is the one that causes a great fear of being trapped in the water. People who suffer from it hate being in the middle of the ocean or a lake, since they think that they are going to sink or that they will not be able to return to shore..
This phobia is not among the most common, and it is not usually particularly worrisome. However, if the symptoms are very severe or prevent the person from leading a normal life, it is advisable to receive some type of psychological treatment..
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Next we will see some of the most common symptoms of phobia of large bodies of water.
When a person with thalassophobia is near deep water, their first reaction is anxiety. This results in various unpleasant sensations. You may feel, for example, chest pressure, shortness of breath, or feeling dizzy.
If the anxiety becomes very intense, the person may experience a panic attack. During it, the affected person believes that they are going to die, or that they are going to lose control irreversibly. Anxiety attack symptoms are very unpleasant, but usually not dangerous.
In extreme cases, the person with thalassophobia may experience anxiety without being in front of the water. Thus, just by thinking of the sea or seeing an image some of the symptoms mentioned above will appear.
Faced with the vision of water, the person will begin to have recurrent and irrational obsessive thoughts. Thus, for example, she will begin to think that something is going to come out of the depths to attack her. Another version of this is that it is going to sink hopelessly.
The individual knows perfectly well that these thoughts are not rational. However, you cannot get rid of them, and they cause you a lot of anxiety.
In general, these mental creations increase in intensity the longer the person is in contact with water.
Due to the unpleasant sensations that he experiences when being near a large body of water, the affected person tries to avoid contact with them as much as possible. Thus, whenever possible, he will try not to approach the sea or other similar elements such as lakes or reservoirs..
For a person who lives in an inland city and does not have to travel to the coast, this may not be a problem. However, if the individual's life makes them be in contact with the sea, thalassophobia can prevent them from functioning properly in their day-to-day lives..
On a social level, there are many myths and stories about the dangers of the sea. Movies like "Titanic", "Jaws" or "Poseidon" show the ocean as something terrifying, which we cannot control. According to some experts, these attitudes can sink into our subconscious without us noticing.
Therefore, some people may develop an irrational fear of water just from this exposure to the media. However, many psychologists believe that there are often more causes.
Thus, for example, one of the most frequent reasons for the appearance of phobias is the presence of a traumatic event in childhood. In the case of thalassophobia, it could have to do with a drowning experience. If a child had had serious problems at sea, he would sometimes develop an extreme fear of it.
On the other hand, the irrational thoughts mentioned above are both a symptom and a cause. The person, by thinking about the supposed dangers of the water, can end up creating an anxiety disorder. This is why many types of therapy focus on changing these thoughts..
In many cases, thalassophobia does not require any type of treatment. Only when the anxiety is intense and interferes with the person's daily life will a psychological intervention be considered.
In these cases, one of two approaches is usually used: psychiatric, and cognitive-behavioral therapy.
This treatment considers that phobias are produced due to a chemical imbalance in the brain. Therefore, these problems are treated with the use of drugs. Thus, it is intended to return the mind to a state of balance.
Generally, drug treatments are very effective in eliminating symptoms. However, once the medication is discontinued, they reappear. Because of this, this approach is often used in conjunction with some form of psychological therapy..
Cognitive behavioral therapy is the most supported by science today. It is an extremely effective approach to treating problems such as phobias or depression. Therefore, in cases of acute thalassophobia, it can be very useful.
The focus of this therapy is twofold. On the one hand, it focuses on changing obsessive thoughts for irrational ones. This helps the person to lose some of their fear of water, by convincing themselves that there really is no danger.
On the other hand, what is known as "progressive exposure" is also carried out. To overcome their fear of deep waters, the therapist increasingly exposes the person to situations in which they are in contact with them.
Thus, the individual will be more and more able to control his fear and face what previously caused him terror..
Thalassophobia doesn't have to be a particularly serious problem. However, if you think you have it and it is interfering with your life, do not hesitate to contact a mental health professional. The good news is that, with a little work, phobias can almost go away..
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