What is Thalassophobia (Fear of the Ocean) – Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment

Thalassophobia is the uncontrollable and intense fear of deep-sea water and large lakes. Some individuals experience fear of anxiety or heart palpitations when they come in contact with or view large water bodies. It is a natural environment phobia, a frequently experienced category of phobias.

The following sections will highlight all the crucial aspects of this phobia and the methods available to treat its side effects.

Usually, thalassophobia triggers when an individual is visiting an ocean or coming in contact with large water bodies. In addition, anxiety can also trigger by watching ocean videos and flying in a plane over the sea.

The following are some things that people with thalassophobia fear:

• Being near the ocean
• Going to beaches
• Swimming
• Travelling on boats and ships
• Thoughts about large bodies of water

Different factors can affect this sense of distress, including genetic conditions, environmental factors like hearing about any unpleasant occurrence related to the ocean or any biological issues like brain dysfunctions.

Any individual suffering from thalassophobia will start to show certain symptoms when they experience an immense sense of fear or anxiety while coming in contact with the ocean. Here are some of the common symptoms of thalassophobia faced by individuals: 

• Dizziness or light-headedness
• Nausea or vomiting 
• Increase in heart rate
• Rapid breathing 
• Breathlessness or difficulty in breath
• Intense sweating 

Apart from these physical symptoms, there are some emotional signs of having thalassophobia. These include: 

• Feeling of anxiousness
• Unable to concentrate or focus
• Overwhelmed 
• Difficulty in coordinating properly

In addition to these symptoms, the effect of thalassophobia can tamper with one's quality of life. For example, an individual may often face heart palpitations or chest pain when coming in contact with ocean or deep-water bodies, which is why medical supervision becomes essential.

Phobias are extremely common; hence it is difficult to quote the prevalence of thalassophobia. However, it is found that every 2 to 3% of a country's general population is diagnosed with thalassophobia or aquaphobia in adulthood.

Though anyone can develop thalassophobia, the following risk factors have a high chance of building up a fear of the ocean in a person:

• Generational History

An individual is prone to develop thalassophobia if any family member has this issue. This factor is hugely impacted by genetics or the family member's influence over the individual.

• Traumatic Experience

A traumatic experience drives the mindset of fear and instigates to development of a specific kind of phobia. A negative occurrence, like almost drowning, may create a sense of anxiety when going near the sea or a large body of water. 

• External Factors

External factors like the news of someone's death in the ocean or any occurrences that are not pleasant can make someone develop thalassophobia in some people. 

• Underlying Mental Health Problems 

If a person is suffering from pre-existing mental health problems like anxiety or major depressive disorder, he or she is most likely to build a phobia. 

Irrespective of these risk factors, thalassophobia is treatable with timely diagnosis and proper medical counselling by professionals. Hence, it is advisable to seek medical attention on the presence of any symptoms and prevailing risk factors. 

Apart from causing great distress among people with thalassophobia, this disease carries other threats, including mental and physical health problems. Here are the possible complications that can arise due to thalassophobia: 

• Panic or Anxiety Attacks 

A lot of times, people with thalassophobia or similar phobias experience panic attacks causing detrimental threats to their physical health. In addition, a panic attack while in the ocean are dangerous as it can lead to drowning. 

• Major Depressive Disorder

The effect of phobias is amplified by the development of mental health problems like major depressive disorder or clinical depression among individuals. This is why it is not safe to let these phobias untreated or unattended. 

• Loneliness or Becoming Socially Inactive

People who have thalassophobia or other phobias tend to isolate themselves because of their fear of water bodies. For example, someone with a fear of the ocean will avoid any social gatherings or parties that will take place on a beach or pool. This growing tendency to be socially inactive can lead to loneliness or isolation. 

• Substance Use Disorder 

Many a time, people suffering from phobias tend to develop an addiction to alcohol or develop the habit of drug abuse. 

Any phobia should be diagnosed by visiting a healthcare professional. Upon the initial consultation, a doctor will run a few tests to evaluate the severity of the issue. This mainly includes performing a few lab tests, reviewing the patient's medical history, and understanding the symptoms.

In addition to this, medical professionals follow the diagnostic guidelines as specified by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). As per this guideline, the following signs indicate a thalassophobia diagnosis:

• Constant avoidance of deep water or ocean
• An immediate sense of anxiety on being exposed to ocean
• Experiencing excessive and unreasonable amount of fear of the sea
• A fear or anxiety that continues to exist for more than six months 
• Developing clinical life impairment issues or any other behavioural problems

The diagnosis of thalassophobia or other types involves understanding whether symptoms are related to any other underlying medical conditions. Based on the results of this evaluation, a concerned doctor creates a customised treatment plan.

hobia is treatable with timely consultation and following the guidelines of a medical professional. 

Let’s discuss the various methods available for the treatment of thalassophobia: 

• Exposure Therapy 

Exposure therapy is extremely popular among therapists for treating most kinds of phobias. This mostly involves exposing the patient with a fear of the ocean to his or her feared stimuli under medical guidance. This treatment program aims to allow an individual to encounter their fear at maximum intensity and learn to cope with it.

In the initial exposure therapy session for thalassophobia, the counsellor exposes the patient to photographs of the ocean. The next step involves showing the person videos of the deep sea, followed by real-life ocean views. At each step of this therapy, the doctor monitors the patient’s behaviour and his or her responses to the feared object. 

• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy 

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), an effective type of psychotherapy, involves the patient understanding their own behavioural pattern towards the ocean. Individuals get the chance to learn their behaviour and change their thought processes and feelings towards what they are afraid of.

Many healthcare professionals or therapists use CBT more than any other therapy as it involves less discomfort and distress. Moreover, this treatment method is often performed as a complementary program along with other therapies.

• Medication 

In severe cases, thalassophobia is also treated with medications. Whenever a healthcare professional notices alarming symptoms of this phobia, he or she may prescribe a few medicines. These mostly include the following: 

• Sedatives: Sedatives or benzodiazepines are often prescribed by a doctor that helps to relax from the distress. However, as these drugs are highly addictive in nature, they are not recommended for long-term treatment. 

• Beta Blockers: This type of medicine is prescribed by doctors to comfort the patient from anxiety and other physical discomforts faced when coming in exposure to the ocean. 

In addition to this, there are some natural ways of treating the side effects of thalassophobia. This primarily includes practising any hobby, meditation, yoga, regular exercises, and joining any community or support groups. Moreover, the inception of some newer treatment approaches, like virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET), allows people to gain better control over their emotions and actions.

It is crucial to visit a facility or health care provider if the symptoms of thalassophobia are interfering with the work and everyday lifestyle. In addition, if the signs of this phobia continue for more than six months, it clearly indicates that an individual needs to be treated by a professional. 

As people respond to thalassophobia differently, following similar coping strategies will be challenging. Here are some of the strategies that may help: 

• Visualisation 

Visualising oneself with the feared stimuli helps to overcome the fear to a great extent. With the continuous practice of this, an individual will notice that the triggering factor is not making them feel anxious. Generally, medical professionals include these visualisation techniques in therapy sessions for optimal results. 

• Mindfulness Training

The practice of mindfulness training is effective as it involves an individual focusing on the present time or object by slowing the brain's thought process. During this training, an individual takes the time to experience the deep underlying thoughts in his/her mind and how the body feels and reacts to certain things. This enables one to become more self-aware and impart clarity in thinking and reacting to the factor. 

• Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR)

This new approach, progressive muscle relaxation (PMR), involves relaxing the body's muscle that starts from the feet and moves upwards to the head. 

• Breathing Exercises or Meditation 

Practising regular breathing exercises or meditation ease the symptoms experienced during panic attacks. A therapist often recommends breathing in and breathing out through the nose for instant relief from discomfort. 

It is crucial to take care of one’s mental health and not isolate from social groups because of thalassophobia. However, if the symptoms tend to hinder the smooth functioning of daily lifestyle, it is advisable to seek professional help for speedy coping and recovery.