What is thalassophobia?
Thalassophobia is the fear of the sea or the ocean. People with this phobia avoid shores, do not swim in the sea and never travel by boat.
Thalassophobia may be mild or very severe; For example, some people may start a panic attack just by looking at the sea or looking at a photo of the sea.
Because of this phobia, a person is afraid of the inhabitants of the sea or the open space of the ocean, or both.
Thalassophobia is different from aquaphobia - aquaphobia is a direct fear of water.
You have thalassophobia if you are afraid of:
- Being close to the sea;
- You do not like swimming in the sea;
- You do not enjoy walking on the beach;
- You are afraid of traveling by boat
In acute clinical cases, a panic attack occurs, during which the following symptoms appear in the body:
- Dizziness;
- Feeling of heart failure;
- Rapid breathing;
- Acceleration of heart rate;
- Trembling;
- Sweating;
- Feeling like you are drowning;
- Nausea with or without vomiting.
What causes this phobia? According to psychologists, sometimes phobias are formed as a result of a traumatic event in a person's life. Thalassophobia may be formed because a person has learned to swim in the past and did not feel safe at a particular moment or has read about a tsunami or shark attack and so on.
Thalassophobia usually develops in childhood and that is why it is difficult for a person to recall a specific situation after which the fear of the sea, the ocean arose. Of course, it is quite possible for thalassophobia to develop in adulthood.
Source:
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/thalassophobia#when-to-seek-help
