All about thalassophobia, fear of deep bodies of water and seawater

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Thalassophobia is a specific phobia involving fear of bodies of water such as lakes, oceans, and seas. Don’t get me wrong, many people have a little anxiety about getting into the sea, but for others, this is a debilitating, persistent fear affecting their lives. The common string here is deep water, and the fact that usually is salt water is not key in the trigger for this fear. Although similar to aquaphobia, thalassophobia relates to bodies of water, whereas aquaphobia is a fear of water itself. 

In this article, we explore:

  • What specific phobias are
  • What causes thalassophobia
  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for thalassophobia

What Are Specific Phobias?

Specific phobias are persistent and ‘unreasonable’ fears of objects, situations, places, or feelings that pose little risk. Around 5 – 10% of the US population experiences a specific phobia. These intense fears tend to fall into five broad categories:

  • Animal type
  • Natural-environment
  • Blood-injection
  • Situational
  • Other

Thalassophobia falls into the natural-environment specific phobia type. People with specific phobias may experience panic attacks when near their feared object, situation, feeling, or person. For thalassophobes, being near deep water may trigger panic attacks. 

What Causes Thalassophobia?

We humans commonly fear the unknown. In a 2016 study, Nicholas Carleton found that this fear of the unknown is an evolutionary survival mechanism passed down from generation to generation. This was heightened by the understanding that humans were far safer staying on territorial land than in aquatic environments.

What’s more, Martin Antony, co-author of ‘The Anti-Anxiety Workbook,’ explains how our fear of bodies of water and other similar ‘risks,’ such as heights and snakes, is programmed into us to ensure our survival. 

Another potential cause of thalassophobia is experiencing a past trauma, such as almost drowning as a child, as this can instill an intense fear of deep bodies of water in adulthood. 

Scientists also suggest that genetics and biological heredity have a hand in thalassophobia. The method by which this fear is transmitted through the generations might be explained by epigenetics and learning.

Epigenetics is the study of heritable changes in gene expression or cellular phenotype caused by mechanisms other than changes in the underlying DNA sequence. Such mechanisms include chemical modification of DNA, histone post-translational modifications (DNA methylation), and miRNA-induced silencing. Environmental factors can influence such epigenetic processes, including parental care, toxins, nutrition, and exposure to pathogens.

Although epigenetic modifications can have positive and negative effects, being heritable makes them helpful in explaining phenomena such as  transgenerational trauma. Giving birth is a hazardous process in all mammals, not just humans. Still, passing on knowledge about predators from one generation to another has been evolutionarily advantageous for parents not to be too concerned about their safety. Thus, natural selection has resulted in humans being born with an innate fear of deep water.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Thalassophobia

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a form of talking therapy that has proven to be one of the most effective treatment approaches for specific phobias.

CBT for thalassophobia involves working 1-1 with a therapist to work on present-day difficulties related to thalassophobia, gradually exposing individuals to bodies of water – we call this form of CBT ‘exposure therapy.’ Through exposure therapy, some people being capable of snorkeling and scuba diving. 

This could start with images, then progress to safe, large bodies of water while employing coping strategies, including relaxation techniques like progressive muscle relaxation. 

 

Emma Loker
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