The ocean is the most amazing as well as the most mysterious place in the world, with hundreds of new species being discovered every year, in a place that takes about 70% of the earth's surface. This always makes people think, “What else is out there?”. Thalassophobia is the fear of the ocean, a fear that countless people in the world suffer from. There is no clear number of people who suffer from thalassophobia, but there are multiple online groups dedicated to the phobia, with one of those having about 80,000 members. It is understandable for people to have thalassophobia, as stated before, it is the most mysterious place in the world. With the majority of the ocean being unexplored, comes the thought of the thousands, possibly hundreds …show more content…
Overcoming thalassophobia, like overcoming any phobia, is difficult, but there are several types of therapy that have shown positive results in overcoming fear of the ocean. Two of these are Hypnotherapy and Neuro-Linguistic Programming Therapy (NLP). Hypnotherapy involves deep relaxation (under the guidance of a trained practitioner), and helps the therapist find the root cause of the phobia. NLP helps one understand the minds creation of reality, helping the victim literally “reprogram their mind”. This will create a response different than that normal to the victim when confronting the fear. There is an abundant amount of people who don’t trust therapy, believing it to be a waste of money (like my Grandpa does). Due to this there is ordinarily other means of overcoming thalassophobia, like “needle-less Acupuncture” and through the use of energy psychology. We must also understand that the ocean is more than likely safe, with instances of ocean related deaths being far less than road accident deaths. It is through this understanding that can help people rationalize the fear. Exposing oneself to the ocean can, overtime, also help overcome thalassophobia, like with
...ms within. I grew up on the lake, so water will and has always been a part of my life. I go to the beach almost every year, so I am frequently involved with the ocean life as well. My dad is a fisherman; he has been to many places and shown me many unique animals he has caught. I feel that it would be the most interesting job to have because there is a huge ocean to explore. Another awesome part of the job would be the idea of always learning new things about the fish. It would never turn into that job that has the same old routine because discoveries are still being made. The only down side to being a marine biologist is constantly smelling like a fish and dealing with the rather large fish that could endanger my life. But every job is going to have a down side, if these two are the only downsides to having this job, then I would have no problem conquering my fear.
The Greeks had many fears. The fear that seems perplexed is of the sea. One might think because they are geographically surrounded by sea they would have learned how to cope and master skills of the sea. They did not; it is proven in the odyssey that ancient Greeks feared the ocean. They feared the violence that the ocean can bring upon them. They thought ocean was an endless trap to death. Laodamas the son of king Phoenicia explained that there is “Nothing worse than the sea, I always say, to crush a man, the strongest man alive.” (Odyssey. P. 195). He could have seen what the sea had done to Odysseus. Odysseus, the greatest hero in the odyssey, was beaten and sabotage by the ocean. If the sea had done that to him, it might have killed and ordinary person in Odysseus position. The ancient Greeks recognize the destruction the ocean can bring upon them. That is the reason the sea was considered to be one of the most frightening things. The reason the...
My vomit clouded the ocean surface with a purple-brown color before fading below the depths. On the other side of the vessel, I re-equipped my mask and plunged into the water to be greeted by my aunt – she was to be my snorkeling partner as she had much experience in the depths of Hawaii. When I submerged my head it was almost as if I had entered a new world. This unseen dimension housed a coral reef that vibrantly shone with a mixture of bright reds and deep blues. The reef almost seemed to pulsate as thousands of fish darted in and out of their subterranean homes. The water was thick with salt and teemed with plankton. We often resurfaced to point out fish to each other. I remember my aunt telling me of the environmental dangers of touching the still-living coral. “If you pierce its skin it will likely become infected and die, and all of the fish who live in it will die too,” she expertly explained. From then on I kept my distance to at least 5-6
In order to treat the fear you must treat it with relaxation while in the presence of the feared situation. The first step in Wolpe’s study was to focus on relaxing your body. He recommended a process that involves tensing and relaxing various groups of muscles until a deep state of relaxation is achieved (Wolpe,264). The second stage was to develop a list of anxiety-producing situations that are associated with the phobia. The list would descend with from the least uncomfortable situation to the most anxiety producing event you can imagine. The number of events can vary from 5 to 20 or more. The final step is to desensitize, which is the actual “unlearning” of the phobia. Wolpe told his patients that no actual contact with the fear is necessary, and that the same effectiveness can be accomplished through descriptions and visualizations(Wolpe,265). Wolpe’s participants are told to put themselves in a state of relaxation which they are taught. Then, the therapist begins reading the first situation on the hierarchy they have made up. If the patient stays relaxed through the first situation the therapist continues to the next until the state of relaxation is broken. If they feel a slight moment of anxiety they are to raise their index finger until the state of relaxation is restored. The average number
Change your response to the fear as you confront it. You can, for instance, learn to laugh at your fear. This is what comedian Kevin Hart learned to do, and he became
One of the characteristics of a phobia is a feeling that is greater than the fear of a situation or object with an exaggeration of the danger associated with the said situation or even object. This persistent fear often leads to an anxiety disorder that leads an individual to develop mechanisms that ensure one avoids the object or situation that triggers the occurrence of the phobia. Phobias can have highly debilitating effects on an individual including the development of depression, isolation, substance abuse, and even suicide. Many people take phobia for granted however, it is clear that it has the potential to impair the quality of life for both the affected and the people around them. The fact that many of the phobias are manageable using
There’s a monster under your bed, and there are ghosts in the attic. The Bogey man is in your closet and ravens await your death so they can pick from your rotting flesh. Flowers are ready to strangle you, as pickles prepare to choke you in the night. It’s almost funny to hear of people who actually fear flowers and pickles. But these people have real legit fears of even the nicest of things. Although these fears are horrible, and should not be feared; I think the more we know about them, the more we can be prepared. There must be a deeper meaning of these weird phobias. Is it nature? Or inherited traits of the human body? Maybe they come from past experiences? Even as these fears are quite interesting, but unwanted, I want to know why people acquire these ridiculous fears and how we could stop them.
Aquaphobia is a fear that can affect one’s daily life in many drastic ways anywhere from personal to social to professional life. Aquaphobia is a specific phobia of water that involves a certain level of fear that is beyond the patient’s control. Aquaphobia even classifies as a panic disorder, which is a severe anxiety disorder characterized by reoccurring panic attacks with anticipatory anxiety and significant behavioral changes (Ajinkya, 2015). People that suffer from Aquaphobia may experience it even though they understand that the water from an ocean, lake, river, pool or even bathtub poses no imminent threat. Some causes of this phobia include the fear of drowning, experiencing a horrific accident or even overprotective parents. Some symptoms
Having a specific phobia towards the natural environment may sound unrealistic but it is indeed much more common than people believe. A natural environment phobia is fear of one or more of the following: heights, storms, or water. About 75% of people with this specific phobia averse more than one of the fears listed (DSM- APA). However, there is a difference between being fearful of something and it being a personal phobia of an individual. If it is a phobia it will last more than six months. Anything shorter than six months is then dismissed as a temporary fear. In children, this anxiety will be expressed by crying, temper tantrums, freezing or clinging on to their caregiver (DSM-APA). This can also be seen in sever phobias in adults but rarely does the adult have a temper tantrum, rather, a more developed emotional response is provoked. Typically, the amount of anxiety or fear that is actually observed during a phobic episode is entirely inordinate to the actual threat that a specific phobia may have (DSM-A...
Treatment is available and extremely helpful for those suffering with a phobia. Medications and therapy both work well in the majority of cases. In a majority of cases a portion of the therapy is dedicated to causal exposure to the phobia. The exposure is gradually increased until the individual is comfortable in the situation without experiencing an anxiety attack. Group therapy is also beneficial as the individual is exposed to other suffering through the same fears.
What was the sound beyond the hallway, or that figure on the corner of your eye? That certain sensation of your heart beat getting louder and your palms sweating,the chill called fear. Fear is a defense system to warn humans we could be in danger, but what if fear goes too far? People with phobias feel a cold sweat drop from their faces, their pupils dilated,shaking at the sight of stop-lights or does not have the heart to cross rivers, it is most likely a phobia. It is an irrational fear that takes over someone's mind and prevents them to surmount obstacles in their life. They can range from something as scary as spiders to something as strange as paper-towel rolls. Like Lea Winerman, a writer for American Psychology Association, states, “ All phobias are anxiety disorders, lumped in the same class as post-traumatic stress disorder and panic disorder, among others. And anxiety disorders are, fundamentally, based on fear.” Phobias prevents people from functioning normally and have a healthy life by taking hold of their lives and daily schedules. The effects of having a phobia results in inconveniences in your life, stress, and medical problems in your future.
In conclusion, phobias are a big part of many people’s lives these days and a growing medical condition. People do not realize how badly phobias can affect their lives so they don’t receive medical attention. There are no cures for phobias but there are treatments which will help the phobic get over their fear. I personally believe that if people care enough about their lives, they will treat their phobias. Phobias can totally alter your life so if you have any of the symptoms I have listed above, please go and get treatment.
It is understandable for people to have thalassophobia, as stated before, it is the utmost mysterious place in the world. With the majority of the ocean being unexplored, comes the thought of the thousands, possibly hundreds of thousands of creatures that may lurk in the dark. The thought of being lost in the ocean, in the middle of nowhere, is something that can cause people to sweat, shake, vomit as well as cause anxiety, panic attacks, including much more. But why do people have thalassophobia, and, obviously, how can they overcome it?
As time progresses, many changes develop in society. For instance, fashions change, tastes change, habits change, and norms change as well. One of the biggest changes that has taken place over the years is the increase in dependency on technology and cell phones. According to an article, dated from from 2000 to 2004, there has been a 50% increase in the use of cell phones, ranging from 40 million to 60 million (Shuvra Mahmud). That was ten years ago, so the changes now must have increased even more. Similar to the increase in cell phone usage, there has also been an increase in the belief and diagnosis of nomophobia, the fear of being without a person’s cell phone. Although some scholars have argued that nomophobia is merely a high engagement of cell phone usage, various studies suggests that nomophobia is an actual phobia and that company advertisements are a probable cause for it.
Therefore, those psychologists feel that arachnophobia is most likely based on beliefs about the nature of spiders and superstitions about them. Another common phobia is of snakes known as Ophidiophobia. This phobia is characterized by an intense or unreasonable fear that is caused by the thoughts or actual physical presence of snakes. Exposure to a snake causes an immediate anxiety reaction that may include panic attacks or other serious reactions. In some cases, people may also have strong anxiety reactions to depictions of these reptiles, thoughts of snakes, and conversations involving discussion of snakes. People with ophidiophobia know and understand that their fears are excessive, but will often go out of their way to avoid snakes, including changing their routines to avoid any possible contact with snakes. This avoidance, anxiety, and distress can lead to impairments in social, occupational, and academic functioning. It should be stated that although a huge number of people may be afraid or feel uneasy at the sight of snakes, a person would only receive a true clinical diagnosis of a specific phobia if snakes were present in his or her environment and the level of distress or avoidance behaviors were causing impairment in their social or everyday