The Thalassophobia subreddit has been around since 2013, and it’s become an incredibly popular place since then. It currently has 1.2 million members, and it is home to countless posts featuring how frightening and amazing the world’s bodies of water can be. From photos of creatures that look like they’re from another planet to gigantic waves that could take out entire towns, this online community certainly makes it clear how one could be scared of vast bodies of water. Personally, I’ve always loved swimming in the ocean and taking a trip to a lake, but it only takes one close encounter with drowning to remind you just how powerful water is.

If you’ve never heard of thalassophobia, let’s break down exactly what it is and how it typically manifests itself. Similar to any other specific phobia, Healthline explains that thalassophobia can include symptoms such as restlessness, feeling on edge or worried, being unable to concentrate, irritability, muscle tension, sweating or looking flushed, increased heart rate, trembling, chest pain or discomfort, a feeling of impending doom, a sense of loss of control, upset stomach, chills or hot flashes, and trouble sleeping. In short, it can certainly negatively impact a person’s quality of life. 

If you start to feel like you’re experiencing any of those symptoms just by viewing the pics on this list, feel free to swim away as fast as you can. These photos can be extremely triggering. But if you want to combat your thalassophobia head on, exposure therapy is one possible form of treatment. Betterhelp recommends finding a fitting method to expose yourself to what exactly is causing your fear of bodies of water. “If your fear stems from an inability to swim in deep water, you may take a swimming class,” they explain on their site. 

“If you’re worried about sea creatures, you may try visiting them at an aquarium. If you’re able to look directly at your fears, you may be surprised by how quickly you’re able to move past them.” It is best to do this with the help of a professional, so today, viewing this list on your own might be a bit too overwhelming. But if you are experiencing discomfort, anxiety or fear around topics such as this, know that you’re not alone.  

It’s actually quite common to have some sort of fear revolving around bodies of water. According to the Cleveland Clinic, about 3% of Americans have aquaphobia, and many people have other water-related phobias including ablutophobia (fear of bathing), cymophobia (fear of waves), megalohydrothalassophobia (fear of underwater creatures or objects), submechanophobia (fear of submerged objects), and thalassophobia. These phobias often stem from past traumatic events involving water, negative stories about water, their family history or being exposed to someone else with the same fears. 

But aside from people who have a phobia associated with water, plenty of other people are simply scared in deep water. According to Cision, 46% of American adults are afraid when in a pool where the water goes over their heads, and 64% of American adults are scared in deep, open water. This is a perfectly normal reaction; technically, there is possible danger present when we’re surrounded by water so we should be aware of it. It’s important to stay safe and avoid being alone in deep water because you never know what will happen. And if your fear comes from being unable to swim, don’t be afraid to do something about it! It’s never too late to learn how to swim and feel more confident in water. (Not to mention how much fun swimming is!)