According to mental health counselor Bates, exposure therapy paired with relaxation and mindfulness techniques is the typical and most effective way of treating a phobia. 

"Since thalassophobia is the fear of deep bodies of water, the issue may not cause any day-to-day dysfunction and impairment. The person suffering from this phobia may have no reservations swimming in a pool, for example, which may occur if they had aquaphobia (the fear of water itself)," he explained to Bored Panda.

"However, the very idea of large, deep bodies of water may cause distress for an individual. Several forms of travel may also be the source of anxiety and panic if there were to fly in a plane over large bodies of water, driving over a bridge, or watching a movie like Titanic," he said.

"Treatment of the phobia would involve a licensed counselor or psychologist helping the client encounter gradual and controlled exposure to large bodies of water, typically starting with imaginal stimuli to real-life experiences," counselor Bates walked us through the process.

"As the client is exposed to anxiety-provoking stimuli of large bodies of water (e.g., a picture of the sea, sound of ocean waves), the clinician will guide them through mindfulness and relaxation interventions to help soothe their nervous system, equipping them adjust to the discomfort and realize they are not in any actual danger."

We were interested in getting the counselor's opinion as to when someone suffering from phobias should reach out for help from a professional. Bates noted that this decision will depend on several factors.

"For a person suffering with thalassophobia, they may want to consider if their fear is so intense that it causes anxiety, even panic attacks. If they are avoiding normal activities, causing disruption to their life, again, they may consider seeking out help. Psychologists, psychiatrists, counselors, or other mental health professionals who specialize in anxiety disorders can offer various treatments such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), exposure therapy, or medication if necessary, to help individuals manage and overcome their phobias."

Bates pointed out that thalassophobia is a very treatable issue: "So for those who struggle with this issue, there is hope. They do not need to suffer in isolation. There are effective treatments out there." He shared that counselors and other mental health clinicians regularly work with conditions like thalassophobia.

"Whatever a person is struggling with, it will not shock a clinician. They will work with that individual in a very empathic and supportive way."

Bates regularly covers important mental health topics on the 'Men's Mental Health' blog on Substack and the 'Mental Health Nerd' blog on Psychology Today. 

People who suffer from thalassophobia have intense fears of bodies of water that appear vast, dark, deep, and dangerous. This encompasses bodies of water of different sizes, whether we’re talking about something as vast as the ocean or the sea, or something much smaller, like lakes.

Verywell Mind notes that this phobia is less connected to being scared of the water itself than to the fear of what might lurk beneath the surface… just out of sight.

Thalassaphobia is caused by a mix of genetic and environmental factors. It’s very likely that our ancestors were very cautious around deep bodies of water, so their genes got passed down to future generations. On the flip side, some of the people who didn’t mind these fears as much might have ended up drowning.

However, it’s not just your genetics that plays a role in the phobias you develop. The way your parents raise you, your environment, and your experiences all have important roles to play. For example, if you were raised in a household where the adults get panicky any time someone approaches any body of water, then you might have ended up copying their response.

Similarly, if you had any scary encounters at the seaside or swimming in a lake, you might avoid large bodies of water like the plague. Seeing others drown or nearly drowning yourself can make you extremely wary of going anywhere near open water from that point onward. Just thinking about it can make you feel nauseous, dizzy, and light-headed.

Some of the other symptoms that people suffering from thalassophobia can experience include intense feelings of anxiety, detachment, a sense of impending doom, and the desire to run away. However, you don’t necessarily have to spend the rest of your life being afraid of going to the seaside, swimming, or sailing. 

Cognitive behavioral therapy can be used to slowly desensitize people who suffer from various phobias. To put it simply, the idea is to gradually help someone get used to large bodies of water, with the guidance of a therapist. That might mean taking things very slow at the start, by showing the patient photos of bodies of water, so they can get used to them.

Then, they might visit a large body of water and look at it from a distance. Or they might even end up literally dipping their toes in water. The exact approach, of course, will depend on the specialist and their experience, as well as the individual patient. While living with a particular phobia isn’t impossible, it does radically reduce the number of opportunities you can embrace in life.

Someone dealing with thalassophobia may end up isolating themselves socially. For example, they may be unwilling to go swimming or sailing with their friends or to go visit the seaside for a lovely picnic with their family. This phobia can also interfere with their travel arrangements. The person in question might avoid sailing on boats or ferries and may even have trouble flying on planes which often do long stretches above the ocean.

On top of that, thalassophobia victims also have panic attacks to contend with. Meanwhile, Verywell Mind points out that some phobias can also make people more prone to depression, as well as substance abuse as a way to treat symptoms of anxiety. Obviously, this is an unhealthy way of coping with fear. Exercise, meditation, deep relationships, and therapy are far better alternatives.

Which of the photos in this list impressed and scared you the most, Pandas? Have you ever been afraid of open water? Share your thoughts in the comments.

In the meantime, for some more eerie, uncomfortable, and powerful phobia-inducing photos, take a swim through Bored Panda’s earlier features.