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Thalassophobia is a persistent and intense fear of deep bodies of water such as the ocean or sea. What makes this phobia different than aquaphobia — the fear of water in general — is the fact that it centers on vastness, darkness, and depth. People who have this condition are not terrified of getting wet, but rather the might and mystique behind the waves.

While thalassophobia is not recognized as a distinct disorder by the DSM-5, the diagnostic manual of mental disorders used by psychiatrists and other mental health professionals, it’s still relatively common. And the subreddit of the same name is a vivid example of that. Created in June 2013, it unites 969,000 thalassophobes, sharing triggers and discussing symptoms.

So, in an attempt to shed some light on this community, we at Bored Panda decided to put together a list of their most popular posts.

#1 An Entire Street Submerged In The Deep

Image credits: stefansfdsdfw

#2 The Image That Started It All

Image credits: wmszeligaSfghr4567

Online groups that get this big often suffer from huge streams of content that flood them with questionable pictures and videos, diminishing the overall experience of browsing them, but this subreddit manages to stay clean.

Part of it can be attributed to the clear rules that promote being nice and courteous, and allow no jokes, memes, or cartoons, no reposts, and no gore.

Of course, having an active moderator team that make sure members adhere to these rules helps tremendously as well.

#3 Swimming Next To A Ship In The Open Ocean, Miles From Land

Image credits: OatsAndWhey

#4 Words Fail Me

Image credits: nigeldanson

#5 A Diver Riding A Giant Underwater Worm (Pyrosoma Atlanticum)

Image credits: Ok-Interaction-4693

Specific phobias tend to fall into these five categories:

Animal type;
Blood-injection type;
Natural-environment type;
Situational type;
Other.

Thalassophobia is usually considered to belong to the natural-environment type. These fears are experienced more frequently, with some studies also suggesting that water-related phobias are more common among women.

#6 Because All My Friends Say This Photo Of Me Freediving Gives Them The Willies

Image credits: marinemik

#7 When You Fear Of Flying And Your Fear Of Water Meet Each Other

Image credits: philbilly86

#8 Is To Me Or Are Black Tiled Pools Terrifying

Image credits: Desperate_Squirrel20

#9 Walked About 30 Minutes Out During Low Tide To Read This!

Image credits: ChaeusXCVI

Thalassophobia shares symptoms with other specific phobias, such as claustrophobia, and includes:

Sudden onset of anxiety or fear;
Shaking and trembling;
Sweating;
Dry mouth;
Increased heart rate or heart palpitations;
Difficulty breathing, including hyperventilating;
Chest pain;
Fear of losing control.

#10 The Deadliest Stream In The World – It Looks Normal, But Underneath It Is Full Of Caves Of Powerful Fast Moving Water That Will Drag You Down. 100% Fatality Rate

Image credits: ecarion104

#11 British Underwater Photographer Of The Year Winner 2022

Image credits: heresyourhardware

#12 It’s A Nice Peaceful Day Until You Get A Glimpse Of What Lies Beneath

Image credits: Desperate_Squirrel20

#13 Guadalupe Island, The Most Terrifying Place On This Planet

Image credits: NMDA_GABA

The causes of specific phobias, including thalassophobia, are not entirely understood, and often differ from case to case. But according to a common explanation, it’s usually a combination of genetic and environmental factors.

Research shows that certain genes are associated with certain specific phobias, but as of yet no studies have looked at the genetics behind thalassophobia in particular. However, following the Darwinian theory of evolution, there should still be at least some.

#14 That Last Point Made Me Double Take

Image credits: sighdoihaveto

#15 Two Tiny Boats Floating Over An Underwater Cliff

Image credits: spiiiitfiiiire

#16 There’s Something Particularly Terrifying About The Idea Of Water You Can’t Even Float In

Image credits: kuparinedfgdfgdf

#17 Naval Mine Found In Diving Trip

Image credits: the_yesyes

Think of it like this: our ancestors also came across deep bodies of water, and those who were cautious of the dangers they possessed may have avoided them, living longer to pass down their genes. This theory is supported by research that indicates that specific phobias are moderately heritable.

Although the exact percentage can vary, it has been found, for example, that for animal phobias, heritability is around 45%.

#18 This Would Scare Me Tf Out

Image credits: IndependentCautious2

#19 Depth: Infinite Ft

Image credits: abagelinmynavel

#20 Going Through Old Pics, Thought I Would Drop This Here

Image credits: fancyzoidberg

#21 Beach Weather Is Upon Us!

Image credits: parentsttr

Thalassophobia could also be caused by traumatic events, such as a childhood near-drowning experience, witnessing a shark attack, never learning to swim, or even being told scary stories of the ocean.

By associating a specific situation, such as being in deep water, with a panic response, over time a phobia of that situation can develop.

#22 An Abandoned, Flooded Mineshaft

Image credits: KapnObesity

#23 Would You Retrieve The Broom?

Image credits: alxzsites

#24 Flip (Floating Instrument Platform), A Ship Flipping Vertically To Study The Behavior Of Sound Waves Underwater

Image credits: JulPfl

#25 Holy Sh I Didn’t Know That’d Trigger Me

Image credits: trader_cameraman

Phobias are chronic conditions that can worsen over the course of life and limit one’s relationships and activities. The good thing is that they are also highly treatable, although the process isn’t always pleasant.

But only about 10-25% of people with a specific phobia ultimately seek help. This is likely due to avoidance behaviors, since treating a specific phobia does often involve confronting the feared stimuli.

#26 That Is A Boat

Image credits: reddit.com

#27 This Is An Under-Ice Observation Tube In Mcmurdo Station, Antarctica

Image credits: vinyl_soda

#28 Asked An A. I. To Interpret Thalassophobia

Image credits: sp00kysoul

#29 This Seaweed Through Clear Water

Image credits: appealing_orange

Exposure therapy is a popular and effective choice for treating specific phobias, including fear of the sea. During it, a person faces their feared stimuli in increasing levels of intensity.

For someone with thalassophobia, this might start with looking at photos of the sea on this subreddit, escalate to watching videos of the ocean or deep water, then visiting a big pool and taking a trip to the ocean. Through controlled exposure, the person learns that the feared stimulus itself is not dangerous, and they can begin to associate it with more positive outcomes.