Thalassophobia: Fear of the Ocean

Written by:Bisma Anwar

Published On: August 20, 2021

Medically reviewed by: Meaghan Rice, PsyD., LPC

Reviewed On: January 14, 2022

Updated On: April 19, 2023

Overview

Everyone has fears, but some affect their mental health more than others. Are you afraid of being in or around large bodies of dark water? Does this fear of the deep ocean and other vast, deep bodies of water prevent you from swimming or enjoying being even near the water? Phobia about deep water, known as thalassophobia, can have a negative impact on your quality of life.

The thalassophobia definition is pretty straightforward — it’s defined as the persistent fear of vast, deep, and often dark bodies of water that feel dangerous. Specifically, thalassophobia describes a person’s fear of the great unknown in the water right below their feet. 

To better understand this phobia and to learn how to manage its symptoms, it’s helpful to gain a solid understanding of this type of anxiety disorder’s causes and treatment.

How to Treat Thalassophobia

Once you make the decision to get help for your condition, be prepared to be open about your current lifestyle and any past traumas with your therapist or doctor. The more open you are, the easier it will be for them to determine the origin of your phobia so you can work to heal. 

The goal of your counseling sessions is to help you understand how your fear developed, identify your specific triggers, and learn to successfully manage any emotional and physical responses when they occur.

“Treatments for thalassophobia can include cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and exposure therapy. Each of these can help with decreasing the anxious thoughts and feelings that come up because of the fear.” - Talkspace therapist Bisma Anwar, MA, MSc, LMHC

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)

Exposure therapy

In addition to understanding your body’s response to thalassophobia, a therapist may also use a therapy technique known as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) — a form of psychotherapy (talk therapy) that modifies dysfunctional thoughts — to help replace your negative self-talk with more positive messages. Through CBT techniques, you can learn how to control your thoughts instead of feeling overwhelmed by them. You may be given assignments to visit the ocean while remaining safely onshore to test some common coping mechanisms.

Learn more
cta

Convenient and secure therapy for Thalassophobia

Get started

Living with Phobias

Anxiety Disorder, Phobias June 18, 2024

Agoraphobia vs Social Anxiety Disorder: What’s the Difference?

Phobias December 20, 2022

Trypophobia

Phobias July 7, 2022

Anthropophobia

Phobias March 14, 2022

Arachnophobia

Frequently Asked Questions

How many people are affected by thalassophobia?

While there isn’t an exact record of how many people suffer from thalassophobia specifically, there are statistics on how many people experience a phobia of some kind: an estimated 9.1% of American adults report having a phobia in the last year.

Is it possible to overcome a fear of the ocean?

While a persistent fear of vast, deep, and dark bodies of water can result in crippling anxiety symptoms, you absolutely can overcome your fear. Participating in therapy, whether it’s in-person or online therapy, will help you get one step closer towards overcoming your phobia. Whatever phobia you are dealing with, whether it’s thalassophobia, agoraphobia, arachnophobia, thanatophobia, or claustrophobia, therapy can help you overcome it.

When you’re able to lessen the burden of a phobia and diminish its negative impact on your life, you’ll be able to spend less time living in avoidant fear. Instead, you’ll have a newfound perspective on the world and be able to prioritize living life to the fullest and enjoying each day. You might even decide it’s time to go back in the water!

What are some effective techniques for coping with thalassophobia?

Although the irrational fear may feel overwhelming at times, you can learn how to overcome a debilitating phobia like this. Coping with thalassophobia is possible with the right support. 

Both short- and long-term tools and techniques have been found successful in dealing with thalassophobia. Relaxation strategies like meditation, visualization, or deep breathing are all excellent ways to manage a fear of deep water.

The following have been found effective in coping with thalassophobia — and remember, the more you use these techniques, the stronger their impact can become.

  • Deep breathing:  Deep breathing exercises for anxiety are great because they’re something you can do anywhere. Take a deep, long breath, hold it, and then release slowly. Repeat this breathing technique until you start to physically feel your body soften and relax.
  • Visualization: Visualization is a way for your mind to help you face and conquer your fears. You could visualize successfully navigating deep water without going into a panic attack. For best results, this might be something you want to practice with a therapist.
  • Progressive muscle relaxation (PMR): Progressive muscle relaxation is frequently used in CBT for anxiety and is an easy-to-learn technique that can be extremely useful during high stress or high anxiety periods. It’s something that’s been found very useful for people who have panic attacks. PMR is an exercise where you increase and then release tension in targeted areas of your body. It can relieve mental or physical stress and help calm or quiet your mind, and is also a great strategy for learning how to release anger in a healthy way.
  • Self-help exposure: Self-help exposure through visualization can help you confront many of your fears, including thalassophobia. Picture yourself close to a small body of water. Use any of the relaxation techniques you’ve learned to calm yourself. Then, slowly imagine yourself having more and more exposure to increasingly larger bodies of water. Eventually, you might find that your tolerance increases, and your fear subsides.

More about Phobias

View all articles

See References

Effective and affordable mental health treatment

Get Started

Our Editorial Standards

Reviewed for Accuracy
Up-to-date Research
Credible References
Learn More