How Does Thalassophobia Develop?

Thalassophobia is a fear of the ocean or other large bodies of water. It may stem from a traumatic childhood event, which a person may have experienced directly, seen, possibly onscreen, or heard about. Several types of therapy, including CBT and exposure therapy, can help reduce the impact of phobias.

What causes thalassophobia?

Thalassophobia could also be caused by traumatic events. A childhood near-drowning experience, witnessing a shark attack, never learning to swim, or even being told scary stories of the ocean are just a few examples of possible events that could trigger thalassophobia.

How does a fear develop?

Fear can be learned through direct experience with a threat, but it can also be learned via social means such as verbal warnings or observ-ing others. Phelps's research has shown that the expression of socially learned fears shares neural mechanisms with fears that have been acquired through direct experience.