Fear of depth is one of the common human phobias. The condition manifests itself in a fear of the abyss of water, an unknown space, hidden from the eyes. When in water, it may seem to a person that the inhabitants of the depths tend to pull him to the bottom. What are the reasons for the development of a phobia, against which a fear of depth may arise? We will try to understand these issues.
Causes
What is a
phobia called a
fear of depth? Such a
psychic phenomenon is known by the definition of "bathophobia" and is considered one of the most dangerous
obsessive states that can develop in humans. Once in the water, people at risk of fear go into panic, quickly lose touch with reality and can begin to sink. At the same time, the fear of depth does not apply to people who swim poorly. Since in this case the fear of the depths has a concrete foundation.
Fear of depth is a phobia that develops according to the following reasons:
- Genetics - the prerequisites for the development of bathophobia can exist in humans according to heredity.
- Unsuccessful experience in teaching swimming: often a child unfamiliar with water is immediately thrown to the depths, trying to activate the self-preservation instinct. In this situation, the baby may experience psychological trauma that will force him to avoid visiting ponds in adulthood.
- Dangerous cases during bathing: if a person felt a risk of drowning, felt fear of cramps, in the future this can serve as the basis for the development of bathophobia.
- Negative associations: the fear of depth is often the result of the loss of friends or relatives on the water.
- Fear of the unknown: manifested in the sensation of the abyss, the infinity of the water column.
- Fear of the inhabitants of the depths: in the creation of man, the so-called emotional anchors are formed. Most often, a prerequisite for their education is watching horror films. When certain parts of the brain are activated, monsters that supposedly inhabit a body of water can appear to a person.
Types
There are several varieties of bathophobia:
- Objective - the individual feels fear due to the presence of a real potential danger to health and life. For example, a person prone to manifestations of bathophobia may not be able to dive and independently rise to the surface.
- Destructive - the fear of the ocean, the depths at the root of which lie negative irrational thoughts and expectations regarding the upcoming stay in the water.
Features of behavior in bathophobia
Now we have found out what the fear of depth is called. Next, we consider what behavior is shown by individuals prone to such an emotional disorder.
Most often, a phobia manifests itself in the fact that a person prefers to find excuses for swimming while relaxing on a pond or swimming near the shore. If the comrades decide to joke to drag the subject of batophobia to the depths, the result of such actions could be panic, hysteria, a state of shock right up to loss of consciousness. Such cases often lead to the fact that a person completely refuses contact with water.
Children who suffer from bathophobia actively protest against going to the beach and bathing in the bath. Most often, parents perceive such behavior as ordinary whims, without attaching special importance to it. If adults show excessive perseverance, then a sense of threat may not leave the child for many years.
Physical manifestations of the disorder
In the presence of fear of the water depths, a person manifests specific symptoms at a physiological level:
- heart rate increase;
- the occurrence of dryness in the oral cavity;
- the development of nausea, vomiting;
- knocking at the temples, dizziness, loss of balance and orientation in space, headaches;
- muscle numbness, tingling in the body;
- fever, chills;
- sensation of increasing choking, intermittent breathing.
Psychological manifestations
As for the emotional state characteristic of bathophobia, it is worth noting first of all the fear of losing control of one’s own actions surrounded by strangers, if necessary, contact with water. People who suffer from this disorder begin to be afraid to lose their minds when they realize that in the near future they will have to dive or swim across a body of water.
Other psychological manifestations of bathophobia relate to the self. A person with a disturbed psyche may not feel the reality of what is happening while in the water, subconsciously transfer himself to another place and time. Such conditions often lead to the most inadequate reactions to seemingly simple, absolutely safe situations.
How to avoid the development of bathophobia?
There are a number of recommendations, following which avoids the formation of a negative state:
- When in water, physical and emotional self-control is extremely important. It is necessary to thoroughly analyze: what thoughts arise during swimming and diving to the depths, whether there are real risks to life and harm to health.
- Self-hypnosis allows you to overcome the fear of the depths. If a person tries to do everything possible to develop self-confidence, in this case, the need for swimming training will not become an insurmountable obstacle for him.
- It is necessary to decide in advance how important it is to learn to swim, what benefits can be obtained through mastery of the skill.
How to deal with bathophobia?
The fear of depth is potentially eliminated by the use of water procedures in safe, as transparent and shallow or artificial reservoirs as possible. To reduce the intensity of panic states, it is enough to sit on the shore, wet your feet, wander in shallow water.
Over time, you can go into the water to the waist, relaxing the body or plunging relaxed hands into it. In this case, it is extremely important to catch the feeling that the limbs have support. In general, the determining factor here is the steady formation of the realization that water will not allow you to drown.
The creation of a positive image of the depths in one’s own mind helps in the fight against panic conditions during bathophobia. This is facilitated by watching videos about wildlife and the beauty of the oceans, pictures of wonderful beaches. Regular concentration of attention on such moments over time will help to form a positive attitude towards water.
If the above methods of combating phobia do not bring the expected results, it is worth thinking about turning to a psychotherapist for help or making an appointment with a psychologist. An objective view of the specialist on the problem from the side will allow to identify the root causes of the formation of the disorder, to develop an effective strategy to eliminate the negative physiological and emotional manifestations of the pathological condition.
Finally
So we figured out what constitutes a fear of depth, water, what is the name of such an emotional state. In conclusion, I would like to note that in order to eliminate fear, first of all, constant work on oneself is required. A good start here is the use of special psychological techniques, for the selection of which it is worth turning to the services of a specialist.