A stressful day at work, a weekend with friends or a nice trip with the family: all these situations always end up in the same place: a beach, with a cold beer and a lot of laughter.
These situations seem very comfortable and relaxing to many, but to a person with thalassophobiaa situation considered fun by many can be terrifying.
Instead of calm and peace of mind, people with thalassophobia, in situations like these, feel trapped, cramped, anxious and hopeless. This is because this syndrome causes an extreme fear of the sea.
Yes correctly. Thalassophobia is the disorder of people who feel an unusual fear of the sea and who have frightening thoughts about what they might find there.
Those suffering from thalassophobia cannot even think about oceans or lakes without feeling deep fear and intense anxiety. The condition is so critical that people with this syndrome cannot even see pictures depicting the ocean, nor can they imagine themselves swimming in it.
For them, the idea is so terrifying that some situations can’t even happen, like watching movies like “Vidas à Deriva” or “Águas Rasas.”
Want to know if you also have thalassophobia? Take a quick test and find out.
Triggers of Thalassophobia
Those who suffer from thalassophobia experience excessive terror just by looking at pictures of the sea. Let’s do a test shall we? Below, we break down some images for you to observe and analyze your feelings.
If you’re feeling scared, stay tuned! After all, these stimuli turn the life of anyone suffering from a phobia into a real torture just thinking about the dangers that can be caused in the water, especially in the open sea.
Check out the images below:
1. Bottom of the sea

2. Infinity edge pools

3. Lakes

4. Sharks

5. Boats and ships

6. Swim or surf

Thalassophobia: causes, symptoms and treatments
The problem of this syndrome can be triggered by genetic factors. Thus, genes from deep-water-fearing ancestors may have been passed down through generations.
Other factors may include traumatic experiences or even the way you were raised. The environment plays a key role in children’s minds, and when they don’t picture a certain event as positive, it can cause fear in adulthood.
This type of syndrome is treatable and you can see a specialist in the treatment of emotional problems, such as a psychologist or psychiatrist, to talk about the excessive stress you feel when thinking about thick ocean waters or when facing beaches and environments of this kind.
So, in short, you will be able to better understand your emotions and stop feeling extreme fear in well-being situations that are usually expressed by other people.