Sunday, June 19, 2016

[Meta] Are you sure you have Thalassophobia? Apparently I don't. Here's a list of water-based phobias.


It occurred to me recently that I don't have thalassophobia, but rather a series of other phobias. I'll put out some definitions and I'll put in bold the ones I'll be discussing after:Thalassophobia: Fear of the sea.Megalohydrothalassophobia: Fear of large things in water.Submechanophobia: Fear of man-made objects submerged in water.Hydroskourophobia: Fear of deep/dark water.Galeophobia or Selachophobia: Fear of sharks.Ichthyophobia: Fear of fish.Ostraconophobia: Fear of shellfish.Kymophobia or Cymophobia: Fear of waves.Limnophobia: Fear of lakes.Bathophobia: Fear of depths or deep things.Megalophobia: Fear of large things.Mycrophobia: Fear of small things.Myctophobia / Nyctophobia / Scotophobia / Achluophobia / Lygophobia: Fear of the dark or darkness.Like many of you, I'm not sure I have thalassophobia as I'm fine going in the ocean especially if it's clear water or I'm by the shore. I have some reservations though, as many other phobias that I do have happen to revolve around the ocean. I definitely have hydroskourophobia as I'm very afraid of the unknown in water leaving me to think, "What could be down there?" If I was in a dark lake or a murky pond I'd feel terrified. I've even felt greatly distressed by pools that I couldn't see the bottom of at night (thanks "Are You Afraid of The Dark"). This phobia is technically blanketed under my bathophobia, but it is far, far worse in water. So I'd say I have both, since one is worse to me than the other.Furthermore, I definitely have megalohydrothalassophobia. However, I noticed that my fear is not restricted to just large life and items in the water, but also to anything naturally occurring in water like seaweed touching me, or a crab, or a stalk of fish eggs, or a small shark, or really anything. Then I panic at the realization that it's down there. I'm unclear if there's a listed phobia of anything naturally aquatic (except the water itself), but I certainly have this phobia.So I don't think I have thalassophobia, but I certainly have megalohydrothalassophobia, hydroskourophobia, bathophobia, & myctophobia. As for my fear of aquatic life and byproducts of aquatic life (like eggs), I'm coining the terms for all to use: "Aquazoophobia" and "Hydrozoophobia."Note: Both "hydroskourophobia" and "megalohydrothalassophobia" are rarely used word that likely are not medically recognized phobias or even recognized words, yet.

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