hobia is treatable with timely consultation and following the guidelines of a medical professional.
Let’s discuss the various methods available for the treatment of thalassophobia:
Exposure therapy is extremely popular among therapists for treating most kinds of phobias. This mostly involves exposing the patient with a fear of the ocean to his or her feared stimuli under medical guidance. This treatment program aims to allow an individual to encounter their fear at maximum intensity and learn to cope with it.
In the initial exposure therapy session for thalassophobia, the counsellor exposes the patient to photographs of the ocean. The next step involves showing the person videos of the deep sea, followed by real-life ocean views. At each step of this therapy, the doctor monitors the patient’s behaviour and his or her responses to the feared object.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), an effective type of psychotherapy, involves the patient understanding their own behavioural pattern towards the ocean. Individuals get the chance to learn their behaviour and change their thought processes and feelings towards what they are afraid of.
Many healthcare professionals or therapists use CBT more than any other therapy as it involves less discomfort and distress. Moreover, this treatment method is often performed as a complementary program along with other therapies.
In severe cases, thalassophobia is also treated with medications. Whenever a healthcare professional notices alarming symptoms of this phobia, he or she may prescribe a few medicines. These mostly include the following:
Sedatives: Sedatives or benzodiazepines are often prescribed by a doctor that helps to relax from the distress. However, as these drugs are highly addictive in nature, they are not recommended for long-term treatment.
Beta Blockers: This type of medicine is prescribed by doctors to comfort the patient from anxiety and other physical discomforts faced when coming in exposure to the ocean.
In addition to this, there are some natural ways of treating the side effects of thalassophobia. This primarily includes practising any hobby, meditation, yoga, regular exercises, and joining any community or support groups. Moreover, the inception of some newer treatment approaches, like virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET), allows people to gain better control over their emotions and actions.