Thalassophobia but only in games?

[SpookyCitrus]

So, I don't know why, but I'm pretty sure I only have Thalassophobia while playing video games. I don't know if I'm the only one out there, but I have absolutely ZERO issue or fear of open or deep water in real life. I go boating, snorkeling, swimming, fishing, cliff jumping. I have even swam with sharks. But ♥♥♥♥ me. The amount of gut wrenching anxiety I get while playing this game, or really any game where I have to swim in open water, even ponds or flooded caves or buildings, it's almost unbearable. The only game I have never had a problem with open water was GTA. Probably since I've been playing them since I was a small child. But this game and BZ, Stranded Deep, The Forest/SOTF, even games like Horizon Forbidden West or The Last of US. Literally any game that has a water/swimming level freaks me the ♥♥♥♥ out. It doesn't even have to be horror or survival games. I think my brain just connects water in games with jump scares and not knowing whats under the surface, but in real life my brain knows there isn't much danger of that. I don't know what it is. I just find it strange. I love this game, regardless of only being able to play it for about an hour at time for fear of having a panic attack.

[deepdive0777]

Well that is hard to figure. If the real thing doesn't scare you i fail to understand why a game would. You seem a little over sensitive to the game in of itself. Not ripping on you i just never heard of what you described before.

[Coops]

Boating, snorkeling, swimming, fishing, cliff jumping are all on the surface. The dark unknown and crushing depths is a different ballgame.

[SpookyCitrus]

Originally posted by Coops:

Boating, snorkeling, swimming, fishing, cliff jumping are all on the surface. The dark unknown and crushing depths is a different ballgame.

I'm a certified diver too, so... honestly beyond me.

[SpookyCitrus]

Originally posted by deepdive0777:

Well that is hard to figure. If the real thing doesn't scare you i fail to understand why a game would. You seem a little over sensitive to the game in of itself. Not ripping on you i just never heard of what you described before.

I don't get it either, I've played through this game and BZ multiple times, the only thing I can really think of is it's my brain giving me anxiety waiting to get jump scared or something, years of survival horror games or games in general that use swimming or underwater levels to scare the player. Only thing I can think of. For some reason in games it freaks me out. If I'm on a boat or raft I'm fine, the second the character is underwater or swimming in open water, I get real anxious. Even in games where that isn't going to happen.

[HEINRICH]

Originally posted by SpookyCitrus:

So, I don't know why, but I'm pretty sure I only have Thalassophobia while playing video games. I don't know if I'm the only one out there, but I have absolutely ZERO issue or fear of open or deep water in real life. I go boating, snorkeling, swimming, fishing, cliff jumping. I have even swam with sharks. But ♥♥♥♥ me. The amount of gut wrenching anxiety I get while playing this game, or really any game where I have to swim in open water, even ponds or flooded caves or buildings, it's almost unbearable. The only game I have never had a problem with open water was GTA. Probably since I've been playing them since I was a small child. But this game and BZ, Stranded Deep, The Forest/SOTF, even games like Horizon Forbidden West or The Last of US. Literally any game that has a water/swimming level freaks me the ♥♥♥♥ out. It doesn't even have to be horror or survival games. I think my brain just connects water in games with jump scares and not knowing whats under the surface, but in real life my brain knows there isn't much danger of that. I don't know what it is. I just find it strange. I love this game, regardless of only being able to play it for about an hour at time for fear of having a panic attack.

This was the reason, why i didn't touch this game since early access in 2016 or 2017 i think. But i overcame my fear, even though i would still be scared irl. Just live with the fact that the worst thing that could happen, is that you loose a few of youre items.

[penner3]

Something to bring up with your therapist, if you can afford one.

[Shiggles]

Late to the party here, but you have literally just described me. Like so much that I did a double take and thought "did I write this and don't remember it?". I love swimming, snorkeling, not afraid of being on boats, I am also scuba certified ... but I am TERRIFIED of swimming in games. It's been that way for as long as I can remember, and I honestly refuse to play Subnautica because of it. No Man's Sky just introduced deep water worlds, which is why I started googling about "fear of water in game", because everyone I know things I'm insane for how scared I get. But like - it's PANIC inducing. Like full on flight mode activated.

> I think my brain just connects water in games with jump scares and not knowing whats under the surface, but in real life my brain knows there isn't much danger of that.

I think you nailed it on the head here. When I'm diving I'm usually in places where I know there's a bottom, I know roughly what I will be encountering (although I hate eels), and in game all bets are off and often things will be put there to startle you. But yeah, just know you're not alone. Even if it's just the two of us, you're not alone, lol

[indigo]

I recommend licensed, practicing therapists, not an internet forum, for help with something that really is in your heads. Practice clinical detachment - see this article: https://www.nurse.com/blog/healthy-detachment-tips-for-rising-above-the-healthcare-noise-2/?srsltid=AfmBOorVgi-UbwnKr4wDF4KaLMOBqgeCD6nLtKZoXCaDmOnmqZYW1maQ

[SpookyCitrus]

Originally posted by indigo:

I recommend licensed, practicing therapists, not an internet forum, for help with something that really is in your heads. Practice clinical detachment - see this article: https://www.nurse.com/blog/healthy-detachment-tips-for-rising-above-the-healthcare-noise-2/?srsltid=AfmBOorVgi-UbwnKr4wDF4KaLMOBqgeCD6nLtKZoXCaDmOnmqZYW1maQ

Great recommendation! If I were looking for help with it, I'll definitely go down that path, for now my curiosity if anyone else has experienced it has been quenched.

[rcf5089]

This is my experience as well... I have gone swimming with sharks in the ocean IRL and no problems yet when I got in this game something triggered me. I think it was more a fear of the unknown then of the ocean. I knew what I was getting into with the sharks but had no idea what was out there the first time I looked down in the game. I have played through many times and am not scared anymore but something about being alone on an alien world for the first time...

[McPhil]

In real life, there should be nothing there to attack you and even swimming with sharks is safe. In Subnautica, Things WILL eat you.

[Coops]

Originally posted by McPhil:

In real life, there should be nothing there to attack you and even swimming with sharks is safe. In Subnautica, Things WILL eat you.

Two days ago
https://www.theinertia.com/news/tourist-has-both-hands-amputated-while-taking-photo-with-shark-in-turks-and-caicos/

[Vi Olence]

I just came across your post after finding out what this fear was called. I also have 0 fear of the real thing. But I don’t understand what was happening to me when I tried to go underwater in ark for the first time and then also had the same issue with subnautica. It’s really weird. Also the drowning sounds on ark give me 30099900098% anxiety. Glad to know I’m not alone lmao.

[-BLOOD-OCEAN-]

youve never died in reality but youve died in video games so have that fear while playing games. basically youve become disconnected from reality. you shouldnt feel any anxiety in a video game about submarines and alien fish while feeling nothing swimming with actual sharks in real life.. id take a break from the screens for a while man...

[TOG | Fulgrim]

Also late to this party, but find it fascinating... spitballing here, could it be because in the real world you have full control of your faculties and are in tune with your surroundings, whereas in the game you are limited to what the game allows you and the very unfamiliarity of what's presented and it clashes with your senses? In that it is familiar in concept, but so very alien at the same time? And as such, causes your mind to be unable to reconcile with itself and what you are seeing and hearing, perhaps? Just a thought.