Bathophobia (Fear of Depths): Symptoms, Treatments, & How to Cope

What Is Bathophobia?

Bathophobia is a phobia of physically deep spaces. A fear of depth becomes a phobia when the fear becomes about a specific type of depth and the person begins to alter plans to avoid any chance of encountering their specific fear trigger. Phobias are different from anxiety disorders because phobias are an intense worry about a specific trigger, whereas anxiety disorders are a global sense of anxiousness about a certain topic.

Bathophobia is often accompanied by acrophobia, or a fear of heights, because looking down from high places can cause the same physiological effects as bathophobia. Another phobia common in bathophobia is thalassophobia which is a fear of deep water. This fear produces the same physiological experiences as bathophobia but sets off the fear and sensation of drowning.

Triggers for bathophobia include:

• Deep water
• Cliffs
• Railings
• Bridges
• Long hallways
• Tunnels
• Caves
• Wells

The Brain Science Of Phobias

According to evolutionary biologists, fear is an essential element of survival. Having a sense of fear around large depths creates an appropriate level of caution for a person to navigate that depth safely. However, the appropriate amount of caution can begin to morph into a phobia when a person’s brain processes the depth in an abnormal way. The abnormal processing can occur for a few different reasons, including autonomic and neuroendocrine overactivation, abnormal brain-behavior relationships, dysfunctional neuronal circuitry and functional neuroanatomy, and overactive neurotransmitters, hormones, and other biochemical factors (Steimer, 2002).

Symptoms of Bathophobia

A person can experience symptoms of bathophobia when they are within the physical proximity of a depth, as well as when thinking about or looking at imagery of a depth. Whether physically close to, or thinking about a depth, a person will experience a sense of immediate danger, which directly decreases their impulse control. When triggered, a person will often have a loss of control over their behavior. This often results in panic and an urge to flee.

Symptoms of bathophobia include:

• Nausea
• Sweating
• Dizziness
• Elevated heart rate
• Rapid breathing
• Feelings of being trapped
• Extreme anxiety when near trigger
• Anxiety when thinking about trigger

Impacts of Bathophobia

Bathophobia can impact a person’s functionality because they may avoid or go out of their way not to be exposed to triggering settings. They may decline invitations for leisure activities such as hiking, swimming, diving, skiing, or traveling to unfamiliar places.

Bathophobia may result in ineffective behaviors such as driving a different route to avoid  a feared environment, which will add on more time and an increased expense of fuel usage. The quality of life for people with bathophobia may be diminished due to anticipating whether they will inadvertently find themselves in feared spaces.

What Causes A Fear of Depths?

There is no definitive answer to why people develop bathophobia, but it may result from an event that occurred in the past, such as falling from a height or being overwhelmed by a depth which resulted in a panic attack. Additionally, people predisposed to anxiety may be vulnerable to developing phobias.

How to Overcome A Fear of Depths

Overcoming a fear of depth is successful when people are internally motivated to change their mindset, rather than externally pressured to do so in order to please other people. Family and friends may make light of the person’s fear or put pressure on the person to join in on activities that feel overwhelming. They may do this because they want the person to be included in the fun, but it often backfires with the person feeling shame and embarrassment because they know the fear is irrational.

Practical tips overcoming bathophobia include:

• Diaphragmatic breathing: Diaphragmatic breathing is a form of breathwork that shifts a person’s breathing from in their chest to breathing in their diaphragm. By shifting their breath to their diaphragm, the person will calm their sympathetic nervous system, which results in being calm and relaxed.
• Mindfulness for anxiety: Mindfulness for anxiety is a grounding skill that anchors people to the present moment. Instead of focusing on “what could happen. . .” or “what if . . .” a person focuses on any of their five senses in order to ground themselves and focus on what is occurring in this moment.

Bathophobia Treatment

A little fear of depths is entirely normal, but when that fear begins to interfere with a person’s daily life, they may be struggling with bathophobia. A person can be crippled by a fear of depths for a majority of their life, but Bathphobia is actually very treatable. Treatment for bathophobia is similar to all other phobia treatments, which primarily involves exposure therapy. Depending on the levels of anxiety a person is dealing with, sometimes anxiety medications may be prescribed as well.

Exposure Therapy

The primary recommended treatment for bathophobia is exposure therapy. This therapy involves facing a person’s fear or trigger long and often enough for the brain to habituate to the situation, reducing the fear and anxiety it causes.

Exposures to the fear or trigger can be done gradually by breaking down the fear into small achievable steps, beginning with the least triggering fear and gradually increasing in intensity. For example, the person may begin by looking at an online image of a deep depth and eventually build up to facing the actual depth in real life, starting from lower levels of elevation and increasing the height slowly.

Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy

Virtual reality exposure therapy is another option in preparing people to enter their feared settings. People wear a headset that uses computer graphics, artificial intelligence sensors, and head/body trackers to produce a realistic effect of being immersed in their feared trigger, which can help decrease anxiety when faced with the trigger in real life.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) is a therapeutic treatment that helps people analyze and challenge their fears by practicing skills such as reframing, recognizing cognitive distortions and challenging assumptions. Therapists who specialize in CBT for anxiety can be found using an online therapist directory, or online therapy platforms.

Medications

Medications for anxiety can be taken to help lower a person’s anxiety when thinking or being near their trigger. A person can be prescribed an anti-anxiety medication that they take daily or be given a medication that is taken as needed when going to a challenging place. Medication support for anxiety and phobias can be found through online psychiatry options.

Final Thoughts

Our instincts keep us safe and caution around depths is entirely normal, but when the brain goes into overdrive, a fear can turn into a phobia, which distorts reality and severely impacts the ability to function. The good news is that bathophobia is very treatable and when challenged properly, a person struggling with a fear of depths can begin to enjoy all the adventures that bathophobia was preventing them from exploring.