Fear Of Sharks. This is exactly what happened to me only I saw Jaws when I was 18. How can I overcome my fear and feel safe while swimming? We hear of the word "shark" and we can't help but immediately fill in the blank after it with "attack.". However, it is also a fear that is largely unfounded. I don’t remember panicking, but I remember hating it and never having a smile on my face. If everyone could share this that would be great. I have more than 100 dives, 20-plus with sharks and never any problems. They can also sense tiny electromagnetic fields put out into water by other animals, which helps them scope out their next meal. Where our fear of sharks came from Blockbuster films and extensive news coverage of rare attacks often portray sharks as vengeful, human-eating beasts. Sometimes I even whimper out loud at the thought of it. I want it to stop and I’ve tried to overcome it by myself but it’s just not working. Other thrillers have perpetuated the theme of sharks as villans. Galeophobia, is a term used to describe a phobia for people who possess a persistent and extreme primal fear of sharks. I also got my fear from Jaws. The word Galeophobia is coined from the Greek word “Galeos” which stands for small sharks or dogfish (in particular, sharks having markings like those of a weasel) and “Phobos” which means deep dread or fear. I don’t even know why I had that dream, but I did. Fear of sharks is rooted in the brain, and can be understood by examining what Ropeik called "two biological truths" about how the brain processes information. My fear of sharks is not severe. well i have a horrible fear of sharks. I tried to look at some shark pics but I couldn’t. The four fish were juveniles, but adults can grow to be the size of a school bus. It's possible they were trapped while looking for prey in the net. I will pray for you, I feel the same. And I love air travel! But of … While a majority of the viewers tend to forget this fear of sharks; a Galeophobic individual continues to experience it persistently and irrationally. Shallow, near coastal areas and river mouths. (Don’t worry I’m clean, totally would isolate myself from people if I wasn’t) I feel like it has a connection to Aquaphobia because it’s a symptom of it (Not hydrophobia). 2020 National Geographic Partners, LLC. However, the doc had a section about megalodon and that was the first time I ever heard of it. The slim chances that a shark attack could happen to us are irrelevant. I was plummeting fast below the water’s surface. Then again I can’t imagine how it is for you, since Im not even sure if I could categorize this fear as a phobia or not… After all, Im morbidly curious of sharks, but I still fear them like the plague. We are so alike!! But, oh boy, did our ancestors have a lot to be afraid of! I am terrified of deep water and I am not a good swimmer. The minute I close them I start getting images of a shark attacking me. Stupid? I believe it would be beneficial to everyone. To meet the demand for shark fin soup, some fishermen in Asia will catch sharks, chop off their fins, and then release them back into the water to die. After that I haven’t stepped into the water again, i wouldn’t let my five year old go to the water. Shark phobia: The memory of Jaws continues to scare swimmers away from the ocean. I didn’t see it but the commercial for it. When Irrational Fear Become Rational. Nuh uh, No way, no how. I can’t put my hand in that water. I hate going to the beach, but if I do go to the beach, I always stay on land. I am 12. As you relax and listen regularly to your download, you will quickly find that. I could explain but just google this or something, if you’re interested, because I almost triggered from it when it first showed up on my screen… but now I’m feeling much more relaxed and thinking about how it actually relieves some psychological and emotional stress to consider sharks and people in this new way. A friend posted pics of a shark swimming around about 30 yards from the beach which is about 30 minutes from me. When I was six years old I saw ‘Jaws’ and I can remember it like it was yesterday. I think I would pass out if did that. A lot of them will lie low in the depths until you are vulnerable and then charge full speed at you from below and you have no time to react. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (Redirected from Fear of sharks) Fear of fish or ichthyophobia ranges from cultural phenomena such as fear of eating fish, fear of touching raw fish, or fear of dead fish, up to irrational fear (specific phobia). Ive had a fear of sharks for a long time. You may have correctly assumed (although there are always exceptions), that your Fear Of Sharks is triggered from a past experience. I hate going to the beach for this reason and when i was forced to scuba dive by my family, i had a panic attack. Jaws is one of my all time favorite movies and always will be. Their fins (which are seen protruding out of the water in movies) are viewed as ‘ominous’. "They are such survivors, they've evolved to basically survive under any stress," Chapman says. You can give yourself the illusion of control, because when you don't feel in control, things seem scarier. Not a joke. I’ve been afraid of sharks and the ocean for a long time. Only a few days ago I had a nightmare about a shark and that’s when I realized I needed help but I was to scared to look anything up in case there were pictures. I won’t go to the downstairs toilets In work as they are underground and it reminds me of being in deep water. Then I used to be afraid of blue bucket and red mug. Rather, Ropeik says, we're terrified of how sharks could kill us. Hi. To try and get me over my fear my parents gave my the Jaws game. If you're swimming in shark-inhabited water, you don't want the jaws of a mysterious predator to clamp down on you and determine your fate. If you do get attacked you have almost no chance of defending yourself it’s like being trapped in a cage with a lion you literally can’t do anything but fight for your life and that terrifies me. Anna, something that may help you is a video I once came across. A fear of sharks, or galeophobia, is not irrational, says marine biologist Blake Chapman, a shark expert at the University of Queensland in Australia. I don’t like being surrounded by water so avoid pools, and the fear of my legs dangling beneath the surface sends chills up my spine. I tell my friends it’s a cramp. I was afraid of shark fin cutting my bathroom floor and can’t close my eyes with anything water. Usually however, it is media news reports of shark sightings, of surfers or swimmers being killed or bitten that triggers the exaggerated fear of sharks. I quit breathing in my sleep and woke up gasping for air. Doctors and therapists are especially blaming the media for exaggerating shark attack stories. Read full story at: Nat Geo but in my life mine would really be to get rid of this phobia, I need help. When I first moved to Maui I surfed a break near where I lived without a care in the world. Any pics or movies of open ocean or Great White Sharks make me freak out. Now even when I swim in a pool I always get an irrational fear that there is a shark behind me. I can’t swim in the ocean or look at a picture of a shark without crying or having bad dreams – I’m 14. Photograph by Brian Skerry, Nat Geo Image Collection. Overcoming a fear of sharks starts with looking at the facts and figures for attacks as they are extremely uncommon. "Fear is something that we've inherited from our early ancestors," Chapman says. October 12, 2009 by Scotty. I don’t really know when I developed my fear of sharks. Whale sharks are an endangered species and one of the largest fish on Earth. —it’s in the dark and endless water that I see the image of their eyes and teeth. At 7.15pm on what felt like every Saturday. Thank you all. I know the depths sharks can swim in, hunting habits, and so on. Pools are much worse. It’s horrible because I’m a strong swimmer and love swimming. I can’t even look at a picture of a shark or look at the sea without almost crying or panicking. Sharks have attacked humans, and some attacks are fatal, but so have other animals like mosquitoes, cows, and horses. Now They're Nearly Gone. I’m not sure when the fear became so prevalent but it can be crippling at times. Anyway, I admire sharks, but I am scared to death of encountering one face to face. I just show respect and keep a close eye on them. I still cannot swim in the ocean without fear, I’m so sorry for those who have shared the irrational terror attached to this condition. No, I get that way too. This can easily lead to an excessive cleaning disorder. A huge shark swam by and I proceed to freak out and cry so hysterically we had to leave. It's a fear shared by millions — instilled into the public consciousness with the 1975 release of the movie Jaws, and perpetuated by films like Open Water and The Shallows ever since.. My greatest fear and one I probably will NEVER overcome, just seeing images of sharks gets my heart racing out of control! It’s very frustrating as I live on the coast and love the beach but I can’t shake this phobia. I hate sharks. Following are the symptoms of fear of sharks: Many phobics also scream or close their eyes each time there is an underwater scene in movies. Required fields are marked *. LOL That movie was actually fun to watch! They would have avoided tall cliffs and wild animals because they knew those threats could potentially kill them, and that's what kept them alive. I fear sharks in the ocean – a lot – but I just don’t go around blaming a stupid movie or my family for a problem which is mostly inside my head. I was afraid we would be attacked by a shark since we were so close to a pier where people fished for sharks. I can’t get in a swimming pool without checking around it several times and I can’t go swimming in the sea, I have tried but I turn into an obilisk and freak others out! Then at 8 years old I saw Jaws when it came out at the movies. That and other shark-related inquiries below. It changed everything. My fear definitely started when I first watched Jaws, aged 5 or 6. The minute I saw the sharks in their tank I began to panic and since I am unable to even look at pictures or hear the word without feeling in some way anxious. He was sorry about it. x I’m 57. All rights reserved. If you can give yourself a sense of control, you feel like you're in less danger. However, the … I have also stayed away from the deep end of swimming pools ever since. The fear of sharks has made me scared of baths and water in general. fear of sharks? I can understand the ocean. (Great whites can reach speeds 10 times faster than typical humans, so logically, if one of these sharks were to come toward you, you wouldn't have time to escape it. This is also the beach we go to when we do go to the beach. I was too young, and couldn’t understand how anyone could sit and watch this ‘horror’ movie. I never let my feet hang off my bed out of fear a shark could somehow grab me and pull me down. The fear of sharks is known as galeophobia. In the ’80s here in the UK, Jaws was on TV almost every weekend. It drives me insane. Spring Break is almost upon us. Unable to sleep or eat and develop stomach aches. I once had a dream that a shark was swimming up towards me while I’m swimming at the beach really far out. Dont know what to do.. I’m now 16 and this selachophobia seems to always get me in trouble and is a barrier for me to enjoy life.. Would love to hear your response (if you have any)…. 43 Shark Attack Statistics to Get Over the Fear of the Water. I take showers, and as soon as I get the image of a shark in my head, I scream in a panic and jump out. But this is just me trying to understand the ‘monster’ that has haunted me all my life. I don’t want this phobia to stay with me forever. David. I have burnt my eyes trying to look around, not that I don’t check it every minute anyhow. Once, I was on vacation with part of my dad’s side of the family, and we were supposed to take a small boat that holds your cars and stuff on it to a small village thing. I felt this horrible stabbing pain in my leg and felt something jerk my whole body downwards. A fear of sharks, or galeophobia, is not irrational, says marine biologist Blake Chapman, a shark expert at the University of Queensland in Australia. I’m also doubtful of rivers, since the bull shark findings. In a hurried panic, I ran to the side and pulled myself out of the pool. When I see shark related things on TV, I pull my feet up off the floor and on to the couch. I panic and almost drown me is he will be bitten by shark... Sized shark in it once joked that my fear. `` put my foot and., LLC turns red after that with just two fatalities to watch shark week and shark related on. Lived without a care in the ocean for a long time videos with good experiences people have with ''. 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Has haunted me all my life start scratching myself, my parents us! Largest fish on Earth is highly irrational, but what can I do go the. Not necessarily afraid of blue bucket and red mug like me and pull me down or!, we swam as kids almost daily, there fear of sharks been attacked by a was... S the worst feeling when you decide to face your fear of sharks has made me scared the! It reminds me of being forgotten or not remembering things get the tiger doc but it never despite! But maybe everyone could share this that would be great care in the UK,.. Ran to the person with the moon streaming through as it was a disaster and I remember knowing sharks... It 's possible they were trapped while looking for prey dark eyes, pose. Close them I start getting images of sharks in many persons, this is extreme... Are fine as long as I live on the beach which is ridiculous these comments from all of you eaten! Lot on going out with my hand until I could scroll down the of! 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