Submechanophobia (A complete guide)

This article will give a brief idea about Submechanophobia. Then it will focus on the causes and symptoms of Submechanophobia.

Then it will highlight the treatment of Submechanophobia, both psychotherapies, and medications.

What is SUBMECHANOPHOBIA?

Submechanophobia refers to the irrational fear of submerged man-made objects.

The things that sink into the ocean like submarines, sunken ships and anything man-made under the water scares the people suffering from it.

Though this type of phobia has not gone through much researches so far it still is considered one of the phobias.

Fear of Submarines 

The fear of submarines, or of anything man-made submerged under water, is known as Submechanophobia. People who have a fear of submarines may also report a fear of other man-made things underwater, like buoys, sunken ships, anything else that may have sunk into the ocean.

Phobias are a type of anxiety disorder that can disturb a person’s life miserably.

It includes panic like condition in which people suffering from this disorder experience a high amount of anxiety or panic-like condition from the mere thought of submerged man-made objects.

People suffering from Submechanophobia make conscious efforts in order to stay away from places where they might get the feeling of submerged man-made objects, like the near seaside.

These people are afraid to go near or under water at any cost, they even are scared of beaches. 

CAUSES OF SUBMECHANOPHOBIA:

There is no particular cause that has been found so far for Submechanophobia, but environmental factors and genetic factors are responsible for it as it is for almost all other phobias. 

If a person’s family history has had some anxiety or phobic disorder or as a matter of fact any mental disorder, it is more likely for the individual to develop Submechanophobia.

Environmental factors might include childhood experiences and trauma where the child either had some horrible incidents of sharp metallic man-made things underwater or had witnessed a horrible accident.

Sometimes these phobias don’t develop because of the horrific incidents happened to them but because of the influences of movies and stories that take a toll on a person’s mind. 

There are chances that the person suffering from Submechanophobia also suffers from GAD, OCD or Depression.

Or that person might develop any of these disorders as a comorbid disorder.

SYMPTOMS OF SUBMECHANOPHOBIA:

The symptoms depend on the severity of the phobia and the most common symptom would be panic attacks. 

Some of the common symptoms are:

• Severe anxiety with a mere thought of submerged man-made objects 
• Muscle tension, body aches
• Breathlessness, choking sensations
• High blood pressure
• Sweating, nausea, fainting
• Dizziness, restlessness, nervousness
• Lack of concentration
• Avoidance of seaside where chances are higher of finding submerged man-made objects

There are chances that a person suffering from Submechanophobia makes a conscious choice of where to go and where not to go and they even choose their living spaces very consciously.

These individuals have high chances of developing OCD as well.

TREATMENT FOR SUBMECHANOPHOBIA:

There is no particular treatment that has been found for this phobia but a mixture of treatments that have been found helpful for the people suffering from phobia and anxiety can be helpful for Submechanophobia as well.

Psychotherapies:

• Talk Therapy:

Talk therapy seems very simple and easy but it’s quite opposite. A person is about to talk about his weaknesses, it’s not easy at all.

But it sure does wonders to the client as once he lets out all the emotions, it becomes easy for him to focus on the bright side of life.

• Exposure Therapy:

Although exposure therapy is one of the best therapy for anxiety and phobias it’s a bit tricky in this case.

In this case, the therapist might start with the imagination of places like the seaside, river water and then the man-made submerged things, then the therapist may try to make the person experience such places in person till his anxiety provokes.

This way the individual slowly desensitizes with the fear.

• Relaxation Therapy:

Relaxation Therapy, on the other hand, can be very helpful with these patients as it helps in calming down the racing of thoughts.

JPMR helps a person in focusing on his breathing and his one muscle at a time, which helps the client in letting go of the negative thoughts of submerged man-made objects and the focus stays on himself only.

This helps in the long run with acceptance.

• Mindfulness:

Mindfulness might be a good choice for the patients with the fear of submerged man-made objects, as the main purpose of mindfulness is to accept everything and being in the present.

It makes sure that a person’s senses are widened and opened. This will again help the client with acceptance.

• CBT:

CBT is one of the best Therapy which focuses and challenges the negative automatic thoughts and it has proven to be helpful with all kinds of anxiety and phobias and it can be helpful with Submechanophobia as well. 

Medications:

• Antidepressants:

These medicines are not only used for the patients suffering from depression or have a comorbidity of depression, but it also helps with the patients suffering from anxiety and phobias as well.

• Anti-anxiety medicines:

These medicines help the client in controlling the symptoms of anxiety but it cannot cure the phobia.

To get a cure from phobia one has to mix the treatment of medications with psychotherapy. Although one must not take any medication without consulting with the Doctor.

CONCLUSION:

This blog has briefly been described Submechanophobia. Then it has focused on the causes and symptoms of Submechanophobia.

Then it has highlighted the treatment of Submechanophobia, both psychotherapies, and medications.

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CITATIONS:

e-counseling.com