Bathophobia- Fear of depth
Bathophobia is a severe fear of depths. This can include things like deep wells, lakes, and pools, as well as long darkish hallways and other types of depths. As a general rule, in a scenario where the underside or finish of something cannot be seen due to its depth or darkness, a sufferer with bathophobia will experience varying degrees of distress and anxiety. A person who fears depths could have had a traumatic experience such as practically drowning in the sea or being frightened in a long dark hallway. In other cases, people develop phobias resulting from exposure to horrifying stories and news reports ( a type of empathetic trauma). A person with bathophobia can experience physical symptoms of hysteria and distress when confronted by depths, or even when depths are described by a third party or proven in an image. These symptoms can include sweating, an elevated heart rate, excessive blood pressure, trembling, and nausea. The client feels better when the source of the stress is removed, though the distress may linger longer after the exposure is ended. Depending on the strength of the fear, a person can experience symptoms simply eager about depths, whilst in other cases it is necessary to be physically confronted with an actual depth situation for the affected person to react.
