Submechanophobia, the irrational fear of submerged man-made objects.

This word is born from the combination of 3 terms: "Sub", "mechano" and "phobia".

irrational fears are composed of 2 terms and also they are usually very direct with their meaning, for example emetophobia literally is the combination of the words "vomit" and "fear"... But submechanophobia is different and we must interpret it to have coherence 🧐

"Sub" can be interpreted as the abbreviation of "submerged", a word of Latin origin that can be defined in this case as "underwater" 🏊

"Mechano" (a term of Greek origin), which means machine 🤖, but in this case is used as a basis to refer to all artificial objects, in other words, that which is created by human beings.

"Phobia" refers to an irrational fear and its origin is found in the Greek term "phóbos".

Combining the 3 explanations we can understand that the term "submechanophobia" can be understood as the irrational fear towards artificial objects submerged in water 🌊... It should be noted that it is not necessary that the whole body of the object in question is submerged; it is enough to have a part of it in the water.

For example, a boat with half of its body submerged can trigger this irrational fear without any problem.

How common is submechanophobia and how many people suffer from it?

This irrational fear is very rare compared to other phobias and it is even estimated that it may affect less than 1% of the world's population 🌎... That is 1 in 200 people in the world suffer from this anxiety disorder.

It is really a small part of the population but it still represents about 40 to 80 million people, a gigantic amount if you think that it competes with the population of many countries like Thailand 😕

Submechanophobia from a psychological perspective.

Like any other phobia, it is considered an anxiety disorder that should be treated by a psychologist as soon as possible 🤕... Many people often underestimate the danger or complexity of mental illnesses; they are gigantic problems that can destroy lives if ignored.

Did you know that suffering from an irrational fear makes you more vulnerable to other mental disorders? This happens with most psychological illnesses and this is why they become so dangerous 🫤, they may not cause you physical pain but they are capable of discouraging you to the point of not seeing the meaning of life... Don't let these illnesses take over your existence and see a psychologist if you need one 🫵

Submechanophobia in the DSM-5.

In the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders edition 5 (DSM-5) it is considered as a specific phobia of the "environmental" type 🌱... This means a great help when diagnosing and treating this irrational fear since this classification provides a lot of information.

Being a specific phobia symbolizes that it does not generate as much damage as other types of irrational fears and in turn is easier to cure 😮... This is great news for people suffering from this anxiety disorder! As it symbolizes high chances of ending their illness by getting the right helps 😌

Who is affected by submechanophobia?

A characteristic of specific phobias is that most of the people who suffer from it are children and in most cases this irrational fear diminishes as we grow up... But it should be noted that this is not a limiter 🙅, anyone can suffer from this anxiety disorder regardless of age or gender.

In short, everyone can be affected but it is usually children who suffer from this phobia 😶

It is very common for a person to suffer from several irrational fears at the same time and they are usually closely related... For this reason let me present you a short list of some phobias that often accompany submechanophobia ✍️:

Thalasophobia: The fear of deep water 🌊

Ichthyophobia: The fear of fish 🐟

Aquaphobia: Fear of water 💧

When a person suffers from an irrational fear little by little begins to fear everything that can be related to his anxiety disorder, for this reason all the phobias in the list are related to water... Imagine that you are afraid of snakes and then your fear expands to fear all reptiles; it is as if your phobia evolved and expanded 😖

Phobias are generated based on 6 frequent factors and this irrational fear is no exception... Let me introduce you to the 5 most common causes and several examples of this phobia 😉:

Trauma 🤕: The most common way to create an irrational fear... In the case of submechanophobia there can be many statements; from a bad experience diving to having hurt yourself with some object while you were in a pool.

The reality is that it does not take such exaggerated events to create this phobia, in most cases it is not the event but the way the person interprets it 👀

Bad upbringing 🧒: Our parents' education is fundamental for the creation of our personality and self-esteem; if it was given in a bad way, not only can it cause low self-esteem, but it can also make us more susceptible to phobias.

Imagine the case of parents who instilled in their child an extreme panic to all objects that may be in the water, due to a tragic experience with one of these 😞... Your intentions may be positive but you generated in your child an irrational fear that affects his life in multiple ways.

Fear of being judged 🤐: This may be the least likely cause among the 5 but still there may be cases... Just imagine that thanks to a thing you found at the beach or pool you became the center of ridicule for a brief moment and you have focused all the negative feelings to the artificial objects submerged in the water before your own mistake or people's criticism 😶

Genetics 🧬: Believe it or not, many people are more susceptible to addictions and mental disorders solely because of their genes... This is the most difficult cause to identify, but if you have family members who suffer from phobias or other psychological problems, you may have inherited a high susceptibility to these ailments 😷

And thus create this irrational fear despite not having a specific reason other than your biology.

Prolonged stress 😩: Depression, anxiety and other mental disorders weaken your mind and make you more vulnerable to phobias... You may have simply created this irrational fear because you were psychologically weak at the worst of times.

Phobias affect people's lives in different ways... They not only generate psychological damage but also physical damage and even affect your behavior.

For this reason we subdivide the symptoms into 3 divisions, that way you will understand how the irrational fear of submerged artificial objects can alter your existence 😖

Behavioral symptoms of submechanophobia.

• Aversion to swimming pools, beaches, lakes, and other places with lots of water and human interaction 🏊
• Aversion to any type of multimedia content where submerged artificial objects are visible.
• Repulsion to comment or talk about topics related to this irrational fear 💬

It should be noted that this irrational fear is one of the few that does not really affect the daily behavior of the person, because it is very difficult to find a situation that triggers their fear 🤷, simply avoiding places like beaches or swimming pools is enough to avoid thinking so much about this phobia.

Physical symptoms of submechanophobia.

• Palpitations 💓
• Sweating.
• Dry mouth 👄
• Dizziness or nausea.
• Abnormal breathing 😤
• Trembling.
• Chills 🥶
• Chest pain.
• Headache 🤕
• Discomfort.

Let's remember that a phobia, regardless of the origin of the fear, is an anxiety disorder that will always generate negative effects in people's lives and in the case of irrational fears, they almost always share the same physical and mental symptoms.

Although the danger will always change depending on the case and the level of anxiety that generates a phobia... For example, if you have trouble breathing underwater, it can be catastrophic and even cause you to drown 😤

Mental symptoms of submechanophobia.

• Anxiety 😩
• Depression.
• Low self-esteem 😢
• Increased susceptibility to mental disorders.
• Stress 😠

They are few effects but each one has a gigantic weight in people's lives... A mental disorder such as depression, anxiety or a phobia is able to weaken you psychologically and make you more susceptible to other diseases of this style 🤕

Do not be fooled because they are "internal" problems, they diminish your quality of life and can even make you want to take it away... They are not nonsense or simple exaggerations, take care of yourself and always try to have a good mental stability 😌

Triggers of submechanophobia.

• Seeing objects submerged in water, whether you observe it digitally or physically 👀
• Swimming in pools, lakes, beaches, etc.
• Talking about this irrational fear 🤐

You probably noticed that the triggers are the opposite of the behavioral symptoms... You are absolutely right since they are all actions or events that can cause your phobia to be activated and the most logical thing is that people with this irrational fear are careful to avoid them.

The submechanophobia in spite of everything does not seem to be as enslaving as other phobias, for example the irrational fear of socializing literally prevents you from communicating normally and represents a great damage in people's lives 💔... But even so do not underestimate the phobias that may seem insignificant, remember that they can evolve and create even bigger problems in your being.

Complications of submechanophobia.

• Depression 😭
• Low self-esteem.
• Anxiety 😣
• Stress.
• Even the simple fact of talking about this irrational fear 💭

A complication is any action or event that may hinder the treatment or diagnosis of a disease... With this definition we understand that really all physical, mental and behavioral symptoms can become complications.

For example, not being able to see or talk about the submerged artificial objects is a big problem, since it will generate stress and anxiety to the patient... Impeding the cure or diagnosis of his mental disorder 🙅

Simply go to a psychologist, it is the safest, most efficient and fastest option to fight with this and all irrational fears 😶... You probably won't like my answer since it may mean an expense in your wallet but let's be logical, if you were suffering from a big disease that causes you a lot of pain you would go to the doctor even if it could be expensive.

Why would you do it? Simple, we always prioritize our health and it is the right thing to do, why not do it with your phobia? It is a dangerous disease that can cause you a lot of harm in the future... Let's stop seeing phobias as small problems, they are anxiety disorders and should be treated by a professional 🫵

Now that you know the best way to combat this evil, you are probably wondering "How will it be to go to a psychologist and say that I have a phobia?"... The reality is that it is a fairly simple process for the patient 😅, you will only have to talk sincerely with the psychologist and he will do the rest.

The process of being treated to cure a phobia usually consists of 2 parts: The evaluation to define if you have one or several mental disorders and then apply the therapy that the psychologist considers more efficient for you ⚡

So then... How does this assessment work and what are the therapies for this irrational fear? Don't worry; I will answer all your questions 🤓:

Evaluation or diagnosis of submechanophobia.

This process consists of a brief talk with the psychologist where he/she asks several questions about your irrational fear... From the patient's perspective it is a simple procedure since he/she only has to answer honestly.

The psychologist's case is more complex since he/she must not only identify your phobia but also recognize all the possible mental disorders you may have (an important step since irrational fears usually generate more problems besides them) 🫠... But what criterion does the professional use to conclude whether you have a phobia or not? Let me introduce them to you:

The intensity of the fear 😨: It is one thing if the submerged artificial objects make you uncomfortable and quite another if they generate anxiety and incapacity for the simple fact of seeing them or thinking about them... The key to this guideline is to recognize the irrationality of the fear with respect to the situation where it is presented ☝️

For example, you may be frightened if you are suddenly diving and you see a large artificial object start to fall on you, but it is quite another to generate extreme panic at the sight of a submerged rubber 🥴

Anticipatory anxiety 😫: It is based on generating panic, stress or anxiety without even being in a situation where it justifies it... Imagine that you suddenly started to imagine yourself diving with many artificial objects around you and thanks to this you generated anxiety, when you do not even plan to swim or do any related activity 😵

Look at it as worrying about a future that hasn't happened yet, thinking about all the bad things that can happen to you when nothing has really happened to justify those thoughts.

Avoidance 🏃: The easiest criterion to identify, it is based on detecting if the person avoids at all costs any action or event that may trigger their fear... In the case of this irrational fear it could be not going to a beach, swimming pool or simply avoiding the subject at all costs.

Daily activities 🙃: It boils down to how the irrational fear affects your life in general... This phobia is characterized by not being so invasive unless you live near a beach, lake or your activities involve diving or swimming 🤷

It is actually very easy to avoid submechanophobia; its greatest danger lies in the fact that it can make you more susceptible to other irrational fears that may have more relevance in your life... Besides being able to generate depression and other mental disorders 🤒

It should be noted that this phobia is usually considered as a specific type, representing higher success rates to cure this evil.

Cognitive behavioral therapy for submechanophobia.

It is based on several talks that help you to change your way of thinking and current regarding this irrational fear, in order to become more rational with your fear 😌... Asking you questions and reflections that make you question your behaviors and thoughts.

Exposure therapy for submechanophobia.

The aim is to slightly expose the patient to their irrational fear, with the purpose of getting them used to it so that they can eliminate their fear with time... For example, you could start talking about submerged artificial objects until the patient gets used to them, then show them pictures and so on until their phobia is eradicated 🙆

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy for submechanophobia.

A curious fact about the human brain is that it has the ability to become more rational if we have our eyes moving 👀, a fact that does not seem real but has many studies that support it to the point of being a practice widely used in cases of post-traumatic stress.

This is the basis of these treatments, the process is identical to cognitive behavioral therapy with the big difference that the psychologist is in charge that you are always watching a moving object (a pendulum for example)... greatly improving success rates 🌟

Hypnotherapy for submechanophobia.

It is identical again to cognitive behavioral therapy but adding more techniques that help to influence the patient more effectively, trying to get him/her into a state of high relaxation and concentration that will help him/her to overcome his/her fears... From "close your eyes and imagine" to "follow this pendulum with your gaze while you listen to me".

Hypnotherapy, contrary to popular belief, is very safe and you are aware at all times of the treatment (no one will tell you "chicken" and suddenly you will act like one 🐔)... Do not be afraid of it, if it were dangerous as many believe, I assure you it would be illegal.

Virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET) for submechanophobia.

Exactly the same concept of exposure therapy with the addition of using virtual reality glasses to expose more easily and safely the patient with his fear 😎... This practice is often used with difficult to replicate phobias such as fear of heights.

In the case of this irrational fear, this type of treatment can be of great help since taking someone who can generate respiratory problems when diving is not the smartest idea... But if a virtual environment is created, they can face their fear without the danger of getting hurt or drowning 👍

Even a diving-themed video game could be played to confront this phobia, but of course, only when the patient has demonstrated a breakthrough in his rationality with respect to his fear.

Medications for submechanophobia.

Being a specific type of phobia, no medication is usually recommended for it for 2 simple reasons... Firstly, this irrational fear can weaken you psychologically and make you susceptible to addictions (that is why you only take drugs with a medical prescription 😶); secondly and lastly, it is not usually necessary to go to these extremes since the therapies themselves have a high probability of success without the use of drugs 🙅

Although you might be curious about what medications you might be prescribed if necessary... Usually the prescriptions are composed of beta blockers, anxiolytics and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI).

But I want to emphasize again 🙂, they can only be taken with a doctor's prescription and surely you don't need them to overcome this phobia... You just need a proper help that you can get by visiting a psychologist.

Relaxation techniques for submechanophobia.

As its name suggests, it is based on a series of tools to help us reduce the stress that can generate this irrational fear 🧘... From learning to breathe deeply to meditating or doing some exercise.

The best thing about these techniques is that they do not need a psychologist to learn them (although it is advisable to have the help of one) and they are useful for the rest of our problems... What if you investigate this world and learn some of these tools? Applying them correctly we can have a perfect arsenal against the stress of everyday life 🌟

Prognoses for submechanophobia.

There are actually very relevant studies about the possibilities of overcoming this irrational fear but specific phobias in general have a 70% to 90% chance of being cured with the help of a professional 😮

That is to say, 70% to 90% of people who go to a psychologist to overcome a specific phobia such as submechanophobia achieve their goal... This is great news if you have this irrational fear! You can fight with your anxiety disorder and with the right support you will surely succeed 😌

Going to a psychologist may be an expensive option but if you have a mental disorder I assure you that there is no better investment than your emotional stability, strive in your being and you will see a great improvement in your quality of life 💖

For those of you who want to get answers to your questions in less than 5 minutes 🤓: