Submechanophobia

Submechanaophobia
Submechanaophobia
Specialty	Psychology

Submechanophobia (from Latin sub 'under'; and from Ancient Greek μηχανή (mechané) 'machine' and φόβος (phóbos) 'fear') is a fear of submerged human-made objects, either partially or entirely underwater.[1][2] These objects could be shipwrecks, statues, animatronics as seen in theme parks, or old buildings, but also more mundane items such as buoys and miscellaneous debris.

Causes

While a fear of water (aquaphobia) or a fear of sharks (galeophobia) are irrational fears (hence, "phobia") that can be linked to understandable reasons, submechanophobia can be triggered by harmless objects which cannot reasonably cause harm to the sufferer.[3] Many submechanophobics do not attribute the development of their phobia to any specific experience or traumatic memory—in fact, most claim that their symptoms arose after a lifetime of contact with their triggers. There are several proposed causes of submechanophobia, though none are proven. Submechanophobia could be caused by a fear of the unknown, and the common terror of not knowing what lies beneath the waterline. Objects could be visually distorted by water and its movement, which could make them seem alive, and thus, possibly harmful. However, submechanophobia, by definition, only concerns artificial, human-made creations—not living creatures. A suggested explanation is that the human mind instinctively detects a foreign object in an otherwise natural environment, and this triggers a fight-or-flight response, as humans respond negatively to that which is outside of the norm.[4]

Criteria

To qualify for a diagnosis of a specific phobia such as submechanophobia, subjects must display several symptoms and fulfill a list of requirements.[3][5][6]

Unreasonable and excessive fear
Immediate anxiety response
Avoidance/extreme distress
Life-limiting
6+ month duration of fear
Not attributable to another disorder

Symptoms

Many individuals afflicted with submechanophobia exhibit some symptoms in common.[6][7]

Severe anxiety associated with the thought of submerged human-made objects
Muscle tension, body aches
Breathlessness, sensations of choking
Increased blood pressure
Sweating, nausea
Dizziness, feeling faint
Inability to concentrate
Avoidance of locations where contact is likely to be made with triggers

Treatment

Treatment of a fear of artificial submerged objects generally involves identifying and eliminating the underlying fears. A patient can undergo therapy should they believe that their condition is out of control, and interfering with their everyday life. Treatment plans may include cognitive behavioral therapy, virtual reality therapy, exposure therapy, or a combination of these. A sufferer's needs will be unique to themselves, as well as to the nature of their affliction.[6][8]

References

Roane, Henry S.; Ringdahl, Joel E.; Falcomata, Terry S., eds. (2015). Clinical and Organizational Applications of Applied Behavior Analysis. Academic Press. p. 461. ISBN 978-0-12-420249-8.
Linder, Courtney (November 29, 2019). "The 25 Coolest Shipwrecks In the World". Popular Mechanics. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
"Submechanophobia - Do You Have It?". The Shipyard. May 6, 2020. Retrieved July 3, 2021.
Phelps, Madeline (November 17, 2020). "The extremely specific fear you've never heard of". The Eagle Times. Retrieved July 3, 2021.
"Do You Have Submechanophobia?". E-Counseling.com. August 30, 2020. Retrieved July 3, 2021.
Fleming, Kevin. "Specific Phobia DSM-5 300.29 (ICD-10-CM Multiple Codes) - Therapedia". Theravive. Retrieved July 3, 2021.
"Submechanophobia (A Complete Guide)". Optimist Minds. March 27, 2020. Retrieved July 3, 2021.
"Specific phobias - Diagnosis and treatment". Mayo Clinic. Retrieved July 3, 2021.