Dun dun. Dun dun. Dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun…. Can you hear the theme song from “Jaws” in your head? Even if you’ve never seen this Hollywood blockbuster, “Jaws” has probably made an impact on you. Many people can trace their fear of sharks directly back to this movie!

What is galeophobia? How common is it? And can you overcome it to become a fearless swimmer and surfer? Let’s find out!

What Is the Fear of Sharks Called?Where Does the Term “Galeophobia” Come From?Causes of GaleophobiaHow Common is the Fear of Sharks?Symptoms of GaleophobiaShould You Be Afraid of Sharks?How to Overcome Fear of SharksSimilar Phobias

What Is the Fear of Sharks Called?

Where Does the Term “Galeophobia” Come From?

Causes of Galeophobia

How Common is the Fear of Sharks?

Symptoms of Galeophobia

Should You Be Afraid of Sharks?

How to Overcome Fear of Sharks

Similar Phobias

Any time you see the suffix “-phobia,” you are reading or hearing about a fear. Phobia comes from the Ancient Greek word phóbos, which means “fear.” The Ancient Greek word galeós describes a specific type of shark that also resembles a weasel or a cat. Some people refer to the fear of cats as “galeophobia,” but for the purposes of this article, we will use galeophobia to refer to the fear of sharks.

A more general Ancient Greek term for sharks is sélakhos. The term selachophobia is also used to describe a fear of sharks.

Not many people will disagree with the idea that sharks are scary. I’m sure you are humming the theme song to “Jaws” in your head right now! Hollywood movies have “trained” us to fear sharks. The movies and messaging around sharks in the media alone can lead many people to develop a fear of sharks.

For the handful of people thathavebeen the victim of a shark attack, the trauma of said attack certainly could lead to a serious fear of sharks. But most people have never been, and will never be, the victim of a shark attack!

Does genetics have an impact on phobias? It could! A person is more likely to develop a phobia if a close family relative also has that phobia. Does this mean that phobias are passed down in our genes, or people are likely to be around the same content that preaches a dangerous message about sharks? We don’t exactly know the answer to that yet.

Whatever causes the fear of sharks has a strong grip on society, particularly American society. Over half of all Americans claim to be “absolutely terrified” of sharks. This doesn’t mean that they have galeophobia. But if you get nervous at the beach thinking about Great Whites, you are not alone!

Interestingly enough, even thoughhalf of Americans fear sharks, most still understand a shark’s place in the ecosystem. 82% of Americans surveyed agreed that Great Whites are vital to the ocean ecosystem. Just because they are scary does not mean they aren’t important, or that they should be hunted!

Having a phobia is more than just getting a little squirmy at the idea of going in the water or not liking movies where sharks eat people. A person with a phobia of sharks may experience symptoms looking at or thinking about sharks. Aquariums, beaches, or annualShark Weekprogramming might “trigger” this fear and cause the following symptoms:

Even if someone experiences these symptoms, they can live a productive, happy life. We don’t have to come into contact with sharks if we don’t want to! But if these symptoms describe your experience at the beach, museums, or anywhere that sharks may be present, it may be worth looking into your phobia and possible treatments.

Can You Be Diagnosed with Galeophobia?

The criteria are as follows:

(A provoked shark attack takes place after a person is bitten after initiating contact with the shark. The person may have tried to attack the shark themselves, unhook the shark from a net, etc.)

Over 100 shark bites a year can still be scary, but let’s put this into perspective.Cows kill around 20 peopleeach year. Dogs kill around 30. Deer cause over 200 fatal car accidents. Bees kill up to 100 people per year.

This isn’t to say that you should develop a debilitating fear of deer (Elafiphobia) or a fear of bees (apiphobia.) And people experience fears of much less dangerous items, like cotton balls (sidonglobophobia) or balloons (globophobia.) But when you look at the statistics and think about how much time you actually spend at the beach, sharks become a little less scary.

Reading information like this is a great first step to overcoming a fear of sharks. Take a moment and reflect on this statement: “sharks kill fewer people than cows every year.” Remember it the next time you go to the ocean or to an aquarium. If you find yourself starting to think about shark attacks in anticipation of a beach vacation, switch your mind to think about cow-tipping.

This sounds like a silly suggestion, but the sooner you start to shift your thinking and see galeophobia as a silly fear, the sooner your body will stop reacting when you think of sharks. Phobias, for the most part, are created in our minds. It’s up to our minds to overcome them.

There are plenty of other things you can do to overcome a fear of sharks on your own:

If the idea of these activities makes you anxious, you may want to seek out professional help for your fear of sharks. A therapist can help lead you through practices that address your phobia and keep you calm when thinking, watching, or looking at sharks. Approaches to overcoming phobias with a therapist include:

The ocean is a wild, exciting, mysterious place. There is so much of it that even experts haven’t discovered! These unknown parts of our world invoke a lot of fears in people:

Like galeophobia, these fears can be overcome! Reach out to a mental health professional for more information on treating your specific phobias.

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Practical Psychology. (2022, May).Fear of Sharks - Galeophobia.Retrieved from https://practicalpie.com/fear-of-sharks-galeophobia/.Practical Psychology. (2022, May). Fear of Sharks - Galeophobia. Retrieved from https://practicalpie.com/fear-of-sharks-galeophobia/.Copy

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