Fear of Fish Ichthyophobia 

It’s not hard to imagine someone suffering from a fear of sharks. A large predator with sharp teeth, often portrayed in film and media as something to be justly terrified, however, even the slightest flick of a fin from any fish or aquatic creature can induce fear and panic in some – fish are no different than other animals.

A phobia of fish is called Ichthyophobia. You might wonder what that has to do with fish, but like many things, it originates from the Greek word ‘ichthys’, meaning ‘fish’ and is now used for anyone who exhibits an irrational or persistent fear of fish. 

A fear of fish is nothing any different from any other fear of animals. Indeed, even the Navajo were once famously deemed Ichthyophobic due to fears about all kinds of marine-life, including fish.

Ichthyophobia can cause you to be afraid of fish, living or dead, and may begin with a negative or a perceived traumatic episode involving fish – often occurring during childhood. However, it may not be specifically brought on by the incident itself but, potentially, learned from a parental reaction.

There could be many instances that may have originated the fear, including: 

• As a child, the now phobia-sufferer might have been scared by pranks played by their siblings or friends. For example, a friend flashing a dead or wiggling fish at the individual and the shock stuck in their mind.
• The fear of fish can spring from the child’s imagination, leading them to interpret small fish to be as large as Great White Sharks.
• It could also from an experience such as diving where they encountered a fish that sprang-up suddenly ‘out of nowhere’. The incident might have prompted the individual to panic under-the-water, causing that moment to become fixed in their mind.
• Another common trigger of Ichthyophobia includes the perception of fish being smelly or slimy creatures. Individuals with an anxiety disorder may believe that fish cause mercury poisoning or that they can be responsible for grave illnesses or disease.
• It could also be that the fear was brought on by a specific variety of fish that they have seen jumping out of water. A child or even an adult with a nervous mindset or an overly anxious personality can likely get startled by something like this whilst boating, swimming or fishing, for example. 

These episodes can play on a loop in the phobic person’s head and lead to a lifelong phobia of fish.

Ichthyophobia entails various psychological and physical symptoms. Many of the symptoms are similar to other phobias. These may include screaming or crying when encountering fish or seeing an image of fish.  Feelings of dizziness, nausea, trembling, having sweaty palms or a racing heartbeat are all common.  The individual may have a sense of doom or perception of choking.  Ichthyophobic individuals may run away from situations involving fish or, conversely, become paralysed or frozen to the spot. 

Many ichthyophobic individuals can be afraid of swimming or even walking near bridges and beaches due to their crippling fear of fish. Equally, they could display fear and anxiety around aquariums or theme parks featuring fish.  In severe circumstances, they may refuse to visit seafood restaurants or to go to people’s homes where fish are on display in ‘goldfish bowls’ or fish tanks. This can obviously be inconvenient and embarrassing.

Like most phobias, ichthyophobia is easily treatable. One of the techniques we use at Creature Courage is to turn fear into fascination:

• Did you know that fish traveling in schools sense the water pressure and movements of other nearby fish using pores called the lateral line, which has specialised hairs for the purpose?
• Even more amazing, is that there are over 34,000 species of fish in our oceans and rivers, and therefore, they play a hugely significant role in our environment and economy.
• Many advanced and developing nations depend on fish as their primary commerce, let alone as a necessary source of protein in a healthy diet. 

Fish are some of the most fascinating and beautiful creatures on our planet and we can help open that world up to you, to help you appreciate them in a completely different light than you do today and, most importantly, change how you FEEL about them.

If you have are Ichthyophobic, please don’t worry, our proven Creature Courage Workshops can help you overcome the fear for good.

Contact Creature Courage and let us help you to dip your toe into a life free of ichthyophobia today!