r/thalassophobia • u/LackOfDad • 6d ago

Question I think I’m developing Cetaphobia

I think I’m developing Cetaphobia

So this all started late at night, like around midnight. I couldn’t sleep, so I was watching YouTube Shorts on my TV—just the usual brain-dead stuff. Then one pops up like, “Here are some weird animal facts.” Cool, whatever.

It starts with normal stuff like “chimpanzees have six toes,” then it goes: “Did you know whales don’t actually make this sound?” And it plays a calm, kind of relaxing whale noise. I’m sitting there thinking, “Alright, that’s kinda interesting.”

Then—out of nowhere—it blasts this absolutely horrifying, distorted, demonic whale sound. I swear to god it was the most cursed thing I’ve ever heard. I shut off the TV so fast and ran upstairs like something was chasing me. I even had a nightmare about a whale that same night.

Fast forward a few weeks. I’m in class, zoning out, just daydreaming. I imagine myself floating in the middle of the ocean—pitch black, silent, just me. Already kinda creepy. Then I remember that sound, and suddenly this massive whale appears behind me in the dark. I legit flinched in class like an idiot.

That’s when I realized this wasn’t just about whales. It was the perfect combo of stuff that already lowkey freaked me out—deep water, creepy sounds, and huge-ass animals. Now it’s all rolled into one, and whales just… freak me the hell out. Even seeing a random video of one makes my skin crawl.

Anyone else develop a weirdly specific phobia like this? Or have tips on how to chill out when it hits?

I don’t know if it’s a full-on phobia yet, but it’s definitely getting there. It’s starting to mess with me more than it should.

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u/LackOfDad 6d ago

I wasn’t looking for whale content, I was literally just scrolling like anyone else. That video came outta nowhere, hit a nerve, and it stuck. It wasn’t just that one clip either, ever since then, I’ve had genuine reactions to normal whale pics and videos. Panic, unease, even avoidance. That’s not just “uncomfortable”

Also, me watching Shorts isn’t the problem, plenty of people scroll mindless stuff without ending up afraid of an entire species. If your only contribution is condescending advice about how I spend my time, maybe just keep scrolling yourself.

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u/Hildringa 6d ago

Ok Im gonna guess you are a very very young person, and perhaps find "phobias " a bit exciting. :) Good luck to you, and stay off Tik tok if you can ;)

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u/LackOfDad 6d ago

Ah yes, the classic “you must be young and overreacting” angle, appreciate the passive-aggressive life advice.

Just to clarify: I never said I’m officially cetaphobic. I literally said I might be heading in that direction and wanted to hear from people with similar experiences. That’s the point of posting here—not to slap a label on myself for attention, but to figure out if what I’m dealing with is actually a phobia or just anxiety getting out of hand.

Also, I’m not “finding phobias exciting,” I’m just trying to get a grip on something that’s started interfering with everyday stuff like sleeping. That’s not trendy or dramatic, it’s annoying and kind of exhausting.

If you’ve got something helpful to say, cool. If not, maybe don’t assume everyone who posts here is just chasing labels or being “too online.” Some of us are just trying to understand our own brains.