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Ark and dealing with thalassaphobia?


Wolfboy702

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I'm at the point in the game now where sillica pearls are kind of a big deal and my base is pretty much on the opposite side of the map to the snow biome where i currently go to farm them but the long trip to get there is starting to become tiresome. I'm right on the shoreline so it shouldnt be that much hassle to get them except that I have crippling Thalassaphobia (fear of deep water), I can't even look at a picture of deep water without getting uneasy. I've looked up suggestions but most people just seem to have an issue with the deep sea creatures rather than the deepness of the water itself. I've gone into singleplayer, forcetamed an alpha mosa and then put playersonly on for good measure but I still can't handle it.

The only thing that has ever helped was the old scuba mask because it gave the illusion of not being underwater but since the nerf it does next to nothing in that area. I'm currently trying to go a little deeper each day to try and gradually get better but I'm literally down there for a second before I have to come back up to stop myself hyperventilating. Anyone got any suggestions on how to handle this?

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6 minutes ago, Wolfboy702 said:

I'm at the point in the game now where sillica pearls are kind of a big deal and my base is pretty much on the opposite side of the map to the snow biome where i currently go to farm them but the long trip to get there is starting to become tiresome. I'm right on the shoreline so it shouldnt be that much hassle to get them except that I have crippling Thalassaphobia (fear of deep water), I can't even look at a picture of deep water without getting uneasy. I've looked up suggestions but most people just seem to have an issue with the deep sea creatures rather than the deepness of the water itself. I've gone into singleplayer, forcetamed an alpha mosa and then put playersonly on for good measure but I still can't handle it.

The only thing that has ever helped was the old scuba mask because it gave the illusion of not being underwater but since the nerf it does next to nothing in that area. I'm currently trying to go a little deeper each day to try and gradually get better but I'm literally down there for a second before I have to come back up to stop myself hyperventilating. Anyone got any suggestions on how to handle this?

Take a trip to scorched Earth pearls spawn on the surface there. Transfer them back to the island.

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My wife has a fear of drowning so any water source deep enough makes her also uneasy. The drowning sound the game plays completely turned her off from the ocean for a bit, but with perseverance, she now swims with the force of Poseidon. As with normal life, its about overcoming fears in order to do things that involve those fears. I hate bugs, namely spiders, but I live in a location IRL that is prone to all types of spiders and flying insects. Being bit several times, jump scaring, running and screaming, I was forced to keep going into the fray over and over and although I still despise them, I go into it with the mentality that it must be done. 

More or less, it gets easier the more you go into it.

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Try hugging the bottom, pesky sea scorpions are down there but it sounds like your perticular brand is closer to my own. I love water, lots of water but have a inherent unease about deep water, it wasnt untill i spent a couple of THOUSAND hours in arks ocean that I figured it out was its the same (for me) as looking over a ledge of  a building roof top. Dont get it much these days unless im on a new server and actively swimming down somewhere instead of riding something.

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1 minute ago, Dracul said:

Try hugging the bottom, pesky sea scorpions are down there but it sounds like your perticular brand is closer to my own. I love water, lots of water but have a inherent unease about deep water, it wasnt untill i spent a couple of THOUSAND hours in arks ocean that I figured it out was its the same (for me) as looking over a ledge of  a building roof top. Dont get it much these days unless im on a new server and actively swimming down somewhere instead of riding something.

Mine is literally the opposite, I can't go too deep because I feel crushed by there being so much space above me. I feel like there's always something looming over me and the fact that the shadows expand as you get deeper only make it worse. I'm actually ok swimming along the surface provided I'm on a mount.

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I don't consider myself having this fear but I definitely feel the anxiety when looking out in to the deep on here or  like Subnautica. I really like Jordan Peterson's take on overcoming fear, the first 2 minutes are the relevant part https://youtu.be/CSV5KJqSlFY . I feel like I have to internally steel myself and just dive but you may have more steps before you get there. Good luck man!

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1 hour ago, Wolfboy702 said:

I'm at the point in the game now where sillica pearls are kind of a big deal and my base is pretty much on the opposite side of the map to the snow biome where i currently go to farm them but the long trip to get there is starting to become tiresome. I'm right on the shoreline so it shouldnt be that much hassle to get them except that I have crippling Thalassaphobia (fear of deep water), I can't even look at a picture of deep water without getting uneasy. I've looked up suggestions but most people just seem to have an issue with the deep sea creatures rather than the deepness of the water itself. I've gone into singleplayer, forcetamed an alpha mosa and then put playersonly on for good measure but I still can't handle it.

The only thing that has ever helped was the old scuba mask because it gave the illusion of not being underwater but since the nerf it does next to nothing in that area. I'm currently trying to go a little deeper each day to try and gradually get better but I'm literally down there for a second before I have to come back up to stop myself hyperventilating. Anyone got any suggestions on how to handle this?

angler fish. or trading.

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On 8/17/2017 at 10:18 PM, HandyMantooth said:

My wife has a fear of drowning so any water source deep enough makes her also uneasy. The drowning sound the game plays completely turned her off from the ocean for a bit, but with perseverance, she now swims with the force of Poseidon. As with normal life, its about overcoming fears in order to do things that involve those fears. I hate bugs, namely spiders, but I live in a location IRL that is prone to all types of spiders and flying insects. Being bit several times, jump scaring, running and screaming, I was forced to keep going into the fray over and over and although I still despise them, I go into it with the mentality that it must be done. 

More or less, it gets easier the more you go into it.

I did the same,  almost drowned when I was young and it took awhile in ark to adapt to it.. still gets me a little from time to time but I'm pretty accustomed to it now and I love the ocean! 

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I have pretty bad Kenophobia (fear of voids), it doesn't bother me often, but the ARK sea 'triggers'(urgh) it pretty bad. I did what you did (try it completely risk free first) which helped a bit; but it still causes a lot of anxiety being far in and far down, like a kick/knot in my stomach.  The absolute worst for me is falling through the terrain/glimpsing under the mesh; makes me feel physically sick :(.

If it's just the pearls you are after, try taming an Angler (easier said than done) and use that for them. I was blown away when I saw how many pearls they gathered when I pumped Melee on them, also you can pump speed and just try and make it as quick as possible; blitz down, munch pearls, blitz back; you don't even have to get off it or even stop, then over time maybe you'll become desensitized (it didn't really happen for me but maybe it will for you).

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