Aquaphobia (Fear of Water)

Aquaphobia is a fear of water. People with this specific phobia feel anxious when they think about or see water. Hence they may avoid baths, showers, pools and bodies of water. Many people with aquaphobia have had traumatic experiences with water. Subsequently, you can overcome a phobia of water with exposure therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy and medication.

Someone with aquaphobia may have extreme fear or anxiety when thinking about or seeing water. Therefore, they may avoid going places near water, such as swimming pools or lakes. In severe cases, people may stop showering, bathing or using water from the sink to wash their face or brush their teeth.

Aquaphobia Causes

The most common causes of aquaphobia are:

A negative, traumatic or scary experience involving water- Therefore, the most common types of experiences that result in someone developing aquaphobia usually involve feeling like you were going to drown or struggling to breathe. Also, being unable to swim to safety or being caught in a riptide or a strong current can cause aquaphobia.

Multiple smaller, less serious, negative experiences involving water- Altogether, in some situations, you can develop a phobia of water because of multiple smaller experiences that if they occurred alone, may not have triggered a phobia.

Fear rumination – Usually, fear rumination is triggered by and occurs following a negative or traumatic experience involving water. Basically, repetitive and negative thought processes and the replay of traumatic, frightening, negative or painful experiences involving water can become increasingly disturbing and intrusive over time,

An informational learning experience – You may develop aquaphobia if you are exposed to information about water that scares you. For example, you may be exposed to information about the dangers of riptides, the types of illnesses and infections that can be transmitted through water or the number of people that die from drowning every year. Therefore, this information can lead to you viewing water as dangerous or scary and can result in you avoiding contact with water.

Negative depictions or portrayals of water – Exposure to negative portrayals of water could result in a phobia, particularly if the exposure occurred during childhood or during a vulnerable or stressful time in your life.

Having an allergy to water – An allergy to water, aquagenic urticaria (AU), is most often characterized by a rash or red, itchy hives following skin contact with water. Someone with AU can also experience headaches, dizziness, fainting, wheezing and shortness of breath if they touch or ingest water.

A learned phobia – An observational learning experience can result in the development of a phobia because you observed another person’s fear of water and learned to be afraid of it yourself.

Evolutionary factors – Consequently, there is thought to be an evolutionary basis for aquaphobia, particularly because humans evolved to avoid predators to maximize survival.

Experiencing significant or higher-than-usual stress levels – In general, significant, long-term stress can result in a disproportionate fear response or an inability to manage intense situations.

Aquaphobia Symptoms

Emotionally and physically, the response to Aquaphobia is similar to that of any other phobia, with common symptoms including:

Physical Symptoms Psychological Symptoms

Shortness of breath Intense fear or panic
Rapid heartbeat Overwhelming anxiety
Trembling or shaking Feeling of impending doom
Sweating Avoidance of water-related activities
Nausea or dizziness Distorted perception of water
Dry mouth Intrusive thoughts or nightmares about water
Chest tightness Hypervigilance for water-related stimuli
Difficulty speaking or articulating words Fear of drowning or being submerged
Muscle tension Fear of losing control in or around water

Here are the overall Aquaphobia symptoms.

Firstly, intense fear or anxiety towards water.
Panic attacks around water.
Avoidance of water-related activities.
Fourthly, rapid heartbeat and breathing.
Sweating and trembling.
Overwhelming anxiety near bodies of water.
Distress or discomfort when submerged or wet.
Finally, uncontrollable fear of drowning or water accidents.

Aquaphobia Treatment

Exposure therapy is one of the main treatments for aquaphobia. Therefore, during this therapy, your mental health provider exposes you to circumstances and imagery that may trigger your symptoms. They gradually help you manage your response. As many as 9 in 10 people with specific phobias see their symptoms improve after getting this type of psychotherapy (talk therapy).

During exposure therapy, you progress through these steps:

Learn breathing and relaxation techniques to use before and during an exposure.
View images or videos of water.
Gradually progress to seeing water in a bathtub, glass or sink.
Touch running water.
Look at or walk near a body of water or swimming pool.
Finally, go inside a body of water or swimming pool.

What Other Therapies may be Used to Treat Aquaphobia?

Other therapies to overcome aquaphobia include:

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT): CBT helps you learn to change how you see and respond to situations and objects that trigger symptoms. Consequently, many healthcare providers use CBT along with exposure therapy or hypnotherapy.

Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT): This modified form of CBT teaches people how to live in the moment. As a result, it can help you cope with distress, maintain relationships with others and regulate emotions. You might have DBT in a group setting or one-on-one with a therapist.

Hypnotherapy: Healthcare providers use guided relaxation techniques and focused attention to help alter how you look at water. They may also use hypnotherapy to find the underlying event that led to the development of your water anxiety.

Medications: Anti-anxiety drugs and antidepressants may help reduce aquaphobia symptoms. Correspondingly, healthcare providers often prescribe these medications along with CBT. If aquaphobia causes fear at night that affects your sleep, your healthcare provider may recommend sleep aids.

Tips for Overcoming the Fear of Water

Work with an experienced and knowledgeable lifeguard and swim instruction. At first, talk to the instructor before your, or your child’s lesson about the fear of water and ask what strategies they employ to help someone overcome the fear of water.

Begin slowly and have patience with yourself in your attempts. Therefore, you may want to begin by just being near a pool, working up to sitting on the side of the pool with your feet in the water. Hence, allow yourself time to become accustomed and feel comfortable each step of the way.

Understand the buoyancy factor. At the same time, human beings will always float on or near the top of the water. This is based on bone and body density. Therefore, understanding that you will not sink and your body will naturally rise to the top of the water can help you in overcoming your fear of drowning or sinking to the bottom of the pool and not being able to get to the surface.

Practice deep breathing and relaxation exercises to help keep your body relaxed while in the water. At length, take some time to walk around in the water feeling the relaxation and soothing effects of the water.

Start floating in shallow water. Furthermore, it may be easier when you know that you can put your feet down and stand up.

Celebrate your achievements, no matter how small, and accept that overcoming your fear is a process and a journey, rather than expecting to overcome your fear in one trip to the pool.

Take swimming lessons to learn the basics of swimming, floating, and attention to safety in the water.

Lastly, start children in swimming lessons early.

Equally important, remember to never swim alone. Swimming alone is never a safe idea. Even if you are embarrassed about your fears and believe it would be easier to overcome your anxiety without anyone else present. it is important to have someone qualified and able to react in an emergency situation with you as you discover the joys of swimming and relaxing in the water.

7 Interesting Facts of Aquaphobia

Here are 7 Interesting Facts About Aquaphobia.

Firstly, approximately 14% of adults experience some level of aquaphobia.
It is more common in women than men.
Aquaphobia can be triggered by traumatic water-related experiences.
Additionally, it is estimated that up to 80% of drownings are preventable.
Exposure therapy has shown success rates of up to 90% in treating aquaphobia.
Aquaphobia can vary in severity, from mild discomfort to extreme panic.
Lastly, many famous individuals, including celebrities, have admitted to having aquaphobia.