A Step-by-Step Guide: Combating Aquaphobia.

Tactics That Helped 1,345 People Overcome Intense Fear in the Swimming Pools.

In the Diagnostic And Statistical Manual, aquaphobia is classified as an anxiety disorder (specific phobias).

Specific phobia is typically an irrational fear of something possessing little to no actual danger. In our case, it's water.

In most cases, when phobias are not treated promptly by a mental health professional, the consequences can be devastating.

Recent World Mental Health Surveys indicate that aquaphobia played a role in the onset of other common mental disorders.

Don't worry because you are not alone. And I have data to back it up.

In 2017, World Health Organization conducted a study among 22 low, middle, and high-income countries. The prevalence of fear of water around the world is 2.3%.

Per WHO, females are more prone to developing specific phobias than males.

Interestingly enough, people from higher-income countries have higher rates of specific phobias. That said, the prevalence of fear of water in any form in the US is 4.3%.

The average age of aquaphobia development is 8 years.

Bodies of water people are most scared of in the US:

1. Deep water in the swimming pools - 46%.
2. Large bodies of open water - 54%.

Despite all the junk information you might read on the internet, there's no definite answer to that. You can develop aquaphobia for many contributing factors.

The most common scenario I see in my practice:

We get to the swimming pool, and clients get nervous. They start thinking about a million scenarios of how it could go wrong. Suddenly, they remembered how Titanic ended. We are one step away from a panic attack.

Heartrate rate starts to go up, and they start breathing faster. At this point, they consider leaving the pool. "Maybe next week it's going to be better," - they say.

And next week, it's the same story. But this time, clients also get negative self-talk in their heads. Does that sound familiar?

And that's when I give them a little science talk.

In the case of a specific phobia, we fear a particular object. In our case, it's water.

When we are exposed to a trigger, we feel fear.

When we feel fear, our body produces two main hormones responsible for survival: cortisol and adrenaline. These hormones lead to a sequence of events in your body.

Finally, a part of the brain that is responsible for your survival, amygdala, now gets the signal that you are in danger.

Amygdala knows that when it happens - it needs to save you.

My clients and I start at a shallow area of the swimming pool. There's no need for extreme fear and panic attacks. But it happens anyway.

If only Amygdala had eyes, it would be surprised. All that stress and fear, for what? False alarm.

Essentially, I am speaking to the rational part of the brain.

I find that it gets better once people understand a little bit of science behind their aquaphobia.

We are then one step closer to breaking free from it.

The most successful way to treat aquaphobia is cognitive behavioral therapy. It's a vital instrument in the treatment of explicit phobias.

Cognitive behavioral therapy addresses the thoughts, reactions, and behavioral patterns that occur when you are exposed to a trigger.

Exposure therapy is one of the features of CBT that helps people to rationalize their thoughts and modify their behavioral patterns. And that's exactly how I walk my clients through their fear of water.

Exposure therapy can change a person's response to fear and eliminate all physical symptoms.

Many of my clients successfully overcame their fear of water. All it took was a little self-confidence.

Keep going through the simple cycle of gradual exposure until you feel more comfortable. Accept your fear, embrace it, and become best friends with it.

If you feel like the level of fear doesn't decline, I recommend consulting a psychiatrist.

Professional help can significantly decrease the level of distress from your phobia. With modern medication and treatment options, change is possible.

The faster you address your anxiety disorder, the higher your chances of combating it. There's no shame in it.

You see, we form specific phobias for various reasons. Over time, it starts to affect our lives. If you are at this point in your life, it's better to act now.

Just know that there's always hope and help. Many of my clients successfully overcame their fear of water. All it took was a little self-confidence.

At Fast Swim Academy, we understand the importance of educating people about water safety. That's why we provide you with useful tips for beginners every week, so you can move at your own pace while immersing yourself in the world of swimming.

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