How To Overcome Fear Of Water

As the suspense creeps in slowly, there is no time to blink, the hair behind your neck is on its nerves end, you want to scream but you are too afraid, a bead of sweat drops and you jump out of fright; your anxiety is finally put to rest as you watch the ending scene of ‘Pet Sematary’. Mary Lambert, the director of the movie was successful in creating a perfect horror flick and now in 2010, she proposes to ride on another kind of fear people experience, aquaphobia. The basic plot entails a mermaid who is on a killing spree and is stoppable only by a man who has fear of the water. The very concept may send chills through people who have the fear of water. Aquaphobia is in simple terms is the fear of water. It can be caused due to an innate fear of water. There are many circumstances which could lead to aquaphobia or it could just be a deep vested feeling of fear from an early age. Sometimes an accident related to water, a traumatic exposure to incidents such as drowning or experiencing water related natural calamity could cause indelible memories for people. A change in mindset and strong self determination to conquer is the best way to move forward gradually in the process of confronting your fear. Some of the ways in which you could deal with fear of water are mentioned below.

Ways To Overcome Aquaphobia

Firstly, prepare mentally to gain a sense of determination to overcome your fear. Have an open attitude and gear yourself for the unexpected.
Once you are ready, find a friend, teacher or coach who understands your problem and is willing to help.
You can begin in a swimming pool, by entering the shallowest side, slowly. Walk until the water reaches your chest. If you find your heart beating faster, take deep breaths and realize this is a natural response.
Once you are relaxed, lean forward and immerse your face in the water with your eyes closed. Hold your breath and blow air out through your nose. Then, turn your face sideward and raise it to breathe in air through your mouth. Continue this exercise as long as you can bear it.
After this initiation you could lean backward until the water covers your ears. Continue to breathe calmly. This will help in getting accustomed to water around your nose, mouth and ears. An interesting detail you could observe when your ears are covered is to listen to the silence and distant drumming of your heart beats. This in itself is soothing.
To take the next step, it is time to now try taking a dip in the water. First take a deep breath, hold your nose and go right under. Surface immediately. It will be overwhelming the first time but it is good to continue this exercise frequently and for longer duration every time.
To be more comfortable, learn about how your body works in water. When air fills the lungs and body fat you automatically begin to float by yourself, without any effort. You will notice this once you stay long enough under water. The more you relax the more you tend to float naturally.
Once you are at ease with these exercises you can move on to trying floating on your back. Ask your friend or coach to raise you to the surface of the water. Take deep breaths and relax. Once you get your friend to release support, you will find yourself floating. When you feel ready to move on, you could try rolling over and floating face down while holding your breath. However, you have to understand that in order to overcome the fear of water; you must not be tense as it will lead to less oxygen in your body; therefore relax and enjoy the water.

How to Cite

Related Articles

See also

More in 'Health & Fitness'