While bodies of water are sometimes seen as calming, a place where one can relax, there can also be a logical reason to be fearful or scared. The water can very quickly can become an uncontrollable element, something that a minute before was rocking you gently now is attempting to drag you to the bottom. Whether you know how to swim or not, drowning can occur to anyone and is something we should be cautious over, but for some this fear can be immense.

What are the symptoms of Aquaphobia?What are the causes of Aquaphobia?How to cope and overcome Aquaphobia?

What are the symptoms of Aquaphobia?

What are the causes of Aquaphobia?

How to cope and overcome Aquaphobia?

For individuals with Aquaphobia, being around water or even anticipating being around water can create immense anxiety because of being afraid to drown. While everyone can present a number of symptoms and a unique combination of these symptoms, they typically fall under three categories: psychological, physiological, and behavioral.

Psychological Symptoms

Because Aquaphobia falls under an anxiety disorder, common symptoms include those found in other anxiety disorders such as excessive fear due to exposure to the stimuli or even anticipating exposure. As a result, panic attacks can be quite common and are accompanied with a number of other symptoms we will discuss shortly. Not only are these symptoms, but psychological symptoms also include cognitions such as irrational thoughts regarding water and drowning. This symptom is critical for diagnosis because it is the core of any phobia, an irrational and debilitating fear of something that commonly shouldn’t be feared. While we did discuss being cautious around water, we do not need to believe we are going to drown every instance we are near water.

Physiological Symptoms

Additional symptoms include the physical reactions following exposure or anticipation of exposure to the negative stimuli. In the previous section we discussed panic attacks and if you are aware physical reactions are a tale tell sign of a panic attack. Thus, physical symptoms individuals with Aquaphobia can experience include sweating, a racing heart, dizziness, and difficulty breathing.

Behavioral Symptoms

Lastly, behavioral symptoms will most likely also be present and can look like avoidant behaviors. For any person scared of something, logical or illogical, we tend to avoid it at any cost to keep from experiencing the fear or being harmed. Now avoidant behaviors of individuals with Aquaphobia may look like the assumed avoidant behaviors (e.g., not going to pools) but can also look like avoiding small quantities of water (e.g., a bath or full sink). Asides from these avoidant behaviors, isolation can also be behavioral symptom

So, we have defined Aquaphobia and have discussed its symptoms but how does one develop Aquaphobia? The answer is not so simple because like many disorders and diagnoses the reason something occurs can have multiple factors that increase the likelihood. Psychologists and licensed practitioners have identified three main factors or causes that lead to the development of phobias like Aquaophobia: Psychology, genetics, and one’s environment.

Psychological

One factor to consider as a possible cause for the development of Aquaphobia are psychological reasons. Not to be confused with previously diagnosed psychopathologies, psychological factors here typically refer to traumatic experiences. It could be very plausible for an individual to have experienced almost drowning or even witness a drowning and end up fearing this situation to occur again thus developing a phobia. While these are two examples of possible situations, there is no direct experience that can lead to the development of Aquaphobia.

Genetics

Family history is also another factor that needs important consideration as to why someone might have a phobia such as Aquaphobia. Like many diseases, diagnoses, or health problems genetics can provide tangible evidence for the development and/or presence of phobias. Specifically with phobias like Aquaphobia, family history of anxiety can provide this tangible evidence as genes related to anxiety can be passed down from parents to children. Of course, the presence of such genes doesn’t guarantee the development of Aquaphobia, but they do increase the likelihood of the individual developing anxiety or other anxiety disorders.

One’s Environment

Life with a phobia can be challenging and incredibly difficult, as not only is the fear debilitating but its impact on one’s well-being and quality of life can be crushing. Fortunately, there are a handful of treatments individuals can take part in and incorporate into their lives to cope and overcome a phobia like Aquaphobia.

Cognitive – Behavioral Therapy

One of the most common forms of treatment for phobias like Aquaphobia is Cognitive – Behavioral Therapy or CBT. While there are some techniques individuals can incorporate into their lives without a clinician, CBT is a therapeutic treatment that is done with a licensed clinician with the purpose for an individual to overcome a phobia.

Medication

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Reference this article:Practical Psychology. (2022, June).Aquaphobia - The Fear of Drowning.Retrieved from https://practicalpie.com/aquaphobia-the-fear-of-drowning/.Practical Psychology. (2022, June). Aquaphobia - The Fear of Drowning. Retrieved from https://practicalpie.com/aquaphobia-the-fear-of-drowning/.Copy

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Practical Psychology. (2022, June).Aquaphobia - The Fear of Drowning.Retrieved from https://practicalpie.com/aquaphobia-the-fear-of-drowning/.Practical Psychology. (2022, June). Aquaphobia - The Fear of Drowning. Retrieved from https://practicalpie.com/aquaphobia-the-fear-of-drowning/.Copy

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