Fear becomes a phobia when, for irrational reasons, we lose control over our actions. Have you ever been afraid of water by imagining dangerous situations, such as falling into the open sea? This is extremely normal, but does it stop you from simply going to the beach? Then you may have water phobia .

Being afraid is part of life, it is a mostly instinctive way of protection, the problem is when this fear turns into a phobia. When this fear disrupts your routine and even becomes paralyzing, it is time for you to accept it and seek help.

What is Aquaphobia

When a fear turns into a phobia we are facing a psychological disorder. The phobias develop over the most diverse situations and things, among them is the water phobia. In summary, it is characterized by irrational and excessive fear of water .

In the meantime, the person avoids any situation where there is water, which, in his imagination, could put him at risk. In the meantime, he does not go to places such as swimming pools, lakes, waterfalls, and beaches, because he has an exaggerated and involuntary fear that he might drown, or even die.

In more severe cases, the individual is even afraid of bathtubs and heavy rain. Some people develop a water phobia So when he is in places with water, he ends up drowning, even though this is totally unlikely for others.

Meaning of aquaphobia

In summary, it is the excessive, exacerbated and irrational fear of water, characteristic of people who don't know swimming or in the face of past traumas A pathology that causes extreme and constant anguish in the face of aversion to situations involving water.

It is the intense fear that you might drown, or even die in water, that gives rise to the name aquaphobia.

Symptoms of Water Phobia

Water phobia, or aquaphobia, causes individuals to avoid places with water at all costs, even if poses no real danger In other words, it is an illusion, caused in the imagination of the person, who may drown in situations involving water.

Thus, those with water phobia have the following characteristic symptoms:

• anxiety;
• tremors;
• nausea;
• panic crisis;
• tachycardia;
• shortness of breath;
• sweating;
• muscle tension;
• headache.

In the most extreme cases, an individual suffering from water phobia may faint when faced with water. Some people are even terrified of water even in showers and bathtubs, going without bathing for long periods.

Causes of water dread

There are no determining causes for water phobia. However, according to research in books and articles by professionals of the human mind, there are common causes that trigger this type of phobia.

You can notice that the causes come from both conscious mind as well as the unconscious mind For example:

• past experiences with drowning, personal or that you have witnessed;
• behaviors of parents or close relatives in situations involving water;
• genetic factors that predispose an individual to develop water phobia;
• Still under the family aspect, this phobia can also happen when parents are overzealous with their children. As a result, they create insecure children with exaggerated fear of life situations;
• traumas in his unconscious mind, such as, for example, experienced at birth, when he had amniotic fluid thrown in his face, causing a drowning sensation.
• In general, people who suffer from anxiety disorders are the most prone to aquaphobia, because of the excessive fear in many situations in life.

Treatment for water phobia

If you have water phobia The first step is to accept, not to be ashamed to ask for help, face your fear Know that the human brain is not immutable, it can be reprogrammed and accept external experiences, overcoming phobias.

Still, suffering from water phobia is more normal than it seems, especially in the case of childhood traumas, such as, as a child, falling into a swimming pool and almost drowning, because they didn't know anything about it. In this case, in adult life, although they may not remember, this episode has been engraved in their subconscious.

Thus, for curing water phobia, there are more therapeutic treatments used . where, by means of therapy sessions, the mental health professional will be able to find the origin of the irrational fear of water. Consequently, he will be able to use specific techniques for treatment.

In more severe cases, in addition to therapy, it is necessary to seek psychiatric help, and it may be necessary to take medication to overcome the phobia. In addition, many psychiatrists also apply the technique of gradual desensitization. In short, in this technique, the patient is gradually exposed to the object of the phobia in order to overcome the fear.

I want information to enroll in the Psychoanalysis Course .

Overall, why do phobias develop?

If you feel some fears, it is normal, that butterflies in your stomach when you are on a roller coaster, it is extremely common, natural to human beings. However, if this fear paralyzes you, preventing you from facing daily situations, you are suffering from a phobia.

Thus, phobics are characterized by anxiety and anguish when faced with simple situations, such as fear of defenseless animals, of blood, of heights, of streets, and, also, the phobia of water.

However, you are not alone and you don't need to feel embarrassed, even ridiculous. developed by several factors And there are professionals who can help you overcome this phobia.

Want to know more about the secrets of the mind?

So, if you want to know more about the mysteries of the mind, especially the unconscious mind The Psychoanalysis Training Course is worth knowing. Among the benefits of this study are:

(a) Enhancing Self-Knowledge: The experience of psychoanalysis is able to provide the student and patient/client with insights into themselves that would be virtually impossible to obtain on their own.

(b) Improves interpersonal relationships: Understanding how the mind works can lead to better relationships with family and work members. The course is a tool that helps the student to understand other people's thoughts, feelings, emotions, pains, desires and motivations.

Finally, if you enjoyed this article, please like and share it on your social networks. This will encourage us to keep producing quality content for you and all our other readers.