AQUAPHOBIA: CAUSES, SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT
While water is considered by many as a source of extreme fun
and enjoyment, for some people visiting places like water parks or seaside are
no less than a nightmare. Such folks face Associate in Nursing extreme,
irrational and chronic threat of water called ‘aquaphobia’.
It’s a fairly common fear which differs in severity from person to person. Traveling
through waterways, going near swimming pools, water bodies or even entering a
bathtub might seem life threatening to some people. Sometimes even a look at a
water body such as an ocean or river may cause trepidation.
CAUSES
The most common cause of this fear is a previous negative and
unpleasant occurrence that’s associated with water. A near-drowning incident
like those experienced while learning to swim or a death caused to a known
person concerned with water may cause that terror in the mind of the affected
person. The way we handle these situations determine whether a phobia will stay
or not.
SYMPTOMS
The symptoms of aquaphobia may vary according to sufferers.
The common ones include an elevated heart rate, shivering, freezing, sweating,
hyperventilation, phobias, anxiety and panic attacks with the
sight or thought of water. Extreme evasion of water bodies is another common
symptom of this phobia.
TREATMENT
A. Face the water
B. Deal with the panic
C. Get comfortable with the deep end
Though it’s all in the mind, there are some treatment options
available to cure aquaphobic people. Cognitive behavioral therapy is the most
common treatment choice where the focus is on removing negative thoughts from
the affected person’s mind. Negative contemplations associated with the feared
situation are replaced with rational and positive ones. This also includes
homework assignments like visiting a water body and spending time safely at the
shore or stepping inside a bathtub half filled with water for a specific period
of time, to get rid of the fear. In more serious cases, therapies like hypnosis
or psychotherapy can be made use of.
Thank you for reading this article, if you want to know more about how to overcome fear and tips related
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