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Environmental Phobias

Fear of Drowning – Aquaphobia

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Aquaphobia an Excessive Fear of Drowning

Do you make excuses to avoid going for even the shortest dip in the shallow end of a pool for fear you won’t come up again?

Do you find Sebastian’s suggestion in The Little Mermaid that “It’s hotter under the water” absurd, and were you intensely relieved when Ariel grew legs and walked on land?

Is the whole idea of that much water enough to make you dizzy, nauseated, and never wanting to see lakes, rivers, oceans, or swimming pools ever again?

If so, you may have a fear of drowning. Water covers 71 percent of the Earth’s surface, and if that factoid alone is enough to make fear wash over you, chances are you have some form of aquaphobia or fear of water.

The first step towards conquering any fear is understanding it, so let’s take a closer look at the fear of drowning versus the broader fear of water. We’ll look at symptoms and causes, and provide some suggestions on how you might overcome either phobia.

What Is Aquaphobia?

“Aqua” means “water” and “phobia” means “fear,” so you don’t need a degree in psychology or Greek to decipher what this term means in its most basic form.

But if it’s the fear of drowning in particular you have, why are we focusing on a fear of water in general? The answer is that the a fear of drowning is typically folded into the fear of water. There is no, one singular “fear of drowning” name in terms of an “official” phobia. Aquaphobia is a fear of water in general, but there’s also thalassophobia, a more specific fear of deep water.

Chances are, if you have a fear of drowning or suffocating or a fear of drowning in deep water in particular, you have at least one form of the fear of water.

 

Potential Causes

One of the most frustrating things about the fear of drowning (besides the fact that it isn’t recognized as an independent phobia but rather overlaps with two more established ones) is that it can come from any number of sources. That’s part of why it isn’t its own standalone phobia.

Maybe you had a near-drowning experience as a child or had a sibling or friend who did.

Maybe you knew someone who unfortunately did drown.

Maybe you’ve just heard and seen way too many movies and news stories about people drowning, and it’s kicked your anxiety into high gear.

Whatever the reason you have for being so afraid of drowning, it’s almost certainly caused by something in your own personal history. Everyone’s history is different, and so are the underlying causes of your phobia, thus its overall nature will be different from one person to the next.

Maybe you can watch The Little Mermaid just fine, but the passengers struggling to swim in the icy Atlantic in Titanic do you in. Maybe no films bother you but simply the presence of water itself.

Whatever the inciting incident for your phobia may be, it will almost certainly be localized in past traumas. Revisiting these with a trained psychological professional is an essential step towards overcoming the fear of deep water and drowning.

Psychological Symptoms

The symptoms of aquaphobia and thalassophobia are generally anxiety-based, which means that they have significant overlap with general anxiety disorders as defined by the DSM-5, the standard text for defining phobias.

For something to be considered a “psychological phobia,” it needs to be persistent and typically excessive and unreasonable.

For example, if you were actually on the Titanic after it hit the iceberg, nobody would claim you had an “irrational” fear that you were going to drown. Given the circumstances, your fear would have been (tragically) all too rational.

The same applies if you have ever been on a ship that capsized or if you cannot swim. You are or can imagine yourself being exposed to conditions in which drowning could be a very real, very dangerous possibility. There is nothing phobic or irrational about fearing that.

On the other hand, if Titanic doesn’t make you think “I’m the king of the world!” or “Draw me like one of your French girls!” or “Wow, this movie’s really long!” but rather “Oh my God, I’m going to drown someday, too!” your fear is irrational and excessive. If that irrational fear persists over time, it’s likely a phobia such as aquaphobia and thalassophobia.

That persistent, irrational, excessive fear is sometimes triggered by the merest exposure to water. If you’re sitting poolside at a party and someone accidentally splashes you a bit and you suddenly fear drowning, chances are you have some form of this condition. The same is true if you avoid the party in the first place for fear of drowning in the pool, even if you stay away from it the whole time.

 

Physical Symptoms

Avoiding any and all bodies of water, or flinching and trembling excessively at the sight or merest splash, are among the most common physical symptoms of this condition.

In extreme cases, that avoidance can become so extreme as to become ablutophobia, being so afraid of drowning that you even fear bathing or taking a shower. Unless you want to take sponge baths for the rest of your life, this can mean foregoing personal hygiene—which is a pretty big problem for your health and anyone within whiffing distance of your body odor.

Other common symptoms of aquaphobia include the following:

  • Excessive sweating
  • Feeling dizzy, nauseated, or like you will vomit
  • Feeling dizzy
  • Fainting
  • Elevated heartbeat
  • Chest tightness
  • Difficulty breathing

All of these symptoms are actually reasonably common when it comes to general anxiety-related conditions. This is yet another reason why a fear of drowning is not a distinct phobia in the DSM-5. Many of its physical as well as psychological symptoms are very similar to those of general anxiety disorders, just water- and drowning-based.

Treatment Options

It’s one thing to not have a distinct phobia name for the fear of drowning, but a lack of treatment isn’t a prospect you want to consider.

When it comes to how to get over the fear of drowning, the most prominent answer is cognitive behavioral therapy. This type of therapy works to rewire the way your brain imagines and processes certain concepts (like water) ultimately helps you to think of them in a more positive manner.

If your mind immediately links “water” with “drowning,” cognitive behavioral therapy can be helpful for undoing this association, while getting at the root of why you have that association in the first place.

Therapy sessions for prior traumas leading to a fear of water and drowning can also be helpful, as can support groups with similarly minded people.

Exposure therapy can also help you get over your fear by literally exposing you to water and “showing you” that you won’t drown. Obviously, since this is directly triggering your fear, it can be highly stressful. However, exposure therapy is conducted in highly controlled settings with therapists and others there for emotional, physical, and psychological support, and can be quite effective.

In severe cases, medication may be prescribed, although this is very rare.

If you feel like you’re drowning in your fear of deep water, treatment techniques for aquaphobia and thalassophobia can help you rise above them once and for all.

 

 

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Your Fear Goes Up and Down

Are you someone who would rather climb the stairs than take the elevator? You call it squeezing in a workout after being sedentary the whole morning. Or perhaps you claim it's a faster route. These are both typical, normal, and acceptable reasons. But what if you need to be in the conference room on the eleventh floor in five minutes, and you're wearing your business suit and wingtips? Would you still prefer to take the stairs? If your answer is yes, then maybe it's time to take a closer look at your reasons for avoiding elevators. Elevators stir all sorts of emotions in passengers. From the discomfort of closeness to strangers to the sensations in our gut, elevators can be a source of the heebie-jeebies for many, but for some, they can also be a source of terror. Let's dig a little deeper into the latter, and see what this terror is all about and what can be done to manage it. To begin with, does being inside an elevator give you chills or the sweats? Or does it trigger an unpleasant memory? Perhaps you remember movies you've watched where something terrible happens inside an elevator. From Silence of the Lambs, The Shining, Final Destination 2, or the king of all elevator horror films, 2010’s Devil, the elevator becomes witness to something sinister and horrible. And you want nothing to do with any of it. You know that you're not claustrophobic. You can deal with heights just fine, too. And you know that you're not going to be trapped inside. All of these contribute to a fear of elevators—but they don't apply to you. Yet being inside one does something to you. It's hard to explain.

What is the Fear of Elevators Called?

What you have is a fear of elevators, which is called elevatophobia. It is most commonly triggered by an experience of getting stuck inside either due to a power outage or technical maintenance. Hearing about other people's experiences or watching a movie about similar circumstances can prompt a fear of elevators getting stuck with you inside. Usually, claustrophobics and agoraphobics may also develop elevatophobia because the triggers and objects of these fears are related. Claustrophobia is the fear of closed and cramped spaces, while agoraphobia is the fear of being trapped without any means of escape. Put the two together, and the elevator becomes the perfect combination of both phobias. The space is limited and closed, with only one means of entry and exit. You can add another point of access if you consider climbing the cables like they do in the movies, but that certainly isn't ideal.

Symptoms of Elevatophobia

If for some reason an elevator stops due to an outage or some technical difficulty, passengers with elevatophobia may go into full panic mode. Even if the maintenance team advises that it will just be a matter of minutes, by then, the person's mind has become irrational with the fear of the elevator falling, being stuck for hours, or other unpleasant thoughts. You would expect a person to exhibit the following physical symptoms: Additionally, you would be filled with that overwhelming anxiety where you feel that you have zero control over the situation. You start fearing the unknown and are filled with negative thoughts about death and imminent doom. You become irrational and unresponsive.

Possible Complications of Elevatophobia

When the panic sets in, the possibility of emergencies related to pre-existing conditions may make themselves known. This might include serious health crises like heart attacks or asthma attacks. When this happens, fear becomes a medical emergency. Elevator rides do not last long; it's just a matter of minutes or even less. But the fact that a person can escalate from panic to a near fatal medical situation classifies the fear of elevators as a 'hard phobia.'

Trying Some Self-Help Methods

Your fear of elevators can likely interfere with your social and work life and relationships. Not everyone understands that elevatophobia, like most phobias, can be crippling. But don't be disheartened. Depending on the level of your fear and level of control, you can gradually face and manage your phobia. Here are some recommendations you can try:
  1. Make a List of Everything that Entails Riding in an Elevator This is a systematic approach to getting over your anxiety. By following a step-by-step process, you can identify where the fear kicks in at its strongest. You can write a list of steps like pressing the topmost button and waiting to arrive on that floor, watching as the door closes and opens, being alone inside the elevator, or having delays with the doors opening. Now try doing the opposite. For example, face away from the door or occupy yourself with your phone so that you are distracted.
  2. Create Your Fear Ladder Although the name says fear of elevators, it is not the whole process that scares you. There are just phases and parts of the elevator riding experience that cause you to panic. So go back to the list you initially created and label the fear level you feel. You can do it numerically, too, like ten being 'really scary,' six, 'manageable scary,' and one, 'not scary at all.' You can put the corresponding fear levels so you can focus more time and effort into activities that are more scary to you.
  3. Face Your Fear By now, you have identified what scares you the most. You can try repetitive action to minimize your fear and increase your sense of ‘normalcy’. Remember that the longer you expose yourself to your fear, the better you get at handling your emotions. If you are feeling overwhelmed, stop. Pushing yourself too fast and too soon can backfire. Modify your pace and go slower instead.
  4. Talk About Your Fear People by nature, unfortunately, are not quick to offer understanding and support. You need to tell them what's wrong before they can empathize. Talk to someone who you trust and ask for their support, especially in the initial phase of overcoming your fear. If you are too afraid to ride the elevator alone, you can ask them to go with you, and before you realize it, you are on your floor, and there was no indication of panic.
  5. Learn To Be Patient Be patient with yourself and your predicament. This is, after all, your fight against fear. It might take hundreds of elevator ride practices before the fear gets under control. Even then, there might be some hesitations and episodes of nervousness. These are acceptable and expected, so cut yourself some slack and congratulate yourself for every progress.

Seeking Professional Help

Along with self-help, you can always enlist a medical professional's aid to support you with your elevatophobia. Talking to someone who has experience with similar cases can be comforting, because you know that you are not alone, and this situation can get better. Talk to your doctor about the severity of your fears and the symptoms that you experience. Explain how you deal with it in an attempt to control it. An exam and a health history are made to ensure that there are no unrelated or underlying problems that your symptoms might mask. Usually, phobias like this are approached with a combination of psychotherapy and medication. Your doctor will talk about these options with you, and it's entirely up to you, with your doctor's recommendation, what you want to pursue. For psychotherapy, the most common type is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which aims to help you find different ways of behaving, thinking, and reacting when about to step inside an elevator or when already inside it. With medications, there are beta blockers and benzodiazepines, but note that these can have side effects. Whatever these side effects are, you should promptly share it with your doctor.

Simple Tips to Overcome Elevatophobia

Elevators are not perfect, but their likelihood to malfunction, fall, or get stuck is very low. If you are not fully confident with this information, you can help overcome your elevatophobia by learning common elevator safety tips and basic elevator operations. These should help curb your mild fear until you become more self-assured. In addition to that, here are some of the things that you can do to gradually overcome your fear of elevators—both in getting on and riding one.

Conclusion

Yes, elevatophobia can be a challenge in today's world, but don't allow the elevator to win. Don't let it stop you from taking a job on the top floor or attending a social gathering on the rooftop. Sure, you can take the stairs if you insist and arrive winded and sweaty, with the party about to wrap up. But is this the quality of life you seek? Elevators are designed to make life easier. There are guaranteed ways to help you overcome elevatophobia. Take the first step and seek help. Soon, you’ll see yourself breezing through the floors with those arduous stair climbs little more than a memory.
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