Overcoming Aquaphobia: Coping with Fear of Water

Aquaphobia, affecting 2-3% of Americans, can be effectively managed through evidence-based treatments including cognitive behavioral therapy and exposure therapy with licensed clinical social workers, helping individuals overcome water-related fears and restore quality of life through professional therapeutic support.

Does the sight of a swimming pool send your heart racing, or does the thought of ocean waves trigger instant panic? You're not alone - aquaphobia affects millions of Americans, but with the right therapeutic support, you can transform your relationship with water from fear to confidence.

Fear Of Water—How To Cope With A Challenging Situation

When you have a fear of water (aquaphobia), it can significantly interfere with your daily life. Water is generally considered to be all around us. It can feel almost impossible to avoid.

Everyone who lives with a water-related phobia might react differently to certain stimuli. Understanding triggers and supportive strategies to help can assist many in finding a higher quality of life.

In this article, we’ll explore a range of aquaphobia triggers, define the condition, and learn more about aquaphobia treatments—and how one can live successfully despite any current condition-related challenges that might be present.

What is the difference between aquaphobia and hydrophobia?

Although many might think that aquaphobia and hydrophobia are the same condition, aquaphobia generally relates to a social phobia—wherein you might experience an intense and ongoing fear of water. Hydrophobia, conversely, can be defined as a fear of water that can develop in the latter stages of rabies. For the intents and purposes of this article, we’ll be speaking specifically about aquaphobia and the range of related physical and psychological effects.

How does fear of water manifest?

The fear of water can be a common phobia for many. It can relate in part to the fear of the unknown that can be attributed to certain bodies of water, or it may be of water itself.

For example: A fast-flowing river on a summer’s day may look beautiful to many. However, when you have aquaphobia, you may be frightened of what potentially lies under the surface. You could find your mind conjuring up scenarios of you getting into trouble in the water or perhaps encountering frightening creatures in the water. You may also worry that a fast current might drag you away.

If this fear sounds familiar, telehealth therapy with a licensed clinical social worker can help. Speaking with a ReachLink therapist about your concerns can often be the first step to feeling confident around bodies of water and water-related items.

What causes aquaphobia?

Before you can begin to work through a phobia of water, it can be helpful to first understand what you’re experiencing. There are various causes of water phobia, including:

• Being unused to water: For example—this could occur if you spent your formative years in a land-locked or desert area.
• Experiencing a trauma relating to water: For example, you may have fallen into a body of water and been unable to swim. Or, you might have been pushed into the ocean as a joke and almost drowned. Any fears or past traumas related to water can contribute to aquaphobia.
• Having close relatives or caregivers who are aquaphobic: Having people close to you who are water-phobic can result in that phobia being passed on to you.

What are the symptoms of water phobia?

Aquaphobia can manifest in a range of physical or psychological symptoms. Some of these can include:

• Experiencing panic attacks or feelings of distress at the thought of being near water
• Doing all that you can to avoid water
• Crying, sweating, trembling and feeling as if you’re “losing control” when faced with water-related triggers
• Feeling faint or fainting at the sight of water
• Experiencing shallow breathing, higher blood pressure than normal and hyperventilating when you see water

We do want to note that the above symptoms can vary from person to person depending on the extent of their fear of water. Certain individuals may actively avoid bathing or showering because their phobia is so intense. For some, their phobia might be buried in the subconscious mind—which means that the manifestations may be limited to select physical or psychological symptoms.

This range of experience can mean that certain people may not even be aware that they have a water phobia. They may put practices in place where they merely avoid water rather than exposing themselves to their fears.

Overcoming a fear of water

If you are living with aquaphobia, you’re not alone. It’s estimated that 2-3% of people in the U.S. have been formally diagnosed with the condition.

There are many different forms of therapy to consider that can be helpful in overcoming aquaphobia:

• Cognitive behavioral therapy: Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is generally considered to be a common form of treatment for this condition. Your ReachLink licensed clinical social worker can work with you through secure video sessions to help you remove negative associations and thoughts from your mind. Positive and rational thoughts can then be worked on to replace any negative worries and attitudes.
• Exposure therapy: Exposure therapy is generally considered to be another common strategy to address water phobia. You can work with your therapist to undergo strategic exposures (either virtually or in real life) to help you unlearn feelings of fear associated with a trigger.
• Psychotherapy: If your phobia feels particularly intense, you may benefit from this therapeutic approach with a licensed clinical social worker.
• Referrals when needed: While ReachLink does not provide medication services, our licensed clinical social workers can provide appropriate referrals to qualified medical professionals if medication support might be beneficial alongside your therapy.

Self-help tips to help you cope with aquaphobia: A guide

Overcoming a fear of water, often classified as a specific phobia, can be achieved through conscious mental health efforts and evidence-based interventions. Below, we’ve listed a few self-help techniques and evidence-based interventions to help you cope with the challenges that can be associated with aquaphobia.

Acknowledge your fear

When you’re near water, you may go into fight/flight mode. Your heart may race, you may feel nervous, and you may begin to sweat.

If you feel these symptoms begin to occur, it can be helpful to take steps to regain control and de-escalate the fear you might be experiencing. Accepting aquaphobia is often the first step to conquering it for many!

Pinpoint where your fear came from

Before you face any water-related triggers, it can be helpful to think back to when you remember first becoming scared of it. Was your fear learned from your parents or peers, or was there a specific incident that triggered it? Sometimes, knowing where the fear came from can equip you with the tools to understand, intellectualize and consequently cope with your phobia.

Contradict your negative thoughts

If you’re feeling nervous or negative about a possible exposure, it can be helpful to think of all the times you’ve been near water and things were okay. You might remind yourself that you didn’t fall in and you didn’t drown. You can also reframe your thoughts positively, possibly thinking of all the friends you have who enjoy the water (or the possibly critical role it can play in our bodies).

Learn to manage your anxiety through breathing techniques

Staying aware of your breathing can be helpful as you work to manage symptoms related to anxiety disorders. Recent information suggests that practicing deep, slow breathing techniques—such as diaphragmatic breathing or box breathing—can help lower your heart rate and calm your nervous system. Doing this regularly, especially when you anticipate being near water, can create a sense of calm and control.

Remember, managing aquaphobia is a gradual process that requires patience and self-compassion. By acknowledging your fears, understanding their origins, challenging negative thoughts, and adopting calming strategies like breathing techniques, you empower yourself to take meaningful steps forward.

Whether through self-help methods or with the support of a licensed clinical social worker, you can develop resilience against aquaphobia and improve your quality of life. The key is to move forward at your own pace, knowing that recovery is possible and that water no longer needs to dominate your fears.

Take the first step today—because a life without fear of water is within your reach.