During swimming how to overcome fear of water?

Question

I panic whenever my head is inside the water. It goes back in my early childhood when I was scared with stories about demons, and crazy creatures who would eat you alive.(out of care and love my elders in my family kept me away from water). Now it is having its after effects, Do you have any suggestions? Thank you.

Angel, I used to get nightmares too. Elders told those things(Not sure if it is the right thing to do) to keep their only son from drowning. It might sound funny, I was scared to touch pages in cartoons where they drew water. (Strange isn't it?)

Reft, Widdle I did take swimming lessons. The coach and instructor have found out that I'm a great Diver(maybe I clench my muscles and go way deeper, huh?). Thank you for your valuable words. I will work on it. Thank you.

Answer 1

Take things slow and at your speed. Dont rush dunking your head. And when your brave soul is brave, dunk under with firm feet on the ground, slowly. You dont have to start out by putting your head under completely. Work into this slowly. Good luck!!

Answer 2

swimming can be a lifelong form of pleasurable and invigorating exercise. Fortunately, for adults who have spent a lifetime either too afraid to swim or just uncomfortable in the water, this is a secret eager to be shared because it doesn’t actually belong to the swimmers but to the water itself. It’s simply this: The water wants to hold you up—that is its nature. It should help you in overcoming your fear of swimming to know that no matter what your weight or height, you will find that the water has no problem lifting you
to overcoming your fear. You must feel in control, which involves proceeding in small steps. As you go through the process offered here, move at your own individual pace. Whenever you feel too afraid, return to the point at which you are comfortable. This is crucial. It’s perfectly fine if it takes you months to feel safe in the water; after all, it’s taken your whole life to get to this point

you can just sit on the side of pool, dangling your feet or sitting on steps, just breathing and trying to relax. You may want to close your eyes and imagine a place or situation that you find safe. You can use this image at any point that you become too fearful. Eventually get into the water up to whatever depth you like, probably not any deeper than your chest. You may spend your first sessions walking around, getting used to the water

Whenever you feel ready, you’ll begin these extremely simple steps. Your goal is just to reach the level of a good solid dog paddle, which despite its name is a terrific exercise. At the dog-paddle level, you can stay afloat comfortably, move around and get a great 20 minutes of aerobic activity

Answer 3

Dear Dragonheart, I know exactly how you feel. My mom doesn't swim at all -[ she will sit on the steps of the pool now, though, and my Dad could swim.
I finally decided some day I would have kids, and not want them to be scared - so I learned to swim. [ good thing, too - I married a fisherman/boater, etc.
I even learned to scuba dive - I was so scared on the ride to the first lesson, I was crying in the car! I was the only one who didn't mess up on the 'final' dive [ I was very, very careful!]
I taught my kids to put their faces in the water, in the tub. I f you can manage to prop your feet up on the wall, you can lie down and 'float' hold your breath, exhale, and 'sink'.
Practice floating and sinking at the Y or the gym with a trusted friend, as often as possible.
Work up to laps in the shallow end.
Go out deeper progressively, until you are comfy underwater.
If I can do it, anybody can!
PS: since you are such a philosophical person, why not wear a charm from the sea - to help 'protect' you. Thinking makes it so ...
Good luck!

Answer 4

I was scared of the high dive, I finally jsut did it
(I had before, but with dad not letting me go back down is a bit diffrent...and he only made me do it once, anyhow, that was years before)
I went up and jumped, heart went up, I landed....I made myself do it again..and again...and again..each time after the first three or so, it was easier..I did it about twenty times or so. I am no longer afraid of the high dive, nervous perhaps sometimes, but I don't dread it...it's no longer an unknown or impossible.

Overcome it.
YOU choose to go and do what you are afraid of, and do it over and over, keep it under for five seconds..then ten. and do it over and over. as you can't swim well (it sounds like?) have someone watch you, have a floater close by, maybe on a string so you can still go under and have it.
you are in no danger of dieing if you trust the person(s)
drowning is not that fast.
Over and over, set the goal now and don't let yourself weasle out of it, if you don't you may put it off..forever..next time you are in the pool and it is possible for you to do this. Ask teacher to let you instead, and to watch you if needed.

Couquer it! I love the water now..I used to be scared to death of more then the high dive, now it's my favorite outdoor place..a lake with a boat and a line out behind it. Or a wave runner...
Good luck!!

Reft

Answer 5

I went through the exact same thing.
My mother used to tell me stories about kids being eatten by monsters in the lake, rivers, and oceans were worse.

I found that going to controlled areas like pools and realizing that the water really is safe. As for lakes, keep telling yourself that the lake is free of monsters.

Realize that people are always swimming, boating, and fishing. You don't hear about people being eatten or hurt by the unknown monsters in the waters.

Imagine if this were true, how many stories would be on the news.

Just start with little introductory steps in a public pool. Slowly get your head wet by laying back. Don't overdo it..

Have fun, I am now a swimmer and still have small worries about the lake but I do enjoy the lake.

Answer 6

That's funny I'm scared of water myself. I just don't like oceans or lakes for the same reason. I really have no problems with pools. I have not found a way to not be scared ( I even have nightmares how silly is that?) I know I just feel better if someone is in the water with me and I never go where the water is above my head. good luck

Answer 7

The only way to overcome fear is to face it head on. Try immerse your head in water often and everytime you swim and the fear should subside. I used to fear flying so I went on a long trip to asia that requires 13 total flights and now I have no fear of flying.

Answer 8

In this day and age, there is no shame in having a chat with a psychologist, who could help you with a nice gentle program to desensitize and analyse your fears. Or you could do it yourself. think about the problem and ask yourself about what is really in the water and what the valid dangers are, and what your probablities are of various probs. think of your task in little chunks, and design as many chunks as it takes to get from your next step ( what you would be comfortable in trying now) to your end objective....which could be swimming laps at your pool or even competing in a long open water swim. Good Luck

Answer 9

I think you should take some swimming classes from people who love water. It sounds like you were taught to fear water by people who feared water. Our bodies are mostly water. The earth is mostly water. Water is a good thing!

Answer 10

U have to take a deep breath, close your eyes and just sink your head in the water for a little while. Try doing it in a shallower area of a pool. Somewhere where you can stand, so your aware that your not drowning. Do this everytime and make each time a little longer than before, so slowly youll realize that youll be ok

Answer 11

There's nothing inside that water. Just relax urself & always think of swimming is fun.