Can it be related, and what are some tips on handling it?

Question

When my daughter was 3 she almost drowned at her aunt‘s house. She stopped breathing, eyes rolled back, stomach was filled with water, and had to be pumped, etc. I was not there, but this is what I was told. She is now going on 8 & since her near drowning 5 years ago, she has this fear of staying behind a closed door hearing the toilet flush. When she was about four years old she would go to the bathroom with the door open & would cry if you made her stay in the public stall or bathroom at home. She now goes to the bathroom with the door close & right before it's time to flush, she opens the door.

Tonight I asked her why does she do that & what does she feel at that moment that makes her open the door & she said fear, but she can't tell me what she fears. She said that she just thinks something is going to come & get her. I was still going to the bathroom with her at 3 that's why I did not notice it until she was 4 & I now see it's not a phase. Could it be related to her near drowning? I am asking because she did have an issue with me washing her hair the first couple of times, but after the 3rd try she was fine even to a point that the very next summer she was in the pool, and didn’t want me to help her because she could feel that her floating bathing suite kept her a float.

Answer 1

When I was younger I had a fear of the toilet. I thought that something was going to some out of it. I think that it was because of a commercial that had germs in the toilet that looked like monsters. I always hurried to get off the toilet. There could be many factors to her behavior. The almost drowning incident could be part of this. She was so young that she probably doesn't remember her experience, but the sound of the water could trigger some memory. She'll probably grow out of it, and then again it could just be a habit now. When you get in the hang of something it tends to stick.

Answer 2

It probably is related. You can sit down and have a talk with her; tell her the toilet won't hurt her and she's too big to fall in anyways, and that she can't open the door like that for the rest of her life. Tell her that water in a toilet is very different from a pool and that you promise she will not get hurt. You can tell her to close the door while she flushes and stay in there and you will wait outside the door and if something bad happens you will come "rescue" her. Be patient, but be firm. Good luck!

Answer 3

I could be related but here's my confession... I am 23 and of a night time, I hate staying in the bathroom when the toilet is flushing. As long as it's not manifesting in any other part of her life and it doesn't affect her,it isn't a big deal for her to open sthe door before she flushes... I mean nobody actually stands in there and waits while the toilet flushes anyways

Answer 4

I think punished princess is pretty close.
It probably has more to do with her being a child than the near drowning.
I have 5 kids, and 2 of mine didn't like the door closed the whole time they were going.
Don't bring attention to it.
Let her grow on her own.
Good luck.

Answer 5

All three of my kids are wary of bathrooms, especiallly the automatic flushing ones, they used to throw a fit going into those ones. They are doing better now. I think maybe its a kid thing and not quite related. It is after all pretty loud and a bit scary that it sucks down forcefully.

Answer 6

It is probaly realted and she ca't remember what really happen. you could sit down with her and tell her what happened and stuff and let her try it work it out and try and talk with her to work it out also. it will take quite a number of years before it stops i would think. she may not want to be in tight place either which is maybe enclosure which is what she is thinking just good luck