All About Aquaphobia, the Fear of Water, and How to Overcome it with Psychological Therapy & Counselling

What is Aquaphobia?

Aquaphobia is the Fear of Water and, like all other fears and phobias, can be a cause of significant anxiety and stress if you suffer from it.

There may be a number of reasons why you developed Aquaphobia such as:

• Negative experiences with Water in the past.
• Thalassophobia fear of the sea.
• Ablutophobia the fear of bathing.
• Frigophobia fear of the cold.
• Gymnophobia the fear of nudity.

Additionally, there is no scientific evidence that Aquaphobia is the result of any kind of biological fault or chemical imbalance in spite of the traction that biomedical models of mental illness are given in the media.

On the contrary, Aquaphobia is much more likely to be the result of your own, subjective evaluation (meaning-making) of what happened to you and is therefore a psychosocial phenomenon.

Aquaphobia Symptoms & Behaviours

All phobias, including Aquaphobia, create feelings of anxiety because phobic objects or situations are always perceived as a threat.

Consequently, the symptoms of Aquaphobia are both specific and generic and may include:

• Fear or anxiety about being near water.
• Panic attacks or anxiety attacks in situations where water is present or anticipated to be present.
• Avoidance of situations that may involve water, such as swimming or holidays near the sea.
• Physical symptoms such as rapid heartbeat, sweating, trembling, and shortness of breath when faced with water.
• Feeling of helplessness or being out of control in the presence of water.
• Intrusive thoughts or nightmares related to water.
• Depression, irritability, or other mood changes related to water.

You may have all, some or even different symptoms to these listed here and this is due to the subjective nature of Aquaphobia.

However, it is important to be aware that your symptoms WILL subside over time and rarely last for more that 20 to 30 minutes.

What Causes Aquaphobia?

It’s possible that your Aquaphobia may be the result of traumatic events or adverse situations that you experienced in your earlier developmental years.

You may, for example, have had a near drowning experience in childhood and are now terrified whenver you go near water.

However, because a Fear of Water is by no means universal, the most likely explanation for your Aquaphobia is your subjective evaluation of earlier experiences around which you have developed a set of beliefs.

Counselling and Therapy for Aquaphobia

We offer a number of different types of therapy and counselling for Aquaphobia the Fear of Water.

Choosing the most suitable therapy depends on a number of different considerations including factors such as:

• How long you have had the problem.
• Your personal preferences.
• How your problem is affecting you today.

You can read more about the different types of therapy for Aquaphobia on the following links:

• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Aquaphobia
• Counselling for Aquaphobia
• Pluralistic Therapy for the Fear of Water

Although all therapies use slightly different approaches, the one thing they all have in common is the relationship that is formed between the client and therapist.

Furthermore, research also suggests that the therapy relationship may be the most important factor in achieving a good therapy outcome.

Arrange your FREE initial consultation here.

If you’d like to find out more about overcoming Aquaphobia or recovering from related mental health problems then why not arrange a free initial consultation with us.

During this consultation we will discuss your particular phobia and the different types of mental health counselling we offer without you having to commit to any counselling going forward.

The consultation lasts around 50 minutes and is a great opportunity to meet with either Paul or Joan and decide if you would like to proceed with any support.