Overcoming fear of water and enjoying the beach

January 19, 2017

Scary fish that bite your toes off. A treacherous bottom that feels dirty when you stand in it and also seems to suck you in. Cloudy water that makes it hard to see what is swimming below you and then all the fears of human feces that may be in the water when you go to a swimming pond. Overcoming fear of water or actually fear of water, such as fear of the sea or a swimming pond, is important to enjoy summer to its fullest again.

To make sure you don't have to make excuses when someone wants to go to the beach with you, in this article I will discuss fear of water and how to overcome it.

What is fear of water?

The specific fear of water that I write about in this blog is officially called thalassophobia. This phobia means that you are not even specifically afraid of water, but afraid of what is in the water.

For example, you might be afraid of fish nibbling on your toes. Or you're afraid of seaweed that can wrap around your legs leaving you unable to move.

Even a common jellyfish or crab can trigger the fear that causes you to experience panic, nausea, and other physical symptoms resulting from anxiety.

For example, I know someone who actually finds the sea super scary. The beach is okay, but actually swimming is a no-go. The sea makes a lot of noise, there can be strong currents, people get lost at sea and what about sharks?

Once she was convinced to take a dip anyway, also because the water in the Mediterranean Sea is slightly warmer than our North Sea, she was promptly bitten by a jellyfish.

And the anxiety was back.

In addition to a fear of swimming in the ocean, a fear of water can also make you reluctant to travel over water. For example, you might find it nerve-wracking to drive across a bridge. What if it suddenly collapses and you can’t get out of the car? You’d rather fly to London than take the boat.

Traveling by water can also be a barrier too high for water anxiety.

In the process, it can also affect the work you want to do. You can no longer work on ships or offshore because of the fear. Research also shows that the fear of water affects your working memory, both positively (with a little fear) and negatively (with a lot of fear)( 1).

The origins of thalassophobia

Still, that fear of water must have originated somewhere. In the case of the acquaintance of mine, the unknown of the sea may have been the cause. She never actually went to the sea as a child, and all vacations went to the mountains and not to the sea.

Unknown makes unloved, shall we say.

The solution, then, is simply to go to the beach more often and find that your fears are not based on anything. Unfortunately, the jellyfish threw a spanner in the works regarding her "own devised treatment" for her fear of the sea and actually turned the irrational fear into a kind of rational fear.

But being eaten by a shark hasn't happened. So that fear can certainly be allayed.

Fear of the sea can also arise from a variety of beliefs that are wrong. For example, the 2004 tsunami had a major impact on fear of the sea for many people. What if a tsunami comes? In the Netherlands and also in the Mediterranean, that is actually a very irrational fear.

Thereby, there are clear warning systems in other areas of the world so you don't have to be afraid of that.

Watching movies does not help reduce fear of water either. Of course, the most famous movie that has influenced beliefs about the sea is Jaws. In this film series from the 1970s, one victim after another was eaten by a white shark.

Even today, films are still being made that can cause deep fears such as 2003's Open Water. This film is about 2 people who are accidentally left in the middle of the ocean during a diving trip. The fear of the sea is then, of course, quickly established.

A diving vacation is then out of the question for some people.

In addition, past experiences can also make you prefer not to go into the sea or a swimming pond. For example, that drek or a touch on your leg that you didn't know what it was. Or perhaps the current of the sea that pulled very hard on your legs.

Treating fear of water

Fears are generally treated with hypnosis and/or cognitive behavioral therapy. A fear of water, incidentally, is a fear that is more common among people who also suffer from other fears.

What hypnotherapy does during such a treatment is find out why you are actually afraid of water or the sea.

For example, the beliefs you hold may come to light during a conversation while you are under hypnosis.

Make known and make loved

In the case of unknown makes unloved, confrontations with the fear of water can cause the fear to be reduced so at least you can have another fun day at the beach.

This is done, for example, through guided visualizations of the sea and viewing images and videos of the sea.

Make the bad guy a good guy

In the case of wrong beliefs created by seeing too many movies in which the sea is the "bad guy," the wrong beliefs are weakened and correct beliefs are placed.

This is done with hypnotherapy. Initially, the illogic of the wrong beliefs is demonstrated and also edited so that they become weaker in the mind of the person with sea fear.

You then gain new beliefs through hypnotic suggestions. These suggestions can include:

The white shark is not found on the Dutch coast.
There are many other people who also swim in the Netherlands, so you are never alone.
You can't get caught in seaweed.
It is clearly stated when the current is too strong, then just don't enter the water.

Then you can reinforce these kinds of suggestions at home by applying self-hypnosis daily. During self-hypnosis, you relax in a comfortable place in your home, such as on your couch or bed. Focus on your breathing and close your eyes. Then repeat the suggestions aloud or in your head.

If you find this difficult, your hypnotherapist can record the suggestions for you so you can listen to them, for example, via an MP3 file.

Research also suggests that restructuring beliefs helps reduce this type of anxiety ( 2).

Recover a cause from the past

In addition, there is often a past cause. Until the age of ⁷, life experiences can have a lot of effect on your beliefs and even your character. If something bad happens to water during that time, it can cause you to develop a fear of water. Many fears originate in childhood ( 3).

You can also develop a fear of water later in life. For example, if you’ve ended up in a ditch with your car, this can cause you to have a full-blown panic attack around water due to the memory of the accident and the suffocating feeling that you might have drowned as your car slid into the ditch.

This feeling is actually quite irrational if you just go to a swimming pool to have a good day.

Through regression therapy, it’s possible to recall the memory that caused your fear of water. The results can be quite surprising.

Regression allows you to look at memories with very different eyes. For example, you then take a little more distance from the emotions you had at the time to look at the event from a different angle.

This alone can make beliefs that cause you to fear the sea disappear and you can go back to the beach in peace.

Turning on Safety

Another technique that can be used with hypnotherapy is to learn how to make yourself feel safe. The hypnotherapist can help you with this initially. Then you are given a post-hypnotic suggestion that ensures you can call up that safe feeling when you need it.

Usually this is done by visualizing some kind of button that allows you to "turn on" that feeling that still allows you to remain calm when you are by the sea.

How long does it take for fear of water to go away?

If a phobia is created quickly, a phobia can also disappear quickly. That's actually the good news. The bad news is that this time is not the same for everyone. If the phobia has built up gradually, it may be the case that it is also gradually phased out.

But are you the type who gets really barfy by the sea? Then you can get rid of your fear in just 10 minutes after getting help from a hypnotherapist.

Would you like to learn more about hypnotherapy and other mental techniques to reduce anxiety? Then join a free online masterclass or check out the courses offered by the Hypnosis Institute of the Netherlands.

Also pin this handy infographic:

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