I'm hydrophobic and learning to swim up to this point has been a disaster

[Henry_shalom]

I wasn't at all exposed to water as a kid growing up and that in itself has had a profound effect on me now that i'm an adult. To put it bluntly, i'm terrified. 

There was one night i was heading home from  a friend's apartment and it poured heavily. My neighbourhood was lightly flooded and the thought of walking through the water, which was at the most part below my knees was extremely frightening. Because i wasn't left with much choice i ended up walking through it with my heart in my mouth, shaking like a leaf. I have always wanted to learn how to swim just in case i run into such predicament, but never found the courage to.

Just recently an acquaintance from my college days who is a certified fitness instructor asked me if i know how to swim. I have always wanted to be part of his fitness brand and this seemed like an invitation to. Telling him no was embarrassing and that propelled me to do something about it. 

I went to a public swimming pool last Sunday and after paying for the services, i almost ended up leaving without getting any action, because i was scared to death. Someone encouraged me to give it a shot, and so with a heavy heart and a leap of faith i got into the pool for the first time in my life. I tiptoed around it with my hands above ground and to me that was a win. It felt good that i was making progress.

I haven't found an instructor yet, so today i opted to go with a colleague from work who is a good swimmer to try and learn a few basics, but it ended up being a disaster. I couldn't grasp the simple tips he threw at me. As an asthmatic patient, holding my breath for 5 seconds underwater was a major challenge, because i'm always gasping for air all the time. 10 minutes in the pool and i was shivering, which makes me wonder if i'm physiologically built for this. I'm deeply discouraged.

Any recommendations?

[basil67]

Hi Henry, good on you for making this decision.  

I'd suggest you work with a psychologist or at least, a swim teacher who is experienced with water phobia.  The fitness instructor may not know how to do this, and a person who can swim well doesn't necessarily know how to teach swimming, let alone deal with a phobia.

My uneducated opinion is that it sounds to me like you're taking this too fast and you might make things worse.  I'm from a culture where we all grow up swimming and we don't start our kids nearly as quickly as what you're doing.  We get them used to it little by little and we don't progress to the next stage until we have the previous stage conquered.  If your local pool has a children's pool, I'd start with sitting in the very very shallow part and getting comfortable with that.  Or sit on the edge of the shallow pool with just your feet in the water.  

There are also quite a lot of links about dealing with water phobias if that's of any help.  

 

[Henry_shalom]

Thank you basil. Appreciate your feedback. 

Edited December 26, 2021 by Henry_shalom

[basil67]

You're welcome.   Don't rush yourself.  Wait till you get to the stage of being able to relax with each step before moving to the next

 

Edited December 26, 2021 by basil67

[Henry_shalom]

I pondered on everything you've said and i think my problem is the high expectations i placed on myself. I'll simply do as you've said...till i find myself a certified instructor.

Once again, thank you.

[glows]

Henry, you’ll gain more confidence with more exposure and training. Hopefully your fears may subside with time.

I was asthmatic (much more so as a child than now) and I still learned to control my breathing and stay calm. I say this to give you encouragement even though we are all different and take time to learn and acclimatize to new environments. Also, inform your instructor of your asthma if he/she doesn’t ask. 

There is no time like the present and I admire your desire to learn. 

[Wiseman2]

Quote

Aquaphobia, or fear of water, is a fairly common phobia. Like all phobias, it may vary dramatically in severity from person to person. Some people are only afraid of deep water or strong waves, while others fear swimming pools and bathtubs.

Ok. Since it may be an isolated phobia or in the context of more general anxiety, see your physician for an evaluation of your mental and physical health as well as follow up on better asthma control.

If anxiety and stress worsen your asthma, discuss that with your doctor.

Ask for a referral to a qualified therapist for ongoing support and to address the phobia and anxiety and better management and coping skills to adjust to the asthma.

[Henry_shalom]

13 hours ago, glows said:

Henry, you’ll gain more confidence with more exposure and training. Hopefully your fears may subside with time.

There is no time like the present and I admire your desire to learn. 

A good friend of mine encouraged me just like you did, and i'm grateful to you both.

Thank you!

[Henry_shalom]

13 hours ago, Wiseman2 said:

 

Ask for a referral to a qualified therapist for ongoing support and to address the phobia and anxiety and better management and coping skills to adjust to the asthma.

I'm from a third world country. And as much as i want to talk to one, i don't think there are any certified therapists in this part of the city where i'm currently at.

 

[searching heart]

One of the first things to learn is floating on your back. It's taught in beginners class and it's probably the best thing to know as if you get tired you can float and rest.  That one ability takes a lot of fear out of swimming .