Fear of Drowning is Holding Me Back

My fear of drowning is holding me back. I am having swimming classes in school, but I'm getting anxious.

Last year, I was afraid to even step into the water. I would walk back and forth holding the edge while the other classmates are swimming and practising strokes. I panic when I try to float, I panic when the people make waves in the pool, I panic about drowning, and I panic when no one I knows is next to me.

I would love to know how to swim but how can I even swim if my fear is getting in the way? I told my mom about this but she doesn't believe me and that I'm just overreacting every time I step into the pool and can't feel the floor, I have a rapid heart rate and I know it's my fear acting up.

This class is only 45 minutes long, so I don't have time to take my time. I get scared easily, even when washing hair dye off my hair. How can I step into the pool without freaking out?

I have worked with people like you many times over the years, and your fears and anxieties are not uncommon. First of all, you are to be congratulated on taking the bold step of wanting to learn to swim and giving it a go (although you probably don’t get much choice at school). Many people out there would love to learn to swim but will never bite the bullet and do it, so well done so far.

Your fear of water needs to be addressed before you can learn to swim. Learning to swim after conquering your fear of water will be much easier and not made harder by the fact that you had a fear in the first place.

Let’s deal with some facts here, and please forgive me for stating the obvious. We are human beings and not fish; therefore, we do not belong in the water.

There is a phenomenon known as the Diving Response: our heart rate increases when our face becomes wet or submerged. This is a natural response in most average human beings regardless of their fear or swimming ability. The amount the heart rate increases vary from person to person, and it can be multiplied by other factors that affect our attitude to the water, such as past experiences.

Your first and most important hurdle to overcome is learning to deal with your face getting wet and your ability to breathe in a water environment. There are some things you can try out at home in your bathroom, such as splashing water onto your face and blowing bubbles into the water. If the water in and around your eyes is a contributing issue, then try wearing some swim goggles.

The sensations of water on your face and the tickling feeling of bubbles blowing around your mouth and nose will probably freak you out, to begin with, but don’t let that put you off. You are learning to control your Diving Response, and over time, having a wet face and blowing bubbles will become second nature. Then you will begin to relax.

Go to your local pool with a friend and try these things out. In the water of comfortable standing depth, get your face wet, practice breathing, and maybe even practice submerging your face completely. Always remember to slowly breathe into the water and not hold your breath. This will help to relax.

The swimming pool environment is far more intimidating than your bathroom at home. A larger amount of water, people jumping around and being noisy and not to mention all those people doing the one thing you want to learn – swimming! The whole experience can be very off-putting for someone who wants to become comfortable in the water.

This is why it is very important that you only do what you are happy and comfortable doing in the pool. Take things one step at a time and go at your own pace. Once you have learnt how your body behaves in the water and getting splashed and submerged your face becomes second nature then learning to swim is simply a matter of what to do with your arms and legs. That’s the easy part!

Do not be pressured by your 45-minute time limit or by what others are doing in your class. Learn at your own pace. Rome was not built in a day and if you are determined enough then you will do it.

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Scared Of Water and Swimming

I am 64 and have always been scared of water and swimming. I have taken 15 lessons but nothing. I have not learned anything because fear controls me. I can't relax. I float and give up. I AM SO DESPERATE TO LEARN TO SWIM. WHAT DO I DO? AM I USELESS?

Thanks for contacting me and asking for some advice. It sounds like you are determined to learn how to swim, but your fear is holding you back.

Fifteen lessons are not many for an adult with a fear of water. It can take considerably more than that to overcome your fear and learn to relax in the water. Children make learning to swim look as easy as learning to ride a bike, but for an adult, unfortunately, it is not like that, and it can take up to a year to become happy and confident in the water.

That does not mean it can’t be done! Everyone can learn to swim, and everyone learns at different speeds. It’s very much an individual thing.

For now, forget the mechanics of what your arms and legs must do in terms of swimming technique and concentrate on learning to relax and understand how your body behaves in the water. Focus on these three main areas:

1. Holding your breath and submerging. Take a deep breath and slowly submerge, holding the poolside at first if necessary and then trying it without holding on. Do this near the poolside, so you can hold it to help you stand up. Try breathing out into the water whilst submerged, resurface, inhale and then submerge again. This is a great exercise to help you to relax and breathe.

2. Floating and then regaining a standing position. Floating face down, once you have gotten used to holding your breath and submerging, pulling down with your arms and forward with your knees will allow you to lift your face and place your feet on the pool floor again. A slow controlled movement is best. This will give you confidence in your ability to float and stand up mid-swim.

3. Push and glide from the poolside. Pushing away from the poolside and floating or gliding along without kicking your legs or pulling with your arms is a great way to understand how your body behaves in the water. Pushing away with arms extended out in front of you is best, and you will discover that wobbly unbalanced feeling as you glide across the surface. Over time you will become more relaxed and, therefore, more balanced, and hopefully, begin to enjoy the feeling of gliding.

Suppose you practice the above three exercises regularly, as much as possible. In that case, they will hopefully become second nature, and you will have conquered your fear of water and swimming. From there, it is a simple matter of what your arms and legs must do.

Your patience and determination will see you through as long as you accept that it will take time.

My ebook The Complete Beginners Guide To Swimming contains all the help and support you need, from relaxing, floating and breathing to all the technique tips for learning to swim the four basic strokes. Click here for an instant preview or click the link below for more information.

The Complete Beginners Guide To Swimming

The Complete Beginners Guide To Swimming

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