Fear of depth can arise for various reasons, but it is especially common in people who have not been taught to swim properly and who have faced a serious risk of drowning at least once in their life. You can get rid of this phobia with patience and using the right methods.
Fighting Depth Fears: First Steps
It is very important to get used to water gradually, moving on to each new stage of getting rid of the phobia only when the previous one is completed and assimilated. There is no need to rush, otherwise you will not achieve the desired result. Prepare for a few months to get rid of your phobia.
To speed up the process, you can work with an experienced professional. However, even in this case, there is no need to force events.
First, learn to swim at shallow depths, keeping on your back. This will help you feel the water pushing your body out. It is necessary that there are people nearby who will help you. This will allow you to get rid of fear and concentrate on the sensations. As soon as the fear of depth again makes itself felt, immediately remember that there are those nearby who will certainly help you.
Once you get used to staying on your back, move on to deeper workouts. Step into the water up to your chest, raise your arms and let them stay on the surface. Then try bouncing slightly, tucking your legs and feeling the water pushing you out. Let the feeling of having your feet not touching the bottom stop scaring you. Get used to the idea that you can swim calmly, regardless of whether we are talking about a depth of 2 m or 20 m.
How to deal with fear of depth
When you have mastered light jumps and other exercises, move on to the next stage. Go into the water up to your neck, jump, press your legs to your chest and quickly move your arms to stay on the surface longer. Your goal is to accustom yourself to the idea that hand movements are holding you, which means you will not drown.
As you get used to this exercise, with each jump, imagine that the bottom gradually moves away, but you can still easily stay on the surface.
Finally, move on to swimming. As you float along the path in the pool, imagine that there is a very deep bottom in the center of the structure, but you can easily overcome it, because you are perfectly floating on the surface. Start exercising only when you feel well and try not to be exhausted. You should always feel that you can easily cover the required distance, as this instills confidence and helps to cope with the fear of depth.
It's good if you can work out with an experienced trainer who will not only teach you how to swim perfectly, but also help you gain confidence in your abilities. When swimming becomes an enjoyable experience, the phobia will be a thing of the past.
