Is the fear of deep water a common phobia?

[Getting_There]

I have alays had a fear/phobia of deep water which I think, although I am not sure, relates back to my swimming lessons at school. I could never get the hang of breathing to the side which meant I wasnt able to swim long distances. I nearly drowned in a busy swimming pool while on holiday in my late 40s!

Does anyone have this fear? They always say you just lay back and float but it has never worked for me.

 

[Admin]

This is an interesting subject because a fear of water is a "healthy" fear because it can be dangerous for anyone. I would be interested to learn the difference between a fear of deep water and a phobia of deep water - can anyone explain the difference in practical terms? How does it make you feel? When does a fear of water turn into a phobia?

 

[LynnyB]

Is this not one of the fears we are born with? Then again, we swim in fluid before we are born so maybe not. Im confused lol

 

[Getting_There]

I have never understood the fear of water in generel as were swimming around in fluid for months before we were born,. Can anyone explain this?

 

[Helprequired]

This is one of the reasons why I think it is very important to teach children how to swim at a very very early age. They need to respect but not fear water.

I had swimming lessons at school but I could never quite grasp the skill in breathing and swimming at the same time - very important if you want to survive lol To my shame I cant really swim and I am (cough cough) a lot older now lol