Fear of Pool Drains?

Question

I was wondering... Is there a name for a fear of pool drains? Ever since I was little, I have always been afraid of pool drains. I used to be afraid of the black lines, and the lights too, but I outgrew that. However, I am still afraid of drains. It's not a fear of being sucked into the drain, it's just like a phobia. Does anyone else have this phobia, and if so, what is it called?

Answer 1

 im 11 and i also have the worst phobia of bathtub drains and pool drains and when i mean fear i mean flat out im not touching that creepy thing! ever since i was little i would flip my lid over my bathtub drain because it was just dark and made that noise when it drains and starts to gurgle and i just start to shiver. im scared of pool drains for like no reason thoe. its just a fear of the blackness of the pool drain. im glad im not the only one with this fear so know i dont feel like a baby.

Answer 2

I'm also terrified of pool drains and also don't like even the drain in the bathtub...still creeps me out whenever I'm done getting a bath and pull the plug.  I've had this problem for decades.  How I even came across this website was because my husband had to remove the toilet from the floor today because it was leaking thus exposing the flange/pipe in the floor.  It just freaked me out.  Got that dizzy/weak feeling of panic.  I know it's not logical but I can't even stand to look at it.

Answer 3

I hate drains! when i was 3 or 4 i used to swim a lot,but then i was only allowed in shallow water. I begged to go in the deep end,and finally when I turned 5 I was allowed. My first time i went in was at a pool in florida,and that was before they had that duel drain rule or whatever and I found myself right over a huge old rusty metal drain!the suction was pulling me under,and i yelled and screemed.I swam to the shallow end in a flash,and NEVER EVER wanted to swim again. when I was 8 my parents signed me up for a ymca swim lessons.The pool had 4 Medium sized flat drains on the bottom of the pool in the middle lane. I always asked my swim teacher if we could use the side lanes and it was okay.she only had us go halfway to the deep end.Then again,my Mom signed me up for swim again this year,and there are new drain covers that are elavated off the ground.But the teacher is strict and I wasn't lucky. she always wanted to use the middle lane,and I had to go first, while doing the backstroke. I like having people in front ,back and at the sides of me while by any drains for safety.I also like to look at the drains to see how far they are from me, so i hate the backstroke.I dont know how i ever got past that day,but i did.One day my sister had me touch the drain in shallow water in the smaller warm pool during freetime, after class.to show me there was nothing to be afraid of.i am stll afraid of drains. I am now 11 years old.

I hate drains so much. is there any way i can get over this?

Answer 4

So yeah, i'm 13. I have been afraid of water equiptment for a while. My mum tells me, and I DO remember this day, we wet on holiday and there was this big pool. It has one of those "fun" umbrella/mushroom looking things there, and water came out of the top. Also there was a drain covering almost HALF the swimming pool, (yes it was massive too!) and jets and lights all up the sides. To other kids it was bliss. For a day or two I loved it! But then one day, my mum told me I didn't like going in. She found out I was scared of the equiptment! A few months back I did swimming in P.E, and there are about 6-13 big grate drains at the bottom of the pool. My teacher threw this big heavy brick down and told me to dive down and get it. My first thought was, "f**k NO." But she made me. I ran out of breath and panicked, and got out with tears streaming down my face. Wondering why? Imagine a wall of pool jets, my worst fear of them all, and big grate drains that were gugling at me. I told one of my friends, and they didn't understand. They thought it would help if they pushed me in a pool. It really didn't! And to anybody with this fear, you would know, well lets just say I could sit here all night typing away about this. And it's scares me to death. Just the look of those pool jets. I'm fine if they are out of water, and not on. Or I can touch only 3 jets in my close friends hot tub, but I keep my feet tucked upo and out of the way of the air jet and pool drain. And I want to see someone but I feel stupid.

Answer 5

Yes finnaly some people with the same fear. well im scared because because i think it will pull me down to the bottom and keep me there till i drown. I have a reason though when i was little my sis would say come on lets go to the drain in the pool and when we get there she would be over there she would go under and pretend it was sucking her down. But every summer i comfrunt it and get over it but over the winter i get scared agin

Answer 6

I'm 17 and have always been terrified of pool drains. Also the water jets on the sides of the pool. I think one of the reasons they scare me is because I'm not the best swimmer. There is a place called Miracle Hot Springs about 40 miles from me. I go there in the mornings to slowly wake up in nice, hot water. In their big pool outside there is a HUGE drain that I will NOT get within 10 feet of. Nice to know I'm not the only one who suffers with this!!!

Answer 7

My gosh I didn't know so may people had the same kind of phobia 0o.

I do lots of lap swiming ( and preety good at it) but I  get  fearful if I ever have to swim in a lane that has the drains along it (the 50m pool I go to has 2 lanes with 4 of the drains along each one)

Just wierd I don't why I'm scared of them and have been ever since i can remember (I'm 15)

Answer 8

So relieved. Thank you. I can sleep in peace knowing I'm not the only one with this fear.

Just the look of them. The sight of them.

One time I went to Seaworld with my family and we went to go see Shamu the whale. The tank has about a 4 foot wall that goes up from the ground made of glass so you can look into the tank. I was just a little kid, but when I looked into the tank and saw the HUGE drain I got dizzy and felt panicked. My mom had to grab me from falling over. Not fun.. not fun.

Answer 9

I am 17 and have always been scared of pool drains. I discovered that im 50 times as afraid of them if there is water. if no water then im good enough to even touch them. I love to swim and dive deep to the bottom but stay way clear of the drain.

Answer 10

I CAN'T STAND POOL DRAINS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  This is worst phobia i have ever had!!!!!! I know i'm not the only pearson with this fear but, what i feel like is that I'm the only pearson who has it this bad. When i was just a little todler baby, I geuss i didn't notice those nasty black suctions at the bottom. I wasn't even allowed out of the shallow end because i was too small. But 2, maybe 3 years later, I started to swim again and the moment i layed eyes on the putrid thing i felt SERIOUSLY panicy. I have only once in my life touched one and I felt like that sensation was waaaaaaaayyyyyyy worse than dieing. I have never been so scared of anything in my life, I think i need mental therapy because it is so bad. I need MAJOR help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 11

I searched in google for this and I was so relieved that so many people have the same phobia! Im really scared of both the inlets and the drains.  It started when i was a kid and I was watching a TV programme with my sister and a young girl got her hair caught in a drain.  This really freaked me out! Im 22 and I really want to do a scuba diving course but the only difficulty is that i wil need to do 4 pool dives! I love swimming but im so scared to swim in a pool that i don't know!! I'll be fine with the open water though. Strange, eh....?? 

Answer 12

The law that was changed, I believe, is called the Virginia Graham Baker law.  Her grandfather was James Baker, the former politician who helped push the law through. A recent writer talked about the lifeguard kid who got his arm stuck in a pool drain.  I remember that story as well, so I went to YouTube and if you want to get freaked out big time, check it out.  It was an older Rescue 911 show, with William Shatner, 1989. Of course, it's a re-enactment, but still, it's enough to give you nightmares.  He was actually looking for goggles that some kid dropped in the deep end.  If this one doesn't get to you, nothing will.  Just type in "fear of pool drains." Watch at your own risk!

Answer 13

The reality is that bad things can happen with large pool drains..at least the older pools.  Also, there have been some horrific stories with toddlers and drains in kiddie pools.  Fortunately, standards have changed, and most pools are now required to have the dome shaped cover on...reduces the suction.  I don't know, the pool where I took my kids this summer looked like they had the same d**n drain grates to me.  A couple of years ago, I was at a conference in Florida, and this resort had a "lazy river"...so, we all got on our tubes and started to float.  I began to notice that at every curve or junction, there was a cluster of at least 3 drains...fairly large, with the silver grates.  You could see the slight eddies and whirlpools.  Sheesh, as if a big pool isn't bad enough, this lazy river must have had these cluster drains every 20-30 ft.  d**n, I made sure that my feet were well of the water line.  Completely silly, but there you have it, another victim of drainaphobia.

Answer 14

I am 14 and i swim on a club team. i am a pretty good swimmer (top 40 for my age nationally) so i have been to a lot of big scary pools with big scary drains. it sucks ive been afraid since i was little. its not a fear of the suction its a fear of the look of it. i cant really explain it but every time i have a race where there is a drain in my lane i have to close one or both eyes, and focus on not looking at the d**n thing during my race, which distracts me from the race and my stroke which is a bummer. i dont know how to get over it and i need help if i want to achieve my goals (Div. 1 NCAAs)

Answer 15

I had a chuckle after reading the last post.  You see, I was also a lifeguard as well many years ago. But here's what did it for me.  I remember watching a news special one summer night, it was about a lifeguard who was in the process of cleaning an actual drain...they turned the pump off, he went to the bottom and lo and behold, even though the pump was turned off,he didn't know that it would take a few minutes for the actual suction to stop.  So, what happened next just freaked me out...his hand apparently got sucked up to his elbow...so he was basically trapped.  The other lifeguards took turns going down to give him air by mouth, until the pump pressure actually stopped.  He lived, but ended up with a bruised, broken arm.  I swear, a true story.  Anyone remember that one?  The thing is...as lifegurads, we were asked to do that as well...with the grate on, mind you.  I remember thinking of every reason and excuse not to go down..."I have an earache,"...etc.  So here's the thing...some of you talk about not being afraid of being sucked in by a drain, it's just the "darkness" you can't see down in the drain, etc.  BS I say...what's the purpose of a drain?  It sucks water down...makes a whirlpool, sucking, gurgling noises.  That's the exact psychological and physical impact of a drain.  Look what it did to that lifeguard kid with the arm.  You're afraid you might get trapped.

Answer 16

Drainophobia it is!  Yep, count me in.  It started when I was little growing up in Michigan.  we used to go to Canada a lot, and one time on vactaion we stayed at this old motel...they had a large and small pool area, and I remember stepping on the drain in the small pool.  I could feel the suction on my foot and it just freaked me out.  Somehow, irrational as it was, the older I got...I just about had a coronary with the big, old pools...the deep ones with the black grates.  I lifeguarded for several years at the city pool sand beaches, and I'll never forget one thing i had to do to pass the test...the instructor would drop this 10 lb black rubber brick off the deep end straight down....we would have to dive down and retrieve the d**n brick and bring it up.  This particualr pool didn't have crystal clear water...hazy, fuzzy, and to this day I don't how the h**l I managed to dive down in 12 ft. of water to get that brick.  It rested about 4" from the drain and you could hear the gurgling noises.  d**n, my heart rate's jumping as I write this!  To this day, I'm not really afraid of jumping or diving into a deep end..I just make sure that I keep my eyes shut, and immediately flex and strain to get to the surface as fast as I can.  Any of you actually scout a pool's deep end before going in?  Admit it now...you walk around and gage the type of drain...depth of the pool, is it directly over the diving board?

Answer 17

Absolutely terrified of those things and not sure why! Maybe because once when I was little, my brother's girlfriend had a 14 foot deep pool and I once saw the lid tilted off the drain.. and seeing that blackness down in there scared the c**p out of me. I really can't stand the grate drains because they are so dark inside.... I don't know what to do about the phobia but I can't even stand the thought of my little daughter ever jumping in the deep end without me.. I don't know if I could ever get over the fear enough to save her if she ever had a problem in the deep end and that's why I rarely take her swimming. Funny part is, I know how to swim and I'm a decent swimmer!

Answer 18

I absolutley hate pool drains. Im only 17 and i really hate them. And because i hate them i rarely like to go swimming that much. I dont know why i dont like them but they just freak me out. I also have a phobia of normal outside floor drains too. I hate it!

Answer 19

I know exactly how you feel! It's the same thing every summer: going of the boards or swimming to close to the thing creeps me out (that's why this summer I've decided not to go of the boards LOL) But smaller drains, I have no fear for some reason. It must be the bigger the drain the worse it is. *shakes head* It's gotten a little better over the years, but the metal grate at the bottom of the deep end will always scare me for whatever reason. *sigh* ... At least I'm not alone.

Answer 20

im only 10 but i hate swimming in the deep end. im a good swimmer but i like staying safe in the shallow end were i can stand up. i thought i was alone with this fear. i like to keep it to my self but its hard. th elocal pool i go to is 12 ft deep. i only go into the deep end when other people are there.
i never go in alone. i recently joined theese swimming lessons that you must put your head beneath the water. it freaks me out. im whith that with drains to. i can never swim over them. they terrify me but i dont know why. pleese help!

Answer 21

Ya know... I have to do this stupid test every year at camp to check your swimming ability, and I'm always so scared of the drain, I nearly drown every time and once I didn't pass.  I felt embarrassed to say something to my swin instructor but I really have no choice.  What do I do?  Can I be helped or will I be forever stuck with my irrational fear of pool drains.

Answer 22

MEEEEEEEEEE TOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!  
Ever since I was a little baby, always.  Don't like the black lines, lights, skimmers, vacuum tubes, or the little jets.  But I'm almost over jets.  When I jump off the diving board, I swim to the shallow end as fast as I can. Don't know what exactly scares me about it, but like you said, not being sucked into it, just the fact its a drain.   Honestly though, its kind of funny.  I laugh at myself for this fear.  Then I threaten to slap people who push me into the deep end w/ the drain over there.

Answer 23

im 32 and have had this fear all my life. i thought i was the only one with this fear.

Answer 24

I have the exact same thing.. It used to be the lines as well.. but now It's just the drains. And yeah its not being sucked in or anything like that... it's just a fear... and I've always wanted to know if there was an actual name for it, cause I told one of my friends once when I was really little, and she didn't understand.. and now my parents think I've out grown it, but I havent :S

Answer 25

trust me... ive had this fear since years and it freaks you out like s**t !! especially when your swimming and then that freak  thing just shows up below you and it totally freaks you out. i remember once when i was a kid and i was swimming... i went to the deep end and then suddenly my hand or finger touch the drain and it felt really yuck!! i started freaking out and i wanted to cry......... i hate drains !!!!!!!!
glad im not the pnly one with this problem !!

Answer 26

Yep I am just a kid and Im am scared of those Im still in middle school but all my friends say in high school you have to
swim for 1 a month as PE and we do that in 10th grade as well as 8th I don't know what to do!

Answer 27

I have EXACTLY the same thing.  People always say 'are you scared you're going to be sucked down' NO!!! !I just hate them, they look like a big black abyss!!

Answer 28

i have the same fear but only with grate drains. the new anti trapment drains ( there flat at the top with slots at the side to suck in the water) dont bother me too much because i cant see down the drain. my local swimming pool still has grate drains and i will not even go near the deep end but when i was in cyprus our hotel swimming pool had the anti trapment drains and i was actualy diving into the deep end! maybe some people with the fear of drains may be caused because they can see down the drain but because its so dark its quite terrifing because you do not know what is in there

Answer 29

I just hate pool drains. I dont know what it is about them.. they just freak me out..
Maybe because you dont know whats underneath it..
I just purely hate them

Answer 30

I too have had this fear for many years. I started having swimming lessons when I was 2, and I'm thinking somewhere during that time someone told me a terrible story about drains. It's been 24 years since then, and my fear is still the same. I would start to forget about it, then there would be some Rescue 911, or Baywatch episode where someone would get stuck in the drain, and my fear would be brought back full strength. I was feeling pretty comfortable, and then that new Final Destination came out dammit!!! lol

Answer 31

I wish I knew the name myself. I'm 35 and still get queezy when I see that long metal grate at the bottom of the pool. I'm shaking now just picturing it. I'm glad that I'm not alone though, because I feel like a tool for being in my 30s and having a fear of a darn pool drain.

Answer 32

I understand what you all are saying. I have been terrified of drains since I was little. My mom said when I was a baby (old enough to sit up on my own) she'd put me in the tub and that I'd scream when she let the water out! She then realized that if she moved me to the back of the tub when she started to drain it, I did not scream. She figured out I was afraid of drains. I used to love to swim. As a child I was afraid of drains so, I never went past the deep end but, as I got older I am so terrified that I will not even go swimming anymore!!!! I thought these fears were suppose to diminish with age? Anyway, I don't know what the phobia is called, I'm still trying to learn that for myself! You are NOT AT ALL alone with your fear though! Lots of people are scared of drains! Look it up on youtube or any other site and you'll see!

Answer 33

I understand what you all are saying. I have been terrified of drains since I was little. My mom said when I was a baby (old enough to sit up on my own) she'd put me in the tub and that I'd scream when she let the water out! She then realized that if she moved me to the back of the tub when she started to drain it, I did not scream. She figured out I was afraid of drains. I used to love to swim. As a child I was afraid of drains so, I never went past the deep end but, as I got older I am so terrified that I will not even go swimming anymore!!!! I thought these fears were suppose to diminish with age? Anyway, I don't know what the phobia is called, I'm still trying to learn that for myself! You are NOT AT ALL alone with your fear though! Lots of people are scared of drains! Look it up on youtube or any other site and you'll see!

Answer 34

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Answer 35

"Aquaventaphobia"