Swimming????

Question

i had a bad experience when i was 10 i almost drowned in a motel pool and just recently i went to camp and my friend wanted me to swim in the river with her, i did but i didn't go out too far because i was scared to death. I AM scared to death of deep water and I was wondering if anyone knew how to overcome water fears??

Answer 1

Than just don't go! Rather to be safe than sorry!

Answer 2

I have heard the only way to overcome your fear of water is to actually go out and swim in the water. It sounds wierd but people say it works.

Answer 3

I think people have a natural fear of deep water, I did.  I think it's because you have more faith in your ability to stand and walk than you do in your ability to swim and float.  Practice is the only thing that I think can help (maybe hypnosis?)  Start in a pool so that you know you can reach the side and that someone is there to save you if you happen to panic.  Then learn to believe in yourself.  Practice makes perfect.

Answer 4

take it slow

the exact same thing happened to me when i was 8

until 2 years ago (13) i hadn't really swam

one thing you can do is go to your local pool and ask if you can borrow a life-jacket for the day, then wear it and keep diving in the deep end

eventually you will gain the courage to give it a try without the life jacket (just be sure you know how to get back to the surface)

this is how i did it

or take swimming lessons over the summer at your local pool just ask the lifegaurds for the info

Answer 5

It sounds as if you need to build up your confidence that you won't drown. Here's the way I was taught.

Stand in the shallow end of the pool and bend down and pick something up off the pool bottom: this will get you used to opening your eyes and having your head under water. Go into slightly deeper water and repeat the exercise. keep going slightly deeper until you're just about waist deep or so: eventually, you will find, as you go slightly deeper, that you will be unable to reach the pool bottom with your hand and will realise that the water is actually holding you up. From there, you should realise that it will take little effort to get you head above water and your confidence should get a good boost.

Because you're not out of your depth whilst trying this out, it's a fairly simple matter simply to stand up if you have problems with your head being under water.

Good luck: I hope you manage to overcome your fear!

Answer 6

Take itty bitty small steps. Fill up a bath tub with water. Then, move to a hot tub, then something a little larger... so on. lol.

Hey... remember you're older. So... I'm guessing you're taller...

OH! You should take some swimming lessons.