Fear of water can be incredibly difficult to live with. It is something that is very present in many people and manifests itself in many different ways. The fear comes from a variety of different things. These vary from person to person but there are some common elements when it comes to fear.
A phobia is a irrational fear about something that is very unlikely to actually cause harm to you. The term itself comes from the Greek term phobo, which means fear or terror. Phobias, like most disorders, only exist in your mind. However, when a person has a phobic disorder, they experience extreme fear of a specific situation or object.
People who suffer from this disorder often fear trips to certain places that they have phobias about. For instance, if someone is afraid of water skiing, they will avoid taking a vacation in an area that features this activity. While these fears may be entirely reasonable, they do represent a real danger to the person suffering from the fear.
Another element to fear is the feeling of threat. This usually occurs when there is a clear and present danger that cannot be explained. A perfect example is a suicidal person who jumps from a tall building. The suicidal individual has no explanation for why they did it, but because there is a clear and present threat, their mind immediately associates that particular situation with danger and a potential suicide.
Often times, we can rationalize the danger or threat that we perceive. However, for those who do not have these luxury, fear is a much more powerful emotion. Often times, those who suffer from fear will not seek treatment for their condition because it is believed that it is psychological or emotional in nature. While this is understandable, it does not change the fact that there is a real physical problem resulting from fear. Medications such as antidepressants are available, but unless the root cause of the fear is dealt with, the drugs are only a quick fix.
What can you do to overcome fear? One way is to work on changing the emotional responses that lead to fear. Often times, it is fear that leads to irrational beliefs. For example, if you are afraid that you are going to be hurt by a specific situation, you may interpret that as a physical threat that must be avoided at all costs.
While it is possible to overcome the fear, it may not be easy. You will also have to determine why you are afraid of particular fears. In some cases, there could be a phobia. When you have a panic attacks as a result of that fear, the issue is not anxiety disorders per se, but the actual fear. Therefore, you will need to address the underlying fear in order to cure your anxiety disorder.
When the underlying fear is dealt with, the next step is to determine what is real danger and what is not. If you feel like you are in danger, the issue must be addressed. For example: if you feel like you are being chased by an aggressive person, you will need to determine what the real danger is. From there, the rest of your anxiety feel like a reasonable fear. This is the general idea, but it can be difficult to pinpoint exactly what the problem is.
The fear of being embarrassed in front of others is not a normal, common fear. While this is a very real fear, the situation is usually not threatening or uncomfortable. When you are afraid of this situation, the root cause is the same as the fearful experience of public speaking. If you only know you are afraid of speaking in public, you can start to work through the problem by re-training your mind about what is a threat and what is not. The only difference is that you are using positive affirmations and visualizations to train your subconscious mind to help you instead of being anxious about the situation.
Finally, in most cases, the underlying cause of an intense anxiety or phobia is that the person has had an experience that creates an intense feeling of fear. This can be an extremely traumatic experience. For example, the death of a loved one can trigger intense and prolonged fear. A phobia can also be caused by being around something or someone that is potentially dangerous. Even the aftermath of being abused can trigger this type of intense emotional reaction.
Because these emotions are so strong, you may find it difficult to see that there is actually no real threat. Your anxiety about public speaking is more rooted in your past experiences and your fears about how others will react to your speech than any real threat. The solution is to eliminate the threat and concentrate on the positive aspects of your emotions.