Ravina Sewani

Samiksha Choithani

Aquaphobia is the fear experienced by seeing water, it can be small amount of water in the kitchen sink or a large body of water like ocean. It is not the amount but the water itself that leads to anxiety and fear.&nbsp;Aquaphobia is often mistaken for another phobia called hydrophobia. Even though they both involve water, aquaphobia and hydrophobia aren’t the same. Hydrophobia is an aversion to water that develops in humans during the later stages of rabies. Physical Symptoms:<ul><li>Sweating</li><li>Trembling</li><li>Hot flushes or chills</li><li>Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing</li><li>A choking sensation</li><li>A rapid heartbeat</li><li>Tightness in the chest</li><li>Upset stomach</li><li>Headaches and dizziness</li><li>Feeling faint</li><li>Numbness or pins and needles</li><li>A dry mouth&nbsp;</li><li>A need to go to the toilet</li><li>Ringing your ears</li><li>Nausea</li></ul> Psychological symptoms:<ul><li>Feeling out of touch with reality or detached from your body</li><li>Fear of fainting</li><li>Fear of losing control</li><li>Fear of dying</li></ul> Causes:Aquaphobia is often caused by a traumatic event during childhood, such as a near-drowning. Diagnosis:<ul><li>A mental health expert can diagnose phobia; keep a regular track of your child’s behaviour/health in particular situations and with objects.</li><li>Phobia diagnosis is based on diagnostic guidelines and a thorough clinical interview. If you feel that your child has a phobia, take him/her to a healthcare expert. Your child's doctor will either ask you or your child about the symptoms. The doctor might also take a medical, psychiatric, and family history.</li><li>Your child's doctor might also use the diagnostic criteria in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5).</li></ul> Treatment:<ul><li>Exposure Therapy: During this type of therapy, your child will be repeatedly exposed to the source of the phobia — in this case, water. As (s)he is exposed to water, your child's therapist will keep track of his/her reactions, thoughts, feelings, and sensations in order to help him/her manage their anxiety. Mind well, that this method should only be used in the presence of a mental healthcare expert as these can trigger panic attacks or severe anxiety. In the later stages of this treatment, your child may decide to work with a specially trained swim instructor who can help him/her learn to feel comfortable with swimming.</li><li>Conditioning Therapy: With cognitive behavioral therapy, you’ll learn to challenge your thoughts and beliefs about your fear of water. As you learn to challenge your fears, you’ll also develop strategies to cope with those thought patterns and beliefs.</li><li>Modelling: In this method the child sees other person facing the situation without fear and panic.</li><li>Virtual reality (VR): It's a treatment where your child will be exposed to computer simulations of water bodies. Getting the experience of a water body in the virtual world can help your child get over his/her fear in a setting that feels safe.</li><li>Medicines like tranquillisers and antidepressants (prescribed by a doctor) can be helpful along with the above treatments.</li></ul>

aquaphobia parenting concerns

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Aquaphobia - Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment

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