No parent wants her child to scream at bath time. Babies may cry at their first bath but they quickly adjust and enjoy the experience. Other children, however, never get over their fear of water. Fear of water can severely limit a child’s social experiences and affect her self-esteem. If it is not overcome, it can become a phobia and persist into adulthood.
Description
Fear of water, or aquaphobia, is an intense fear of all types of water, explains Jeffrey R. Krieger, M.D. Krieger is director of the counseling program Strategies for Overcoming Aquatic Phobias. The child feels anxious when he encounters any body of water, whether it be an ocean, a lake, creek, or even a bathtub or shower. The disorder is common in young children, says the website Depression-Guide. Fear of water is sometimes referred to as hydrophobia, but that term is more precisely used to describe late-stage rabies infection, where the animal or person cannot swallow and develops a fear of water.
Symptoms
Aquaphobia usually appears in children before 5 years of age, according to Depression-Guide. A child with aquaphobia is intensely afraid of water and any situation where he is expected to be near water, such as boating. Young children scream at bath time and, when older, beg not to bathe. In extreme cases, parents must sponge-bathe their child. The child may cling or freeze when confronted with water and becomes extremely distressed.
Cause
A traumatic incident may cause a fear of water, or the phobia may result from a perceived threat. Phobic responses are based in a portion of the brain called the amygdala, says the Nemours Center. The amygdala records frightening situations. When a similar situation arises, the amygdala sends a warning in the form of a fear reaction. The original threat may be a direct experience of near drowning, or the fear may result from an incident related in a book or portrayed on television. In some cases, no specific incident triggers the phobia. Some people are more sensitive to fear responses than others.
Consequences
An intense fear of water can lower a child’s self-esteem and confidence, Krieger notes. Children with aquaphobia typically avoid situations in which they may encounter water, such as water parks, swimming pools, trips to the beach or boating excursions. Avoiding these activities isolates the child and leaves her open to teasing and ridicule. Children with aquaphobia are more prone to drowning when they do enter the water since they have no experience handling themselves in water and they panic.
Treatment
Children can overcome their fear of water with proper treatment. Swimming lessons do not adddress the fear, says Krieger. An experienced counselor builds a sense of trust with the child and reshapes misconceptions before gradually introducing the child to water. The Children’s Center for OCD and Anxiety in Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania, teaches children to replace fearful thoughts with positive statements, such as “I am scared but I can handle it.”
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