How do you deal with your fears?????

I think it depends on the extent of the phobia. Of course some situations may require professional help but I think that the best way to overcome a fear is to force yourself to face that fear one baby step at a time. In your case I would go to the water’s edge with a friend and a life jacket and I would start by comfortably standing in the water and slowly progress to a higher level and over time you may be able to immerse your whole body in without too much anxiety. I have a similar fear in regards to heights although I have never made any attempt at overcoming it; I have just avoided them!

Hiya, dont be embarrassed about your fear of swimming. Fear is a good thing. It keeps you alive! I look at fear as 2 different types: rational and irrational fear. to expalin, rational fear is a normal reaction to a dangerous action. Such as jumping out of a plane. thats a rational fear, you listen to your feelings because its a dangerous thing to do, unless you happen to have a parachute on your back and lots of training, still its a very rational reaction to have just before you jump despite all that! Irrational fear is taking this rational fear a step to far, when actually it isnt a dangerous life threatening situation at all. But in your mind you make it so, because of your past experiences, things you've seen on TV and heard etc. For example swimming in the barrier reaf where there are sharks and stingy things about, is scary, and rightly so. If you decide to swim there you know the risks but do it anyway because you also realise the chances of being bitten by a shark are really slim because to meet a shark you have to swim really far out, but the risk is there. However, swimming in a pool is a different kettle of fish. There is a shallow end and a deep end, its your choice which end you jump in. Also there are people there to keep an eye on you. If you get in trouble, it wont be for long, because the lifeguard will come and get you. It's a much safer environment than the reef. I always think "why am I scared of this situation is it rational or irrational?" (for me a biggy is spiders) and then think "Ok that spider is scary but unless I get it out of here, using a glass and bit of paper, its going to scare me all night" so I get rid of it, yes I'm terrified and scared but I face the fear and do it anyway! after I feel really proud of myself. Doesnt mean I'm cured of my fear of spiders, just I have figured out how to deal with it. I do the same thing with going for a job interview, or speaking infront of a group of people! Hope this helps you. Your kiddies will always remember how brave their daddy was teaching them to swim. Good luck hun.

rjvb you could start by just walking down the steps in the shallow end of a swimming pool.have a life jacket on perhaps or a float device so you won't panic. sit down in the water just a few inches.okay do that for maybe a week. if you are okay go down the steps further tik the water is up to your ankles.sit there and relax. do this for a few days. okay now walk down into the water til it is up to your knees.stay there as long as you can.right now you are just getting use to the water. okay another week, then walk in the water til its up to your waist.sta y there as long as you can. one week or more. then start to float.relax. its safe .you have on a life jacket .you will not drown. now learn to swim on your back, kicking your legs and moving your arms. make yourself go across the pool and back.do it for a week or more, then try getting your face in the water just for a few minutes. relax and float. then next try side strokes and so on until you are actually swimming just do it in tiny steps.you know the routine as you have studied things like this. you will learn to s wim.

Usually I try to face my fears, but if I don't think I'll ever have to deal with the fear (as in have to ride on a motorcycle for instance) then I won't bother trying to overcome it. The best thing I can think for you to do is to go to a public pool and walk around in the shallow end, gradually going towards the deep end with someone you know who knows how to swim. Also, try taking classes for swimming, first you'll need to get over the initial fear, but if you have a friend with you that is good at swiming they can help pull you along the pull so to speak. Another good way to get over your fear is to get in the pool and hold the edge of it, and go around the pull like that.

In fact ,Swimming is very simple!Don't be fear of it!You can try it in a little pond firstly.Relatively speaking,the water is not deep.