AQUAPHOBIA: The fear of drowing Actually I am rather calm person. I don’t have any irrational phobias. I am not afraid of spiders, darkness or small rooms. But there is one thing that concerns me and makes me worry a lot. During the war, most Ukrainians experience anxiety, hope and fear. I don’t want to talk about war, it’s a sensitive subject… Once when I was small, our family went to a lake. It was a warm sunny day. And the lake attracted us by its shinning surface. My elder step-brother offered me to swim. He was good at swimming, so he moved straight to the deep side. I swam badly, but in order to show everyone my braveness I followed him. Suddenly I felt that my legs became so heavy that I was not able to move. I was in panic and started to shout, asking for help. My muscles were in awful spasms. Finally I fell unconscious as a result of a great scare. When I opened my eyes I was on the sand and my mother tried to give me the first aid. This life experience taught me not to do anything dangerous, as it can be risky for life. These frightening memories became my phobia. Follow these tips: -Much depends on the ability to control yourself, both physically and psychologically. Therefore, when entering a body of water, you should concentrate on pleasant sensations, think about the fact that there is no risk to life from contact with water. To convince yourself that it is safe, pleasant, and interesting. But to begin with you can just sit by the water, wet your feet, enjoy the beautiful scenery, feel the unity with nature -Naturally, to fight against bathophobia you must first try to control your own condition, but if you can't, it's worth turning to a specialist. He will analyze your situation, discover the cause of your fear and develop an individual treatment plan for you. -Often, those who do not know how to swim are afraid of water. That is why it is worth contacting a good trainer who will teach you not only how to swim, dive, but also how to relax on the water. Training should go smoothly, in stages, in a comfortable environment. First, the lessons should start in the pool, and then move on to bodies of water. In any case, it is worth making every effort to overcome the fear of depth and enjoy life to the fullest.