Conquering The Fear Of Water Differs From Learning How To Swim
Quite often a mistake is formed by both aquatic executives and individuals who are looking to attain specific nautical goals. There's a significant difference between helping a person , irrespective of their age, fitness level or life experience, overcome various levels of fear surrounding water, which is really a dread of drowning, and teaching anyone who is not afflicted with that very same fear, how to swim.
The method and ability sets that are required to meet the wants of both populations are massively different. Many folks presume that an "experienced" swim instructor may be able to help somebody triumph over their fear of water, by teaching them the "nuts and bolts" of floating, gliding, treading and stroke development. Of course , it makes some sense that once somebody learns how to swim, that they ought to no longer remain fearful in water. The problem with that logic is twofold; first, is that many learn how to swim instructors will never even get the opportunity to meet and help those fearful of water, because plenty in that disparate population will never participate in their conventional swim programs as a result of their fears.
Second, most frequently, if and when they do find the bravery as adults or are compelled to by well meaning elders to take swim lessons, quit because they start to feel more afraid, angry, exasperated, disheartened embarrassed and isolated than they did before the lessons. It is unrealistic and useless to believe folk can start to learn to swim to attempt to overcome their fear of drowning. Quite to the contrary, one must be well placed to find out how to overcome that fear in order that they will be successful in learning the best way to swim. The sole variable that's consistent in both processes is they can both be accomplished in water.As in any effort to help folks overcome unique challenges that stop learning using normal/traditional resources, identifying and assessing the behavior is a critical step in setting up a strategy to modify that behavior. It is important to recollect that people fearful of water are responding to internal messages from their brain enlightening them they're in close danger, regardless of the clear fact that they are not. Their perspective of the marine scene is far, far different than others who don't share their fear, yet their fear and the consequences of that fear are both very real and inbred to them. On account of that uncontrollable fear, they find it extremely difficult and painful to learn, process and perform traditional learning to swim skills. Here is a list of behaviours that help to identify somebody who is strangely alarmed of water/drowning and probably will not benefit from traditional swim lessons:
1) Unable to stand, unassisted, in shallow water
2) Unable to submerge face in shallow water
3) Unable to perform a helped front and/or back float in shallow water
4) Unable to enter deep water with flotation device
Without addressing the emotional part attached to these fears and learning particular and unique coping and aquatic talents which will allow them to understand, manage and ultimately to triumph over their fear of water, they stand little chance of learning to swim competently and comfortably. Marine Therapists, stand the best chance of providing the kind of physical and emotional support necessary to allow those people to steadily wade into an aquatic environment and to be taught how to overcome their fear and then be well placed to learn to swim.
The method and ability sets that are required to meet the wants of both populations are massively different. Many folks presume that an "experienced" swim instructor may be able to help somebody triumph over their fear of water, by teaching them the "nuts and bolts" of floating, gliding, treading and stroke development. Of course , it makes some sense that once somebody learns how to swim, that they ought to no longer remain fearful in water. The problem with that logic is twofold; first, is that many learn how to swim instructors will never even get the opportunity to meet and help those fearful of water, because plenty in that disparate population will never participate in their conventional swim programs as a result of their fears.
Second, most frequently, if and when they do find the bravery as adults or are compelled to by well meaning elders to take swim lessons, quit because they start to feel more afraid, angry, exasperated, disheartened embarrassed and isolated than they did before the lessons. It is unrealistic and useless to believe folk can start to learn to swim to attempt to overcome their fear of drowning. Quite to the contrary, one must be well placed to find out how to overcome that fear in order that they will be successful in learning the best way to swim. The sole variable that's consistent in both processes is they can both be accomplished in water.As in any effort to help folks overcome unique challenges that stop learning using normal/traditional resources, identifying and assessing the behavior is a critical step in setting up a strategy to modify that behavior. It is important to recollect that people fearful of water are responding to internal messages from their brain enlightening them they're in close danger, regardless of the clear fact that they are not. Their perspective of the marine scene is far, far different than others who don't share their fear, yet their fear and the consequences of that fear are both very real and inbred to them. On account of that uncontrollable fear, they find it extremely difficult and painful to learn, process and perform traditional learning to swim skills. Here is a list of behaviours that help to identify somebody who is strangely alarmed of water/drowning and probably will not benefit from traditional swim lessons:
1) Unable to stand, unassisted, in shallow water
2) Unable to submerge face in shallow water
3) Unable to perform a helped front and/or back float in shallow water
4) Unable to enter deep water with flotation device
Without addressing the emotional part attached to these fears and learning particular and unique coping and aquatic talents which will allow them to understand, manage and ultimately to triumph over their fear of water, they stand little chance of learning to swim competently and comfortably. Marine Therapists, stand the best chance of providing the kind of physical and emotional support necessary to allow those people to steadily wade into an aquatic environment and to be taught how to overcome their fear and then be well placed to learn to swim.
About the Author:
Aquatic Therapist, Jeff Krieger, the Founder and Director of the S.O.A.P. (Strategies Overcoming Aquatic Phobias) Program, has a BA in Psychology and a MS in Counseling. He has been an aquatic professional for over thirty years and is recognized as an innovator and expert in helping fearful swimmers overcome their fear of water.