Hi Everybody,
I need your help. I am writing a book that aims to help people overcome their fear of water or deep water and I need some input and interviews with anyone who fits the following categories:
1. You are comfortable in the water/underwater. Yet you can remember a time when you were not and can describe in great detail what changed for you.
2. You consider yourself part fish(!) and are extremely comfortable in any one or all of the following: surf, deep scuba, competitive swimming, open water swimming, or freediving. How do you view fear in your activity? Are there things that are beyond your considerable comfort zone?
3. You may be a confident swimmer, but still have fear or anxiety about being in deep water/open water/ or water over your head. What thoughts, feelings, and ideas are contributing to that unease? How do you feel in a pool, lake, river, sea, or ocean?
4. You or someone you know overcame a fear of the water on their own or with the help of someone else. What made the difference?
Obviously, it would be great to have a discussion here, but I am also looking to interview those of you with have interesting things to say that can help other people see their own relationships to water in a new light. I believe that thread content is copyrighted, so I don't think I can use anything posted for my book. I will ideally like to conduct the interview over the phone, Skype, or by email. If you are in Vancouver, BC, I'd be happy to meet you.
Please send me a Private Email if you can help!
Many thanks,
Peter Scott
Vancouver, BC
Peter,
I fall into the third category there. Am fine swimming in any situation but for any depth over 12 feet, I do sometimes get a little anxiety at some point towards the beginning of whatever I am doing. If I am racing, though, the thought usually never crosses my mind.
I think it all stems from a dream I had when I was 5 and learning how to swim - in the dream, my little brother and I were playing at a pool and Jamie sank to the bottom of the 80ft diving well and drowned.
Back to the pool, once I get swimming and concentrating on drills, speed, breathing, etc., the depth doesn't phase me. For open water, I can't think of a time when I felt any anxiety about the depth. My guess on this is that the open water swims I have done generally start out in the shallows and once you get going, you usually cant see 2 feet in front of you. That, and at that point, you're also concentrating on the same breathing, speed, etc.
:2cents:
Peter,
I fall into the third category there. Am fine swimming in any situation but for any depth over 12 feet, I do sometimes get a little anxiety at some point towards the beginning of whatever I am doing. If I am racing, though, the thought usually never crosses my mind.
I think it all stems from a dream I had when I was 5 and learning how to swim - in the dream, my little brother and I were playing at a pool and Jamie sank to the bottom of the 80ft diving well and drowned.
Back to the pool, once I get swimming and concentrating on drills, speed, breathing, etc., the depth doesn't phase me. For open water, I can't think of a time when I felt any anxiety about the depth. My guess on this is that the open water swims I have done generally start out in the shallows and once you get going, you usually cant see 2 feet in front of you. That, and at that point, you're also concentrating on the same breathing, speed, etc.
:2cents:
