Water Phobia/Sensory issues?

[Carnelian]

Does anyone else have them?

I have an extreme phobia of water (and fish but that's another story). I cannot get wet. Like, I literally DREAD and have panic attacks in a situation where water is present. I barely ever drink plain water and even then I only do it if it's in a concealed bottle with no way for it to spill on me.

I've gone months without showering or brushing my teeth or washing in general because I get a panic attack every time I try. I just...I hate the feeling on me, I feel like I'm being smothered, and I can't seem to fight it.

I can't swim which sucks because I live by a lake in two places + we have a few popular water resort places where I'm at. I can't go out if it rains. Hell, I even can't wash my hands.

Obviously; this is a huge problem. And it's gross. Trust me, I know how gross it is.

Does anyone else feel like this? Or have had this issue?

(And yes, before you ask, I do have ichthyophobia or an irrational fear of fish. I literally have NIGHTMARES where I walk down the PetSmart fish aisle and they get worse and worse...I scream if I see one when not expecting one...people tend to think it's hilarious.)

 

[Questella]

I don't do swimming pools, lakes, oceans, or anything of that sort. I can take a bath fine (if I'm sober, only if I'm sober).

 

[Raggamuffin]

Sorry, I'm replying to an ancient thread here but I just forum searched "phobia" and this ties in. I was speaking with Kristy about how unnerved I was by these old WW2 forts which are off the coastline of the place where she grew up:

Same goes for oil rigs, and moments in films involving submerged man made items, or the film Titanic etc. Turns out there's a term for it (I know, there's a phobia for everything) - submechanophobia

Might sound ludicrous, but I genuinely find it terrifying. I stupidly Googled "oil rig legs" as I tried to describe to Kristy how they unnerve me to no end. This image - well, I've never seen anything like it. Whilst I can appreciate nature taking over and it clearly being a habitat for marine life - this image is terrifying:

I'm sure from an aesthetic and intrigue perspective, there's probably a lot of appeal for some. To me, this is deeply unnerving.

Perhaps this also ties in with my fear of sinkholes. Could there be anything more terrifying in the world? Especially as it happens so fast and often at the bottom is water:

Ed

 

[Suzette]

Hey Ed, I have an extreame fear of being overwhelmed by a giant ocean wave. Have ever seen the movie Perfect Storm? There is a scean near the end where the fishing boat is in it's last moments before the ship is lost. This is very much like the images that have frightened me all my life.

I also have a fear of wind. The sound it makes is terrifying to me.

So what did I do? I learned to sail. I even live on a boat. I am still terrified. But I force myself to enure the terror.

 

[dragonfire42]

I have an extreme aversion to getting wet. It’s entirely a sensory thing for me, but I completely dread the sensation, which leads to a sort of fear of situations where it isn’t unlikely to happen. I can’t handle it unexpectedly and have major problems even when it is expected, often it’s instant shutdown/meltdown (just add water). I detest feeling even slightly damp from sweat or humidity. I don’t have any trouble drinking water or only my hands getting wet, but it’s very much a problem trying to shower/bathe.

Side note, this might seem amusing given my avatar, but that’s actually a Pokemon that isn’t aquatic. Nihilego (Pokémon) - Bulbapedia, the community-driven Pokémon encyclopedia

 

[Raggamuffin]

I haven't seen Perfect Storm. It didn't look appealing to me. I've seen clips of a Korean film called Tidal Wave which is all about a megatsunami. Whilst the films wave is probably over the top for what could realistically occur in nature - there have been tsunamis on a scale far bigger than the Boxing Day tsunami from 2004:

My fear of tsunamis also means I'd never live by the sea. I had a genuine, crushing fear of rising sea levels from the age of 9. Caused by watching Waterworld a the cinema. I was utterly overwhelmed by months of high anxiety as I tried to comprehend not only my own mortality, but an event which could kill billions. Still to this day, I'd like to move away from the Fens in East Anglia (which is very low lying land that used to be marshes) and buy a house which is much higher up.

Here's a GIF from the film. It's enough to make me never want to watch it:

4a8K2b.gif (400×166) (makeagif.com)

Ed

 

[Suzette]

Actually, the wave is not outlandish. Wave beacons in the North sea have measured rogue waves at 100 ft.

Here is an image from a real Tsunami