Randomly occuring phobias?

Recently I seem to have acquired a few strange phobias. I used to verily enjoy swimming, now when I go underwater all I can envision is that there's something under the water (like whales or sharks). I had a panic attack this evening as I was swimming. It's happened 3 times now and I can't figure out why. I know it's silly, but it's really bothersome. I also have begun to detest red meat. I also used to enjoy it, but now when I look at it - it makes me feel sick to my stomach. Why, or what is this about? I'd like to understand how phobias just pop out of nowhere like this.. and what I can do to fix them?

Wow I never met anyone who had the same fear as me. I was always terrified of something under the water when I would swim (even in public pools) and I always thought it was the stupidest thing ever and that I was the only person that feared that. I mean who ever heard of a shark in the deep end of the pool?

I also have problems eating red meat sometimes but this started when I was pregnant with my daughter 6 years ago. I couldn't stand the smell of hamburger and refused to be near it for most of my pregnancy. Since then I sometimes refuse to eat red meat because it makes me sick. This usually happens more if I see it while its raw.

As to what you can do to fix them - I never swim alone because I'm not scared if I'm around other people. And I just accept the meat thing. If I say I'm not eating hamburger tonight my husband knows why and doesn't question it. He also understands if I won't go near it for weeks at a time. Eat chicken instead.

And if it matters any I suffer from depression, anxiety, and panic attacks too.

its called stress that brings on anxiety

It's an irrational fear, we (you) know that a whale or shark couldn't possibly be present in a public swimming pool or in the immediate area of a beach - but it doesn't stop us feeling scared, frightened and panicked.

Spiders is one of the most common irrational phobias, yet what can a regular non posionous spider do to you? Run up your leg... it's not life threatening, but it's still a phobia.

Have you recently gone back to swimming after not doing it for a while? Had you perhaps read a news story or a book where something horrible happened in water and forgotten about it? Again with the red meat, have you recently had a bad experience or read soemthing about red meated animals? Sometimes it can be the slightest thing which triggers a phobia.

But phobias are treatable. Usually gradual exposure is what cures a person of their phobia. For example, if you have a phobia of going under water, you begin first by sitting beside the pool with your legs in the water... then you stand in the water... then you swim without putting your head under the water... then you practice putting your head under the water for 1 second... 2 seconds... 5 seconds... until you're able to swim underwater. Same with the red meat, just have it sitting there, you don't have to eat it... just gradually expose yourself to it.

You can do the above yourself, or your doctor can refer you to a counsellor/therapist who specialises in phobias and will be able to help you train your brain as well.

Good Luck.

some people believe that something happened in a previous life at about the same age to cause the phobia in this life...

for instance if in another life you drowned at age five you might acquire a phobia about water around age five in this life.

when i was younger i had no phobias, but in my early twenties i became extremely afraid of spiders. i know it doesn't make any sense...my mind tells me that i'm way bigger than they are, but that doesn't help at al...lol

i'm not sure what might help...maybe therapy or a past life regression.

good luck.

lay off the drugs