These are the only basic things I can think of. Anyone curious?
Would this make you our first self-acknowledged rabid poster?
And here I thought the thread was going to be about someone who’s foaming at the mouth! 
Seriously, though, was there ever a traumatic experience with respect to water in your past?
Not that I can remember. I never had any particular issues with taking a bath, and storms don’t especially bother me. I think part of it might be that I was (and am) very uncoordinated, which made it very difficult for me to learn to swim; in fact, I didn’t until I was 15 or so, and I still can’t do it remotely well.
I’m sure tom’s joking, but just in case anyone got whooshed, I’m not rabid. (If I were, I’d be in serious trouble, because this is not a recent thing)
You know, usually “Ask the …” threads get a lot more posts than this. Maybe people just aren’t that curious.
So does the thought of an aquarium disturb you? Can you cross bridges?
I grew up in California and loved to go boogie boarding. I would often try to go out farther than I had been out previously. No problems there.
At some point, I must have become afraid of large bodies of water. No traumatic incident though. I first realised my fear of large bodies of water when we visited Epcot center and rode a Norse ride called the Maelstrom. It was pretty tame all in all, but there is one part where the flume goes down a little slide and you end up in a scene that looks like you’re out in the middle of the coldest most remote ocean in the Netherlands with only a few oil rigs visible in the distance.
I was very uneasy. I swim just fine, I even used to be on the swim team. I think my fear is equal parts “what might try to eat me under the water” and “could I swim back to land before becoming exhausted”.
I have to be pretty far from land in order to get scared. I was not scared in the least when I went on a cruise a few years ago. I think it’s only if I’m swimming far from shore. It’s my only real fear, and even then, it’s not crippling.
I know you wanted questions, I just wanted you to know that you’re not alone.
What about showers and baths?
Thinking does virtually nothing. Aquaria are generally fine, except for the really big zoo aquaria. I’ve never really had to cross a bridge on foot, and in a car, I just try as hard as I can not to look at the water or think about it (obviously, in this case, thinking makes a difference). Ferries scare the crap out of me, mainly because it’s much harder to ignore the water all around me.
As I said in my OP, hygiene is fine.
You obviously drowned in a past-life.
Maybe you were a pirate. That would be pretty cool, actually.
Do you worry more about the water itself, or what might be under the water? I’m a little bit phobic about swimming in a pond or lake, but I think it’s the mucky bottom, and the thought of snapping turtles, that wigs me out.
The vastness of oceans freaks me out. I get uncomfortable watching deep sea science programs on TV. I find Big Water way scarier than Outer Space for some reason. I know…it doesn’t make a lick of sense.
Would watching a movie, such as “Titanic” or “Poseidon Adventure” freak you out? How about “Open Water”?
Also, do you get an oogie feeling looking at interactive maps(a la Google Earth)? Personally, zooming in on a body of water gives me the vertigo.
I saw a picture once of a submerged town; I think a river was dammed to create a lake.
The pic was of a road (still above ground) then went down into the new lake, and one could see some of the submerged buildings and street signs (if memory serves).
For some reason, this picture and the memory of it creeped me out. Regarding your phobia, is this situation worse, or no difference?
Open Water totally creeped me out. And it ended just I thought it would.
My guess is that dwalin’s hydrophobia goes back to when the Wood Elves put him in a barrel and sent him floating down the river…or have I got him confused with someone else?
I think it’s more the water itself, but murky water is a bit worse than clear.
In regards to movies, pictures, etc.: They don’t really bother me. Generally I have to be seeing the body of water directly for it to affect me.
Well, I’m off to go look at a creek. On Saturday, I’m going to Busch Gardens – and on water rides (not the ones where you get wet personally, just the car going in the water, e.g. Pirates of the Caribbean or It’s A Small World After All). I know I’m going to be terrified, but I refuse to let this fear control me.