Checking in · Caribe Swim Adult Swim Lessons

Checking in

I finally got to return to my swimming lesson at the local swim school on Wednesday. It feels like I’m crawling forward by centimeters. That being said, I’m making progress, or at least not going backwards. I went to the pool yesterday for an hour of just reps. I got myself a little freaked out one time that I couldn’t touch the wall, but I recovered and continued doing my reps. My therapist, who specializes in exposure therapy for OCD, wants me to try to go to the pool as many times a week as possible. He thinks repeated exposure to the water will eventually help me overcome my fear. It is improving. Just not as quickly as I want. He said the brief times I’ve been getting in the water aren’t enough, and it’s just enough to keep the fear cycle kind of simmering in the back of my brain. I guess he spent a lot of money going to school for this, so I am giving it a go.

I also think it might help if I had someone to sort of spot me away from the wall and help me get used to the feeling of getting down without touching like 2 (or maybe 20) times. I suggested this to my husband, who didn’t really respond to the hint, however, I usually have a swim teacher to myself at my lesson because I’m the only person still stuck at the beginning right now. I’m sure I can get my instructor to do this with me— I think they’d actually be thrilled to think they were helping and I was making some actual progress. That instructor usually has the easiest 30 minutes of their shift because I just want to do my own thing doing reps over and over at the wall. I know I can float, they know I can float, but I just won’t get down or get away where I can’t reach out and touch for security.

Anyway, I hope everyone else had a good week at practice. We’re ALL doing a great job, no matter how slow or fast we progress. You’re all so supportive and kind.

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