Fear of whirlpools or dizziness (dinophobia)

Dinophobia is listed as a fear of whirlpools, and also of feeling dizzy. One person might avoid rivers, weirs and fast water, while another fears the spinning sensation itself and avoids anything that might set it off. Dizziness that keeps coming back should be checked with a GP.

About this phobia

The word is linked to the Greek dinos, meaning a whirling or eddy. It is rarely reported and covers two quite different fears in one term. The dizziness side overlaps with illyngophobia, a fear of vertigo, while the whirlpool side sits closer to fears of deep or moving water.

What it feels like

• Unease near swirling water, plug holes, weirs or fast rivers
• Avoiding fairground rides, spinning chairs or quick head turns
• Panic at the first hint of light-headedness

Explore more unusual fears in the rare phobias A to Z, or browse the common phobias.

Common questions

Can a fear of feeling dizzy make the dizziness worse?

It can. Anxiety brings its own light-headedness, so the fear and the feeling can feed each other. A GP can rule out a physical cause, which often makes it easier to see the anxiety part clearly.

How can you help?

I use hypnotherapy and NLP to change how your mind responds to the thing you fear, so the old alarm stops going off. Sessions are one to one over Zoom, and you get a recording of the hypnosis to listen to afterwards.

How many sessions will I need?

Many clients notice a real difference after one 90 minute session. If the fear goes back a long way, three sessions gives us room to make the change stick.

Ready to start?

Book a £49 consultation call and we’ll talk through your fear, or take the free suitability test first.

See all session options and prices