Dark truth behind ‘emotional water bottle’ trend taking over young adults
Have you been carrying around your trusty water bottle like it’s an extension of your body?
If so, it might be your emotional support water bottle.
According to a psychotherapist, there’s a strange link between your attachment style and the water bottle you choose for yourself.
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Julie Sweet, from Sydney is a registered clinical counsellor who believes that the colour of your bottle determines whether you have a secure, avoidant or anxious attachment style, likening it to ‘safety blankets’.
She told FEMAIL: “Emotional support water bottles have become widespread as a means for individuals to cope with their mental wellbeing and emotions.”
Attachment styles typically centre around how you handle conflict, insecurity and loss in your relationships, which sets the foundation of how your relationship could pan out.
Sweet said that for those who are secure, a water bottle is functional and durable, whereas those who are anxiously attached are typically drawn to whatever is trending or is bright.
She explained: “Carrying the water bottle offers an anchoring sense of comfort and stability often for those dealing with stress, depression or anxiety. Water bottles represent an individual's character and beliefs, highlighting personal traits and passions.”
But why is a water bottle being used as an emotional support item?
She said: “An emotional support water bottle provides someone who is feeling anxious a soothing feeling.
“Anxiety can in some cases be traced back to an infant's attachment to the primary caregiver. Yet as adults, we can move away from the caregiver, such as a parent, to a transitional object like a water bottle.”
As water can help to soothe your central nervous system when feeling anxious and also generally good for you, people have associated the feeling being hydrated gives them with comfort.
She added: “Australians are becoming very health conscious. So, I think water bottles are a great staple for anyone to have.”
You might be curious after reading this far what your attachment style is and align it with the water bottle in your cupboard.
Clinical psychology expert Stan Tatkin came up with terms likening attachment styles to nature, such as anchors (secure), waves (anxious), or islands (avoidant).
Sweet said: “The securely attached person looks for the emotional support water bottle as a real practical functional object. It's an extension of themselves.
“They're confident and grounded. They don't care about the colour or sense of style, but how durable the bottle is. Is it strong? Powerful? Will it deliver what it needs to deliver? If they care about colour, it'll most likely be black or white.
“The securely attached person looks for the emotional support water bottle as a real practical functional object. It's an extension of themselves.”
But anxious people are different and ‘are drawn to sentimentality;.
"It's about the design, colour, and the sense of safety and security of what a water bottle represents."
She continued: “So they're looking more so at the sentimental value. Also image-wise, what's on trend, and what's popular. They can be worried about what looks good and what can support them to make them feel secure.”
According to the expert, if the bottle was misplaced it could be an awful time as it would be like they’ve lost a part of themselves, however, avoidant people are more like secure and prefer functionality.
She said: “Avoidant people are similar to securely attached ones because they value functionality, but it is also about what is convenient for them. They want something clean, easy, accessible.”
She said they like pastel or light earthy tones.
Topics: Sex and Relationships, Lifestyle, Food And Drink
Britt Jones