I’m a psychotherapist and this is the dark truth about your ’emotional water bottle’ habit

A psychotherapist has revealed a surprising link between your attachment style and your water bottle – and the shocking truth behind ‘trendy’ purchases.

Julie Sweet, a registered clinical consultant from Sydney, told FEMAIL that people’s water bottles have turned into their ‘security blankets’ in adulthood.

“Emotional support water bottles have become widespread as a means for individuals to manage their mental well-being and emotions,” she said.

While people with a secure attachment style typically gravitate toward functional, durable water bottles, those who are anxiously attached are constantly on the lookout for what’s “trending” and prefer brighter colors.

‘Carrying the water bottle provides an anchoring sense of comfort and stability, often for people dealing with stress, depression or anxiety. Water bottles represent an individual’s character and beliefs, highlighting personal traits and passions,” Sweet said.

Why do people have water bottles for emotional support?

Ms Sweet revealed that modern people are very ‘self-aware’ and ‘insightful’ – and they are actively seeking tools to help them combat everyday anxieties.

‘A water bottle for emotional support gives someone who is feeling anxious a soothing feeling.

“Anxiety stems from an infant’s attachment to the primary caregiver. Yet as adults we can distance ourselves from the caregiver, such as a parent, to a transitional object such as a water bottle.’

Water bottles tend to soothe anxiety because they hydrate you and stabilize your central nervous system.

Drinking water aids digestion, maintains your internal temperature, and keeps your tissues and joints lubricated.

People have come to associate feeling “better” with hydration with their bottles, calling them another mechanism of self-soothing.

“Australians are becoming very health conscious. So I think water bottles are a great staple for everyone.”

What’s your attachment style?

Clinical psychology expert Stan Tatkin has assigned natural phenomena to the three types of attachment styles.

Secure people are anchors, anxious people are waves, and avoidant people are islands.

Secure attachment style

“Different attachment styles gravitate toward the water bottle for emotional support for different reasons,” Ms. Sweet noted.

‘The securely attached person looks to the emotional support water bottle as a real practical functional object. It is an extension of themselves.

‘They are confident and grounded. They don’t care about the color or sense of style, but about how durable the bottle is. Is it strong? Powerful? Does it deliver what it is supposed to deliver? If they care about color, it will most likely be black or white.”

Ms Sweet also drew attention to the brand new Ninja Thirsti bottles (from $49.99) which have just hit Australian shelves.

‘Securely attached people will love this because it has bubble lock and leak lock technology. The bottles are very practical,” she said.

Anxious attachment style

“On the other hand, anxiously attached people are attracted to sentimentality. It’s about the design, the color and the sense of safety and security of what a water bottle represents,” Ms Sweet said.

‘So they look more at the sentimental value. Also in terms of image: what is trendy and what is popular. They are very concerned about what looks good and what can support them to feel safe.’

The psychotherapist said that people with an anxious attachment style are attracted to soothing colors such as blue and gray.

‘People who are anxiously attached are more insecure around the objects, so they would be of great concern if they lost the object.

“If their bottle were to be lost it would be very difficult for them because it would be like losing their self-esteem.”

Avoidant attachment style

‘Avoidant people are similar to securely attached people in that they value functionality, but it’s also about what is useful for them. They want something clean, convenient and accessible.

‘The island really becomes very individual. They will buck that trend – very unlike the anxiously attached person.

‘They look at functionality, but they also look at a very straight line; something that is functional, sustainable, but also minimalist.’

Ms. Sweet said “Islands” like “classic” aesthetics when it comes to water bottles.

In terms of color, avoidants are drawn to minimal shades such as pastels and pale earth tones.