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Overcoming Fear of Water: Douglas' Journey

In 'Deep Water,' William Douglas recounts his childhood fear of water stemming from a traumatic experience in the Yakima River. After a near-drowning incident at a YMCA pool, he avoided water for years until he sought professional help to overcome his phobia. Ultimately, Douglas successfully learned to swim and realized that the fear of fear itself was more detrimental than the actual danger.

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2 views1 page

Overcoming Fear of Water: Douglas' Journey

In 'Deep Water,' William Douglas recounts his childhood fear of water stemming from a traumatic experience in the Yakima River. After a near-drowning incident at a YMCA pool, he avoided water for years until he sought professional help to overcome his phobia. Ultimately, Douglas successfully learned to swim and realized that the fear of fear itself was more detrimental than the actual danger.

Uploaded by

vijayalakshmi12041982
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Deep Water

Author: William Douglas


William Douglas was a respected Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United
States, known for his deep interest in individual rights and personal freedom.

Theme: Overcoming fear through courage and determination.


Paragraph 1
The chapter "Deep Water" by William Douglas tells us about the author's personal struggle
with the fear of water. In his early childhood, he lived near the Cascade Mountains and had a
frightening experience in the Yakima River. His mother constantly warned him that the
Yakima River was treacherous, which created a fear in his heart. Though he longed to swim,
the memory of the strong currents scared him. This planted a deep-rooted phobia of water in
him.

Paragraph 2
To fight this fear, Douglas joined the YMCA pool in Yakima, believing it was a safer place.
The pool was considered safe with a shallow end and a nine-feet deep end. One day, a big
boy at the pool suddenly threw him into the deep end. He sank like a stone and was filled
with terror and helplessness. He tried to jump up and reach the surface, but each attempt
failed. His heart was gripped with panic, and he began to lose hope.

Paragraph 3
As Douglas went up and down in the water, his body became numb with paralysis and fear.
He was gasping for air but found only water and silence. Before losing consciousness, he
accepted the idea of death and stopped struggling. He later woke up on the side of the pool,
shaking and terrified. Although he survived, the experience left a lasting psychological scar.
From then on, he avoided water completely.

Paragraph 4
Years later, determined to get over this fear, Douglas took help from a professional instructor.
The instructor used a belt and rope method to train him slowly and safely. Step by step,
Douglas learned how to swim using crawl, breaststroke, sidestroke, and backstroke. He
practiced for months until he became physically skilled and mentally stronger. This slow and
steady process helped him rebuild confidence in the water.

Paragraph 5
To confirm that his fear had truly vanished, Douglas swam alone across Lake Wentworth and
Warm Lake. He faced moments of hesitation, but no longer did fear control him. These
successful swims proved that he had conquered his terror. He learned that the fear of fear
itself was more harmful than the actual danger. The story ends with a powerful message of
victory over fear through self-effort and strong will.

Moral: "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." – Franklin D. Roosevelt

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