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What was Douglas’ fear? How did he overcome that fear?
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How did Douglas overcome his fear of water?
Answer
At the age of three or four, Douglas was engulfed by waves from the sea, which started his fear of water. Then, when he was ten or eleven years old, Douglas was tossed into a nine feet deep swimming pool by a bully of a boy. He had a near drowning experience which further increased his fear.
Determined to get rid of his fear, Douglas engaged an instructor under whom he practiced five days a week, an hour each day. The instructor tied Douglas with a rope suspended from a pulley to help him overcome his fear. However, every time when the instructor loosened his grip, Douglas’s fear returned.
It took him three months to overcome it. Next, the instructor taught Douglas to exhale under water and inhale by raising his nose. He was made to kick with his legs at the side of the pool to build up stamina.Thus, Douglas spent six months with the instructor i.e., from October to April. Thereafter, he practiced on his own by swimming across various lakes, finally overcoming his fear.