Phobia Success Stories

Claustrophobia sufferers can be completely debilitated by small spaces, such as elevators, tunnels, trains, rear seats in cars and public toilets. Kevin has suffered for 48 years and he even relies on his wife, Tracey, to stand with him when he uses a public restroom.

Sandra age 62 has suffered with Claustrophobia all her life. Before she goes anywhere, she needs to know all the exits in advance. Even getting into a car is difficult and she can't be driven without having the windows open. Now needing life prolonging treatment, she needs to overcome her phobia to be able to have MRI scans and use hospital lifts.

Hodophobia is an extreme irrational fear of traveling. In 1991, Nicola had a car accident and got trapped for 10 to 15 minutes in a car. Ever since then, she has very rarely been able to leave her home island in the Isle of Wight.

Claustrophobia is a fear of enclosed spaces — it can be triggered by things like being locked in a windowless room, being stuck in a crowded elevator, or driving on a congested highway. 68-year old Ursula has had debilitating claustrophobia ever since she got trapped in a skiing accident in Switzerland.

People affected by claustrophobia will often go out of their way to avoid confined spaces, such as lifts, tunnels, tube trains and public toilets, such as is the case of Bruce. Avoiding these places may reinforce the fear — Bruce has been avoiding trains and tunnels for 25 years.