Day 3: Chemical Fear
Zeron: In the morning we had breakfast and then walk to the Clifton Suspension Bridge to do some filming. This was interesting because it was exposing Mike to heights - his real fear. Mike admitted that he felt uncomfortable but not too scared because it wasn't an open drop - he felt protected by rails.

Later that morning we went to the Bristol Royal infirmary. We're told that both Mike and I will breathe air with a high concentration of Carbon Dioxide and apparently this will induce fear-like symptoms. Weird! Sounds like a typical Lab Rats experiment! We meet Dr Jayne Bailey who takes us straight to the experiment room where everything was set up.

In the room Mike and I sat back to back (so we couldn't react visually off one another). We were wired up to monitors then had a gas mask placed over our face. We then had to breathe the Carbon Dioxide mixture for about half an hour. I was so determined not to get caught out that I tried to maintain control of my body at all time.

About 15 minutes into breathing the mix I began to feel a little funny. I didn't want to say anything to anyone but my heart rate was going up and I was beginning to feel cold. This was inducing me to shake! My stomach wasn't in knots but I was feeling really uneasy. My breathing was becoming increasingly rapid. I was finding it hard to talk and my head was giddy. I was feeling all the symptoms of fear but there was nothing to be scared about!

Mike seemed perfectly normal breathing in the gas mixture. At the end of the 30 minutes our masks were removed and we breathed normal air yet for a few minutes after I was still shaking and my breathing was fast as if ready to run or confront what was troubling me. I must confess I felt both embarrassed and confused, especially as Mike had coped with it so easily.

Mike: I seemed to cope with this test quite easily, which surprised me as I sometimes suffer with asthma and I'd thought this test might cause me real problems. But it might be that because of this I'm used to keeping calm when my breathing feels difficult or strange. Or it might just be that I'm the best! Suck it up Zeron!

  < previous   next > Page 5 of 8

Content last updated: 25/08/2005