Vertigo Roadtrip

I'm in the Austrian Alps, about 1,900m up.

It's beautiful, the fondue is excellent,

but there are 3.5 million people in the UK

who would not be happy at all to be up here.

They are the people affected by acrophobia,

an extreme and totally irrational fear of heights.

Ah! I'm going to slip and fall over the edge.

I can't do it. I can't.

I'm in danger from my legs collapsing.

I think I could fall through there.

But can you cure somebody with an extreme phobia

by exposing them to the thing they fear the most...

in ever-increasing doses?

-Look how high it is.

-Oh, my Lord! No!

There is a treatment that can help.

It's called exposure therapy.

It's not as rude as it sounds.

Look to the right.

Now a leading Oxford University psychologist...

Just throw yourselves against the front of the glass.

..is going to attempt to cure five people

with severe height phobias.

Making them confront their fears head-on as a group.

They're going to set off on an epic adventure

from here in the Alps...

Oh! I'm going to close my eyes!

No, no, keep them open.

..to the Middle East.

Home to the world's tallest building.

Welcome to the Palace of Dreams.

We'll measure breathing and heart rates

to discover the effect that fear has on the body.

-Oh, my gosh!

-It went up to 144.

So, which of our very brave volunteers is going to realise

that actually, they do have a head for heights?

Acrophobia, an extreme fear of heights,

affects one in seven adults. But there is hope.

For 17 years, Dr Jennifer Wild

has been using a psychological technique

to change individual lives.

Exposure therapy does what it says on the tin.

It means confronting your worst fear

and learning that nothing bad happens.

Now she's bringing five acrophobics together from around the country.

It's tough to admit I've got a fear of heights.

This is my Achilles heel.

It's the elephant in the room that nobody wants to talk about.

Bridges, buildings, mountains.

You name it, if it's high, I've probably got the fear there.

I can't believe I have been like this for 40 years now.

No two acrophobics are the same.

Each person's fear is unique and can be sparked by different things.

For me to work with them,

I need to get them into situations that trigger anxiety.

People will discover that nothing dangerous happens

and then their anxiety comes down.

I'm not in control of myself or my feelings.

There's something there that is making me scared.

It affects my life in so many small ways.

I should be able to overcome this and I can't.

I feel like I'm getting beaten by it over and over again.

I don't want to be that person.

Hello, there.

I think you must be

five of the bravest people in Britain at the moment.

Quite big challenges facing you.

But we are going to have, hopefully, some fun along the way.

How are you feeling at this point in time, guys?

-Nervous.

-A bit nervous.

-Mm.

-Yeah.

35-year-old Lee is an estate agent from Southampton.

I'm struggling to be convinced by the whole thing.

I find it hard to think we can just come along and just fix it.

IT consultant Glen is 46.

He's concerned he'll pass his fear on to his sons.

I don't want them to think, "If Dad's scared, it must be dangerous.

-"I don't want to do it either."

-That's really important.

-Because kids do what their parents do.

-Absolutely.

Louise is 55 and works in Parliament.

Her fear triggered on a family holiday 40 years ago.

My brother and I were going to walk over the Clifton Suspension Bridge

and he thought it was great fun to let go of his big sister's hand.

That's really where it started.

To establish how severe each person's phobia is,

Dr Wild wants to conduct a benchmark test. Climbing a flight of stairs.

She picked this seven-storey staircase

as its glass design confronts the group head-on with its height.

This is our first port of call.

Come on in, don't be shy.

Anybody feel like they can go up the staircase?

-We're going to go up together.

-We can do that.

-Yeah?

Right. I'll take the rear.

There's a total of 234 stairs to the seventh floor.

Each storey consists of 26 steps divided by a mezzanine.

Focusing and moving freely because we don't need to hang on.

Every floor takes us 4m higher.

Pauline, there is no need to look down, so look up,

look where you're going.

Two storeys up, 19-year-old student nurse Jodie asks to stop.

It doesn't really seem like a safe structure to me, this.

I think I could fall through there.

If you slipped? So tell me how you'd slip.

If you do it like this. You're going up and then I go like that...

And then my leg breaks.

They wouldn't be designed like this

if accidents were going to happen in the way that you're picturing.

A cornerstone of exposure therapy is helping phobics recognise

how illogical their thinking is and teaching them

to use reason to fight it.

It's actually quite difficult to put your leg through.

What do you think of that?

I still think I could fall through there.

I would love to not have a problem with stairs.

I feel really uncomfortable to be stood on them.

I want to do anything but stand on them.

I feel my heart beating faster, I get all panicky I breathe faster.

It's just a really strong desire for me to get somewhere

that I feel is safe.

I feel so stupid.

No, don't. Don't ever feel that. Honestly, take your time.

This photograph shows Jodie on her fourth birthday

next to the stairs that triggered her phobia.

It's become more apparent to me

as I've got older that it is actually an issue.

Fears are supposed to be something that are helpful to us,

but mine isn't, at all.

I want to do it.

-Good, good girl, you're doing brilliantly.

-Great. OK?

Excellent.

Jodie's fears about staircases is a good example of how

irrational these fears can become.

She got the message so fast because she is young and the less

of a habit it's become, the quicker it should be to crack.

-I want you to run up the last few stairs, please.

-Come on, guys.

That was scary. That was my scary bit.

-Jen, how many flights of steps up are we?

-Three.

-So, we've done six actual groups of stairs?

-Yep.

-That's pretty good.

-Yep.

Glen's got leg-wobble, Pauline's got calf troubles, Louise, anything?

-I had Glen's wobbly legs.

-Glen's wobbles.

-Thanks very much, Glen.

-You're welcome.

-Lee?

I feel quite emotional today, now.

I feel like I just want to give everyone a big hug.

Bring it in, team - bring it in, bring it in.

Some people's fears are more deep-seated than others.

That was quite clear in the benchmark test.

It's not going to be an easy journey.

It's going to be difficult to get them to come out of their shell

and confront their fear.

It's quite bowled me over, actually, meeting five people at the same

time who do have a really, really extreme fear of heights.

I'm just worried, because I know the challenges that face them,

and believe you me, it's a bit more than a staircase with gaps in.

Removing the group from their everyday surroundings

intensifies the treatment.

48 hours later, we're 600 miles away in Austria.

Following the benchmark test in London, Dr Jen's designed

a series of challenges.

They don't know it yet,

but we're headed for the Austrian town of Innsbruck,

home to a funicular mountain railway and this, the Nordkette cable car,

which climbs over 1,000m in just eight minutes.

I've picked a cable car because it's enclosed,

so in some ways, its similar to the staircase,

but it's in motion and it goes to a much greater height.

I worked in the travel industry for 27 years.

I have been to the most amazing places

and literally had to see them from the ground.

I think you get so used to avoiding situations.

I would like to at last be able to overcome it.

I'm here for my two children, I'm here for my wife.

That's the motivation for me.

If I'm being brutally honest, I'm sceptical that somebody might

be able to get over this.

It's 6am.

Here we are, we're in a ski resort, 500m above sea level,

which is a whole different ball game, isn't it?

A cable car, it's kind of wobbling around in a large glass

bauble on a string, but not as fun as Christmas.

This might seem like a big step, but thousands of people ski

every weekend across Europe or they go hiking in the summer.

It's a completely safe scenario and the group has to learn it's safe.

Before we set off, team medic Alex fits monitors to measure

the group's breathing and heart rates.

They'll wear them for the duration of the challenges.

Just focus on nice, calm, relaxing thoughts.

The average resting heart rate is 72 beats per minute for adults.

Dr Jen will compare each person's base

readings against their reactions to being placed under stress.

The way the group is thinking,

it's having an immediate impact on their heart and their body.

If they can succeed in changing their thinking,

they'll have a direct impact on what's going on in their bodies

and their heart rate should come down.

This feels like a radical step from cosy old London.

I am a little bit concerned about our group.

Onwards, onwards.

We saw how tricky it was tackling some stairs.

I wouldn't be surprised if some of them

don't even leave the starting gates.

Challenge one is a climb of almost 300m on the funicular,

the alpine equivalent to the London Underground.

So just follow me.

Just checking you all go on.

Think of it as Chessington World of Adventures, with a slight twist.

This still offers the security of being enclosed by glass,

however, it's a moving object and it's going to a far greater height.

-Is everybody OK?

-Oh, are we off?

In eight minutes, we'll arrive at the base of the cable car.

I'm going to be watching how they respond, who's finding it the most

difficult and what deep-seated ideas they have about heights.

One of the things that can keep us feeling anxious

is picturing what's on the outside without actually looking at it.

So it can make us imagine things are much higher than they actually are.

-Oh, look, look at this.

-Glen, can you tell me what you see?

Buildings, roads, like every other railway at the moment.

Viewpoint is a key exposure therapy strategy.

Resisting the urge to look away forces phobics to

take in their surroundings.

It's never as bad as they imagine.

So we're going up a bit of a hill.

Oh, my Lord!

No!

This literally feels like we're on a roller coaster.

Oh, I am going to close my eyes.

No, no, Pauline - keep them open.

61-year-old Pauline lives with her son in North London.

I am a trained nurse, I'm also a teacher.

I tend not to apply for a job that I have to work

in a very high building.

-Look, there are people walking out there.

-I know.

The trees. How are you doing?

Crumbling.

In my head, I believe I'm going to fall, a hole is beneath my feet

and I'm going to drop and I can't rationalise as to why.

-Have you been on a train before?

-Yes, I have.

This is just like train, isn't it? It's just like a train.

But a train doesn't go up a high mountain.

-Lee, how are you doing?

-All right.

-Just keeping focused.

-What are you focusing on?

-Outside.

How are you doing, Jodie?

I'm just looking at the view over there, it's amazing.

We're going to get out here. You guys have done really well.

In London, we made it 12m up the stairs.

We're now 859m above sea level.

It's pretty spectacular, guys, yeah? Thoughts? Feelings?

-Cold.

-Cold?

I am here to do this activity and I need to do it.

I don't think its how high we are - it's how safe it is that's the

defining thing for me.

I still don't feel completely comfortable.

There's still something inside - just a little bit of panic.

Before attempting the cable car,

Dr Jen needs to be sure everyone's fit to continue.

How's everyone doing?

Glen and Louise, their heart rate shot up as we went up the hill.

It went up to 120.

Standing around, we'd expect it to be about 72,

an athlete running, over 100 - so they went right up to 120.

That's really suggesting they're very anxious.

-Look at this, Glen is at 100.

-You know why it's at 100?

He can't stop picturing something bad happening.

I think my nemesis would be to go on a cable car.

Just the thought of being high up with nothing underneath me

just completely turns my stomach.

I wouldn't do it.

How anxious do you feel right now?

I am in danger of my legs collapsing.

Some of that is anticipation of what's coming next, as opposed

to what's right now.

Glen's legs feel wobbly because his concern about the cable car

has initiated a heightened state of anxiety called fight or flight.

This response is a product of human evolution.

Glen feels attacked, which triggers an automatic reaction in his brain.

Adrenaline and hormones are fired into his system

and blood diverts to his core muscles including his legs,

to prepare his body to stay and fight or escape.

-Even though they feel weak, can you still move them?

-Yes.

Understanding that the body's reaction is positive rather than

a sign of weakness should bring anxiety levels down.

If we feel anxious, what actually happens is more blood goes

to our muscles, so, actually, you can move them more.

The next leg of this challenge is his worst nightmare

and he's being really brave but he's not very happy about it.

I have an oldest boy, Luke, who's nine, Simon, who's six.

I feel sorry that the boys are missing out on fantastic

opportunities in life because I have got this irrational fear.

The possibility that I may overcome it is fantastic.

A good strategy to combat fear is to focus on the hard evidence.

I've arranged for an expert to come and talk to them

about the structure of the cable car, what makes it such a safe form

of transport.

Sebastian Larcher heads the team keeping the Nordkette running.

Have there been any accidents on this cable car?

Cable cars are a very safe way to travel on a mountain.

Safer than a car or walking down the street.

This cable car is hanging on a wire, isn't it?

Like a bird cage.

But the good thing is it's not windy today.

This cable car has been operating for 85 years

and there has never been any accident.

Glen, what do you think about that?

Nervous. I'm quite a scientific person.

If I could think of a reason as to why I was concerned,

then at least I have some sense as to why I feel so scared.

There's only gravity that holds it in place. Is that right?

That's right, you see two cables. It just rests on top.

There's nothing actually holding the cable, is there?

-So you could actually lift off the cable?

-If you were very strong, yes.

I would never in a million years think about all that.

He's thought everything through.

He's got me worrying, actually.

Follow me.

-OK, how does it feel, everyone?

-Unsteady.

Lift-off is in eight minutes, giving the group time to come to terms with

the fact that they are about to travel 1,045m

suspended in the air.

Check how solid this is. Give it a bang.

This is a battle with what's going on in their mind.

Getting them to focus on something, other than what they're feeling

in their body or what might happen with the cable car,

people learn that it's safe.

What about jumping up and down?

By showing them that nothing bad happens,

they have more and more evidence that this thing they

really fear is not actually dangerous.

Nice move! '80s rave move there, Louise - great!

-Is everyone up for it? Jodie?

-Yep!

-Louise, you up for it?

-I'm ready.

-Glen, you up for it?

-Yes.

D-day has arrived. Once the doors shut, we can't get off.

Ugh!

Feel free to cling on to the pole. Doors are closing.

Don't forget, hugs are here if you need them.

The eight-minute ride is the first time

the group have left terra firma.

-How will they react?

-Hey, we're going. Here we go.

Oh, my God, that is beautiful!

Look at those houses.

-You actually don't need to hang on.

-No?

-No, if you let go...

-You're fine, Glen.

-I am trying not to...

-You don't need to.

There's a slight bump-age as we're going through

the little tower-y bit.

-How are you?

-I am nervous but I want to be positive about it.

The cable car is not going to drop.

It's me believing in my mind that I am going to drop.

As we climb, so does Glen's pulse.

At 130 beats per minute, it's an 80% increase from his

resting rate of 72.

So, I am wondering if we can all focus on Glen.

What do you think is going to happen, worst-case scenario?

Worst case scenario is that we could fall.

OK. And what did we learn from Sebastian?

-That the chance of falling is minute.

-0%?

-Yes.

-Based on the statistics of the cable car, 0%.

-Yes.

-How does that make you feel?

-Better. It still doesn't stop wobbly legs.

The group have endured it this far,

but the treatment works by continually pushing them.

We're going to start off by throwing ourselves against the front

of this glass to show us that it's safe.

We'll also have a look at your heart rate.

-Jodie, do you want to kick off?

-Yep.

-How's that?

-That's OK. The glass is really thick.

Great. Louise.

-Wow! That was good.

-No messing! No messing. It goes up a bit.

OK, Pauline.

Oh!

Lee.

OK, so...

Fantastic.

It went up slightly, but not as much as Jodie's.

-Weird sensation, that is.

-Well done!

OK, Glen.

I have no doubt that I will be put into situations that will

make me feel uneasy.

If I thought there's a chance that the boys may take on my fear,

then I would be mortified.

If it gets worse, it would have an even bigger effect

on my life and the life of my family.

I'm definitely ready to crack on and get things sorted.

Glen, put your hands against it like that.

Great.

The moment your hands made contact with the glass,

your heart rate went up, major.

Anything bad? Any accidents happening?

-Do you feel like you're going to go through the glass?

-No.

What about giving it more of your weight?

So, really...

-That's good, it's gone down.

-Anything happen? Is it sturdy?

Yes, sturdy, yes.

I was so surprised. That caught me unawares.

For the first time today, Glen's heart rate has dropped.

Look at that. You've gone down to 100, breathing 23.

That's good. I am not quite as panicky as I think I am.

Nearly there.

Eight minutes ago, we were below the clouds.

Now, we're almost 2km high.

Glen achieving this is just a step towards beating his phobia,

but, for now, Dr Jen wants he and the group

to savour their big moment.

The reason most people love coming up to a high place

is so that they can enjoy the view.

I want us all to turn towards the front.

We don't need to grip anything for dear life...

Sorry, I've just got to slightly un-grip Glen's hands.

There we go, brilliant, well done.

It's been hard to overcome that hurdle, that sort of first stage.

That's something I thought I'd never ever do.

I've still got the wobbly legs.

I've still got the churny stomach, but I think Dr Jen has

proven that we can, actually, overcome massive traumatic emotions.

It's a huge step forward, a massive change.

I am seeing a different Glen now. I just think

he had a little bit of a light bulb moment, you know.

He feels like he's achieved something today.

I think now I'm getting a bit more belief

that this is going to work, which is a big thing for me.

For the treatment to have any chance of lasting success,

Dr Jen needs to push the group further.

So far, however high they've been, it's always been enclosed.

Now, they're about to be exposed to the elements.

Crossing into Switzerland has them speculating about what's in store.

Looking out now, there's a lot of mountains, a lot of snow,

so I am expecting it to be harder today than it was yesterday.

Just keep these four guys with me and then I'll be OK.

They're turning into my safety blanket.

That's really nice to hear that.

You did a good job yesterday.

We're headed for the breathtaking Salginatoble Bridge.

Built in 1930, it's suspended 90m above the river.

Bridges are a part of everyday life. They're exposed to the

elements and this is something I want the group to do on their own.

Dr Jen knows this will trigger one person's phobia,

but first, we've got to get there.

Wow, this is steep.

-There's no drop at the moment...

-Apart from on the right.

Except on the right.

Oh, my God!

It's OK, guys, it's just another car.

Did you see that? We nearly had a head-on collision.

Oh, Lee, please stop saying these things.

Well, we did - we skidded.

The driver has incredibly good control of the vehicle.

We're going slowly.

The roads are forgotten the second our destination

swings into view.

Where?

Oh, my God.

We have arrived, my loves.

Yes, that is what I thought it would be.

-Oh, my God!

-That is exactly what I thought it would be like.

I don't think I can even walk on the road to get to it.

Just seeing the bridge has triggered Louise's fight or flight reaction.

In an instant, the adrenaline has driven her heart rate

up to 132 beats per minute.

Louise, let's just stand and get some information, OK?

Louise, look at me and keep your eyes open.

Tell me what's going through your mind.

I don't even know.

I can just see the edge.

And I've got to walk along there to get to that bridge!

OK.

A typical rate of breathing is 15 inhalations per minute.

But in her panic, Louise is snatching a breath

every two seconds, worrying team medic Alex.

She's going into the realms of hyperventilating.

Obviously, if her breathing starts to increase any more,

I will have to step in and make an intervention.

OK, thanks, Alex. Cheers.

She's really shaking all over.

I'm not sure if she is going to get anywhere near it, to be honest.

I'm so terrified I'm going to slip and fall on the road

and go over the edge.

Louise's phobia originates from a family holiday to Bristol

when she was just 12.

SHE SOBS

The Clifton Suspension Bridge incident was the catalyst

to my fear of heights.

I remember Mum and Dad dropping us off and giving my brother

instructions that he must hold my hand as we walked across.

He was securely holding my hand until literally halfway

across the bridge and he just let go and ran off.

I don't remember anything else. Just the terror of how I felt.

Keep your eyes open.

SHE SOBS

It's OK. We're not going to let you go.

It's OK.

If I see the Clifton Suspension Bridge from a distance,

it still makes my stomach lurch.

If I suddenly found I was near that bridge, I would stop the car

even if it was on a double yellow line, and I would get out.

Can you tell me how different this is

to when you were on the Clifton Suspension Bridge?

It was so long ago. I just remember being completely terrified.

But it actually feels worse than that.

I've been avoiding high places for all these years,

but probably without actually consciously thinking about it.

There's always a way of not having to face the height.

-You're in control, Louise. It's not dangerous.

-OK.

So what we should do is jump. Good.

Oh, that's better, isn't it?

Do you think the answer to everything is jumping, Jen?

-I think it might be!

-I think it might be.

OK, so your legs are moving, right? You can trust your legs, Louise.

Now she's calmer, Dr Jen sets Louise a seemingly simple task,

to cross the road.

SHE GASPS

That is brilliant.

It's not a drop. But unless we get a little bit closer,

-we don't find that out.

-Really good.

Ah!

SHE BREATHES HEAVILY

You're moving away now, Louise, what's happening?

SHE GROANS

Ahhh! Boy! Phew!

-I'm impressed.

-Much more comfortable now.

-Yeah.

Each passing minute brings more clarity...

I'm actually looking at a bridge, which is my nemesis.

I'm still pretty nervous,

but I feel nervous now, more than panicky and hysterical.

It's been 43 years since I got this close to a bridge.

Are you serious? Bring it on, man!

43 years I've avoided coming anywhere near bridges.

This is not Bristol!

Here I come, bridge!

SHE LAUGHS

Louise, come on.

My nemesis, I'm coming to get you!

Good luck.

Every step Louise takes will contribute to a new

positive experience with the power to undo her childhood trauma.

-OK, shall we go?

-Mmm!

-Excellent.

-I will be here.

-OK.

-Oh, I'm feeling a bit wobbly, Jen.

-OK, keep moving.

-We're going to keep moving our legs, yeah.

-OK.

-Jen, don't let me go.

-No, no. Pick up the pace.

-Oh, now I'm getting nervous, Jen.

-Pick up the pace. Excellent.

-Knees up.

-Wonderful. Wonderful. Great.

-She's over halfway there now.

-Yeah, she's definitely over halfway now.

-It's pretty cool, isn't it?

-She's done it!

You're doing great!

Yeah, I'm not sure I can walk over it on my own, Jen.

Great.

-OK.

-It's pretty amazing what she's doing.

-Remarkable, yeah.

It is amazing. I didn't think she'd get that far.

Wooooh, go for it, Louise. You can do it!

43 years of not walking over a bridge! Yeah!

Woooh, I'm nearly there!

Aha! I'm going to do it!

Can you believe that's the same person that got off the bus?

-I know.

-Unbelievable.

Wooooooh.

SHE LAUGHS

Does it make you feel better?

Yeah, I'm like, if she can walk over that,

then I've got to be able to do it.

-Yeah.

-Excellent.

Wooooh, I've done it!

Yeah! I'm getting a head for heights!

THEY LAUGH

Oh, thank you, Jen. My God, I can't believe I've done it.

Oh, that is amazing.

SHE CHEERS

She's dancing on the bridge!

Well done! Well done!

But has the experience had a positive physical effect?

Your pulse rate was much lower,

and your heart rate was significantly lower.

-What was it?

-Heart rate was just under 100.

-Really?! Wow.

-You came off the bus 132.

-Is that what it was?

-Yeah.

-Really?

Never, ever thought that was going to happen, genuinely.

Seeing her as she got off the bus, I thought, no way.

Quite amazed, actually. She's nailed it, I think, I really do.

I think this was immense for her.

The last few hours have been exhausting,

but no-one came here to spectate.

In your own time, Pauline, good luck.

Doing really well.

She's got that sort of real quiet determination to do things, Pauline.

Oh, my God! I've done it! I can't believe it. I've done it.

-Well done.

-Yeah!

Usually, I'm walking like Bugs Bunny, like this, across the bridge.

-That is what I have done before in the past.

-You did so well, though.

-Oh, my goodness.

-I felt good that I've actually done it on my own.

Who's next?

I think he will be OK. He is confident, isn't he?

Oh, he is looking good, he is looking good.

-I am not going to look over the edge, I have decided.

-OK.

But I can walk over it.

Done it.

Yeah, that was, um, worse than I thought it was going to be.

Standing over here, I think, the more we become used to it.

Definitely. Do you feel better that you have acclimatised?

I feel better you have gone across.

LAUGHTER

Halfway across, Glen hits a wall.

His fight or flight response has triggered, making him feel unstable.

Do your legs feel wobbly?

Yes, I feel as if though I am falling over,

looking at the ground over here I have a sort of faint reference.

If I look out I feel as though I might fall over.

When you're anxious, you are stronger than you would be

at any other time, more blood has gone to your core

because of the adrenaline in your body and more blood has gone

to your major muscles meaning that they're stronger.

You are not going to fall over. In fact, you could run faster.

Nearly there, Glen.

So nearly there, Glen.

Ohhh. I thought that would be so easy and it wasn't.

-You've done it!

-It wasn't, it wasn't.

-OK, OK.

-What happened?

-I thought that would be really, really easy.

-Lee did, as well.

Definitely not very happy and even now I can't look that way.

'It's one of those times where my fear of heights has caught me out.

'It took me completely by surprise. I feel immensely frustrated.

'I have lost some confidence

'and I'm concerned that I don't have the strength to carry out

'the next tasks. I'm worried that I will now give up too easily.'

Come on, son.

She's brilliant, isn't she?

'My whole way of thinking is really different.

'Even when I looked over the side I was just waiting to get scared

'and it didn't come.'

-It's like a different person, isn't it?

-Absolutely amazing.

-It's the pocket rocket!

-Yes, absolutely incredible!

'I'm not even thinking about whether things are safe or not now,

'that's just not crossing into my mind.'

Here she comes, well done!

ALL CHEER How do you feel? That was fantastic.

I feel like I have really made a breakthrough... I feel

like there has been a wall there and I feel like I have broken through it

I am absolutely freezing. I don't know about anyone else.

Ohhh, that's good!

-LAUGHTER

-Oh, lovely, lovely, lovely...

Seeing Louise today completely freak out...

I don't want to be in those shoes.

That could happen if the stakes are raised to the point where

I can't keep control any more.

The Alpine heights - we can tick those boxes.

What is next, Jen? For goodness' sake, have we not had enough?

Well, the nature of the therapy is to ramp it up a notch, give them

more challenging situations so they can really knock their fear

on its head.

ARABIAN MUSIC

We've left the Alps far behind us

and travelled almost 3,000 miles to the United Arab Emirates -

a former desert bristling with some of the world's tallest buildings.

Now, it's not just how high the group can go but for how long?

They look a lot taller when you get closer to them.

They look huge.

I've got leather boots and woolly socks on which is not

the best thing in this weather!

I'm a bit worried that I'm running on adrenaline

and that's going to get me in trouble.

They're headed here - the 33-storey Capital Gate Hotel.

An 18-degree tilt

makes it the furthest-leaning habitable structure in the world.

Oh, my days!

Jens, we couldn't be further away from the Alps

if we possibly tried.

I think it's going to be a challenge for them now.

The Alpine bridge was a step in the right direction

but now Dr Jen wants to test their determination by making them

work at height - waiting tables on the 18th floor.

-This is going to feel like hell...

-Oh, yes.

-..for them.

-Isn't it?

-This is going to be...

-On all sides, there's glass.

As you say it's a balcony, which a lot of them

-have problems with anyway.

-Yes.

-And it's how many metres up?

-75m up.

-75m up.

What are you doing? This is ridiculously hard.

I can't even see the top, can't even see the top.

ALL: Hello!

-How are you? Are you all right?

-Hello. Welcome to the palace of dreams!

It makes the Leaning Tower of Pisa

look like a small child's climbing frame.

Everything we've done right now has been short bursts.

And it's important that they are in a situation long enough to

discover they can carry out a task at a height

and nothing bad happens.

Welcome to the 18th floor.

So, guys, I know some of you have lost jobs

because you haven't been able to work at a height.

What you are actually here to do is to wait tables.

-I've got five aprons for each of you.

-Thank you.

All of the group, in turn,

must serve the terrace for 30 minutes.

Go for it, Lee.

The live readout from the heart monitors means anyone

-struggling with the height...

-Hello.

..won't be able to hide it.

I've got some lovely lemon iced-tea or some berry iced-tea.

Sorry, I'm just quite close to the edge right now,

just concentrate on pouring this out.

The drop has an immediate effect on Lee's heart rate.

There you go.

It's these tables that are the real fear.

Which drink would you like to go for, the berry or the lemon iced-tea?

-Oh, my God!

-It went up to 144, 149.

Oh, my days!

'It's a heart rate we'd normally associate with

'Lee doing strenuous exercise.'

Oh, damn! Sorry.

How's it going?

Good, starting to relax a bit more now.

Got some lovely appetisers here for you.

20 minutes in, Lee's BPM drops down to under 100.

Dive in. Enjoy.

He's really focusing on the job rather than his fear.

Did you notice? He went

-right up to the glass and smiling.

-Yeah.

I'm literally gunning for a tip at the moment.

The whole height thing has just completely had to take a back seat.

Some appetisers there for you.

I've got to get back to my service!

-That's good it's a result, isn't it?

-It's an excellent result.

-He's working at a height.

-Fist bump, Jen, come on, fist bump me.

Lovely.

-Louise, there we go, my love.

-How many tables am I serving, actually?

There are four tables.

Would you like a little morsel?

I'd love a morsel, thank you.

No messing. I am quite surprised, Jen.

Are you? No messing! She went right up!

SHE CHUCKLES

-Table of three, Louise, off you go.

-Table of three, here I go.

To be honest with you I thought she wasn't even going to make it out the door.

SHE LAUGHS

Would you like me to take your empty plates?

But, I don't feel frightened.

-You'll be brilliant.

-Thank you.

HE EXHALES

Glen seems pretty anxious to me.

Kept thinking about

putting his feet on the balcony and not feeling safe.

MEL SIGHS

-Good afternoon.

-Hello.

It's still very unnerving trying to stay focused on what I am doing.

Oops, sorry.

And not thinking about the really silly things that might happen.

Oops.

Sorry. Thank you.

That end it really does feel you are suspended over nothing.

With glass all round.

That's that demon table at the end, isn't it?

-That's the really scary one.

-Yes.

-Hi!

-ALL: Hi!

Would you like some berry iced-tea?

Do you think, Jen, this is the task that we are really seeing them

actually overcoming their fear of heights?

We are really seeing how their mind is affecting their body.

Jodie is the first to push herself that step further.

Hi, Jodie! You have been up here for ages.

It seems to be better the longer I stay here.

MEL EXHALES

You are doing brilliantly.

Inspired, Glen attempts to follow Jodie.

Go for it, you are doing it brilliantly.

No!

OK, got to do it.

Got to do it.

'I underestimated how hard it was going to be.

'I realised I couldn't do it.

'I need to overcome this fear.

'I don't want my boys to see their dad being a coward.'

Got to overcome it, got to overcome it.

OK.

Well done.

Have a look over there, as well. All the twinkling lights.

HE EXHALES

BREATHES HEAVILY

Well done.

You stood on the edge for ages.

-You did it!

-Yeah.

-That is bold.

-You were so determined to do it and you managed it.

18 floors up, Glen.

Piece of glass, boom, he's up there.

LAUGHTER

It's silly, isn't it, it's crazy.

-Big ice cream, guys, come on.

-Big ice cream.

-Yes.

Let's do it, big ice cream.

And a beer, a beer might be coming on!

It's our final day together,

and later on the group will face the ultimate height challenge.

But first, Dr Jen is concerned that one person has buried his fear

so deep - that he's yet to fully tackle it.

It's my biggest secret so nobody knows about it other than my wife

and, probably, my mum.

That's going to be the barrier, letting myself go. Trusting someone.

Right, here we all are, yeah. Shall we go in?

-Let's go in.

-Come on.

'Strong characters can appear to be in control of their phobia.

'But containing it just masks the fear -

'so when it does surface it's all the more shocking.

It's really important for me that Lee is not hiding behind the group.

And that he has an experience where he feels anxious

and I can do some one-on work with him.

He hates diving boards.

So it's crucial that I single Lee out

to get to the crux of his anxiety.

-JODIE:

-Oh, my God, what are we doing?

Who's going to be diving?

LEE: Not me.

OK, so we are here, it's not a huge height

but this is something that some of you may want to work on.

In particular, Lee. I want to do some work with you today.

How do you feel about that, Lee?

I'm not happy really, to be honest with you.

I always said I didn't want to come back to the diving board.

About a year, 18 months ago we did a team-building exercise

with some of my staff.

We thought, "Right, let's go down to the swimming baths

"and we'll jump off the diving boards."

Jumped off the first board and went on to the second one.

And all of a sudden I start feeling that my mouth

is getting really dry and I'm getting a bit anxious.

I jumped.

And I came up a broken person, to be honest.

I'm not doing it. I'm not doing it

I'll say eclipse now, that's it.

I can't do it! I can't. I can't do it.

Eclipse is the safe word we agreed would only be used

when someone was sure they wanted to stop.

Look, you've done so well. I know exactly how you feel.

-Sounds like you are really thinking about what happened before.

-Yeah, I am.

-I really want you to focus on now, where you are now.

-I can't.

I literally felt like I had a near-death experience.

Not physically but mentally. I can't take that again.

But if we don't try to change this memory that you have

it's always going to be there.

HE SOBS

He said he was broken after it happened.

-He has told us about it before and...

-Yeah.

He's not going to be forced to do anything that he doesn't

really want to do.

I haven't cried since the last time I was at a diving board.

Yeah. You're looking at a diving board

and you're thinking exactly what happened before,

and you're saying that exact same thing is going to happen now

and you're not testing it out.

Our fears make us upset. They make us really scared.

Until you can do a diving board, you are not really over

your fear of heights.

I need to try and sort this out.

I need to get back on track.

You can't let something control you like this.

How am I going to live with myself

if my son starts getting this fear of heights as well

and it's my fault?

So that's why I need to deal with it now.

I can't even look at them.

What I am wondering is if we can get changed and go for a swim.

Yeah.

Can we do that?

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

OK, let's get changed.

Is it too far, Jen, do you think, to take Lee into the pool?

Cos he's has had such a traumatic experience,

it's really important to distinguish between what happened then,

which was horrific, and what's happening now,

-which is very different.

-Lee, you are doing brilliantly.

Let's do one each. I'll go on this one.

HE EXHALES DEEPLY

HE SIGHS

Oh, my God.

HE EXHALES DEEPLY

CHEERING

We're are proud of our team, the A team.

That was good.

Thanks for helping me do that.

-It was good.

-You're very welcome.

Repeatedly facing something you're frightened of,

the less hold it has over you.

APPLAUSE

CHEERING

Come on, group hug. Oh...

That was more exciting than watching Tom Daley at the Olympics, Lee.

ALL TALK OVER EACH OTHER

-Wet hugs.

-That was hectic.

You've got a nice big smile.

-You've got the Lee smile back.

-I enjoyed the last one.

It felt a bit touch and go, Jen, at times.

I'm sure you felt it as well, but...

Now, when he goes to a pool, he's going to have two memories.

He's going to have the old one, where he had no support,

and the new one, where he did something that was really successful.

When Lee's teeth disappear, you know you are in trouble.

Now they're out again. All is well.

I don't think I would have done that without Jen's help,

so I owe her a lot really. She's amazing.

I am getting a bit emotional saying it.

You might not think it but I feel really positive.

Two weeks ago in London, these five extreme acrophobics made it

just 12m up a stairwell.

Now they're going to be given an opportunity to accomplish

something slightly bigger.

Guys, I can reveal to you that we well be going up the Burj.

-Wow.

-Really?

-Yes.

That's the tallest building in the world.

No, we can't go up that.

The 828m Burj Khalifa is the world's tallest building.

Can the group use the strategies they have learned and climb it,

or will it be mission impossible?

Unbelievable!

I can't actually see the top.

You don't do things by halves, Jen, do you?

-How are you feeling? Are you ready to do this?

-Yeah.

Louise, do you want to come with me?

I can't believe I'm going first.

Two lifts stand between us and the highest private viewing

terrace on the 152nd floor.

For this first stage, Dr Jen will accompany Louise,

who's suddenly feeling anxious, but the rest must go it alone.

Louise.

Bye.

This elevator climbs at a rate of ten metres per second.

So, what we don't want to do is focus on any sensation.

-Like on the bridge.

-Do you want to jump?

I jumped first in the lift!

I love looking at that thing going up.

It actually feels really solid, doesn't it?

We're here.

I can't believe it.

First stop, the 123rd floor, almost five times the height of Big Ben.

Ooh, I've never been this high in my life.

My God, this is a first. Boy!

I never thought I would do this. My God.

ELEVATOR DINGS

Yay!

Hello.

Oh, my God.

-Wow.

-Congratulations.

Look how high it is.

-It's good. I made it.

-Congratulations.

-Thank you.

-HE EXHALES DEEPLY

-That's amazing, isn't it?

SHE LAUGHS

Each of the group now understand how their bodies react to heights.

They're using the strategy of viewpoint, reason

and distraction to control their reaction to being 450m up.

What a view. Absolutely amazing.

-That is just unbelievable really.

-Oh, my God.

Stage two is a further 138-metre climb to the outdoor terrace

on the 152nd floor.

This is cosy.

We're going the highest we will ever get to go in a building together.

If anybody guffs now, there will be words.

LAUGHTER

WIND WHISTLES

-OK.

-Here we are.

We're now almost twice the height of Britain's

tallest building, the Shard.

Oh, you can see the sea!

That is absurd.

'Before we make our bid for the terrace,

'Dr Jen had some vital statistics to reveal.

'Louise's most anxious moment was the alpine bridge.

'In fight or flight mode, her heart soared to 132 beats per minute.

'So how has she fared at the world's tallest building?'

Your average heart rate, here at the Burj, 92.

-Whoa!

-That's pretty good, isn't it?

-Yeah.

Jody peaked back in London on the second flight of stairs.

-The Burj, your average heart rate...

-78.

You are better at heights than you are on the ground now.

The mountain railway provoked 102 beats per minute from Pauline.

Oh, I've got to close my eyes.

And your average today, here at the Burj, has been 74.

-SHE GASPS

-Quite a difference.

-Wow.

Isn't that amazing?

I can't... I can't.

Lee's hit 156 beats per minute at the diving board.

-Here at the Burj, 76.

-76.

LAUGHTER

Glen's nemesis the cable car pushed his to 148 beats per minute.

Your average, here at the Burj, 86.

-That's not bad.

-Really good.

-Yeah.

-Really good.

You're thinking differently

and it's having a direct impact on your heart and the rest of your body.

Now just one final challenge remains.

Oh, my lordy.

Whoever wants to go out, go out.

Yes.

I can even look over.

Wow. Get your head over the top.

-LAUGHTER

-Whoa! I think I might stay here.

At least I'm outside. But can you believe it?

152 feet up.

I'm not as brave as others, but I'm actually outside.

Woo.

Don't you think it's amazing that we're up the tallest

-building in the world?

-SHE LAUGHS

And we're just having a chat.

I'm comfortable to be here now, and I'm enjoying the view,

and it's a good experience.

I'm glad you had my back out there. You were looking out for me.

I'm still expecting myself to be scared.

It's really weird for me cos I get here and it does shock me

how normal it actually is for me.

If you look to the right, there's quite a strong metal structure.

Can you move your legs?

-Great.

-Well done, Glen.

Well done.

Yeah, it's much better.

It feels surreal for me

to be standing on top of the world's tallest building.

Two weeks ago I couldn't even do three floors.

-SHE LAUGHS

-150 floors up!

That is absurd. That is absurd.

I've had my phobia for 43 years.

Goodness knows why I didn't do something about it before.

-Glen, you are a legend. Look at you.

-Glen is a total lege.

I feel ecstatic, absolutely ecstatic.

I mean, I'm terrified as well, but absolutely fantastic.

The very first thing I'll do is speak to my boys

and we'll book a trip up the shard.

This is one more step towards me being a better dad for them.

Guys, we're on top of the world. CHEERING

'Never in my wildest dreams have I ever thought of coming up so high.

'It's such an achievement for me.'

I'll just... I'll do one foot at a time.

-Mock the fear.

-Mock the fear.

I've overcome a fear that has haunted me for the last 20 or

so years, which is amazing for me.

It's been epic. It's been a journey.

It's been every other cliche I can try and imagine.

And I can't wait to get home, back with my wife and my kids,

and go and practice all the things that I've learnt.

I don't have to be afraid of it any more.

CHEERING