Cockpit Phobia can be described a very specific form of claustrophobia - it is a severe anxiety disorder that causes an extreme fear of the closed/confined space of a cockpit, such as that of a fighter plane, attack helicopter, Mobile Armor, or Mobile Suit.
Cickpit phobia occurs in pilots of mobile weapons or aircraft, usually as a result of experiencing a situation that places extremely high levels of stress on the pilot, such as a near-death/severe injury incurred in combat, or when the pilot has killed someone in combat.
The condition is usually triggered due to extreme stress put onto the pilot by a situation, such as a near death experience where the pilot escapes with severe wounds or when the pilot has killed someone in combat. The symptoms of Cockpit Phobia include, but are not limited to:
- Increased persperation
- Shaking of the extremities
- Trouble breathing
- In the most severe cases, panic attacks
The treatment for this phobia is to slowly acclimate the pilot back to being in a cockpit once more. Gradually, the symptoms can be controlled or will vanish completely over time, allowing the pilot to resume his normal activities in their role. One such case recorded is that of Jamil Neate, which was incurred after he was severely injured and nearly killed during the final battle of the 7th Space War after witnessing the mass colony drop that was initiated by the Space Revolutionary Army after he fired the Satellite Cannons of his Gundam X and the GX-Bits he was also controlling.
This phobia lasted fifteen years, until Jamil was able to gradually bring his symptoms under control using a treatment regimen devised by Doctor Techcs Farzenberg and Chief Mechanic Kid Salsamille of the Vulture ship Freeden.
Notes & Trivia[]
- In the North American DVD release of Gundam X, Jamil refers to Cockpit Phobia as a form of PTSD.