Ok, because this silly flying thing seems to have legs: I fly all the time, for work and vacation. I’m mildly claustrophobic, but normally this is no problem. I take an aisle seat, put on music, & do some breathing exercises if I start getting anxious. It’s fine.
Once, I tried flying cross-country in a rear window seat while I was a little sick & feeling stressed for various reasons. It set off a panic attack & one of the most miserable few hours of my life. I managed to avoid making a scene, but was so flushed & sweaty...
...that I had to repeatedly assure flight attendants I didn’t need medical attention. Some people are so extremely claustrophobic they never fly. But normally, whether an anxiety like that is managable or not is contextual.
So it is *not remotely* mysterious or incongruous that someone who routinely manages their claustrophobia to fly would be particularly wary of flying after many anxious & sleepless nights to relive a harrowing experience of feeling trapped in front of a national audience.
