The Speakmans - Season 1

Becky is terrified of getting sick. For the last five years, this phobia has completely taken over her life and she rarely leaves the house. Becky was once passionate about horse riding but now she's petrified to go the stables. This phobia is destroying all of her relationships. Her boyfriend, Chris finished their relationship and says he'll only take her back if she gets treated for her phobia.

The Speakmans delve into Becky's past and discover what life experiences triggered her phobia. Nik & Eva bring the family together and discuss the huge impact that Becky's phobia is having on everyone else. The Speakmans go through intense therapy with Becky and attempt to treat her intense phobia.

Can The Speakmans successfully treat Becky and will she be able to rekindle her love of horse riding? Will Becky be able to save her relationships before it's too late?

Ashlea is desperate to start a family but her extreme OCD is preventing her from fulfilling her dreams. Ashlea is addicted to biting objects. She can spend up to 11 hours a day biting furniture, curtains, plates, steering wheels, hot hair straighteners, hot irons, etc. Every time she goes upstairs she has to bite the entire bannisters which is now destroyed. Ashlea has a dangerous habit of taking her hands off the steering wheel to touch the roof of her car. Ashlea says her OCD is putting a huge strain on her marriage.

In mediation, Ashlea's family express their concerns about her OCD as it's becoming a danger to her life especially whilst she's driving her car.

During therapy The Speakmans discover that Ashlea found it difficult to come to terms with her parents divorce when she was seven year old and this is when her OCD started. Aged 15, Ashlea was diagnosed with OCD. Ashlea believes that 'bad things' will happen if she doesn't repeat her rituals.

Can The Speakmans reverse Ashlea's thought process? Will Ashlea be able to let go of the past and fulfil her dreams of starting a family?

Danielle has been suffering from Trichotillomania for the last 18 years, which means that she has a compulsion to pull her hair out. After she has pulled out her hair, she then bites the roots as she loves the crunching sound it makes. Danielle has several bald patches which has caused her to have a serious lack of confidence and she claims that she hasn't been able to go out with friends or enjoy a social life for a long time. Danielle is desperate to stop pulling her hair out, and her parents are equally desperate for her to.

In family mediation, the family make an emotional plea in an attempt to help Danielle to overcome her condition.

In therapy, The Speakmans discover that Danielle was badly bullied at school and as a result she began to pull her hair out.

Can The Speakmans successfully treat Danielle? Will Danielle stop pulling her hair out? Can The Speakmans help Danielle gain back her confidence?

Dave is unable to swallow solid food. In February 2013, Dave had a throat infection and had to have a tooth removed. Later that week, he went out for dinner and choked on bit of meat. Dave has not been able to swallow solid food since then. His diet consists of soft food: mash potatoes, soup, cheese and milk. Dave is 6ft"2 and weighs ten stone, he's lost almost four stone in the last year. It can take him 1hr 15' to eat a bowl of soup. Dave hates how he looks and is desperate to go back to his athletic shape.

In family mediation, Dave's wife makes an emotional plea to him as she's so worried about his health. Dave admits that his fear of swallowing food is taking over his life. In therapy, The Speakmans discover that Dave has a fear of swallowing food as he almost choked a year ago. Can The Speakmans make him swallow food again? Will Dave be able to move on and start eating nutritious meals again?

Karlette believes she's suffering from PTSD, although she's not been formally diagnosed her doctor suggested that she may be suffering from it. Seven years ago, Karlette was 15 and was brutally attacked by two women. Since the attack, Karlette has lost all of her confidence and has become short tempered. She relives the attack on a nightly basis and believes that it's stopping her from living her life to the full. Karlette is a very talented singer and dancer who won a scholarship at a high-end performing arts school, but she's not been able to perform since the attack.

During mediation, the family tell Karlette some home truths about how much she has changed since the attack. In an emotional plea, the family tell Karlette that her temper is out of control and that they would do anything to have the old Karlette back.

In therapy, The Speakmans discover that Karlette's attack has had a huge impact on her behaviour. Karlette struggles on a daily basis as she keeps reliving the attack. The Speakmans attempt to treat Karlette and make her realise that the attack was not her fault.

Can The Speakmans help Karlette gain back her confidence? Will Karlette let go of the past and continue to pursue her dream of performing?

For nearly four years Georgia has hardly left the house. The only time she leaves the house is to walk into the field right opposite her house, but this has only been for a few minutes. Georgia believes this fear started when she was 16 whilst she was studying for her GCSE's. Since then her agoraphobia has become more advance. She has lost her education and friends because of her isolating illness.

Her parents: Alison and Ian are at breaking point, they become frustrated with one another as they cannot help their daughter. Both are terrified for Georgia's future, especially when they're gone.

During family mediation, Georgia's mum and sister get very emotional as they talk of the huge effect that Georgia's phobia is having on the rest of the family.

In therapy, The Speakmans discover that Georgia witnessed a few disturbing incidents which included a man flashing himself at her. This is one of the reason's that Georgia doesn't like to leave the house.

Can The Speakmans help Georgia leave the house? Will Georgia finally be able to start enjoying life without a constant fear of the outside world.

Ashlee is terrified of the dentist and her teeth are literally rotting. A dentist told her that she'll have no teeth left by the time she's 30! Ashlee is a hairdresser and takes pride in her appearance but she cannot go to the dentist.

Ashlee was born with a calcium deficiency and when she was 8 all of teeth were removed. It was very traumatic time for her and she spent the night in hospital. Following that, she grew all new teeth and regularly went for check ups. When she was 14, she had a tooth removed and hasn't been back since. She's already missing five teeth, mainly at the back and side. Six months ago, she noticed a small hole in her front tooth, she's now terrified that it will fall out. Ashlee can no longer eat with her back teeth, she has to chew with her front teeth. Ashlee has lost almost two stone, she rarely eats as it's too painful. Her partner, Chris says that Ashlee was once the life and soul of the party but now she hides in the background as she's conscious of her teeth. He says she's constantly covering her mouth and no longer enjoys a night out. Chris would love to propose to Ashlee, but she won't get married while her teeth are like this....

In family mediation, Ashlee's fiance and her mother tell her how concerned they're about her as she's unable to eat solid food.

In Therapy, The Speakmans discover that Ashlee was born with a calcium deficiency and when she was 8 she lost all her teeth, she had to say in hospital over night and went through a very traumatic time.

Can The Speakmans help Ashlee over come her fear of the dentist? Will Ashlee be able to get the Hollywood smile she's always dreamed of?

Danni is terrified of sharks and it's stopping her from achieving her life long dream of surfing. Danni says the ocean is her spiritual home but this fear is preventing her from swimming in deep water. Danni went into the water for this first since her childhood when she was 38 but she couldn't go beyond her knees. She spent the day boogie boarding and absolutely loved it but she longed to go out deeper and join the surfers. Danni is determined to face her fear as she's desperate to become a surfer.

In therapy, The Speakmans discover that Danni's fear of sharks stems from her childhood as she she used to watch the film Jaws. Her fear was then heightened as her brother pretended that he saw a shark whilst they were swimming in the sea.

Can The Speakmans help Danni achieve her life long dream of becoming a surfer? The Speakmans have an unbelievable surprise for Danni (they bring her swimming with sharks) but will she be able to face her fear?

Julie has an extreme fear of spiders. She cannot be alone in her home incase she see's a spider. If she is alone, then she'll wait outside until someone comes home. On one occasion she found a spider in her home and she pulled a complete stranger in from the street to remove it. Julie insists that her partner, David checks her clothes for spiders on a daily basis. If she needs to go to the toilet in the middle of the night, then she'll insist that David brings her to the bathroom. Six weeks ago, Julie moved her boys (16 & 20) and her partner, David of two years to the countryside. They now live in their dream home with 1.5 acres of land for their horse but for Julie it's a complete nightmare and she's considering moving back to town. Although, she loves the country she feels there are too many spiders in her area. Julie has only been living with her partner for the last six weeks and she's worried that her phobia will destroy their relationship.

In mediation, the family tell Julie how much of an impact her phobia is having on the rest of the family.

The Speakmans discover in therapy that Julie's phobia stemmed from her childhood as she grew up believing that spiders were horrible creatures. The Speakmans attempt to treat Julie by making her realise that spiders are harmless.

Can The Speakmans treat Julie and help her overcome her phobia of spiders? Can Julie finally enjoy life in her dream home?

Karen has suffered with social anxiety for ten years and is terrified of people. Karen will do anything to avoid people and she can't go anywhere without her husband. Karen and David are cleaners at a local school which is perfect for Karen as all the pupils and teachers are gone home while she's at work. She spends her entire time cleaning 21 toilets as she refuses to enter a classroom just in case a teacher is working late. Karen hasn't even seen her grandchildren (Anouska's children) for over a year, although they only live four minutes down the road. Karen has gone months without seeing her sons because she feels really awkward around them.

In family mediation, Karen's husband and children tell her how difficult it is leave with her condition. They love her but are desperate for her to overcome her anxiety.

In therapy, The Speakmans discover that Karen has low self esteem as she was bullied at school and was in difficult relationships.

Can The Speakmans help Karen overcome her anxiety? Will Karen be able to get over her fear of people and start enjoying time with her family?

Sandra has had cancer for five years. It started with bowel cancer, then spread to her left lung, then to her adrenal gland, then her right lung. She's not going through chemo at the moment but the doctors said the cancer will come back. They don't know her life expectancy but it's not in the immediate future. Sandra suffers with extreme claustrophobia and lifts are out of the question. Last year, her adrenal gland was removed and after the operation they needed to bring her to another ward but she refused to get in the lift. Instead, Sandra decided to climb the stairs even though she was in excruciating pain. It took four nurses to carry her drips and the porter waited at the top of the stairs with her wheelchair. Sandra has refused MRI scans, will not go into public toilets and they've never been abroad as she can't get on a plane or boat. Her husband, Ron would love to bring her to the West End, but she refuses to go. He would love to bring her on a plane and just be spontaneous. This is Sandra's last chance at life and more than anything, they want to enjoy what time she has left.

Last year, Marion's sister, Pamela was murdered by her boyfriend who buried Pamela in shallow grave. The police & sniffer dogs searched the area for two months and eventually found her body. Marion feel's that her life has changed forever, not only has she lost her sister, but she's also lost part of herself. Marion feels incredibly guilty as she was meant to go and visit Pamela the day she was murdered. Marion was very close to Pamela and they only lived 10 minutes apart. Marion is suffering from PTSD and claustrophobia. She was once a confident woman but now she hates being in confined spaces. If she goes into big shops then she'll need to know where all the exit signs are placed. Her son is getting married at the end of June and he's paid for her flight to Turkey but she can't get on the plane. Marion replays her sister's murder on a daily basis and she desperately wants to start enjoying life again.

Can The Speakmans help Marion accept her sisters murder? Will Marion be able to face her demons?

Bryony is terrified of all dogs. Every day before she leaves the house she's worried that she'll bump into a dog. She works full time in a fancy dress shop but is also self employed as a children's entertainer and will refuse work if the family have a dog or if the event is at a park. Bryony gets the train to work every day, she lives a 5-10 minute walk from the train station but she refuses to walk as the route has dog walkers, so her mother drives her there every morning. She won't go to the beach, park or anywhere dogs might be. A dog has never bitten her but she remembers have a nightmare aged four and a dog had attacked her in the dream. Bryony hates living her life in fear and just wants to go outside and feel comfortable.

Can The Speakmans help Bryony overcome her fear of dogs? Will Bryony be able to stroke a dog after her treatment?

Charlotte has been plucking and picking at her body for seven years. Her 11 year old daughter started school around this time and she felt like she had nothing else to do. Charlotte has scarred her entire body and will pick at anything which results in bleeding and scars. Charlotte hates leaving her home as she feels people are looking at her. Charlotte and her fiance Martin have become more like friends and the family rarely have days out as Charlotte hates going out.

Can The Speakmans help Charlotte overcome her addiction to picking her skin?

Amanda has a major phobia of medicine, she cannot swallow tablets or take it in liquid form. Her phobia is literally killing her. Amanda has almost died around 5 times due to her phobia! Amanda is 34 and has been on a dialysis machine for 25yrs, despite the recommended maximum time being 5yrs. Amanda lost her kidneys at 10yrs old and had her first transplant at 18, however that only lasted for six months as her body rejected her kidney as she couldn't take her medication. Amanda can't even be in the same room as a tablet, she is petrified of them. Amanda spends 3 hrs, 3 days a week, attached to a machine that draws out her blood, cleans it and pumps it back in. Amanda is meant to be taking a cocktail of medication that helps her body cope with dialysis, but she cannot take them. As a result, Amanda's bones have become brittle and she is now in a wheelchair. She can walk a short distance but she relies heavily on her family. Her mother claims that she has only has a few years left, unless she gets treated for her phobia. Amanda is not allowed on the kidney waiting list at the moment as she refuses the medication. If Amanda is treated for her phobia, it will give her a new lease of life and if she starts taking medication it will strengthen her bones and the likelihood is that she'll no longer need her wheelchair!

Can The Speakmans help Amanda overcome her fear and swallow medication?

Ross has had a problem with food for as long as he can remember. Ross has a phobia of food and can only eat chicken products, potato products and bacon. Ross says his sense of taste and smell are very sensitive, if he smells or tastes anything that he will not eat, he panics and will run away. Ross has to avoid walking past restaurants and cafes and can't cook anything nutritious for his son Leo. Ross can't even prepare healthy lunches for his son, so his son now gets school dinners. Leo goes to his grandmother's house at least five times a week in order to get his essential nutrients and vitamins. Ross says he is worried he is overweight but can not eat anything healthy to lose it. Ross has never been on holiday or taken his son to a restaurant and he just wants to be a better dad.

Can The Speakmans help Ross overcome his phobia? Will Ross be able to try new foods?

Caroline lives with her partner of 24 years and their two children. She passed her driving test nine years ago and loved the new found freedom and confidence it gave her. A year later, while driving over a high ring road, Caroline suffered a panic attack and ever since then, she's become more and more nervous on the road. Her fears were compounded when she was involved in a car accident with her family a year ago and each time she's tried to drive anywhere since, she's become overwhelmed with panic. Caroline's elderly parents live a 10 minute drive from her and rely on her for help which means she is currently spending up to £100 on taxi's each week.

In family mediation we discover how Caroline's phobia affects her partner. He admits that it has caused tension between them. Caroline's 22 year old daughter is also learning to drive and Caroline's worried she will pick up on her fears.

In treatment, Nik and Eva discover that Caroline's fear of driving actually stems from a fear of heights.

Can the Speakmans help Caroline to conquer two fears in just one day?

Alison is petrified of flying. She bursts into tears as soon as the door of the aeroplane closes. Alison can't even look at a plane in the sky and feels sick at the thought of going to an airport to pick someone up. Alison has been on at least seven flights in the past, but at the moment she can not physically bring herself to get on a plane. Her last flight was three years ago and she hated every second of it. Last year, she was due to fly to Turkey with her daughter but her dad died a few weeks beforehand, Alison was relieved that she had an excuse not to fly. Alison fell out with her best friend of 40 years and hasn't not spoken to her in six months. Alison was due to go on a girly holiday with her but couldn't bring herself to go and as a result they fell out. Alison's daughter, Laura moved to Dubai 18 months ago and works as air hostess. Alison has only seen Laura 3 times in the last 18 months, the last time was in February. Laura surprised her mother and bought her a ticket to Dubai which was due to depart a few months after the show was filmed but as it stood Alison would not go on the plane and didn't have the heart to tell Laura.

In mediation Alison's daughter makes an emotional plea to get her onto a plane.

Can The Speakmans help Alison overcome her phobia of flying? Will Alison be able to fly to Dubai to see her daughter?

Claire has an extreme phobia of veins and she is currently 26 weeks pregnant. Claire hasn't looked at her own legs in three years because of varicose veins! Claire hated her varicose veins so much that she had an operation to get them removed. When Claire gets hot, the veins on her hand protrude and she cannot do anything that involves using her hands. Claire has a 17 month old daughter and sometimes she cannot change her nappy, feed her or bath her. Claire relies heavily on her 17-year-old daughter, Charleigh to help out with the daily chores. Charleigh is a street dancer and regularly performs which involves a lot of fake tan and make up. Claire is unable to help her daughter get ready due to her fear of veins. Claire is pregnant and is absolutely terrified as the doctor needs to take blood which means finding a vein! Claire cannot look at people who wear shorts or skirts incase they have veins. This phobia is taking over Claire's life, there's no getting away from veins and she wants to be able to accept herself and others.

In mediation, Claire's sister and daughter tell her that her fear is having a big impact on the rest of the family.

Will The Speakmans help Claire overcome her fear of veins? Will Claire be able to look at veins without being terrified?

Jo has suffered from OCD for 17 years. She hates germs and will not allow them in her house. She has to keep her house, kids and car free of germs. She insists that everyone takes a shower as soon as they enter her home. She has three children and once they get home from school, she insists they have a shower. Jo has a one year old daughter and she took her to the clinic earlier this week. Jo felt awful because as soon as they got home, she had to give the baby a bath. Jo will not allow anyone in her home apart from her husband and children. Jo's mother, has only been to her house once in the last year. "people don't come to my house anymore as they know it makes me very uncomfortable." Jo hates touching anything dirty especially money. Anytime she leaves her house, she has to take anti bacterial wipes as she can't open doors without them. When Jo goes outside, she will only use one of her hands to touch thing, the other hand is kept free from germs. Jo would absolutely love to free herself and her family of this obsession.

In mediation, Jo's mum and best friend tell her how upsetting it is for them not to be allowed in her home.

Will The Speakmans help Jo face her fear of germs? Will Jo allow herself to touch germs without getting anxious?

Joanne was in a horrific car accident in October 2009 and is now in a wheelchair. She was driving to work on her scooter and a woman pulled out, Joanne swerved, fell off her bike and damaged her back. Since the accident her entire life has changed, she's accepted her disability but she desperately needs help with her PTSD. Joanne hasn't had a full nights sleep since the accident, she wakes up nightly and regularly has flash backs. Joanne lives in Halifax and her family live in Essex. Joanne can only travel a short distance as she suffers from panic attacks since the accident. As a result, Joanne has missed out on several family events as she's not able to travel to Essex. Joanne is very close with her mother, Pat and speaks to her daily. Pat is not very well, she had a tumour removed from her throat two years ago and since then she doesn't like to travel to Halifax as she needs to be close to her hospital. Joanne only gets to see her family twice a year and would love nothing more than to gain confidence so that she can travel to see her family. Joanne's partner, Leanne is her carer and their relationship has completely changed since the accident. Leanne says that Joanne is like a different person, she was once bubbly and confident but now she's constantly anxious and stressed due to the PTSD.

In mediation, Joanne's partner Leanne tells her how much she has changed since the car accident. It's an emotional journey for Joanne.

Will The Speakmans help Joanne overcome her PTSD? Will Joanne be able to get into a car without feeling panicky? Will Joanne be able to make the journey to see her family in Essex?