‘I was so scared of fish that I couldn’t even watch Finding Nemo with my son’. Lynsey is one of the millions who suffers from strange phobias – but now medical experts are trialling a radical new 3-step treatment to cure even the most severe anxieties

For much of her life, Lynsey Chalmers, 30, couldn’t bear to be beside the seaside. Aquariums, too, were off limits, as were ponds. A goldfish bowl would trigger cold sweats.

Even walking down a supermarket seafood aisle left her shaking and breathless – and she could forget a fish and chip supper.

For, as strange as it sounds, Lynsey suffers from ichthyophobia – a fear of fish.

She believes it all started when she was about three, when she almost choked on a fish bone.

‘I know it’s funny to people, but to me, fish are my worst nightmare,’ she told The Mail on Sunday. ‘Whatever form, dead or alive, in a tank or on a plate, even toys, scare me.

‘If I see a fish I feel instant panic, like I’m going to be sick – I can’t eat or drink for hours afterwards.

‘It may seem odd but it’s changed so much about my day-to-day life. I couldn’t even watch Finding Nemo with my son.’

Lynsey Chalmers, 30 – at the  beach with two-year-old son Leo – would scream and run when she saw a fish, until…