I believe most chambers are see-thru like the one I was in which makes it so much better! I really didn't feel claustrophobic at all. My nurse never left the room. I could see her the whole time. I took two xanaxs for anxiety for my first dive. After that I went down to just one Xanax to help me sleep, which I did for almost every dive. If I didn't sleep, I watched an hour and 1/2 of TV shows. I was not able to take anything in there with me. I had to wear white cotton underwear and a hospital gown. I couldn't sit up, but I could roll over on my sides so I could sleep better. They have a speaker in them so if you need to speak to someone you can. You can always reassure yourself too that if you start to feel panicky, they can bring you out, but it will take 9 minutes for the chamber to depressurize. I said to myself every time I was being rolled in, "Let the healing begin" and it was true. The 100% oxygen truly works. It even made me look more youthful. Hollywood celebs actually use them before big events like the Oscars because of the effects it has on your skin cells. Try not to sweat it. You'll do great and probably find it very relaxing once you get comfortable with it. I hope this helps.