Provided via Julie Elman

5. Small Spaces

Marisa Fernandez / Senior Writer

When Annie Goins was 6 years old, her mom helped her get dressed in the morning. Her mom picked out a sweater that was too small for Goins’ head, and her face was trapped in the fabric long enough for Goins to have a "breakdown.”

Goins’ fear of small spaces accompanies her anxiety disorder, and it was hard for her to find those who understood her point of view.

"When I was little, it was hard for me to know if I was normal. I was alone as a kid,” she said.

Percent of OU students with this fear: 11.2%

Goins can “fight” an oncoming panic attack from being in a small space. Her body gives her a few warning signs to flee the situation if she can.

"I go into panic mode. My heart beats fast, and my chest will hurt,” she said. "It’s a trigger for me."

At the 2016 Athens Halloween Block Party, however, Goins was stuck in a huge crowd and had two panic attacks in a span of 20 minutes without any warning.

60 percent of the specific things people claustrophobia fear will never actually take place.

Up to 5 percent of the U.S. population may have claustrophobia in some form.

“Phobias can cause strong anxiety,” Howell said. "A lot of people in their life have at least one panic attack.”

Arriving at college, Goins realized she was not the only one with the fear and that she was not alone.

“I live with the fact that my fears have existed since I was a child,” Goins said. “I don’t put myself in situations that make me uncomfortable. I don’t let it affect my life.”

Development by: Seth Archer / Digital Managing Editor

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