[Phobias]
Claustrophobia is an anxiety disorder that involves the fear of enclosed or confined spaces. Apparently ten percent of people screened before an MRI are claustrophobic. Another 7% don’t figure out they’ve got claustrophobia until they’re in the MRI thing and they have TO TERMINATE the procedure at least prematurely. 30% of people report mild distress when they’re in the MRI. And interestingly enough, Wikipedia has buried alive as a link on the Claustrophobia page. All of this is really just me procrastinating. I hate having to admit I have a weakness or that something bothers me.
I’m claustrophobic. Severely so. I don’t ride in elevators, small rooms make me crazy and a tanning bed would send me over the edge. I can make myself ride in an elevator but then I can make myself do anything I want badly enough. I’m not one of those girls that say I can’t. Sorta not in my vocabulary. I just never want to make myself badly enough. It’s not worth it because it brings on nightmares that last for weeks and let’s face it, I have trouble enough sleeping. Purple circles, never a good look on me. I wasn’t always this way. Elevators never made me bat an eyelash but now…it’s the stairs for me. I mean I’d take the elevator if I was going to the top of the Empire State building but I won’t do that to myself. I take nine flights of stairs every day to my apartment and I don’t bat an eyelash at it. The subway bothers me because it’s underground and closed up but I make myself take it occasionally when I’m running late or going too far or it’s cold…things like that. I sleep with the window open and that’s partially a claustrophobia thing. It’s also a rebellion thing. I live with the claustrophobia because I have to. It’s not going away. Probably ever. According to wikipedia (which is not the best information ever I know) there is a 7.2-11.3% lifetime prevalence rate. I’m pretty sure I’m in that percentage.
[Locked from Danny]
So let’s talk about why I’m claustrophobic. On October 2, 2001, Willow raised me from the dead (NO. I’m not a zombie. Living, breathing, mostly human girl) Thing is, she forgot to dig me up first so after a five month dirt nap I wake up, gasping for air. In a closed coffin, you’ve got 2-4 minutes before you pass out from lack of oxygen. 5-15 minutes before you die of asphyxiation. It only took maybe a second for panic to set in and that was probably a good thing because panic and fear drove me. I punched through the top of the coffin, thank PB&J they went for the cheaper wooden box instead of a metal one, and then I clawed my way through six feet of dirt until I’d reached the top. Next time, I want to be cremated. Giles says there’s not much you can do with ashes.