Crowded Places

[HappyKoi]

How do you feel about crowded spaces?  Do they freak you out, or do you hide in the crowd?  Sometimes it can be hard to do things like go shopping or go out to eat if you have a fear of crowds.  It can also make it difficult to go out to places, such as sporting events or concerts.  This is an especially difficult fear if you have children, because of birthday parties and amusement parks and other places where a lot of people gather.  Some people make excuses if their friends invite them out, and then feel lonely afterwards.  Do you struggle with feelings like this?

 

[amy88]

I'm really not a fan of crowds at all - when I can avoid them, I do. I love listening to music but I don't like crowded concerts, I don't really care for going to big sports events where there will be people everywhere - I guess overall I am pretty avoidant of those kinds of situations. To me they are just stressful - people all up in my space - and a lot of the time those events tend to be sold out, too...so then you just know that it's going to be impossible to get any space to yourself.

 

[Padre]

This one ranks high on my list of things I don't like.  The more people and the more compacted, the more I am uncomfortable  I can avoid a lot of these, but not all.  Some airports are really bad in this regard.  Ugh.

 

[sidney]

I avoid them especially when it's holiday season, because there are more pickpockets than normal in crowded places. I don't mind if the crowd is "manageable", like you can still walk freely to a point, but when you always get stalled walking because the place is packed, then you know you will just be inconvenienced, so I usually just avoid going to crowded places.

 

[Alex]

I don't think anyone likes crowds, but at times you can't avoid them. I used to work on Oxford Street in London which is the busiest street and I hated it. I had no choice at the time as I worked in a major store there, but it would take me forever just to walk down the street and get anywhere. It was a huge factor in my leaving, and I would always find routes that would avoid the crowds.


If I can help it, I will go to places when it is least crowded, but in life you can't avoid everything all of the time and you have to grin and bear it. Often I used to get crowded trains and just count down my stops and get off as soon as I could.

 

[Choochoo]

Depends on what I'm doing or what mood Im in. If I'm shopping I usually prefer to do it when there is less people around, or at some odd times when I'm in the mood I also kind of like it when it's extremely crowded. What I dislike the most is usually just when I'm not in the mood for it or if I am trying to buy a lot of stuff and I feel having a lot of people around is hindering my experience. Sometimes it's nice to get lost in the crowd too and I also like it this way sometimes because sales people don't focus too much on my which can make me feel a little embarrassed at times, but it's not something I hold against them so sometimes I enjoy having their full attention as well when I feel I can use some assistance. 

 

[TheKnight]

I used to not like being in crowded places because I always felt as if people stared at me in disgust for some reason. It always made me feel uncomfortable. 


What I did was tell myself ''what are these people doing for you? Are they paying your rent? Will you ever see them again? Why do you care?'' I mentally asked myself those questions an entire time I was out in a crowded area and let me tell you it worked. I didn't feel the same. 

 

[biege]

Recently, I went to the market together with my friends but then I have to separate from them because I got exhausted walking through the crowded place and I find that with people walking within my intimate zone is nerve-wracking. I guess I have the same problem as well because I was not like this before.

 

[fuzyon]

Unless the focus is on me I don't have any issues with crowded places, people usually mind their own business and they're too busy to notice you. If everyone would be staring at me in a crowded place then I would freak out instantly, I can't even handle a few people listening to me let alone a big crowd. 


Surprisingly, I get a sense of comfort in crowded places. I guess because if something bad happens there are so many people that can help you.

 

[Natasha0717]

:laugh:  Today I made the mistake of going to a grocery store at noon.  I never do this.  I should know not to do this.  But I really wanted to just get the grocery shopping over with so I could go home and take a nap, knowing I would have nothing else to do.


There were so many people around, something I'm not used to at all.  I purposely shop at night.  I know it might not be the safest choice for a female, but when it comes to my nerves, trust me, it's the safest choice.  Being around other people doesn't exactly make me feel anxious.  It makes me feel uncomfortable.  Plain and simple.  There's a big difference.  Some people will experience panic attacks simply because there are too many people around, maybe even because they worry about actually having an attack in front of others.  (I used to be like this when I was a lot younger.)


But now, being in places where there is a lot of activity going on...and lots of people in general, doesn't make me feel nervous or scared.  I just get the strong urge to GET OUT. Only because I don't like all the hustle and bustle of people talking, bumping into me, walking behind me, having to wait for someone to move out of the way so I can get what I want off the shelf, etc.  It makes me uncomfortable, and a bit cranky.  Never again will I shop at noon.  When I shop at night, people are scarce, and it's almost as if you own the whole store.    That's the only way to shop, IMO.

 

[Alex]

I have been known to walk into a store like Aldi and walk straight back out if it's crowded. I can cope, but if I have a choice then prefer not to. It depends on what I need, so that's why I try to bulk buy so I don't get desperate, but an offer has to be really good for me to brave crowds and queues. I know it can't be helped in places such as airports, but you just have to grin and bear it.


The best thing is to avoid lunchtimes and also when children finish school. It's not always guaranteed, but the chances are there will be less crowds. Queues do put me off, so often I will wander off and return when they have reduced in size. There isn't anything worse than queuing for me, and it stresses me out.

 

[tyche]

Weekends and the holidays are times when crowds are inevitable at the malls. I actually get irritated if I have to wait for a couple of minutes because the lines are quite long, so I tend to go when the place is not full of people, like in the mornings or afternoons during the weekdays. As for concerts, then that is one crowd that I would have to endure, and it is the normal order of things that the place should be packed, so I am "prepared" for the hassle that I will experience in going to a concert.

 

[AngelaMc]

How do you feel about crowded spaces? Do they freak you out, or do you hide in the crowd? Sometimes it can be hard to do things like go shopping or go out to eat if you have a fear of crowds. It can also make it difficult to go out to places, such as sporting events or concerts. This is an especially difficult fear if you have children, because of birthday parties and amusement parks and other places where a lot of people gather. Some people make excuses if their friends invite them out, and then feel lonely afterwards. Do you struggle with feelings like this?

I don't like crowded spaces either, but my fear is usually things like a crowded elevator, shopping at a mall during holiday season when it seems like your elbow to elbow with people, or on a crowded bus when there isn't enough seats and people stand up and hold the handrail and you feel like you're being squeezed in. So yes I think a lot of us struggle with this issue.

 

[Sweed1]

Being in noisy crowds usually gives me a bad headache and anxiety, as I don't like it when someone is trying to talk with me and I can not understand or hear a word they are saying because of all the back ground noise. Most of the time I make a simple comment or just shake my head in agreement hoping I did not agree to something I don't want to do. Avoid, avoid, avoid, is my motto.

Crowded roadways or sidewalks, give me the same ill at ease feeling. I hate driving into unknown places where I know traffic will be heavier or faster moving then in the small town where I live.

 

[janemariesayed]

When I go out it feels like everyone is looking at me and it makes me feel uneasy. I mostly get a panic attack before I go out. Normally when I am preparing the things I may need to take with me I start to feel shaky inside.

If I could live on a desert island away from everyone, I would be a lot happier.

 

[gkillian]

I absolutely loathe significant crowds. I don't have a problem with your average public outing at non-peak hours, but I make it a point to shop at odd early or late hours when everybody else is elsewhere. I recommend that for anyone who has a general in-public problem - grocery shopping at 8 AM on a weekend is usually pretty serene, at least if you can handle employees stocking stuff.

Anyplace you go to where you're expected to deal with dozens or hundreds of other people making noise - sporting events, nightclubs, concerts, whatever - I cannot imagine ever deriving pleasure from that sort of thing.

 

[Robert Turner]

I have never been phased by busy areas, however I can remember a period when I was younger when I did go through a phase where I was very uncomfortable in crowds and could actually feel myself getting angry and confrontational, to the point where I would have to get out of the shopping mall.

I was using steroids at the time and using these had a direct affect on this. The minute I stopped with the medication, the feeling disappeared. It may be well worth looking at your medication to see if anything you use could be affecting you in this way.