Crowds....

[AdminAssistant]

I have, I think, crowd claustrophobia. (Never had a diagnosis.)

Basically, large groups of people make me uncomfortable. I feel like I need to escape, to get outside, get some air.

I'm also not the hugest fan of live music, especially local bands in bars. 1) They never have a good audio set-up. It's always loud and static-y with lots of feedback and 2) it's LOUD. I came out to chat with my friends, not listen to your crappy cover of the latest Coldplay hit.*

Needless to say, I don't go to many concerts and I rarely go bar-hopping downtown. The few times I've tried going to concerts (Birthday Massacre and Dresden Dolls), I enjoyed myself, because I love those bands. But I was so miserable and uncomfortable and TIRED, especially at the Dolls concert, which had way way way too many opening acts. Sorry, I'm there to see Amanda Fucking Palmer and Brian Viglione, not a trio of baton twirlers from BFE, Missouri.

Anyway. Halloween is coming up, and one of my friends was going to host a house party, which I was pretty excited about. There wouldn't be any pressure to dress up if I didn't have the time or cash to put something together, and it would just be a chill evening. Then she suggests, "Hey, let's just go downtown!!" *sigh* And everyone else jumped on the idea. So now, if I go with them, I HAVE to dress up (or be called a lame, party-crashing loser) and there will be crowds and loads of drunken college idiots to deal with and...gah. I'm not sure I want to go, but I don't want to spend Halloween by myself either. But on the other hand, I'm just so stressed in general right now, and on the weekends I need to relax as much as humanly possible.

At least I came up with an easy Halloween costume idea: Annie Wilkes, from Misery. My hair's not quite the right color or length, but I think it'll be okay.

* There are decent local bands, I'm sure. But in a college town, you tend to get a lot of stoner wanna-bes who shouldn't even be doing karaoke.

[gremcint]

I never really got the music so loud you can't hear anything bit that a lot of places do.

[Boozy]

Some people gain energy from being among crowds. Some people get sapped of it.

I think we're likely to find more of the latter group here, this being the internet and all.

[Flyndaran]

Some people gain energy from being among crowds. Some people get sapped of it.

I think we're likely to find more of the latter group here, this being the internet and all.

Heck yeah. As a state recognized social cripple, the internet is the only place I socialize. Heck, I only frequent two forums including this one.

[joe hx]

Yes! I hate crowds too. The feeling is so... claustrophobic. It's almost as if all the voices and thoughts overwhelm me. It's like this: I cannot help but eavesdrop. I'm always listening in conversations. At restaurants, I can't help listening to the two or three conversations around me. In crowds I think my brain is trying to listen to every conversation and sort it out. Which overwhelms me.

Somewhat related creepy geeky religious note: At church when everyone is saying the same thing (i.e. prayers such as the Lord's prayer) I think it sounds like the Borg from Star Trek.

[BroomJockey]

I never really got the music so loud you can't hear anything bit that a lot of places do.

It's to increase drink sales. Anything you don't know why they do, it's to increase drink sales. If you're not able to talk, due to loud music? You drink. Lights dim so you can't see the other person clearly? Affects speech more, so you drink. Dance floor? You go expend energy, and sweat, so you get a drink after. Temp up too high? You drink.

[Fashion Lad!]

I'm bipolar, it's really depending on where I am with my mood. Depression leads me to hate crowds. Mania leads me to get a thrill off of them.

[gremcint]

It's to increase drink sales. Anything you don't know why they do, it's to increase drink sales. If you're not able to talk, due to loud music? You drink. Lights dim so you can't see the other person clearly? Affects speech more, so you drink. Dance floor? You go expend energy, and sweat, so you get a drink after. Temp up too high? You drink.

replace drink with leave and you'd have what I'd do.

[Kimmik]

I have, I think, crowd claustrophobia. (Never had a diagnosis.)

Basically, large groups of people make me uncomfortable. I feel like I need to escape, to get outside, get some air.


Agoraphobia is the term you would be looking for. Here is a good read (http://www.bing.com/health/article.aspx?id=articles%2fmayo%2f8644E65BD6B7181B 8CC66C99B6417420.html&br=lv&q=agoraphobia&FORM=K1RE)

I was on fed disability due to it... I have gotten much better... I finally got a job after 13years. Right now though I am on FMLA. Some ways I have found to deal with the fear is to make sure I am by a door and have someone, that I trust and who understands what it is, who can be my safety. Like when going to a crowded mall I always go with someone that knows about my problem and I warn them in advance that if i say "Out" they need to get me somewhere away from the masses. Like my hubby will take my hand so I can stare at my feet and he will lead me outside or to a quiet place.

[powerboy]

If I am in a small group, then I am fine. If I am in a huge crowd, then I am not okay. If I am at the bar that I go too, then I am okay there.

[Cats]

With me, it's not so much the amount of people, is what's going on. Like at a concert, I don't mind, cause I'm there to see the band, so I don't really need to move (though people shoving is another issue).

In crowds like on the sidewalk or at the mall (where there is frequent movement), I loathe them. I have short legs, so I grew up having to walk fast to keep up with people, and that sort of stuck, so I'm a fast walker. I hate when I'm trying to get somewhere and people are walking at their own snails pace. Now, that in itself is not an issue, but they tend to spread out and take up as much space as possible so no one else can get by, and they tend to be oblivious to a polite "excuse me". I would like to get from point A to point B without feeling like a rat in a maze. Sometimes it can suck to be this ansty, but hey, would it kill some people to just move over and let other people who aren't taking the visual tour just go past? I mean, how would you like it if you sat at an intersection for 5 minutes because that car at the front of the line just didn't feel like moving on the green? Not the best analogy, I know, but when you have somewhere to be, you tend to not want to end up on the slow boat to China to get there.

[Pedersen]

Very few things cause actual stress in me. In fact, that list is as follows: Willful ignorance, traffic, and crowds.

And crowds are the worst, especially crowds in a store. Why? Because nobody leaves a path of any sort. If the sole goal is to get to the opposite end of an aisle, I'll have to go past a good four or five aisles every time.

What really pisses me off, though, is when I'll be heading for an empty aisle to actually buy something from that aisle. I'm standing there, going down the options, and suddenly that aisle is the most crowded, and due to the way that everybody stands around staring, there's no easy way to get out of the aisle.

It's not agoraphobia, since that generates fear. I'm not afraid. I just want to start punching people until they get out of the way.

I totally understand what you mean about hating crowds.

[Boozy]

It's not agoraphobia, since that generates fear. I'm not afraid. I just want to start punching people until they get out of the way.

That tends to be my reaction, too. In crowded shopping centres, I get angry at people just for being there. It's completely irrational, since they have as much of a right to be there as I do.

I never grocery shop on weekends, and my Christmas shopping is either done online or is completed before December.

[AdminAssistant]

Agoraphobia is the term you would be looking for.

Sorry you've had such a rough time with it! I'm not quite that severe; it never gets worse than a mild feeling of anxiety.

Cat, I'm also a fast walker (also short), and slow people drive me crazy. An elderly person, a disabled person, a child...I will have patience for. But..gaah, on campus, big gaggles of teens all chit-chatting or playing with cell phones and Ipods, taking up the entire sidewalk and I need to get to class!!! *grumble*

[Greenday]

I'm not a fan of huge crowds, but I don't hate them or anything. I just don't like large crowds at bars and parties because then I can't hear my friends. That and people bump into me, making me sometimes lose some of my precious beer.

As long as the band is good, I don't mind listening to them. Most bars by me at school don't have bands play. They mostly all use DJs. One bar I like has an acoustic guitar player Sunday nights who is pretty damn good.

But yea, as long as I can move around, crowds don't bother me.

[XCashier]

It's like this: I cannot help but eavesdrop. I'm always listening in conversations. At restaurants, I can't help listening to the two or three conversations around me. In crowds I think my brain is trying to listen to every conversation and sort it out. Which overwhelms me.
I have a similar problem. I cannot filter out background noises. It's difficult when I'm with someone and they're talking to me, and I can't hear them because everyone else within the vicinity is talking as well, or there's a loud band, or the kitchen and a/c are too noisy. It's very frustrating, as it appears that everyone else can communicate just fine in this environment.

As far as crowds go, if it's outdoors, I'm fine. Inside a very large place, not too bad. The smaller the building, though, the worse it is.

[BroomJockey]

My issues with crowds is completely independent of the size of the crowd, noise levels, or anything else. It's to do with movement. If it's a non-moving crowd, I've got issues. More-so the more towards the middle I am. It's sorta like a low-grade panic attack.

[Cat]

Good to know I am not alone

I hate crowds, I hate feeling penned in, I cannot stand slow walkers, and groups that have to take up the whole walk-way. And yes, if it's a non-moviong crowd, I do feel slight panic attacks. I won't stand in long lines at the store to avoid these feelings. Even at my fave pub, if it crowded and people are standing all around my table (or *gasp*, I am forced to stand at the bar) I get really uneasy.


*sigh* It really bites

[blas87]

I like crowds and I love hanging out with lots of people and where everyone is at.

I just cannot stand people who are always in the way.....any main ways/hallways/whatever that take you to the bathroom or out this door or out that door....people who congregate around it just make me nervous and angry.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

I have mild claustrophobia and I hate crowds. I cannot stand being jostled, and I cannot stand being impeded.

Friend of mine almost died in a crowd once. She got smushed so tight she started to asphyxiate and began blacking out. Some very large, burly stranger saw it happen, grabbed her, and waded out with her, holding her up above the pressing bodies so she could breathe. Saved her life. To this day, she won't go near a crowd (can't say I blame her.)

Crowds can be deadly. I avoid them when I can.

[Giggle Goose]

I felt that same way as everyone else, but now that I take public transportation I had to suck it up.

But I still wouldn't go of my own free will. I feel bad for you, AA; not only are drunken crowds annoying, but you have to PAY to drink! Well, you do if a house party is BYOB, but not nearly as much.

[DesignFox]

<snip>
It's not agoraphobia, since that generates fear. I'm not afraid. I just want to start punching people until they get out of the way.

I totally understand what you mean about hating crowds.

This is pretty much how I feel about crowds, too. I hate when I'm "on a mission" and people are in my way taking their sweet-ass time.

I also hate people who do that "weaving" thing. Seriously? Pick a flight path and stay on it!

People who block doorways, hallways, etc get the evil eye. Stand to the frickin' side to have your family reunion. Sheesh!

I HATE HATE HATE people who crawl up your ass and smoosh as close as possible to you when you are waiting in line. BACK UP. The line isn't moving any faster.

My major problem with crowds is that I hate having my personal space invaded. There are only certain people I will greet or depart from with a hug.
And there is only one person welcome to take free reign and touch me, hug me, smoosh against me at will...if you aren't him, and you invade my personal space, I will at the least give you the death stare, at the worst, lash out at you. I DO NOT like to have strangers touching me or bumping me or getting anywhere near me. (professional handshakes excluded of course)

[RecoveringKinkoid]

Yeah, you know what? It's the same with me. It's not fear. I'm not afraid in the least. It's out and out beligerence to the point that I have a hard time keeping it under control. The thought process is that I feel extremely combative but I also realize I have no reason to feel that way, and then I am at war with what feels like my own instincts.

My temper is short, my patience is gone, and all I want to do is start shoving and yelling.

I really do think the average intelligence of a person drops when in a crowd. It's like some sort of bad hive mind is trying to take over or something. Crowds tend to act as one. Maybe that is what makes them so dangerous. Maybe a lot of people feel that way.