My friends think it’s funny that I’m so freaked out. its when i come off stage and people want to chat with me in the crowd …..i just cant do this i have to get out of there. This is good advice. You might say why should I look in a certain way? That we are connected and not separate. and avoid it whenever possible. We feel anxiety when we cross a street or railroad tracks, we feel anxiety to get things completed (in our everyday tasks), we feel anxiety when we care for children, etc. If they aren’t given proper attention and treatment, might start to limit the sufferers life. I have noticed that this helps me too, especially if you are on the outskirts of the group. While you won't ever receive a diagnosis of enochlophobia, just knowing that what you are experiencing has a name might be helpful. Shaking and trembling or excessive sweating are also likely in the phobic. Your email address will not be published. The condition often runs in families, and stressful or traumatic events such as the death of a parent or being attacked may be a trigger. Please tell me what to do. This could happen in real life (in real crowd situations) or it could be done using your imagination. I don’t know about you, but I start to walk funny, because my legs tend to “lock up” when I’m around people. And that we all enjoy that music. The UK is the ideal place to breed Enochlophobia. I never noticed this before I began having trouble with tinnitus and Vertigo. It may be a phase and I'd just kind of avoid it if possible. I’m so frightened by crowds ever since the Las Vegas shooting. The fear of getting lost, the insecurity of being surrounded by strangers and feeling small and insignificant in the crowds are a few of the thoughts in the minds of Enochlophobics. As part of CBT, you would learn how to identify unhelpful thinking patterns and replace them with more adaptive ways of thinking. If you truly want to get over and be rid of your fear of crowds, it will be beneficial to visit a mental health professional for a diagnosis and to learn about treatment options. I choose not to say that I have fear of elevators. I started feeling dizzy, nauseous, sweating, angry, frustrated, and I felt like I was being smothered. In fact, it was when I was home that I realized my dog kept me calm. The symptoms of enochlophobia look very much like the symptoms of other anxiety disorders. They generally fall under three categories: your bodily reaction (physical), your thoughts (cognitive), and your avoidance or escape (behaviors). I go to the usually VERY crowded County Fair as soon as it opens and leave before dark when it gets crowded. What causes enochlophobia? I start itching on my hands or cracking knuckles or just escape to get some air. Wow me too! 5th ed. My mother always told me “Sheep flock together – Eagles fly alone”. I don’t like when strangers come up to me in public. Fear of crowds, also known as enochlophobia is different from being an introvert. Same here, also I was appointed as an interpreter in my church and I keep sweating all the time and my voice break. Fight it and pray about it. Ochlophobia- Fear of crowds or mobs. Enochlophobia is the fear of crowds. Self help is the best form of treatment for this phobia. If you have a fear of crowds and are asking yourself this question, it is true that there is no single cause. I even hear comments from girls like oh look at his hair is way better than mine or blabla. Enochlophobia Symptoms Phobias should never be taken very lightly. If your mother and father hate crowds, maybe you will too. To keep anxiety at bay, experts also recommend focusing on one person in the gathering/party. In other words, if you have enochlophobia, you are unable to explain your fear and feel helpless to control it. Mindfulness, acceptance, letting the storm pass! Psychol Med. Wouldn’t have the courage before. I find that I either break down emotionally or get angry very quickly (but both are on the extreme). Anxiety will NOT stand and deliver me….or any of us! I experience panic attacks in large crowds. Not when our minds say it’s time! If the mass is crowded and I am late I will refuse to sit anywhere despite a broken back & torn knee cartilage. A phobia is an irrational fear of something that’s unlikely to cause harm. I slow down, and go with the flow. Agoraphobia is believed to be due to a combination of genetic and environmental factors. I remember that we’re all there to have a good time and hear some music. ← Back to: List of phobias Enochlophobia describes people who get nervous in/of crowds or fearful in/of crowds. I feel nuts. What's more, you can't always predict when you might find yourself in a crowd, so you might notice that your fear becomes generalized to many situations. Now, let's talk a bit more in-depth about what enochlophobia involves and what you can do about it. So anyway, I’m not afraid of people. In a case of the condition being more severe, agoraphobia can be very uncomfortable and disabling for the sufferer. I’ve personally always called this “people-claustrophobia”; Although I don’t think I have it as bad as you do from your description, but I’ve always avoided or preferred to avoid anyone sitting next to me in places like concerts, restaurants, movies, in cars and other transportation like on buses and trains, etc. I can’t stand in front of an audience, either to lead, read or present something. Fear of public spaces or crowds: Aichmophobia: Fear of needles or pointed objects: Amaxophobia: People living with agoraphobia often come to a realization that their fear is irrational , but they are helpless or have no control over it. Good luck guys! Ochlophobia is the fear of mobs. In early times, crowds could spell disaster for an individual without back-up. I was VERY irritable about every little thing. Ever since the Manchester attack and the many others that followed, I have an intense fear of going outside, especially to New Year’s Eve and my friends once tried to invite me to go to Mardi Gras with them and just the thought of it… First, find the root of the anxiety and then once you have it…FOCUS ON IT! I don’t get overwhelmed by lots of people talking or loud noises. Ha, I only panic when there are people packed in, and it is chaotic. Sometimes anxiety will be severe even if only thinking of the feared object. Agoraphobia is only diagnosed along with panic disorder and refers to the fear of being in a place where it will be difficult to escape if you were to have a panic attack, such as a crowd, bus, subway, bridge, elevator, theatre, etc. I thought that I had claustrophobia but I talked it over with my Mum and we found that it was just the fear of crowds, so I did some research and found that I have Enochlophobia. When I get home I’m shaken, sweaty, nauseous, and exhausted. I do NOT claim any of these things. I think my issue is mainly the loss of control, it’s so unpredictable. Yeah.. As such, agoraphobia is actually the fear of feeling trapped, humiliated, or otherwise anxiety-ridden in open yet confined places, like marketplaces. Otherwise I am ok. The people themselves are fine. I’m really scared of crowds and people looking at me like they know something. Kids with this find their systems overwhelmed and can't cope and thus meltdown. Rather, this phobia involves irrational thoughts and behaviors that are excessive in relation to the actual danger in a situation. Enochlophobia – The fear of crowds is closely related to Ochlophobia and Demophobia. For example, a person in a crowded theater might feel they are having a heart attack. We all feel anxiety to some sort. I don’t know what to do. When I am ill, I like to be totally alone). I’ve been in tunnels and mines, but as soon as someone or several people join me in those tighter areas, I panic. Keep your mind occupied if you find yourself in a crowd, by doing other things such as listening to your headphones. It might be the post office or the airport check-in. Maybe you already know and you are an entire family of Enoclophobians. That’s my problem also, it’s being enclosed with a crowd. As a result, s/he fears being unable to hear what one is supposed to hear. I feel like this as well I hate gatherings and crowds, even when, I see my friends I always tell them that we should meet in one particular coffee shop cause it is less crowded. I have avoided spaces I know will be crowded ever since. I have always had an aversion to crowds. We are right to fear crowds. There are likely to be crowds in places such as these, adding to and perhaps triggering your fear of being trapped or … Most people just don’t seem able to understand the feeling. When we got out, I was sweating, shaking, having a hard time catching my breath. It is normal to feel some anxiety when it comes to traffic jams. I believe there’s a way to cure most every phobia, to be honest. When I go to conventions, I get there early and have no problem navigating around crowds rather than through them. I admire the ways you cope with your fears. Large crowds and uncommon smells or foreign odours are the worst for me. I just can’t change me cause I’d feel that I am betraying myself. Yesterday I went to the London Underground for the first time since then. Hi I suffer from this fear ……. I think that this is a very normal reaction as a human being and not to be classified as having a ‘phobia’. Block, MD, is an award-winning, board-certified psychiatrist who operates a private practice in Pennsylvania. Little did I know, the anxiety that I felt was trailing off to enochlophobia and agoraphobia. Im really suffering from this, I can’t even lead a song in church cause I can’t face the crowd, but when I back up im fine, im thinking I should just leave the choir cause I cant help shaking all the time im told to lead a song, I think I might just faint one day. More broadly, an agoraphobe is afraid of what could happen to him or her if they were suddenly in danger within a crowd, or any other place without a means of escape or rescue. I wasn’t there but I watched so much news coverage. The full extent of my ochlophobia first presented itself when I got caught in a crowd that felt an ocean rip current of people at the Christmas Market in Stuttgart when I was 20. Enochlophobia is a common social phobia that is known to affect many people today. The structure of genetic and environmental risk factors for fears and phobias. That’s the same with me! 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