Maintaining crowd anxiety

Large crowds can exacerbate feelings of anxiety, especially at major events like festivals, concerts or the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. A Baylor College of Medicine psychiatrist explains how to ease crowd anxiety. 

“Crowd anxiety, or enochlophobia, is a form of social anxiety,” said Dr. Asim Shah, professor and executive vice chair in the Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Baylor. “It occurs when people have an intense or irrational fear of large crowds or gatherings.”

Symptoms

Enochlophobia symptoms include feeling like you cannot escape from a crowd and avoiding social places due to that anxiety. Other physical symptoms are shortness of breath, palpitations and sweating. 

According to Shah, anxiety is the most common psychiatric condition, and crowd anxiety affects millions annually. The condition is more common among women and often affects younger people in their late teens and early 20s. 

Treatment

Exposure therapy helps treat enochlophobia. It works as a systematic desensitization by gradually exposing the person to crowds. 

“If someone is anxious about going to a big crowd like the rodeo, take them to smaller crowds to begin with, then increase that proportion little by little so they can be in bigger crowds,” Shah said. 

Cognitive behavioral therapy also is beneficial because it focuses on replacing your negative thoughts and behaviors with positive thoughts. If you still experience crowd anxiety after therapy, medications are a helpful tool in treating social anxiety.

Plan ahead

Before going to a crowded event, prepare yourself in advance by looking for the exits and the route, practicing deep breathing exercises and mindfulness, and knowing your triggers. Bring a loved one who is calming and provides relief for your anxiety. 

“If you’re at a concert, the front might have more of a crowd, while the middle or back could have fewer people. Find the areas within the crowd that have less people,” Shah said. 

People who experience crowd anxiety should not do anything unpredictable but instead plan for all scenarios before getting in crowds. If noise bothers you, have earplugs, as well as sunglasses, which can help manage sensory overload. Take breaks and visit the cafeteria, gift shop or other quieter locations to decompress yourself. You can practice deep breathing exercises anywhere, including in crowds. Positive talks with a loved one can also help ease anxiety. 

“If you feel these things aren’t working, try to get help before you go, whether that is therapy or medication. Be prepared before you enter the situation and don’t ignore it thinking you can handle it,” Shah said.