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10/16/2009 10:28 AM

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By Kaylee Schillo

This article has been read 233 times.

Albert Einstein once said, “I hate crowds and making speeches.”

This feeling is quite common among more than 35 million Americans who suffer from enochlophobia, the fear of crowds.

Enochlophobia is a serious fear that can be associated with other fears, like the fear of being trampled, getting lost or being judged by others around them.

Individuals who have enochlophobia have a different reaction to being in a crowd. Some common scenarios are blushing, crying and having tantrums.

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“Sometimes I get scared in the halls when I have a ton of people coming towards me,” said Shannon McFarland, a sophomore at Chartiers-Houston High School. “Besides feeling timid in crowds, I often stutter when giving speeches or participating in class.”

Many of those with enochlophobia often avoid crowded places like concerts, malls, etc.

Some people are so fearful in large crowds that they will experience extreme chest pains that are often mistaken for heart attacks. What they are experiencing is, in fact, a panic attack from being overly anxious. These attacks can last anywhere from less than a minute to several days. Panic attacks are twice as common in women as they are in men, and may start in early adulthood.

One way to stop a panic attack is by doing different breathing techniques, but if you are experiencing panic attacks, it is important to speak with a doctor.

An effective preventative method is to confront the fear little by little. Although panic attacks can be inconvenient and dangerous, a person can get over them with time and consistency.


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