What is the name of a phobia of large crowds of people? Demophobia: a dangerous type of social phobia or fear of public places. Where does fear come from?

The diversity of phobias never ceases to amaze us. And the faster society develops, the more new negative symptoms occurs among residents globe. If most people do not understand the nature of the fear of a tea glass or, say, shoelaces white, there are phobias that have a reasonable explanation. Fear of crowds, or demophobia, is becoming increasingly common as metropolitan areas are filled with busy streets, public places, noise and bustle of the city. Such a lifestyle cannot but affect the individual, especially if she is particularly impressionable.

What is it called fear of crowds?

The name of the term “Demophobia” is of ancient Greek origin. “Phobos” translated means “fear”, and “demos” means a crowd, a large number of people. It is the crowd that becomes a source of increased anxiety, fear and panic in a person suffering from this symptom. In some cases, he tends to experience fear while being directly in a crowd; some people are horrified by just contemplating it. In each of these cases, attending rallies, concerts, meetings and other special events becomes painful for a demophobe. Even if in front of him is an ordinary event that arouses interest and has a high social significance- he will protect himself from similar situations. The most ardent football fan would prefer to watch the match of his favorite team at home rather than at the stadium. In some sources, this type of fear is identified with the concept of “agoraphobia” or “ochlophobia.”

Unprimitive fear

The symptom of fear of crowds is called phobia XXI centuries, it is characteristic of residents of densely populated cities. The specific environment of megacities has a negative impact, in which rush hour occurs almost 24 hours a day, and vehicle traffic does not stop on the streets. The sad news about the terrorist acts committed in various parts of the world and claiming the lives of many people - all these factors create the preconditions for the formation of the disorder.

Among the main reasons for its occurrence, psychoanalysts note:

excessive loads placed on nervous system. A work schedule overloaded with urgent matters and a series of unpleasant events becomes a serious psychologically traumatic factor;
emotional turmoil suffered in childhood. Problems at the stage of personality formation always leave a negative imprint on the character and behavior of an adult. Fear of crowds of people arises due to conflicts with peers and lack of proper support from parents. This is how a program is laid in the subconscious, the main message of which is that people pose a potential threat;
Negative personal experiences are also a common cause of the symptom. Fear from a crush in the subway, bus or once experienced violence leads to the emergence of social deviations, including fear large cluster people;
excessive suspiciousness causes negative experiences. A critical assessment of others, even if insignificant, implants in the subconscious the idea that society is unsafe and hostile.

Like any phobia, fear of crowds of people is irrational. That is, a person suffering from panic attacks cannot explain what she is really afraid of. Often a demophobe does not control his emotions and sensations, does not control the flow of obsessive ideas and does not think that the fear is actually unfounded. Convulsive attempts to analyze the situation and understand your experiences only complicate the situation - this is fraught with the appearance of psychological discomfort that interferes with normal life activities.

Fear of crowds of people is inherent not only ordinary people, but also famous personalities. Singer Alena Apina admitted in an interview with StarHit about what she experiences when going on stage. “Before every time I go on stage, my legs give way. One thing is good: the fear goes away by itself after two or three songs. It wasn't always like this. In 2000, I was told a story about my colleague, singer Dmitry Malikov: during his performance, a heavy glass bottle was thrown from the audience at the artist. “It impressed me so much that now, until I feel the mood of the audience, I can’t completely relax.” The singer explains this phobia, which is not typical for a public person, by her personality type: “I’m an introvert, I need personal space. So between a big company and the opportunity to be alone, I will, without a doubt, choose the latter.”

How to recognize crowd fear

As soon as a person imagines a large crowd of people, intense fear immediately appears, which is difficult to overcome. This is observed only in special neglected form disorders. Symptoms are the result various factors, so the intensity varies for each person and depends on the conditions in which he finds himself. The larger the crowd and the less support the demophobe receives at the moment of collision with it, the more unpleasant and destructive the symptoms will be.

Fear of crowds occurs on three levels: physical, cognitive and behavioral. Physical manifestations arise primarily as a consequence of the activity of the central nervous system.

If your loved one suffers from demophobia, be attentive to the following signs in order to provide help and quell the growing anxiety:

increased heart rate and breathing rate;
feeling of lack of air;
muscle tension leading to headaches or discomfort in the area gastrointestinal tract;
unnatural pupil dilation;
increased sweating;
dizziness.

Physical manifestations of crowd fear are quickly interpreted, analyzed by the brain and become cognitive. There is an awareness of your fear and possible danger overcrowding of people in a limited space. In order to avoid consequences, an irresistible desire appears to leave this place and be safe, away from the object of the phobia. At this stage important role plays with the idea of personal inability to survive in the current situation. Note that when trying to take control of your thoughts and curb your fear, further development panic fear stops. Otherwise it goes to new level– behavioral. The only acceptable solution for someone who has a fear of crowds is to run away, avoiding close contact with crowds in any way possible.

Many people confuse the symptom with the wariness inherent in every person who finds himself in a crowd of strangers. It should be understood that a phobia is an irrational feeling that manifests itself at the very sight of an object of fear or at the thought of it.

Let's consider the main signs that distinguish pathological fear large quantity people from rational caution:

a sudden feeling of danger turning into panic;
feeling of hopelessness and self-doubt;
fear of getting lost among strangers;
acute hostility towards each of the crowd;
the need to protect oneself from every member of the crowd.

A person who has realized the relationship between anxiety and crowds of people radically changes his life. It all starts with a strict restriction of your movement: all crowded places are excluded from the route. The path usually passes along deserted roads - they come with a feeling of relief and a kind of joy from the fact that there are no people here. The fear of crowds, if measures are not taken to eliminate it, quickly progresses and the demophobe begins to lead a reclusive lifestyle. The symptom is often accompanied by newly formed fears, mental and somatic diseases.

Demophobia: how to determine if people are afraid

You can overcome the fear of crowds once and for all by diagnosing the symptom in a timely manner. Making a diagnosis is only within the competence of a psychiatrist (since this may be only one of the symptoms of other disorders - schizophrenia, dementia or psychosis). The specialist conducts comprehensive diagnostics, which includes anamnesis - collection of information about childhood, conditions of personality development, work, living and social environment patient.

The anamnesis contains both subjective and objective information:

information from the patient himself about the course of the disease, when its signs first appeared and what events preceded it. It is worth paying attention to memories of childhood and family, facts of abuse of mind-altering substances. Information about past illnesses, injuries and infections;
An anamnesis about the disease is collected from the client’s friends and relatives: when and under what conditions it appeared. It is important to obtain information from parents about developmental features in childhood.

Close people of a person suffering from fear of crowds are asked the same questions as a demophobe. It is important to identify discrepancies in answers, find out what facts the client kept silent about and what life events he imagined in a different light.

To make a correct diagnosis, a psychotherapist or psychiatrist uses the following method:

rating scales and special questionnaires;
observing the patient's behavior and speech patterns.

Don't let anxiety turn into a phobia!

Be attentive to yourself and analyze your own condition. Awareness of the “here and now” is important in the fight against anxiety and excessive impressionability. If you have discovered one or more symptoms of demophobia, do not draw premature conclusions. overcome increased anxiety You can do it on your own, without a psychologist or psychotherapist.

When you feel approaching anxiety, look around you for potential danger from those around you. After a few seconds, you will notice that everyone is busy only with their own thoughts and affairs. For them, you are the same ordinary background as the rest of the passers-by;
The voice of a familiar person whom you trust has a calming effect in many cases. Call your mother, sister or old friend on the phone - this way you will be distracted, gain more strength and confidence;
man in ba calm state does not see people in the crowd who are the same as himself. To him, everyone seems like a faceless gray mass. Talk to someone in the crowd, ask any question like “what time is it?” or “where is the street...?” Having received a calm, adequate answer, you will be able to assess the situation more adequately, make sure that there is no reason to panic;
try to feel yourself, your physical body. Pay attention to your breathing: it should be deep and even. Psychotherapists recommend focusing on your breathing in order to quickly relax, organize your thoughts and relieve stress. acute condition. To learn breathing practices perfectly, you may need to repeat them several times.

Medical treatment for fear of crowds

The path to getting rid of any phobia is interaction with a psychotherapist or psychiatrist. In psychology, there are several effective techniques that are practiced in order to overcome the fear of crowds of people. Although not everyone is able to turn to a stranger for help, you need to understand that only this can restore hope in life. full life. If you feel that fear is crossing all boundaries and preventing free communication, movement, work and personal life, do not hesitate to contact a professional.

If you are part of the circle of trust of a person with a similar symptom, encourage him and suggest a joint visit to the doctor. Do not perceive his behavior as whim or manipulation. For him, fear is a reality that cannot be adequately perceived. Don't insist on meeting with strangers, describe the entire route in detail and provide him with the security he so needs.

The specialist, in turn, will offer one or more options for psychocorrection:

searching for the root cause of fear, recognizing a traumatic situation;
development of a new model of behavior;
debunking myths around unfounded fears;
modeling everyday situations in which the client tries on himself different roles;
regressive or progressive hypnosis.

Psychiatry does not provide medications for the treatment of crowd fear. Drugs that calm the nervous system only help smooth out phobic manifestations and tune into a positive mood. It is possible to undergo successful socialization and restore the ability for interpersonal and social contacts with working together psychotherapist and patient.

Demophobia is a huge cage that is narrowing every day. Don't forget: the world is full of unforgettable emotions, bright events and pleasant moments. Without communication, life loses its taste and meaning. Don't be a victim of fear, find the strength to say “I'm not afraid anymore” and fight it!

People tend to gather in groups and create large communities, so for a person the fear of crowds, which is called demophobia, is an unnatural state. Fear prevents an individual from existing harmoniously and expressing himself in society, causing a panic attack, an attack of suffocation, an increase in heart rate and loss of consciousness. The formation of this stable and negative reaction to crowds of people occurs as a result of psychological trauma inflicted in childhood. It also appears in an adult, forming under the influence of unfavorable urban factors.

IMPORTANT TO KNOW! Fortune teller Baba Nina:“There will always be plenty of money if you put it under your pillow...” Read more >>

Causes

Demophobia begins in childhood, when the child develops a personal space. With him constant violation Problems arise due to the number of people nearby. Another factor is too much attention from adults who do not instill independence in the child and decide everything for him.

Psychologists are confident that the cause of a phobia is an attack on a person in a crowd when he has suffered physically, emotionally or financially. If a child was once afraid of a large crowd of people, he will spend his entire life, without realizing it, avoiding crowded places. The desire not to go outside appears at a conscious age. The demophobe feels the need to hide from the dangers of an uncontrollable crowd, at home, where everything is familiar and familiar. Fear is a kind of self-preservation instinct.

Demophobia develops when a child:

Witnessed a violent act.
He was a victim himself.
Survived public shame.
Faced an accident during a public event.
Witnessed a terrorist attack.

Most people suffer from demophobia residents of megacities. Every day, citizens encounter large numbers of people, information about terrorist attacks and accidents, and feel constant fatigue from city noise. For some people, the environment contributes to the formation of a phobia, even if it has been avoided by early childhood.

Types of phobias

The type of stimulus affects the degree of panic. There are two forms:

Demophobia. A demophobe feels panicky when he is among a large number of people - at parties, in shops or restaurants. It's hard for him a lot crowded places and he tries to be there as little as possible.
Ochlophobia. Ochlophobe experiences panic attacks when being among an unorganized crowd (rallies, street concerts, train stations and other waiting places). An uncontrollable mass is more difficult to control and can be dangerous. Events such as lectures or going to the supermarket do not frighten ochlophobes.

Sometimes agoraphobia is added to the fear of the crowd - the fear of open space in which a person feels lost and defenseless. The combination of phobias does not allow us not only to exist harmoniously, but also to simply go outside.

In the perception of an individual subject to these fears, the crowd appears as a threat to security, as an uncontrollable faceless mass. This phobia makes you expect a non-existent danger and see a problem from scratch.

Symptoms

A person susceptible to crowd fear:

1. Disoriented among a large number of people.
2. Perceives the crowd as a single whole, without singling out individual individuals; it is difficult for him to consider the differences.
3. Unable to perform certain actions when he is among a crowd of people.
4. Afraid of losing control of the situation.
5. Perceives the flow of people as a potential danger.

A person does not want to leave home and walks along those roads where there are the least number of people. But since demophobe cannot completely isolate himself from society, he feels physical manifestations of the disorder:

panic attack;
difficulty breathing;
rapid heartbeat;
dry mouth;
lump in goal;
high blood pressure;
rapid heartbeat;
dizziness;
tinnitus;
increased sweating;
nausea;
lack of coordination.

NAll symptoms appear immediately. If fear is not expressed strongly, a person is able to restrain himself and not show that he does not feel comfortable. All he needs to do is step aside, drink water and pretend that everything is fine. A severe phobia can cause a person to faint or have a nervous breakdown.

How to get rid

If an attack occurs when a person is alone on the street, he should try to stop the panic on his own. When the first symptoms appear - suffocation, increased pulse, sweating or dizziness - urgent measures must be taken:

1. Look around and make sure that strangers are distant and indifferent, everyone is busy with their own business and not paying attention to it.
2. Realize that there is no danger and this is just panic.
3. Step aside and call someone close. It’s worth talking a little about any topic and distracting yourself for a while. Hearing a familiar voice, a person will calm down, and his internal tension will subside.

Psychologists advise talking to someone in the crowd to make sure that people do not pose any danger.

If you do not fight your fears, a person can acquire new phobias, as well as mental and somatic diseases. The first step to healing is a correct diagnosis. Then you need to find the reason for the fear and figure out whether the crowd is really so dangerous.

Demophobia and ochlophobia are treatable. If the disorder is not severe, you should try to get rid of the fear yourself. For example, go to a small supermarket for a while, putting on headphones and listening to your favorite music. It will create a calming background and give confidence. The next day you need to stay there a little longer. By visiting crowded places more often and using music to protect himself from the outside world, the phobic person will gradually get used to being in a crowd and begin to feel relatively safe.

If you cannot cope with a phobia on your own, it is worth visiting a specialist. A psychotherapist will professionally approach the problem, break it down into its components and find the cause. His task is to show the patient the groundlessness of his fears, to teach him to distinguish reality from fantasy. Using stories about a person’s experiences, he will create an artificially simulated situation and provide an opportunity to experience fear by looking at it from the outside.

If necessary, the specialist will prescribe drug treatment, having registered sedatives. In a calm state, people are more likely to experience positive emotions, and smoothly move on to recovery.

Demophobia or fear of crowds is one of the types of social disorders. For those who experience this fear, crowded places and a dynamic rhythm are phenomena that are incompatible with the normal course of life. The diverse crowd calls panic attack with accompanying painful manifestations of a vegetative nature. The main desire and goal of a demophobe is to protect himself from crowds of people.

People are present in our lives everywhere: be it a street, a shopping mall, transport or work. However, some consider themselves socially adapted, for others crowds of people cause minor discomfort, for some of us the phenomenon brings horror and panic. The experience associated with the expectation of a negative event is always greater than the experience when we are in this event.

For example, when a New Year’s corporate party is coming up, excitement and anxiety appear. By participating in the holiday, it is possible to ease anxiety, experience emotional relief, and experience pleasure and joy from communicating with people. This is how we are designed to protect ourselves while experiencing fear, but sometimes fantasies depict catastrophic options that have little to do with reality.

Demophobia is a specialized part of the most famous term - agoraphobia. The connection between the two phobias is based on a similar mechanism of action and, accordingly, on approaches to treatment. The difference between agoraphobia and this mental disorder lies in the subject of fear. In the first case, a person avoids deserted open spaces where he is unprotected. In the second, the fear is caused by places filled with people, which he defined for himself as dangerous element. Also, do not confuse the fear of large crowds of people with anthropophobia - the fear of any people.

Phobia that is an object this study, depends on and is associated with a quantitative measure. Fear can manifest itself against the background of tens or hundreds of people gathered at rush hour in the subway, for rallies or concerts. Some people are scared by a crowded cinema or queues. Others experience fear from the company of 2 people sitting on either side or in an elevator.

There is another definition for what the fear of crowds is called - ochlophobia.

Causes of fear

Living in big city, exists high risk get sick with fear public places. The disease develops, according to statistics, from 11-13 years of age. Manifestations of crowd fear in the subway and shopping centers. The phenomenon of fear of crowds can develop from childhood to adults for two main reasons:

Due to previously experienced stress associated with the object of fear.
Some kind of suggestion that the crowd is bad and dangerous.

The attacks are caused by the expectation of consequences from the crowd, which the patient had previously experienced. This could be the tragic events of a terrorist attack or a stampede in the subway, at a concert, or the fear of being lost in a crowd as a child. Crowds of people seem to the patient to be an aggressive, uncontrollable flow that carries danger.

If a person was taught from childhood that a crowd is dangerous or was protected from groups of people, in the future he will begin to avoid large events and crowded places. The trigger for the development of a phobia is physical or moral suffering caused by the crowd.

In some cases, this pathology appears in childhood. Fear grows when the child is not allowed out of sight, his actions are controlled, constant comments are made, or he is frightened. Personal contacts can leave an unpleasant mark on the memory when numerous relatives violate an invisible distance, trying to hug, cuddle, touch a child against his will. As a person grows older, the subconscious will give signals of concern about the approach of people who violate personal space.

It's normal to feel nervous in front of crowds. Many people feel uncomfortable when their personal space is violated, even if it is a forced measure, for example, in a crowded transport. Someone in the crowd is afraid of being robbed. Such fears cannot be called irrational; they are completely justified. Demophobia is an obsessive fear and panic attacks caused by an imaginary danger. Deep fear can make shopping or getting a job a challenge.

Signs of obsessive behavior

Fear is characterized by internal discomfort and physical manifestations, so it will not be possible to hide a phobia. Symptoms obsessive-compulsive disorder may become:

periodically arising thoughts about a threat to life;
fear of getting lost in a crowd, disorientation;
voluntary seclusion due to fear of going out;
planning a route to avoid crowded places.

To the obsessive psychological state physiological manifestations of fear are added:

tinnitus;
increased sweating;
nausea;
dizziness;
dry mouth;
rapid heartbeat.

Symptoms may occur in combination. Depending on the severity of the disorder, they can have different depths of manifestation. In mild cases, it is enough for a person to catch his breath and drink water to calm down. Extended fear can lead to panic, which ends nervous breakdown or loss of consciousness.

To ensure a comfortable existence in society, a state of panic towards crowds of people must be treated as soon as the first signs appear.

How to cope with a phobia yourself

You can try to work through your fear of crowds on your own. Awareness of the problem is the first step towards recovery. The next step is to search for the traumatic situation that led to the development of a phobic state. When recognizing fear, it is important to learn to control emotions. Pleasant memories that replace worry and anxiety, hobbies or physical activity will help here.

It is effective to work through fear through common interests and finding like-minded people. Despite the use social networks, where many people have 100 or more virtual friends, in reality a person has on average 1-2 friends, and one in 5 has no real friends. It is proposed to search for new acquaintances based on interests using the question “What do I like to do?” If it is difficult to get an answer to it, it is recommended to remember your loved one children's activity. If you liked drawing, then it would be nice to find drawing courses.

A sports section or dancing will help not only make new acquaintances, but also strengthen the body and spirit, which will make it easier to overcome barriers of fear. The most important thing is to attend events systematically, because certain moment resistance will be felt and you will want to run away out of fear. This moment needs to be noted internally, muster the will and continue to build relationships with the outside world.

You can resort to the method of recording experiences. Keep a diary and write down your emotions from what is happening. By rereading what is written, a person begins to realize fear and look at it from the other side, the feeling of danger decreases, and an understanding of the absurdity of fear comes. Before any event related to going out, write down on a piece of paper what causes fears, what fantasies overcome you about this, what will happen in the end.

To meet your fear, attend an event, take an action, and after it again analyze the sensations on paper, sincerely asking yourself questions. This method will help you really assess your fears and compare your experiences, which are always exaggerated in a demophobe. Keeping this in mind, it will be easier to enter into an event that seems scary.

An additional technique for reducing the level of fear is the method of replacing images. It is indicated for those who are confirmed to have demophobia and it appears in the form of obsessive ideas, not thoughts. By consciously replacing negative images with the opposite ones, fears recede. It is important to practice the method every time manifestations of a phobia are noticed.

An important recommendation from experts for dealing with fear of public places on their own is to push yourself. The suggestion here is to be gentle with yourself. When tasks are set, it is necessary to move incrementally: from small tasks to large ones. For example, your goal is to learn how to ask questions and interact with the team and manager at work. Start by discussing work issues with colleagues.

Then try to decide organizational issues with a person who is immediate supervisor or the responsible person. The last task will be to establish communication with a senior manager, at a meeting or as part of professional training. In this case, the goal will be achieved, and nerves and emotions will be saved.

The last recommendation concerns courage. Make a decision about a difficult action. If the signs of fear are obvious and it is difficult to cope with it alone, if it changes the quality of life and interferes with joy, be sure to contact a specialist who will help with a set of professional and effective means work through fears, look at the world differently.

Treatment of a phobic condition

Fear of crowds as one of the types social fears is treated for a long time. A phenomenon arises here when people try to reduce their anxiety levels, calm down accessible ways, acquire a disturbed mechanism of the hierarchy of values. A person thinks that if he realizes and works through his fear, he will begin to communicate and make contact with people. But a situation of “limbo” occurs when a person no longer drowns in his fears and knows how to manage them, but has enthusiasm and a desire to go where there are not many people.

With prolonged cohabitation with one’s fears, not only the patient’s emotional perception is affected, but also the value system is deformed. He rebuilds it in such a way as to protect the psyche from irritating factors, so the value of social communication loses its significance. The motivation to work with fears disappears, because final goal is meaningless, the person does not want to maintain communication.

Gradually growing and feeding on fears, the pathology grows deeper into everyday life, making a person a recluse, afraid of even uncrowded places. Even going to the doctor can be a problem in such cases. Relatives need to show concern and keep company on the way to the doctor or route.

An anxiety disorder can be helped by a psychotherapist or psychiatrist. The work is carried out in 2 directions:

Processing the fear itself.
Work on your own awareness.

At the appointment, the doctor first finds out the cause of the fear and, together with the patient, analyzes the traumatic event. A hierarchy of fears is built, from least to greatest, where attention is paid to each level.

The psychocorrectional technique of mindfulness is to develop new model behavior by playing out situations. At this stage, a person learns to see not his fantasy, but reality. Psychocorrection complements drug therapy if the symptoms of fear are pronounced. Apply sedatives, specialized means, which are selected taking into account the characteristics of the patient and the severity of symptoms.

Demophobia introduces restrictions, prevents one from enjoying life, and turns a person into a victim, dependent on circumstances. Therefore, use the recommendations, do not be afraid to seek help from professionals in order to become free from your imaginary fears.

And although man is a social creature, some would even say a herd, for one reason or another many do not like to be among large crowds of people. However, for some this only causes discomfort, while for others this dislike is very pronounced and is classified as a phobia. What is it called? Typically, three main terms are associated with fear of crowds: agoraphobia(one of the manifestations) demophobia And ochlophobia. Let's figure out what these phobias are and how they are characterized.

What do you call fear of crowds?

The most widespread and well-known term is agoraphobia(some experts even say that it is the only true one, and the rest, including demophobia and ochlophobia, are either its partial synonyms or outdated concepts).

Agoraphobia is better known as fear of open space and in this regard it is opposed to one of the most famous phobias - claustrophobia, or fear of enclosed spaces. What a fear open places Is it related to fear of crowds? The fact is that these two phobias similar mechanisms occurrence, forms of manifestation and treatment. Their interaction is reflected even in the name: the word “agoraphobia” consists of two ancient Greek words “square” and “fear”, and the square, as a rule, is not only an open space, but also a very crowded one, especially in those times when the concept was formed.

Some classify those who are afraid of crowds as social phobics, but this is not entirely correct (although one does not exclude the other). And even more so, one should not call such people sociopaths.

Manifestations of fear of crowds as a phobia

Fear of crowds can manifest itself in different ways - some are afraid gatherings of large numbers of people(for example, the subway at rush hour, rallies or concerts, where there is an army of thousands of fans of the performer), for some it is enough and small packed cinema. Some people are most afraid of situations when You won’t be able to immediately avoid the company of other people and return to a safe place - for example, once on the right and left hand other people are sitting.
At the same time, we note that some agoraphobes are frightened by deserted streets or open spaces, but such manifestations are not associated with the fear of crowds.

Regardless of the specific forms, as a rule, Agoraphobic fear is caused the fact that they find themselves in unsafe and out of their control place, where real or imagined dangers emanating from a hostile environment come to life. Scares many people own potential helplessness both in principle in such a situation, and specifically during an attack of phobia.

Someone too great value gives reactions of others to a panic attack- agoraphobes are afraid of being ridiculed or despised, as well as that someone will take advantage of their condition and, for example, rob them. All this only encourages panic. One of the extreme forms of agoraphobia is when a person, avoiding situations, causing seizures fear, begins to perceive everything that is outside the home as a source of danger and completely stops leaving his “shelter”.

Demophobia and ochlaphobia - is there a difference?

Against such a background demophobia looks less threatening and more “highly specialized” - this is just fear of large crowds: transport during rush hour, long queues, rallies, etc. etc. Someone is so afraid of being among the crowd,
that he experiences a panic attack just by imagining himself in it or just looking at it (this is true for all the phobias discussed here). Like many people susceptible to various fears, a demophobe strives to avoid any situations that could awaken his panic, but for him there are fewer such situations than for agoraphobes.

As for ochlophobia, then in its manifestations it is very similar to demophobia. Some experts consider these two terms as complete synonyms, while others highlight one detail, which is otherwise of interest to theorists rather than practitioners, since neither the mechanisms of its occurrence, nor the course of symptoms, nor the methods of combating it practically change. Thus, according to some sources, ochlophobes differ from demophobes in that in the first, panic attacks are provoked only by an unorganized crowd (say, in the subway or at a rally), and not just by a large crowd of people (for example, during a performance in a theater). Thus, ochlophobes can easily go to a public lecture, but not a stadium. This can be explained, for example, by the fact that an unorganized crowd is actually more dangerous, and in this case it is much more difficult to control the situation.

Phobia or just fear of large crowds?

As a final note, it's completely normal to feel nervous when you're surrounded by a lot of people. Many people do not like it when someone else touches them, even when these touches are forced -
in a crowded elevator or carriage. Many people are afraid that a pickpocket will take out their phone or wallet in the subway or on a crowded street - this fear, like some others associated with the danger of being in a crowd, cannot be called irrational. Panic attacks caused by these potential dangers are irrational.

Crowd fear is most common in big cities(which is quite logical), and if it overtook you too, It’s better not to self-medicate or just ignore crowded places(you won't be able to do this all the time). Contact a specialist and he will help you get rid of the fear of heat, no matter what name you prefer for it - demophobia, ochlophobia, agoraphobia. Fortunately, in most cases it is not as difficult as working with some other types of phobias.

A crush in the subway, a crowded bus, and a huge tail of a queue are no fun for anyone. It causes spoiled hustle and bustle, unpleasant odors or the rudeness of fellow travelers in the mood. There is no pathology in this. But if being among a large number of strangers constantly causes panic, this is a more serious problem - demophobia.

How to distinguish fear of crowds from ordinary discomfort

In a crowd, something bad can happen to anyone. For example, when getting off a crowded bus, your coat or blouse will unbutton. Or they may pull a wallet out of their pocket. Beware of such situations, keep an eye on your belongings when you find yourself among a crowd of people - this is the norm, elementary prudence.

Even the discomfort that a person experiences in potentially dangerous situation- rapid movement of the crowd, especially in narrow places, with excessive crowding - this is, in general, simple defensive reaction. If a person avoids such risky behavior as much as possible, that is, being in a crowd in potentially dangerous places, this is not a phobia, even if the person experienced fear after being in such a negative situation among a large number of people.

A phobia begins when:

a person, even surrounded by calmly behaving people in a crowd, begins to get nervous;
experiences bouts of unmotivated fear simply because of the crowd around;
visiting crowded places causes severe discomfort;
his blood pressure even rises, his heart begins to palpitate, his mouth becomes dry, he feels nauseous - due to being in a crowd;
he turns out to be disoriented and ready to run away anywhere from a crowd of people.

This condition is dangerous both for the carrier of the phobia and for those around him.

In an attack of panic fear, a person behaves inappropriately even in an absolutely calm place. For example, at holiday celebrations or simply among people going about their business. And in the case of panicky behavior, by shouting and running away, it can provoke others to erroneous behavior and create a dangerous crowd, causing panic among others. Especially in a situation where most people are aware of the risk of staying in crowded places, for example, due to threats of terrorist attacks.

What are the causes of demophobia?

There are two main reasons for the fear of crowds.

The first is the impact of the traumatic experience of being in a crowd. Demophobia can occur in someone who is caught in a stampede, finds himself in the place where a terrorist attack took place, or who, in the end, simply finds himself among the crowd, deprived of the opportunity to move in the right direction. In such a situation, demophobia can develop even in an adult.

The second reason is hidden in childhood. This is a violation of personal space and the problem of “pack communication”, the lack of opportunities in childhood to improve communication with strangers.

But neither one nor the other reason would lead to the emergence of phobias if there were no prerequisites associated with ancient features human behavior.

The roots of demophobia are in the childhood of humanity

The fact is that man, at the dawn of his existence as biological species, lived, like other primates, in small packs. A large crowd of strangers then implied a clash with an out-group, a possible conflict for resources. Accordingly, it caused tension and a feeling of threat.

But the human brain, no matter how perfect it is, still works according to ancient patterns. And he perceives easily and without tension only a small group of those whom a person knows well.

Such a group of close, well-known people usually does not exceed several dozen people for most people. This

All other people are perceived as strangers. And, accordingly, competitors/aggressors/signal of overpopulation of the territory. That is, as a potential threat.

Therefore, excess contact with strangers is a fairly strong straining (stressful) factor.

After all, even if a person is calm about being in a crowd, in many situations it is exhausting and annoying. After all, it slows down the achievement of everyday goals, such as quickly buying groceries at the supermarket or being able to jump on the subway. And in general it tires with noise and variety.

Or, in the opposite situation, if a person likes to be among a large number of people unfamiliar to him, this is a kind of exciting factor. The effect of being among strangers is different from even being in company.

All this indicates that the brain is unadapted to such excessive communication with strangers. Moreover, our ancient programs, inherited from our ancestors, can fail, working normally for modern world the situation of excess people as a threat. Against the background of this failure, demophobia develops, the trigger for which may be one of the reasons mentioned above.

And that's why, by the way, characteristic feature many people, even in our globalized world, are closed. A person lives in a metropolis, as in some village, communicating only at home and at work, repeating standard routes day after day and perceiving strangers simply as an external background. Consciousness thus cuts off contacts with an excessive number of people, limiting the world to an already familiar environment.

The main thing is that in this situation, strangers are perceived as a background, and not as a problem.

When demophobia comes from childhood

As a rule, one should still look for the cause of demophobia in a particular person in childhood.

The main reasons for the fear of crowds, traced back to childhood, are:

lack of communication;
closeness of the usual “pack”;
violation of personal space.

If parents and immediate surroundings allow the child’s personal space to be constantly violated, especially if such violation is aggressive or overly intrusive, this is excellent ground for the development of demophobia. Such a child very often does not have the habit of communication, he may experience tension when communicating (expecting an “invasion”), he may strive to distance himself from communication with others.

Or the child is simply deprived of communication with the outside world, closed within four walls with mom, dad, grandparents - and no one else. As such parents often argue, “so as not to pick up bad habits.” The consequence is limiting the world to a minimum of people and fear of communication.

How is crowd fear triggered?

Actually, the impetus for the development of a pathological reaction can be an unpleasant situation by a person, which occurred surrounded by a large number of people. Moreover, this is not necessarily a disaster - it could just be some kind of uncomfortable or traumatic situation. Something degrading or frightening to the child, or even the need to act against one’s own will – but surrounded by a large number of strangers.
And of course, demophobia can be “triggered” by some catastrophic situation in the crowd. Be it panic, terrorist attack or anything else.
Moreover, what is unpleasant is that this does not have to happen to the person himself. If a person is highly emotional, with strong empathy, fear can arise even from watching news about terrorist attacks or panic. This may be facilitated by the tense tone in which information about this is presented on television, which has now become a relisher of negativity.

A little about the sensitivity threshold

It’s interesting that people perceive a crowd differently. For some, the crowd is all the fans pouring out of the stadium gates at the end of the match, for others it is a couple of dozen people. This often depends on personal experience. A resident of a metropolis often needs much more to develop a panic fear of crowds. more people than the inhabitants of a small settlement, where only a minimum of people gather together, and most of them know each other.

Indicative in this regard is the behavior of children brought up “within four walls” who find themselves in school. They react nervously to their surroundings, even if there is just a class gathering around them. Such moments can be seen on September 1 or in the first days of attending school (or kindergarten). The baby is not just crying that his mother has left - no, he is in a panic because there are many other children around. The child strives to run away when he is surrounded in order to calm him down, avoids everyone, is even afraid to answer, not to mention. The class has not yet become his "pack", and is therefore a threat. This reaction stops when the baby meets his peers: for him they cease to be strangers, they cease to be a crowd. But during any mass school events, the child may experience discomfort.

How not to trigger an attack of demophobia?

Of course, if a person is very susceptible to demophobia, it is preferable for him not to be in places where there are too many people and he may have an attack. It’s even better to get to work along some quiet streets, avoiding the crowds. But alas, you won’t be able to “preserve” yourself within four walls and in communication with three or four close people.

Therefore, it is necessary to somehow learn not to be afraid of the crowd. There are two ways to do this.

Humanize the crowd. To see not the gray flickering of shadows, but to transform at least some part of it into a fragment of “your flock.” To do this, you just need to talk to someone. This makes it possible to be distracted by communication and at the same time feel the presence of someone who will replace the usual social circle while you are among the crowd. This switching makes you feel safe.

By the way, being in a crowd with close people also helps a lot. Then attacks occur much less frequently, since the person is “within his pack.”

Eliminate demophobia by turning to a psychologist. With him, it will be possible to find the traumatic situation that served as the beginning of the development of the fear of large crowds of people. Then, with the help of exercises and training, fully experiencing the traumatic situation and modeling favorable behavior in it, the phobia is cured. Of course, liberation does not come instantly, but desire and patience lead to a positive result.

How to behave during an attack of demophobia?

During an attack of demophobia, a person experiences panic and perceives the people around him as a threat, but does not single out individual people, but rather sees a faceless mass that can cause harm.

To stop a panic attack, follow these steps.

The classic option for stopping any attack of any phobia is to learn to control your breathing. Tense your body, clench your hands into fists, close your eyes tightly and open your eyes and take several deep breaths, holding the air in your chest for a second. After this, try to breathe evenly and deeply. This helps in many situations, not just demophobia.
Find yourself “in your pack.” The easiest option is to call someone you know well. Firstly, phone call– this is your action, not directed by the crowd. Secondly, it is a shift of attention from unpleasant sensation. Thirdly, albeit invisible, but presence loved one will allow you to disconnect from the perception of the environment as a threat.
Refuse to depersonalize the crowd, make it “part of your pack.” To do this, just look at at least one person. It doesn't matter who. You can simply talk to a person. It’s enough to ask how to get somewhere, what time it is, when the bus arrives. Already the feeling of communication neutralizes a panic attack. Even if a person answers you rudely or does not want long-term communication, irritation with such a person will shift the emphasis from panic to annoyance, and this will calm the attack.

But I repeat: if such attacks are repeated, and even more so, they become more frequent, it is necessary to contact a psychologist. Of course, one attack can be stopped, but the need to be in public will spoil life too much, lead to excessive stress and even depression. Therefore, demophobia must be eliminated! In the end - we recommend watching short video with tips on how to stop being afraid of people.