Do you get angry when you see strangers when you are out in public?

[Pete7469]

Because there are things I need to do that involves being around crowds, e.g. working, going out with friends ( i like spending time with people i know, but not random crowds)
I want to be able to handle crowds, and not get angry and anxious. Otherwise my life will just be me being stuck in my room 24/7 and isolated from the outside world

I'm a war vet, I've seen the aftermath of what it looks like when Achmed wanders into a crowd, shouts "Aloha Snackbar!" just before detonation. Something like that will make you less than comfortable in crowds. I deal with the anxiety and carry a .45 ACP as an illusion of security.

If you have a problem like this without having suffered such trauma, you probably need psychological help.

I would have told you that after seeing your first 6 thread posts also.


.

my anxiety is much different. I don't fear for my life or safety or feel like i could get hurt. I just feel uncomfortable around strangers and i have no idea why. i know they are doing nothing to me, but for some reason i get panic attacks.

been on 8 different medications, including antidepressants and anti anxiety meds. will look into therapy with a psychologist soon

Pete may be on to something, because it is the first thing I thought of.

Believe it of not, it is a somewhat common problem for returning veterans. Discomfort (anxiety) and irritability in crowds can stem from several issues and you may want to find someone to discuss the matter with on a more personal level. It's important to remember that what you are suffering is most likely the product of a natural response, but simply accented in your case.

Try to think of the matter in a "control" sense. If your job requires you work with crowds, and at the same time requires you manage how you are represented in that crowd, the more people you add to the crowd, the less control you have. As control diminishes, anxiety increases. As anxiety increases, judgment is influenced, and defense mechanisms kick in.

A common defense mechanism (although it varies in degrees), is "fight or flight". If the crowd makes you feel "boxed in", or your job and/or purpose for being in the crowd requires you to stay (you could just be with friends who don't want to leave), then your "flight" response is negated. That leaves "fight", or at the least "hostility". Once fight or hostility kicks in, your judgment goes to crap, because you are trying to manage internally perceived threats (you don't even have to consciously recognize) that may not even be there (outside of what you are thinking about others).

Good News: If you are young, there's a 50% chance it will get better with more experience, as you recognize how to address specific concerns and let some things slide (it's still going to have to be a conscience effort for a little while).

Bad News: For those who cannot develop the ability to more productively manage the encounters, the best treatment for the symptoms is illegal in most states (marijuana). I'm not saying you have to be an "all bent stoner", but a hit will reduce anxiety, feelings of hostility, and immediate desire for conflict fairly effectively. It's worked with veterans, but still isn't an approved treatment.

Before you spend a lot of money on a private physician, try talking to someone in a local veteran's support group, for better options. You don't have to be a veteran, and they may have better material for helping you understand the problem and options. Or they may just be able to point you towards a physician that has more experience treating your specific concern. It is a common problem.

My experience with pot is that it can increase paranoia, so I don't know if that's a great solution. It's still probably better than any prescribed drug available though.

It helps when you maintain awareness of people around you, keep cognizant of exits, fire extinguishers, where security guards are and I carry a .45.

 

[Pete7469]

You are not missing anything by not going to the mall.
And do you really have to visit a city? I hate cities and avoid them like the plague.
IMO your biggest problem is that you think you need to be fixed
You don't.
There is nothing wrong with you
Accept yourself and your feelings and you might just find that you can handle your anxiety better

Except for posting asinine leftist agitprop.

That implies there is something seriously wrong with you and you need the most competent psychological experts in the country working in teams 24/7 for the next 5 years or so until they figure it out and find a way we can prevent your condition from spreading or getting worse...

 

[Hiryuu]

My experience with pot is that it can increase paranoia, so I don't know if that's a great solution. It's still probably better than any prescribed drug available though.

It helps when you maintain awareness of people around you, keep cognizant of exits, fire extinguishers, where security guards are and I carry a .45.

Yeah, well again, I wasn't talking about being a "burner" walking around stoned out of your gourd either. The studies with soldiers/veterans involve a more controlled environment, and the drugs they were using were under physician care, so they weren't worried about being busted.

Also, veterans have a more effective ability to manage (although not always wise) the "hostility" or "fight" mechanism, for reasons your second sentence addresses rather well. Soldiers know how to fight, and how to respond to immediate threats, in both an aggressive and proactive manner. Civilians often suffer "panic attacks", because their brain is sending their body the same message, and their brain and body are not trained in what to do, so it starts to shut down.

 

[Picaro]

Stay away from pot; most of its fans are just idiots making stupid claims about its imaginary 'wonder drug' fantasies, usually via personal anecdotal stories nobody can verify.

I know people who suffer the same thing, fear of crowds or even going into a store when high on pot, but are fine when they aren't. Don't want to find out what it does to people who have that issue sober. She's already tried the usual dope therapy with more powerful drugs and they didn't work, so self-medicating with hippy shit isn't going to, either.

 

[Harry Dresden]

Because there are things I need to do that involves being around crowds, e.g. working, going out with friends ( i like spending time with people i know, but not random crowds)
I want to be able to handle crowds, and not get angry and anxious. Otherwise my life will just be me being stuck in my room 24/7 and isolated from the outside world

I'm a war vet, I've seen the aftermath of what it looks like when Achmed wanders into a crowd, shouts "Aloha Snackbar!" just before detonation. Something like that will make you less than comfortable in crowds. I deal with the anxiety and carry a .45 ACP as an illusion of security.

If you have a problem like this without having suffered such trauma, you probably need psychological help.

I would have told you that after seeing your first 6 thread posts also.


.

my anxiety is much different. I don't fear for my life or safety or feel like i could get hurt. I just feel uncomfortable around strangers and i have no idea why. i know they are doing nothing to me, but for some reason i get panic attacks.

been on 8 different medications, including antidepressants and anti anxiety meds. will look into therapy with a psychologist soon

is one of the girls in your avatar you?...just curious...

 

[Harry Dresden]

Stay away from pot; most of its fans are just idiots making stupid claims about its imaginary 'wonder drug' fantasies, usually via personal anecdotal stories nobody can verify.

I know people who suffer the same thing, fear of crowds or even going into a store when high on pot, but are fine when they aren't. Don't want to find out what it does to people who have that issue sober. She's already tried the usual dope therapy with more powerful drugs and they didn't work, so self-medicating with hippy shit isn't going to, either.

hippy shit?.....you can tell you know what you are talking about.....

 

[skye]

I notice that I get very annoyed and angry easily when I am out in public and see lots of people. I think there is something wrong with me, I ask my friends and they say they dont mind crowds at all and do not feel angry or anxious.

Any idea on whats wrong with me and how I can fix it? I dont like being angry but I cannot control it

You should go ask a doctor.

A political forum is not the best place to seek answers about this.

Just saying.

 

[Crixus]

I notice that I get very annoyed and angry easily when I am out in public and see lots of people. I think there is something wrong with me, I ask my friends and they say they dont mind crowds at all and do not feel angry or anxious.

Any idea on whats wrong with me and how I can fix it? I dont like being angry but I cannot control it

Try weed.

 

[NewsVine_Mariyam]

I notice that I get very annoyed and angry easily when I am out in public and see lots of people. I think there is something wrong with me, I ask my friends and they say they dont mind crowds at all and do not feel angry or anxious.

Any idea on whats wrong with me and how I can fix it? I dont like being angry but I cannot control it

Does it happen every time you go out or only sometimes? Does the anxiety begin with just thinking about having to go out or does something in the environment trigger the anxiety after you're out & about? What differentiates the response of anxiety versus anger?

If there are variations in the circumstances and when it occurs then you might want to begin making a daily log of how you're feeling and also note anything that is different - diet, amount of sleep, personal life stressors, etc. Do this for at least one month but I'd say three months would probably be optimal and then start identifying the critical points when you're having the worse reactions.

If you have a spreadsheet application that's a good way to keep track of all of your data and always include data and time, it could very well be important during the analysis phase.

Disclaimer: I'm not a health care professional, this is just a suggestion on how to begin gathering information that may be useful to any health care professional you might seek out for assistance