Enochlophobia or fear of crowds

Surely you know someone who is afraid of crowds: of being in the middle of many people, in clubs, demonstrations, shopping malls… They may say comments like “I feel like I’m drowning” either “I’m afraid of an avalanche“. You may also be the one who suffers from it. This is enochlophobia.

Without going any further, the Madrid Arenas disaster in 2012 is related to this phenomenon, since five people lost their lives in the middle of a large crowd. In this article, We will talk about what this specific phobia entails, why it appears and how we can treat it.. Furthermore, we will investigate the question of to what extent it is normal to fear crowds.

Enochlophobia or fear of crowds: what is it?

Enochlophobia (also called demophobia) is a specific phobia that results in an intense, irrational and disproportionate fear of crowds (that is, being in situations or spaces with many people crowded together, for example a shopping center, a demonstration, etc.).

Another of its symptoms is the avoidance of these situations. (or their resistance with high anxiety). Specific phobias, such as enochlophobia, are categorized in the DSM-5 as anxiety disorders.

On the other hand, we must differentiate fear from a phobia. Fears are adaptive and to some extent normal (they are the body’s responses to dangerous situations, real or imagined); On the other hand, in phobias this fear is excessive and disproportionate, as well as paralyzing (it interferes with the individual’s life).

Fear of crowds or enochlophobia is more common in women than in men and usually appears in early adulthood (although it could also appear earlier or later).

An irrational fear?

Although one of the characteristics of phobias is that the fear hidden behind it is irrational, it is also true that many of them hide a part of the truth. What are we referring to? To what many of the fears that end up triggering a phobia actually come from primitive fearsthat is, fears that our ancestors already had for evolutionary reasons, and in search of survival (for example fear of heights, sharks, snakes, fire…).

In the case of fear of crowds, would it be logical to have it? Partly yes and partly no; Rationally, it is logical that we are afraid of being in the middle of a crowd, since within it we could end up drowning; It is also easier to be robbed, or accidentally hit, etc. However, we insist; When we talk about a phobia it means that it already interferes with the person’s life, and also causes intense discomfort.

Differences with agoraphobia

It is important to differentiate fear of crowds (enochlophobia) from agoraphobia.; In the case of agoraphobia, the fear appears due to the possibility of not being able to escape in an emergency situation or of suffering a panic attack and not being able to receive help. Although agoraphobia can occur in spaces with many people, it is not an essential requirement and therefore differs from enochlophobia.

Causes of fear of crowds

Why does fear of crowds occur? Phobias are generally “learned” (we are not born with them) through different procedures; by direct traumatic experiences with the phobic object or situation, by observation (vicarious procedure), etc.

Thus, a person who has suffered a situation where you have felt overwhelmed, short of breath/suffocated, or even crushed in a crowd, You could develop enochlophobia (i.e. from a traumatic experience). Someone who has experienced a panic attack in the middle of a crowd may also develop a fear of crowds (which is also related to agoraphobia).

On the other hand, there are authors who talk about certain people have a vulnerability (genetic) to suffer from anxiety or anxiety disorders. That is why if we add to this vulnerability a traumatic situation or having observed people who develop a fear of crowds (vicarious learning), it is more likely that this type of phobia will develop.

Symptoms

The two primary symptoms of fear of crowds, as with any specific phobia, are: intense, irrational and disproportionate anxiety or fear of the phobic object or situation (in this case, crowds) and avoidance of said situations. Of course, instead of avoidance appearing, the person may also resist going to places with a lot of people, but with high anxiety (or with an amulet, always accompanied, etc.).

Beyond what has been mentioned, the symptoms of enochlophobia are of three different types:

Cognitive: irrational thoughts like “I’m going to be crushed to death”, “I’m going to drown”, etc. Physiological: tachycardia, dizziness, vomiting, palpitations, excessive sweating, etc. Behavioral: the aforementioned avoidance.

In relation to the physiological symptoms, specify that these may resemble those that appear in a panic attack, and include:

Tremors.Discomfort.Hyperarousal. Headaches.Chest tightness/pain.Feeling of lack of air.Hyperventilation.Etc.

How to overcome the fear of crowds?

According to Guide to effective psychological treatments de Pérez et al. (2010), in psychological therapy there are two treatments that Exposure therapy and cognitive therapy have been shown to be effective in treating specific phobias.. In exposure therapy, in the case of enochlophobia, the patient would be gradually exposed to phobic situations, through a hierarchy of items.

On the other hand, through cognitive therapy, an attempt would be made to modify the irrational or dysfunctional thoughts associated with the fear of crowds, such as “I will die drowning“, “they are going to crush me“, etc. The latter is done, mainly, through cognitive restructuring, which involves changing the way of thinking to a more realistic and adaptive one.

On the other hand, anxiolytics have also been used to reduce the symptoms of anxiety disorders; However, to achieve deep, true and long-term results, The ideal will always be to receive psychological help, through psychotherapy.. Finally, think that a specific phobia, just as it is “learned”, can also be unlearned.

The objective is that the symptoms that are intrinsically associated or linked to the situation of being with many people remain unpaired and the body no longer develops them in such situations. So, if you want to overcome your fear of crowds because this problem is really interfering with your daily life, don’t hesitate: ask for help!

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