Enochlophobia: The Fear of Crowds

By: Jennifer Dubose

Enochlophobia Explained

Enochlophobia (pronounced [en-ah-cla-foh-bee-uh]) is the abnormal or irrational fear of crowds. It is very similar to Ochlophobia (the specific fear of mob-like crowds) and Demophobia (the more general fear of crowds, masses or people). It is also closely associated with Agoraphobia, a fear of public places and/or situations in which you would be uncomfortable or embarrassed. Though not specifically designated in the DSM-V, Enochlophobia can fall under a Social Phobia, F40.1.

Statistics

Dr. Signe Dayhoff, in a Psychology Today interview, stated nearly 20 million individuals at any one time suffer from some form of social anxiety.
The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) reports that in any given 12-month time span, 6.8% of US adults suffer from social phobias such as Enochlophobia.
NIMH also states that the average age-of-onset is 13 years old.

Enochlophobia: Why are People Afraid of Crowds?

Traumatic Situations

For some people, their fear of crowds stems from a trauma that they’ve not dealt with — being mobbed at a Black Friday event, being separated from parents in a large crowd as a child, or the noise and chaos associated with crowds leaving them disoriented and afraid.

Embarrassing Social Scenarios

Embarrassing situations — a botched public speech, a fall in front of a crowd, a performance that didn’t go as planned — can lead to avoidance of places where people’s eyes are watching you.

3 Crowd Tragedies in History

The Who Fiasco — December 3rd, 1979. Over 8,000 people crowded around a concert venue in Cincinnati, waiting in a mob to get close to the stage for a The Who concert. When the band began their sound check, people towards the back thought the concert started and pushed forward. The venue didn’t open its doors, and 11 people died, trampled or asphyxiated in the crush.

England Soccer Game — In 1989, at a tournament match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest, crowds surged into the stands, causing 95 deaths from suffocation or trampling and 180 severe injuries. The game was suspended after 6 minutes and never finished.

Walmart Trampling — A 2008 incident in which Jdimytai Damour, a Walmart employee working the doors for the holiday season, was trampled and killed when a crowd surged through the doors.

Madness Controlled — Years of study on crowd dynamics and psychology have followed these tragedies. In a New Yorker article, John Seabrook stated “most crowd disasters are caused by ‘crazes’ — people are usually moving toward something they want, rather than away from something they fear.” Crowd management consultant Paul Wertheimer has worked with companies, venues, and government to help create safer crowd environments.

Symptoms

How do you know if you have an irrational fear of crowds?

When you think about scenarios in which you’d be in a crowd, you immediately think of scenarios in which you’d embarrass or hurt yourself
You avoid going to social gatherings to the dismay of family and friends
You pass on going to church, concerts, sporting events, shopping malls, etc.
You exhibit physical symptoms such as increased heart rate, shortness of breath, sweating, nausea, vomiting, and full-blown panic attacks

Crowds in the News

At a country music event in Las Vegas, a gunman opened fire on the crowd, killing 58 and injuring 489 others — the largest massacre in the United States to date.
Every year since 1904, people crowd into Times Square to witness the “Ball Drop” — over a million attend yearly.
February 13th, 2017 the “Loudest Crowd Roar at an Indoor Sports Event” was recorded at a basketball game in Kansas: 130.4 decibels (a human eardrum can rupture at 150 decibels).

Enochlophobia Treatment

Professional Treatment

Because of difficulty getting out and facing crowds, online counseling is a preferred option for many individuals suffering from enochlophobia. You can also seek a qualified mental health professional in your area if you are comfortable with that approach instead.

Self-Treatment

Find something positive to associate with crowds of people — e.g. groups that stage fun, unexpected public performances.
Study crowd psychology and human behavior to understand why crowds act the way they do, and learn warning signs like crowd agitation.
Learn how to keep safe in crowd situations: have an exit strategy, work your way out with the crowd instead of pushing against it, stay near the edges or exits.
Slowly immerse yourself into scenarios with large groups of people, bringing a friend or family member, starting with quieter times before working toward busier hours.