I was wondering if anybody else hates being around a lot of people at once and/or close by people. I hate staying at the dinner table for a long time after a dinner with five and also can't handle watching a movie on the couch with family. However, I like to curl up in small places and that makes me feel safe. Does anybody else feel this way sometimes??
Yeah, but my family is fine. Three other people is fine, especially when its my family. I hate crowds or having a conversation with more than two people. Some people are introverts, some are extroverts, nothing you can do about it
I feel this way a lot. I just get overwhelmed by being around a lot of people. I can do it, but only for short periods of time.
I feel the same, but I'm fine with family. Once I'm done eating though, I like to excuse myself from the table. I just don't like having to wait until everyone else is done eating, which usually takes a long time.
I don't mind being around a small group of people, 8-10. At that level, you can still all have one conversation, or two conversations and hear each other. I typically don't like going to parties alone because it's just me entering a room full of people. Even if I know them, I'll be shouting so they can hear me and it'll be hard to talk. Some people like the busy, loud, populated scene. Some folks like the more quiet, intimate scene.
I have a peculiar hearing defect which I can best describe as an aural equivalent to having no depth perception. In other words, background noises sound as loud to my ears as close ones. Because of this, I often have a difficult time mingling among large groups, at least if everyone is talking at once or if the environment is noisy. Then I truly can't hear a damn thing anyone says, even right in my ear, so I usually shut down in these situations. Otherwise, I don't experience any significant trouble with large groups. (At that, I enjoy something of a reputation as a "class clown".)
Sounds like agoraphobia to me. Sorry, it's the psych major in me trying to analyze you Yes, I feel the same way sometimes, but I also have social anxiety.
Wow thanks for all the replies! It's nice to know that other people feel this way too! I hope it will be something that doesn't get any worse!
Having interaction with a group of people for a while or even with just a lot of people in a row mentally drains me. Afterwards, I have to get away and be on my own to get back to a "sociable zone". I find that being at clubs and even wedding receptions I normally can't enjoy myself after a while. Those feelings mixed with the social awkwardness / social anxiety that I have additionally adds to my avoidance of crowds and large groups of people.
I feel the same, only a table of 5 is more like my idea of a small group than alot of people =o In my case 3-5ish people is ideal because I'm not entirely responsible for the conversation then. I can just chime in when I have something to add. Bigger groups like parties and other social events are just like sensory overload to me. I'd much rather watch a movie with a few friends. In general it depends on who you're with alot though
