Anxious feelings noisy people, kids voices, traffic, supermarkets

[Luluh]

Hi, I have clinical moderate depression diagnosed two weeks ago and am on Citalopram. Already feeling bit better but struggle and have for last six months or so with people talking very loudly or laughing and the sound of kids yelling, playing drives me to the edge of stopping myself being rude to people. I become anxious and jittery in large supermarkets, people seem to be everywhere invading my space, even road traffic noises set me on edge. Does anyone else have this ? 

[Pip]

Supermarkets rate quite high in the ranks of places I don't like being unless they are quiet.  I get very anxious when they are busy as I feel 'crowded in' and people seem to stop in the middle of aisles and / or move slowly.  There have been occasions when I have had to either find a quieter area or have walked out.

[alex1973]

Yes, yes and yes to all the above questions. I know exactly how you feel and I have felt this way for years now. Noise intrusion of that kind has put me on edge for years

[elvis]

Yes I also get these "I wish you would shut up" feelings all day.

[Pip]

I've felt like that this evening  as I've been helping at a strawberries and BBQ event at church with stalls in the hall.  I was in charge of the bric-a-brac stall so couldn't escape it as it was so busy.  It didn't help that it was very hot which gave me a headache.  I'm deaf in my right ear so when people are talking it sounds like a babble of noise as it's hard to concentrate on one conversation.  Fortunately the people who know me knew to talk looking straight at me so I could hear them better.

[Nic]

I know how you feel Pip  :smile:


..and yes Luluh, most if not all of the time  :smile:   Personally, when I find myself getting overwhelmed I put my ear buds in and listen to something on my i pod  (I'm in control of what I'm listening to) doesn't work for everyone  :smile:  If I have to get out of the car and tackle a Supermarket to buy (the minimum) of groceries, I take a shopping list and my i pod.  The shopping list is for focus and the music to drown out the chaos!

Hoping you find a way to handle it x :smile:

[beautydylan]

I can't bear noisy places, I get anxious so try to get out of there as quickly as I can. Hope you find a way of coping 

[jali]

I usually do my shopping early in the morning, I find there are fewer idiots around too which is an added bonus,

[Amanda_George]

Just a thought, how about buying stuff online and get it delivered to your home?

The last time I went out in Patrick I went from one end of Smiths to the other and got out of there as soon as I could for exactly the reasons you describe.  Patrick gives me more freedom, but I much prefer shopping online now!

If you don't fancy that, how about doing your shopping either first thing in the morning or last thing at night?  It's more likely to be quieter then is all!

[Pip]

Rick and I went through a period of doing our shopping at about 5 am as it was so quiet but the only problem was we couldn't always get everything we wanted such as bread.  These days we either go first thing in the morning or about mid evening as both times are reasonably quiet enough for me.