To think this is because of the pandemic?

[Gatherthecherryblossom]

Pre pandemic I didn’t feel overwhelmed / anxious in busy or unfamiliar places - I used to look forward to going to new destinations and get excited.
Now I quickly cannot cope. Maybe it’s karma as I never understood people who used to say they felt anxious when in busy places. I’d be sympathetic but I didn’t really get it.

I find now that I can’t cope in places like busy train stations, shopping centres or theatres. I am ok for a short period of time and then I can feel the panic rising over me. I will fight it for a while but eventually I have to get out of wherever I am.
I don’t know if it’s the noise, the people, the lighting or just all of it. I try and be rational as I don’t want to pass this on to my kids and I make myself go to places but now I dread it. Given the choice I’d stay at home most of the time.

Anyone else experiencing similar? Everyone I know IRL seems over the pandemic experience and are now just carrying on as normal. DH seems totally unaffected as do my friends.

Will it ever go away? I thought by now it might have but if anything it’s worse. I work full time and am out a lot in the week but not in particularly busy environments.

I agree and feel the same way. We are just about to go to malta for a week as my son is getting married (he lives there and his wife to be is Maltese) and im finding the whole thing so stressful! Trying to understand ryanairs baggage rules is a mind altering experience!!

Yes! Everything feels harder to navigate so I’d sooner not bother.
covid seems to have resulted in more complicated systems which didn’t go away and less customer service.
Hope your son has a great wedding.

Thank you!

I've always been uncomfortable in public spaces, especially when my kids were young - I think I was maybe hypervigiliant to any potential threat. But I have got worse since lockdown yes, and I relate to the panic you describe. I have to do breathing exercises sometimes to try to ground myself a bit.

I think a lot of people are experiencing similar. We had a big organisational event at my work a couple of weeks ago and all my colleagues were saying how burnt out they felt at the end of it - just the sheer proximity of folk, the chatter and noise, being 'on' all day.

Definately agree with this! I end up staying in as I can't face it all.

So... what will you do about it? Are you satisfied to stay like that.

I push myself through it but essentially it means there’s little pleasure in anything. My dc don’t lose out at least.
I’m not sure what could be done tbh.

I feel the same and am just more panicky in general even about things like driving which I previously never thought twice about. I think it’s from living in such a heightened state of alert which we all did for so long.