anxiety in public spaces.....

[ruthd]

Hello all,

I am a new member in this forum and a have spoken to nicola about posting this message.

I am a PhD student at the Royal College of Art in London, and am researching how to design for feelings of anxiety and discomfort in public urban spaces.

I am really interested in hearing experiences of elements in public spaces which make people feel uncomfortable and also in finding out things which might help coping with the space. Although obviously I am interested in views from agoraphobics, I am also looking for people to tell me experiences from a more general anxiety and panic perspective. A feeling I also have some experience of.

I have developed a photo questionnaire of two london shopping spaces ( you don't need to have been to them ) which I am looking for people to fill in. If you are ineterested in this please email me directly at ruthvdillon@aol.com. and i can send you a copy.

Or if you would just like to share some info on spaces or things in space which make you feel uncomfortable please post a message here.

Thankyou in advance for your help and stories.

Ruth

[red]

Hi Ruth
Always glad to help anyone who can help us sufferers! What a good thing to know that someone is thinking about the design of 'places' for us too. It seems that most other dibilitating conditions are catered for like wheelchair users and people who have difficulty with any kind of mobility. The problem that a lot of us have with mobility is that we are 'mentally' unable to walk around!

My main anxiety trigger in public spaces seems to be the lighting - this is also the case in gyms, meeting rooms of any kind, shoping centres, supermarkets etc

Hope this helps - and good luck!

Red

[twister]

I mainly get agorophobic in closed spaces (apparently this is not claustrophobia though!).

I agree though that bright lights are evil for freaking panickers out!

Emily

[stimpy]

I always said shops should shut their doors to ordinary customers for an hour a day to allow people with panic disorder to shop in peace, while they play us whale music and dim the lights or give us a personal shopper who will go with us while we shop.

For me personally, bright lights, too much noise, trolleys heading towards me, too many people and being stuck in a long queue.
We always joked there should be an express line, baskets and panic related disorders only.

Love, light and Best wishes
Liz xxx

[] Panic Monster & Scatty Eccentric

[ruthd]

its really interesting that you all mention lighting. Does this count outside as well as in. ie, night time street lighting?

[stimpy]

You know I've never had a problem with street lighting.
But tube lighting, and indoor lamp lighting, computer monitors and the tv screen do have moments when they feel way to bright.


Love, light and Best wishes
Liz xxx

[] Panic Monster & Scatty Eccentric

[kate]

Hiya All,

I find shop lighting terrifying, always guaranteed to make me feel panicky.

I think if the lighting was less bright, my fear of supermarket panic would be reduced considerably.

Kate x

[ruthd]

i was also wondering if anyone could think of anything which might help, or trigger in outside spaces

[red]

Hi Ruth - will try to the questionnaire this afternoon - I am going off for a long week-end tomorrow morning and am getting loads of stuff done at work before I do that!

The trigger for me is the feeling of 'unrealness' you get whether a sufferer or not - however, with a sufferer, this can happen with or without lighting - the lighting just brings it on as it simulates what we would feel anyway ad therefore exacerbates it.

Artificial lighting os any sort does it for me! Street lights - especially orange ones, supermarket, railway stations, airports etc.

Hope this helps

Red

[ruthd]

Thanks Red.
Its really interesting to look at why , as well as what.
That kind of explains the lighting. I think everyone gets a horrible feeling around too many flourescent lights.
No rush on the questionnaire by the way , was just checking you could open it!

What also interests me is what elements I could look at designing which woudn't necessarily stop the anxiety ( although that would be nice!) but things which could be designed in to helpcoping in case of a PA.
To use your analogy red, there are ramps out there for use by wheelchair users, but nothing dealing with less 'physical' issues.
stimpy- I like the idea of an express queue in the supermarket...