Anxiety and First Time Festival Goer

[McCor]

4 hours ago, Caribun said:

Hi everyone, 

Just to say thank you so much for your replies. I knew, having lurked about for a few months, that you guys would be super helpful and understanding. 

I can't remember who has asked but I suffer from GAD, and situations which are most frightening for me are large crowds and places I don't know (sensibly attending a music festival...). I'm slowly desensitising myself by going to new places, and I'm going to a tiny music festival at the end of the month, Handmade Festival in Leicester. 

Healing fields etc sounds like an excellent place, and thinking about it like London (small communities all together) has actually made it a thousand times better so thank you to whoever described it assuch. 

The idea of laminating a map is a really good idea because worrying about getting lost is making me very anxious. Regarding camping etc, I've been told that where we are camping is quite quiet (Pylon?) so hopefully I'll be able to rest. 

I'm having a very anxious day today, but it comes and goes in waves. I'm looking forward to knowing when the bands I'd really like to see are playing, because planning small things every day will make it a bit easier. 

I'm planning on heading to Pylon myself, somewhere quiet and chilled to head back to! 

[bexj]

First off, well done for facing your anxiety and finding more about the festival so you can devise some coping strategies.  I hope it helps x

Lots of people have suggested taking yourself off to some of the quieter parts of the site, but there's actually loads of places off the main drags where you can take a moment.  Many of the stalls have fairly quiet frontages, often a stall holder will have a chair, which im sure they'd lend you if you need 5 mins. There's also a samaritans stall right in the middle of the markets area.  

If you want to see the SE corner without the crowds, then while the headliners are on is a good time.  There's still a lot to see there at that time, but without the huge pressure of crowds. 

Finally, don't forget its your festival too, so do things which you want to do, even if that means leaving your ftiends for a few hours. It really is very welcoming to everyone and you shouldnt feel obliged to be or behave in a certain way. So if you want to go to bed at 9pm....do it!

[Caribun]

17 hours ago, McCor said:

I'm planning on heading to Pylon myself, somewhere quiet and chilled to head back to! 

Is it a very quiet campsite? I keep looking at the map from last year and getting myself confused. 

[Caribun]

Thank you everyone for the advice about pinch points for crowds etc. I really want to see Muse, and ELO, and other half thinks Coldplay will be excellent, but apart from that none of us really want to spend a huge amount of time at the Pyramid. The two veterans we're going with have raved about the smaller stages etc and I've been told that we'll have a fantastic time drinking cocktails and listening to music at midnight at the Greenpeace ship? Can't believe I've just written that...! 

I've been told there is a tent which serves tea in proper mugs too, this may be my sanctuary...So if any of you are in there and see a redhead sobbing into a cup of Earl Grey, it's probably me  

[bexj]

You'll be fine, sounds like you've got some good friends too x

[scaryclaireyfairy]

Please try not to worry too much in advance about getting lost.  That can actually be the best fun, believe it or not.  If you lose your bearings (happens to me loads) just keep wandering where your feet want to take you and sooner or later you'll come to somewhere recognisible (or the fence!).  It's not like being in a city where one wrong turn can take you somewhere really dodgy.

[Guest]

11 minutes ago, Caribun said:

Thank you everyone for the advice about pinch points for crowds etc. I really want to see Muse, and ELO, and other half thinks Coldplay will be excellent, but apart from that none of us really want to spend a huge amount of time at the Pyramid. The two veterans we're going with have raved about the smaller stages etc and I've been told that we'll have a fantastic time drinking cocktails and listening to music at midnight at the Greenpeace ship? Can't believe I've just written that...! 

I've been told there is a tent which serves tea in proper mugs too, this may be my sanctuary...So if any of you are in there and see a redhead sobbing into a cup of Earl Grey, it's probably me  

It's called the Tiny Tea Tent - on the walk up to the stone  circle it's on the left x

[McCor]

2 hours ago, Caribun said:

Is it a very quiet campsite? I keep looking at the map from last year and getting myself confused. 

Apparently so, certainly quietly than the likes of Oxyliers. More space as well for late arrivers. I couldn't find it last year as I completely lost my barrings as soon as I entered the gate. But from Gate A, turn right and keep going. Should by easy to find. I'd advise coming in from the west for Pylon, Darble etc

[gillybean90]

When I was there last year I noticed a Bristol MIND tent. If you needed to talk to somebody about you anxiety or panic attacks while at the festival I assume that there will be someone at the MIND tent should be able to offer you experienced support with that. I'm struggling to remember exactly where they were located last year but I don't think they were too far away from the pyramid stage. If you cant find the MIND tent then there are plenty of other places already mentioned which are there to support people at the festival.

Most importantly look after yourself. drink plenty of water and eat well. There's plenty of places where you can fill up a water bottle around the site and loads of tasty food! Maybe indulge in some meditating or holistic therapy in the healing field. I'm sure you'll have a great time.

[GlastoAwe]

Lots of lovely caring advice here. My hubby suffers from anxiety but generally finds the festival alleviates so many of the day to day anxieties he struggles with. He uses his CBT techniques if ever things get too much and we generally spend plenty of time in the green fields/circus and theatre/Avalon/bella's to recoup and relax. I don't suffer from anxiety but don't like crowds and have had a few wobbly moments over the years (such as trying to squeeze in to see dolly in 2014) so reiterate the advice to really stay in touch with how you're feeling and don't be afraid to decamp to somewhere quieter - as the quieter parts are often the magical parts that set Glastonbury apart from the other big festivals.  Best of luck to you x

[JanieM28]

On 9 April 2016 at 1:13 PM, Caribun said:

Hi everyone, 

Just to say thank you so much for your replies. I knew, having lurked about for a few months, that you guys would be super helpful and understanding. 

I can't remember who has asked but I suffer from GAD, and situations which are most frightening for me are large crowds and places I don't know (sensibly attending a music festival...). I'm slowly desensitising myself by going to new places, and I'm going to a tiny music festival at the end of the month, Handmade Festival in Leicester. 

Healing fields etc sounds like an excellent place, and thinking about it like London (small communities all together) has actually made it a thousand times better so thank you to whoever described it assuch. 

The idea of laminating a map is a really good idea because worrying about getting lost is making me very anxious. Regarding camping etc, I've been told that where we are camping is quite quiet (Pylon?) so hopefully I'll be able to rest. 

I'm having a very anxious day today, but it comes and goes in waves. I'm looking forward to knowing when the bands I'd really like to see are playing, because planning small things every day will make it a bit easier. 

I had to look up the meaning of GAD to remind myself that it refers to General Anxiety Disorder. However, don't forget that, when it comes to Glastonbury, the word ' gad' also means 'go from place to place in the pursuit of pleasure'

:-)

 

[incident]

6 hours ago, Caribun said:

I've been told there is a tent which serves tea in proper mugs too, this may be my sanctuary...So if any of you are in there and see a redhead sobbing into a cup of Earl Grey, it's probably me  

There's loads of them. Most of the venues in the Green Fields that offer tea/coffee/chocolate/etc will give you a proper mug (usually with a 50p or £1 deposit), as well as a handful of places around the rest of the site.

[TheParkAfterDark]

Lots of great advice posted so far.  I struggled horribly with anxiety at Glastonbury 2013 but managed to overcome it successfully for 2014.  I wrote the below post in this thread from a good while back detailing how I managed to overcome it.  Also, we've camped in Pylon the past 3 years and it's pretty peaceful and spacious.  Hopefully you manage to keep your anxiety under control and have a fabulous Glastonbury  

 

Quote

 

I suffer from what would probably be classed as moderate anxiety and have done for a number of years now. It took me quite a long time to get to grips with it and I take an 80mg daily dose of propranolol to help control it (which works well 99.9% of the time).

 

I was at my worse at Glastonbury in 2013. I struggled to get moving in the mornings for fear that I would experience fear and panic whilst out and about, especially in crowded areas. So when I did end up in crowded areas I was already in a mindset something bad would happen and the anxiety would take over. Had a couple of bad panic attacks that year that really ruined the festival for me and had me questioning if I could return to a place I had been 8 times and had given me some of the greatest and most important times of my life (let's face it Glastonbury isn't going to get any smaller any time soon!).

 

Anyway tickets for 2014 secured I knew I had to figure out ways to deal with my anxieties as I would face many of the same 'triggers' again. Things that definitely helped:

 

1 - Having a brilliant and loving partner who can read me like a book and knows how to keep me calm. Now I know not everyone can be lucky enough to have someone like that but that leads me onto...

 

2 - Telling my friends about my 'condition'. 2013 I had it bottled up and only my partner knew. This time round I let them know in advance how I felt and how I react. Throughout the weekend (and now on the outside) they kept checking in on how I was feeling if they saw a potential 'situation' or a sudden change in my behaviour. And this was really key. Just knowing they were there for me put me at ease in positions much 'worse' than what I would have struggled with the previous year. Although it feels embarrassing exposing your 'weaknesses' it's worth remembering the only person likely to be embarrassed is you; your mates only care about what's best for you. Plus since I've opened up to them I've found out about some of their own vunerabilities and helped them through them where I can.

 

3 - Crowds are something that I struggle with but where I can I avoid them to the best of my abilities or at least the worst bits. Big act on a main stage? Stay towards the back or side near a path or way out. I tend to find a spot where I can balance being close enough to the act without feeling overcrowded.

 

Pinch points around the site can be a bit harder to avoid but having been a good few times now I tend to know the worst bits for congestion and avoid them at obviously busy times. I also tend to hang back for 10 minutes once a big act has finished; amazing how much easier it is to get through a crowd when even 10% of it has left.

 

4 - Camping in a quiet field. Knowing you can go back to your tent at the end of the night and get a decent rest is such a nice feeling. OK it might be an extra 10 minute walk from all the fun but what's an extra 10 minute walk at Glastonbury? Plus the extra space between tents helps combat the claustrophobic feelings elsewhere on site.

 

5 - Not worrying about getting in. I used to be someone who wouldn't sleep the night before, set off super early and worry about getting a 'prime' camping spot. All that happened is that I'd feel stressed out, tired and get off to a bad start. Plus despite getting a prime spot you'd find someone would arrive later and camp on top of you anyway. Now we rock up at lunchtime, no queues to get in and camp in a spacious field near the Gate making the journey(s) to and from the carpark seem much easier.

 

Sorry for waffling on a bit (typing this much on a mobile device is bloody hard work and I might not have articulated myself particularly well!) but it's nice to put my thoughts down and if anything I've said can help someone in a similar position then it's all been worthwhile.

 

One last thing is remember to do Glastonbury at a pace you are comfortable with. These boards are full of well meaning diehards but queueing up as soon as the car parks are open, camping in popular fields like Pennards and obsessing over potential secret sets isn't for everyone.

 

The most important piece of advice I could give to anyone when at Glastonbury is don't worry about missing out on what may be happening elsewhere on site; whatever is in front of you is more than likely putting a huge grin on your face

 

 

[shuttlep]

not being a sufferer or anxiety , i really can't imagine what it feels like, I hope  you manage to get past it and just enjoy everything at your own pace,  Don't rush or make too many plans.

 

 

I am an emotional wreck at Glastonbury. I think it's the exhaustion and being away from my family. I am prone to break down in tears at any point. also when i speak to the wife and my son. I am also in tears. (I am rubbish)

 

hope  you manage to get over the anxiety , I am sure you will and have a great time

[Caribun]

On Sunday, April 10, 2016 at 5:55 PM, JanieM28 said:

I had to look up the meaning of GAD to remind myself that it refers to General Anxiety Disorder. However, don't forget that, when it comes to Glastonbury, the word ' gad' also means 'go from place to place in the pursuit of pleasure'

:-)

 

I love this.  thank you. 

On Monday, April 11, 2016 at 2:08 PM, TheParkAfterDark said:

Lots of great advice posted so far.  I struggled horribly with anxiety at Glastonbury 2013 but managed to overcome it successfully for 2014.  I wrote the below post in this thread from a good while back detailing how I managed to overcome it.  Also, we've camped in Pylon the past 3 years and it's pretty peaceful and spacious.  Hopefully you manage to keep your anxiety under control and have a fabulous Glastonbury  

 

 

I read that thread, thank you. I'm glad to hear Pylon is peaceful etc. The thought of being crammed somewhere in-between thousands of other people makes me feel ill! 

On Monday, April 11, 2016 at 2:34 PM, shuttlep said:

not being a sufferer or anxiety , i really can't imagine what it feels like, I hope  you manage to get past it and just enjoy everything at your own pace,  Don't rush or make too many plans.

 

 

I am an emotional wreck at Glastonbury. I think it's the exhaustion and being away from my family. I am prone to break down in tears at any point. also when i speak to the wife and my son. I am also in tears. (I am rubbish)

 

hope  you manage to get over the anxiety , I am sure you will and have a great time

My other half says everyone has a 'Glasto cry' so I'm fully expecting to sob at some point! Just hope it's through being moved, or happy, and not through sheer panic! 

[shuttlep]

Just now, Caribun said:

I love this.  thank you. 

I read that thread, thank you. I'm glad to hear Pylon is peaceful etc. The thought of being crammed somewhere in-between thousands of other people makes me feel ill! 

My other half says everyone has a 'Glasto cry' so I'm fully expecting to sob at some point! Just hope it's through being moved, or happy, and not through sheer panic! 

I have been in floods. I blame Fatherhood for making me soft

[siweltrebor]

Last year I was suffering quite badly from the anxiety, it came on during Kanye West due to being a bit too drunk and the crowd where I was quite rowdy and restless due to Kanye being Kanye and pissing off most of the casuals and some of his fans. I then took my moment to leave the crowd just before it ended, took a quite moment in a portaloo, but some wasted bloke storms up to me demanding to arrest me for drugs, him and his buddied thought he was being hillarious but in full swing anxiety I was getting proper dizzy trying to navigate the crowd back to camp, i got back to my tent and collapsed and rested in there on my own for the rest of the night.

I should have been more vocal with the rest of my camp who knew something was up but i didn't make it clear until the next day. My anxiety was a mixture of things really, leaving a job last March due to a number of difficulties but having an anxiety attack at work was the final straw before i resigned, struggling to find a new job and missing my girlfriend who had been amazing support through the worst of the anxious moments prior to that.

Sunday was a weird day, I never saw a band properly all day and felt like my heart was jumping out of my body, i was over tired and about ready to call it quits but acquired some rescue remedy and brought myself back down slowly. Took some time out in the healing fields and stone circle which is lovely and almost silent during the mid afternoon. Brought myself back to life enough to enjoy the little snippets of stuff like Jack Garratt, Jamie T and Chemical Brothers, but I was a shell of my usual self and again sat out most of Sunday night to be ready to pack things up and head home on the Monday.

I've done 20 full festivals and 6 Glastonburys and I'd only ever had 3 anxiety attacks in my life so for it to affect my Glastonbury that much was a big shock to me really. The key to me shaking off the anxiety was to get back to work which made the biggest difference, easing off on the alcohol or anything that alters you which isn't my style these days, talking about it when it happens, having those measures like rescue remedy etc if it helps you or placebos you into feeling better, and yes for sure pacing yourself, you can do the whole festival and love it but in those tricky moments have the awareness to move yourself somewhere more comfortable. Health and Fitness does a lot of good too, eat and drink better will make you feel good, excercise and build up a bit of self esteem over appearance or lose some weight, that feeling of added stamina defo helps with the attitude you can get through anything again.

[Yokel Again]

Haven't read every detail of this thread, so apologies if someone has already said it:

If it gets too much around the Pyramid area head up the hill to the church by the flushing loos (by the Farm). It's quite a short walk, they give out free cups of water and it's quiet up there. And its by a medical tent. Good view over the site too. 

 

 :-)

 

[Yokel Again]

Also, have def. had a Glasto cry before. 

[jed300]

10 minutes ago, Yokel Again said:

Haven't read every detail of this thread, so apologies if someone has already said it:

If it gets too much around the Pyramid area head up the hill to the church by the flushing loos (by the Farm). It's quite a short walk, they give out free cups of water and it's quiet up there. And its by a medical tent. Good view over the site too. 

 

 :-)

 

Having not ever ventured up to the farm, which one of the toilets on the map have the flushing toilets? The one I've circled blue or the one I circled red?

 

[Yokel Again]

Blue one.

They used to be near the W but moved when all that area went over to crew and stuff (bear in mind my last year was 2013).

Big long trailer of proper porcelain loos (still need to check the one you want to go in!). But a nicer place to go for a poo if you are around that side of the site.

This pic is when they were closer to the farm (I think). 

[Caribun]

Thank you everyone, flushing loos sound quite heavenly. 

I know this is an odd question, but I'm trying to convince the other half that there won't be a huge queue to have a shower on Friday morning, anyone have any experience of this? I know it will make me feel better being able to think about small creature comforts and plan things, hence the specific timing for the shower! 

[scaryclaireyfairy]

None of my lot have ever gone for a shower during the festival.  I'm not sure the queues can be predicted cos the weather will play a huge part.  If it's important to you to have a plan for that, then I'd suggest buying a cheapo solar camping shower.  If you have a tent with an area you can lift the groundsheet, you can even have privacy.  Use eco products though.

[cazzatron]

On 4/8/2016 at 9:07 AM, Caribun said:

Hi everyone, 

Been lurking about reading boards now since I found out I had been lucky enough to secure a ticket for this year and have learned a lot of useful tips and advice (so thank you all!).

As the time draws closer and it all becomes real (paid for the ticket, purchased a tent, flavoured gin on the go) my anxiety is going through the roof. 

I have anxiety, and I still haven't got a handle on the thought of Glastonbury and how huge it is, and the number of people etc. At times the thought is absolutely terrifying me, as much as I want to feel relaxed and like I'm going to enjoy myself. 

Fortunately I'm going with two veterans who have been every year for the past 12 years, and my partner who's first year was last year. Does anyone have any tips on managing anxiety at Glastonbury? I don't want to have a huge panic attack and start crying if I can avoid it!! 

 

Thank you for reading  

It's my first glasto too! Been to a few others before though but nothing on the scale of Glastonbury. I am also going with two veterans and they just seem so excited to show me everything!

I am sure you will love it on arrival, I am told it is a big place, but you get used to it and just go with the flow.

I hope you enjoy it

[jennilily36]

I just got a ticket in the resale and am going alone. Am I mad?! Is there anywhere I can link to other solo travellers or people who might want a new friend xx