More people are experiencing panic attacks at Maggie Rogers' concerts

Coachella Festival featuring Maggie Rogers

According to singer Maggie Rogers, more people are collapsing and experiencing panic attacks at her performances.

The American artist thinks it's down to people being away from crowds and concerts for so long because of the coronavirus pandemic.

She urged her followers to stay hydrated and take care of those around them in an Instagram post.

People may experience difficulties as they adjust to going out again, according to anxiety therapist Angie McMillan.

In her counseling work, she claims to be noticing it more frequently.

According to her, "I believe the lockdowns created a situation where people were at home, they weren't around many people," she tells Newsbeat.

"There was a great deal of fear and anxiety when it came to being in contact with other people when listening to things like loud noises or music. ".

Singer-songwriter Maggie writes on Instagram that performances "may not be the most natural space after the couple years we've spent in the pandemic.".

Although for some people Covid seems like a distant memory, Angie claims that we have only recently begun to understand what transpired.

She claims that she and her friends were unable to dance or sing along to their favorite songs.

And for some people, it might still come as a bit of a shock and a surprise. ".

Sam Parsons
Sam Parsons, who is 21 years old, hasn't attended a show since 2005.

Sam Parsons understands what it's like to have to consider attending a gig for the first time in a very long time.

The 21-year-old wrote on TikTok that she was preparing to attend her first concert since she was sixteen.

"The main difference between now and when I was 16 is that I now know I'm autistic and that brings a whole load of sensory issues," she says.

I'm small, so when I attend a concert with a standing-only area, I can't see over people's shoulders and I feel very confined.

"And when I am already anxious about being in a crowd of people, feeling boxed in and not being able to see anything but people around you, it's really scary. ".

Sam also says she has to think about the fact that she's extra sensitive to noise.

"Whereas the music itself will calm me down, they are big industrial speakers with frequencies that I can hear but neurotypical people might not be able to hear," she says.

She says she will be taking her sensory overload earplugs which minimise the higher pitched sounds.

In her Insta post, Maggie offers advice to her fans about keeping safe at her gigs - including staying hydrated and taking breaks from standing.

Angie also has advice for people who are still getting used to going out regularly.

"I think one of the first things I say to people is just do things at your own pace," she says.

"Just because your friends are going out every day or doing loads of stuff, it doesn't mean you have to do it at the same pace as them. ".

She has also has some top tips for people who might be struggling with anxiety at gigs:.

  • Make a connection - Let people know you're feeling a bit strange.  That can be as simple as grabbing on to a friend's arm so you've got contact with someone else.
  • Breathe slowly - One of the first things that changes is your ability to breathe deeply or in a normal way.  Making your out breath a little bit longer starts to calm things down.
  • Distraction - Pick a colour to focus your attention on and scan around to focus on anything that colour.  You could also pay attention to a smell or focus on the music.

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