Whether it's your first Bonnaroo or you’re a music festival veteran, we welcome you to Inforoo.
Here you'll find info about artists, rumors, camping tips, and the infamous Roo Clues. Have a look around then create an account and join in the fun. See you at Bonnaroo!!
Post by hippiehearted_Mama on Jan 11, 2015 19:24:33 GMT -5
I was worried about this when I went two years ago. I have light to moderate anxiety depending on the situation. A few pointers:
1. The crowds can get overwhelming. We noticed that if you showed up to centeroo in the morning there were not that many people there. Think around 9 am. This gave me a chance to get familiar with my surroundings before the crowd became overwhelming. Plus they had great classes and morning yoga everyday. 2. I spent some time in the shade talking to others under the trees or shade tents. I found this is where you are most likely to meet someone who enjoys staying out of the crowd as well. 3. The crowds seemed to be the worst between 2 and 5. There was a day or two that we would go back to the tent for a few hours if no one we wanted to see was playing. It give someone with anxiety the chance to decompress and recharge.
There are always a million things going on at bonnaroo. Chances are there will be a spot that she feels comfortable enough to get by for the weekend
I had a friend with really bad anxiety go last year. If its debilitating, the medic "chill" tents are exactly that and work just as well for sober people freaking out as for...less sober people freaking out.
Alright, so I'm trying to convince my friend Alisha to do her first 'Roo next summer, and every year she decides not to join me because of her anxiety. Does anyone else have moderate anxiety, and if so, how do you cope with it at Bonnaroo? (she doesn't use any anxiety meds, or drink, or any drugs for that matter) I figured maybe I could link her to this thread and she could read the responses. She's also never been to a music festival before. I really think this would be an amazing experience for her.
I'm not a doctor, and I don't even play one on TV, but I know a thing or two about anxiety. It is great that she doesn't feel she needs meds (and great that she doesn't drink or use recreational drugs), but I really encourage her to at least talk to a professional about this. Maybe she sees a doc, I don't know, but a pro can assess her anxiety properly and give her some ideas about what she can do to minimize it. I can not stress this enough, for the following reason: it is normal to experience some anxiety some times, and we all do, especially in new or unusual situations, which would absolutely include an event like Bonnaroo. A doctor or other appropriate professional would probably mention that anxiety goes beyond normal, healthy anxious feelings when it impacts your life by preventing you from engaging in normal activities that you either need or want to participate in. It sounds like this is the case your friend, meaning it is essential for her to seek an expert's opinion.
For many people, serious anxiety is not an everyday fear, though it can make certain situations difficult or impossible to handle. For that, a lot of folks will keep medication on hand, just in case. Simply having it ready as a safety net can be enough, and they might take it rarely to never. Having something mild around, like Ativan or low-dose Xanax, can be a good idea. In addition to the pharmaceutical route, there are many other coping strategies, like breathing exercises, talking to a trusted friend who you know will be with you, targeted positive thinking, and many more.
You are providing a good first step by encouraging her and telling her that Bonnaroo is a surprisingly friendly and laid-back environment, which most anyone here will attest to. Participating in Inforoo also certainly wouldn't hurt. So my advice is: talk to a professional, develop some simple coping strategies, get edumacated about Roo and meet people here, have meds handy as a back-up plan, and simply be determined to have a great time.
Maybe if you pick out a few artists she wants to see, and not have a packed schedule so you can take it slow and if anything happens, you have time to recover. I know the heat can do things to people when you're not used to it, so prepping for that will help ease some of it. The person I went with last year had a bad attack during Elton John and we just walked back as far as we could to get out of the crowd until he felt better. Not getting packed in for a show, and sitting on the grass and enjoying it will help, too. Even someone like myself who doesn't have anxiety, getting packed in tight in a tent was a little overwhelming. After Grouplove, I found a tree with no one around, pulled my blanket out, drank some gatorade until I felt fine.
Post by candyenchanted on Jan 21, 2015 13:13:16 GMT -5
I've done Roo twice since my anxiety got really unbearable. Once was fine (more than fine really, and I had a blast), and once got pretty bad. In my particular case there are certain things that set it off, and after that it's really hard to shake. I would encourage her to come, but tell her to make sure she does whatever it is she needs to do in order to be comfortable.
Post by mizvalentine on Jan 22, 2015 13:16:26 GMT -5
Lots of good advice here. Seeing a doctor is definitely the most important thing.
I have fairly strong social anxiety and I find that making my campsite very comfortable, and allowing myself to go there alone and chill out when I need to, makes all the difference. To be able to go back and lay in my hammock for a few hours every day and read a book quietly really helps. Also sleep, long walks around early in the morning, decent food and moderating my caffeine helps...lack of sleep just sets my brain off in terrible directions.
This is weird, but I also always book a hotel room in Nashville for Sunday and Monday, at a certain hotel I like that I know usually has rooms available for Saturday if I need to escape early. I've never had to leave on Saturday, but I know I can if I need to. I have always 'hit the wall' sometime on Sunday and I just let myself leave, grab some BBQ, shower, chill out, and sleep Sunday night. Going in deciding that I'm there for the experience as long as its enjoyable, not just to drill thru x, y, and z shows that I HAVE TO SEE, has let me let myself off the hook and play it by ear (and that keeps me calm).
Post by unfertilizedeggs on Jan 23, 2015 20:25:14 GMT -5
I have anxiety; nothing to the point that I take medication for it but enough that every year I almost regret buying my ticket. Every year I almost talk myself out of going even though it's literally my favorite place in the world. I just always get anxious that something bad is going to happen.. either in the 8 hour drive to and from or one of the crazy day/nights there. My sister and I are best friends and neither of our significant others come with us.. but sometimes other friends do. We always separate from the group but we never separate from each other (for very long). My first year, we didn't separate from each other at all. That meant she missed two shows she wanted to see and I missed a couple myself but she's the best and totally understood my need. Last year, I wandered off by myself a little more, never for very long.. I feel much more comfortable going into it this year. As long as your friend has a good support system that understands her needs, she'll be fine.
