I went to Disney Village this weekend and had a nice dinner at the Rain Forest Cafe.  I'm still not sure why I reacted.  I don't believe it was the meal as I played it super safe (and the timing of the reaction didn't seem to relate to the meal).

Anyway it was a ZOO in there.  It's not that I didn't find it really neat.  But I felt overloaded what with the huge mechanical apes going off, the kids screaming, the place erupting into fake rainstorms, etc, etc.  It really wasn't such a problem until I had to go to the back of the restaurant (deep inside the crazy).  I felt trapped in the back of the huge, crazy place and overwhelmed by so much going on in such a small space.  Even after I got out of there, there were wall to wall people outside.  Anyway, I'm not sure what to make of it.  My sense is that I reacted to the crowd, but I guess technically I just allowed myself to get stressed.  

Has anyone else found that crowds and/or loud places make them react?  Is this something that I can train myself to deal with so it doesn't happen?  I've never really enjoyed crowds but I'd hate to be limited by this such that I felt I couldn't attend an event or something.

YES!!! my husband doesn't do well when there are too many people, confusion and especially loud noises. He's gotten better but when he was really sick and under medicated just being in a long line at whole foods would make him react...along with a panic like feeling.
Its gotten better now that his symptoms are under control but we try to make sure to avoid anything with big crowds ect...

I hear you Tracey, I have that too.. my friends call me party-killer because I'm always the first to go home, since people gatherings make me exhausted after just a short period of time. Brain overload.