Unable to walk in public

Ok bear with me on this one as I think it's a bit weird. for the past year or so, i have been having issues walking with people behind me. I get this sudden surge of anxiety and my legs literally lock up and i will either just stop walking or my legs will turn to jelly and I will start shaking. I noticed it is worse when walking downstairs. I got to a lot of baseballs games and of course we sit on the first row, so anytime I have to get up i know im going to panic when walking back down the stairs. Its almost like, I feel people are watching me which causes the problem and makes it worse. The only time I am ok is if someone is walking right in front of me, I feel safe. Does anyone else experience this

Believe this is normal for everybody. What I do is look back over my shoulder just to make sure the dude or the girl is in reasonable distance. If they get super close I'll say something.

I was previously able to walk but developed a phobia of walking in public after developing difficulties with my balance and co-ordination in my 30's and people thought I was drunk and would get abusive or nasty to me as I tried to walk past.

It was eventually found I had Ataxia due to thyroid problems but it got so bad I could barely walk and really struggled to balance outside with slopes, kerbs etc. I had to use a wheelchair and mobility scooter to get my dog out daily (who I had at the time) for a while and after that I couldn't bear to walk in public again as people seemed to treat me with more respect (I guess as my difficulties were more obvious if I had a wheelchair or crutches with me) when I was in the wheelchair. I used 2 crutches to steady myself so I wasn't as all over the place when I had to try and walk a short way (house to car etc).

Just to further complicate things I have autism and dissociation issues too so it also depends which 'alter' is up front to how much I can do with others watching as have some alters no-one knows exist because they can't/don't come out when anyone is here and some whose job it is to be the 'public face' when I have to go out. The wheelchair and those particular issues became part of the last alter's identity who stayed the 'public face' for over 15 years. Some of those issues have recovered but I still won't walk at all in really public place like a shopping centre. I can now walk with one crutch or the rollator in the back garden incase a neighbour suddenly comes into their garden but still use the scooter to walk the dog,sometimes I'll get off for a bit where we stop to play ball if there's no-one around and stand and walk round for a bit. (without aids) so not sure how much is actually mobility related and how much is just anxiety related.

I've also had selective Mutism since childhood too and some of my alters still can't speak either when anyone else is present or can speak like at home just to dog but can't ask for things in shops /give name at GP surgery/order in restaurant etc. Throughout my twenties I could only communicate outside the family by using sign language or writing notes. I soon learnt if people thought/assumed I had been born very deaf they wouldn't EXPECT me to speak and would accept writing notes to communicate.

I'm approaching my fifties now and never had any medication or therapy for it, we just thought it was part of the autism and there was nothing that could be done about it.

You're not alone! I have the exact same problem! Perhaps worse. My legs lock up even if I talk to people too long. I end up walking away like a "duck". My legs stiffen up, always with people around, even on a street with cars around. I always think people in those cars are staring at me. I absolutely hate it! It always happens to me! When people walk behind me, I start fideling with something, so they pass by. Is there a "magic pill" to stop this crap!?

I have a friend who just freezes and gets dizzy when walking in crowded places. She wasn't usually that way.

Damn I get dizzy also. But, I did notice, after I abstain from drinking pop drinks like cola or other pop drinks with caffeine, and sticking only with water. My dizziness and anxiety, seems to go down quite a bit. It's obviously still there, but it does subside!