shaking so much right now and so anxious. so basically i’ve been super scared of getting hearing problems or whatever for a while now because of a post i saw and i listen to music/videos a lot for background noise. i was on a video and i started to hear a noise and i was like what is that. i turned it off and it was still there. so basically i have what i have been fearing. idk what to do. i’ve even been limiting how much/how loud what i listen to is but idk. and it’s definitely real this time not just ocd. just realised i never said what it was, basically a ringing type of noise. i’ve heard it maybe 7 or 8 times now on and off. i don’t even know how i am going to tell my parents i’m experiencing this or what i’m supposed to do about it. suppose this isn’t really ocd related but i’m stressing so much and fearing that this is now going to ruin my life and stuff (overthinking a lot). this added stress is not what i needed :( if anyone could give me advice i would appreciate it, or even just talk to me to help me be less anxious that would be great

very very thankful to you both ?, from this i have noticed my reaction to this and realised that i do worry too much and jump to conclusions without believing in myself or being hopeful, thank you for helping me realise that.

We can talk about it if you want :)

I’m sorry ): have you told a doctor about this? Try bringing it up to your parents that you keep hearing a noise and it makes you really stressed. I hear ringing sometimes too, but it’s not that often. I feel really worried that this is stressing you a lot. But take it one day at a time, it will go away eventually. ?⭐️

hey, i haven’t told a doctor about this, i have only heard it about nearly an hour ago and i heard it once after this post but for now i can’t hear it. i have written in my notes about it happening and if/when it happens again i will write it down and will do this for a few days before telling anyone properly. because of my overthinking though i’m starting to feel like i can never listen to music or whatever again and that’s hard to think about because i use it a lot.

also, i do actually hear some sort of noise most of the time but i have heard this for several years because i remembered noticing it when i was a bit younger, i’m not sure that it’s a ringing noise but i don’t know how to explain it. i thought that it was just a natural noise and that nothing was actually ever fully silent but now idk. now that i’m paying attention to what i can hear (i’m in a quiet room and can sort of hear a tv playing from another room) i can’t tell it’s genuine or my mind is like making it up? i feel like i can faintly hear the ringing but that might just be my mind right now ?

I feel like the more you try and scope it out, the more you will notice it. Anything you can do to distract yourself from it? And yeah I totally get the overthinking. I am familiar with horrible thoughts, but I know one thing for sure - avoiding them just makes them feel more true. Don’t be afraid to tell your doctor next time you see her/him. She will not judge you and will be glad to help you! I think that ringing seems common among people. You can even tell a school counselor about it and even a school nurse. You could have tinitus. It's very common. However, general white noise could also be caused by your ears sensitivity to soundwaves. They are constantly in the air no matter if it is "silent" or not Some advice i read: “Put your palms on your ears and tap your fingers, with both hands, on the base of your skull for two minutes. your fingers should be doing a wave.” Hope that helps!!

Hey, I was just reading your comments and thought it could be likely you have Tinnitus. If it’s happening a lot lately it could be because you are really worried about it being something bad. Bc apparently tinnitus can be caused by anxiety. Just try not to worry, I’m sure it’s not anything bad and if by off chance it is (which I highly doubt) there are so many ear doctors that deal with this stuff every day. I suggest just going to the doctors and getting an ear check as they might be able to help soothe your anxiety and give you some advice. Hope you’re ok :)

Before i write some replies just want to say thank you, it really makes me feel better and less anxious about it (:

I am so glad that worked!! I told you ahaha the power of not googling is SOOOO GOOD I cannot stress this enough for everyone. It’s the first steps to recovering, and you’re doing great for that. It’s a process (:

Don’t try and avoid thinking about it bc the more you avoid it the more you will end up thinking about it. I just suggest coming to terms with it and accept what it could and could not be. So for example write on a piece of paper ‘I have a ringing in my ears. It could just be caused by stress or it could be something else. It’s probably not dangerous as there would be other symptoms and I had it when I was younger and nothing bad has happened. However if it is dangerous, it’s ok as I am going to a doctor and they will know what to do. I am just very worried bc it’s my ocd’. I know it’s hard but if you accept it rather than jump to conclusions, you might feel better. Then whenever you feel anxious pull out the piece of paper and remind yourself of the reality of the situation. You’ll be ok :)

Sorry for the crazy long message ??

No worries, just know we are all here to support you if things get hard. You never have to do it by yourself ??

Don’t worry about it!! Keeping stuff bottled up like this sucks a lot and it’s so great to talk to someone. I totally get it. It sounds totally horrible and it sucks a lot that it affects your everyday life. I definitely think that this ringing isn’t something made up and I can tell it bothers you. But I think the second most concern is your stress response to the situation. I wish I could help you! I’m sorry I can’t give a lot of advice on this but I hope you get as much help as possible soon. Whether it’s from yourself or someone else. It’s okay to talk about it. Good job for identifying that googling makes you feel worse. Give yourself a reward: read a book, enjoy a nice hot bath or (a shower). Eat a good meal and take care of yourself (: ??

Of course. We’re here for you,, thank you for giving us the chance. ?

Hope you feel a bit better!! Just know you are strong and can get through this ??

I just looked it up and it said between 60 and 85 decibels. I don’t really know what that means ?? But apparently that’s the best volume to listen to ?? hope that helps

The first thing i chose to do was search about it and that only made it worse and made me more worried as i read about people explaining how it has badly affected their lives ( what my negative thoughts were telling me was going to happen). but then i stopped reading them and chose to focus on some school work (although it is late for me but i can never sleep when i am anxious anyway). this has helped my anxiety a lot and calmed me. i don’t think i will be seeing a doctor for a while but if i do i will make sure to mention it/ or if it gets worse i will try to make an appointment about it maybe.

the thing that makes me worried is that i am making it worse. i obviously don’t want to be constantly thinking about if the noise i am hearing it affecting me, and it’s making watching a movie/ youtube video/ music unenjoyable as i can’t tell if it’s too loud or something ( it’s generally on about 3/4 and i use an iphone ) i’m sorry for writing and saying so much about this but it’s my first time i’ve been able to talk about it with someone

i should know by now that googling is only going to make me feel worse but somehow i always end up doing it ???‍♀️

no no it is fine, i will do that, thank you. ?

goodnight for now ?

does anyone know what a good/safe amount of noise is? i would still like to watch some things on my phone but i don’t know what amount to have it on and i can’t find an answer on google, if you don’t know that is fine ?

Anxious at the thought of going to sleep, don’t want to wake up to have a permanent ringing in my ear. I’m sorry for the negative mindset but this worry is so bad right now :(

I just want you to know it’s ok to be negative. We are not gonna be jumping for joy all of the time, especially as with ocd you naturally worry a lot. So don’t be hard on yourself at all for feeling this way. Also Ik its hard to not worry, but just take a reality check again. Realize what is probably going on and then try and distract yourself - maybe try and watch a favourite film or something or read. It will be ok ?? have you booked a doctors appointment??

I just thought if you are really worried about it, you could call 111. They usually know what to do, they might tell you to go to a doctor - but not bc it sounds really dangerous but they might just think it’s better to be safe than sorry. I wouldn’t worry, here for you if you need to talk ?

Hey, I just saw your message about this ringing. Can you please tell me if the ringing has been solved? I'm very scared of having tinnitus bc I also have a ringing sound in my ear. Please respond, it would mean a lot..