Does anyone else have hyper awareness of sounds (background noise, hum/whistle of vents, outside traffic in distance, etc) and if so, how do you get past it and let it be? Looking for advice on what’s worked for you.

You’re so right. And what you described is exactly what I am experiencing. I got a sound “stuck” and became obsessed with it to the point that I felt I heard it in all background noise etc. I also became aware of all movement in my pheripheal vision as well. Both of these because of my extreme fear of becoming “crazy”. My psychiatrist told me that these are normal parts of anxiety, but it’s just so hard to believe and not feel on edge. This sound as one that you describe hit it right on the head. I’ll try to let it be.

Can I ask what you meant that you began hearing noise as one sound?

@Drepet123 Really difficult to explain but when I was like really anxious and things got loud in a room, usually a restaurant, I started thinking about it and for a quick few seconds every sound just mixed together and sounded like background chatter you hear in the movies. It was weird. My therapist just says I was hyperaware and over stimulated.

@lulu23 That’s exactly what I was having! It like sounds like almost like inaudible like crowd chatter/cheers. My therapist said the same. I was convinced I was hearing things or something but they pointed out since it only happens when there is stimuli, it’s just hyperaware and putting thoughts to sounds and hearing what you come to expect to hear. It sounds like our experenice are quite similar and I’m glad that it passes. The awareness of sound/perphrial vision is annoying

@Drepet123 Yea we are similar I actually have the exact same theme of ocd. Fear of going crazy. This time around with my ocd it got so bad due to health anxiety so I got on medication and my doctor told me to quit cold turkey after a month and I became dissociated. Thought I was actually going crazy. That’s when my hyperawareness really began. If it was 10/10 I’d say it’s 2/10 now and when my anxiety is bad probably a 6/10 for moments.

@lulu23 That’s my theme as well. A fear of further mental illness in particular so I read up and naturally my mind created its version of the symptoms. I also had the awareness start after quiting Luvox cold turkey per doctors orders and then the same with Clonazepam. Crazy stuff.

@Drepet123 Good luck @drepet123 I’m gonna bookmark this post maybe we can compare progress a month from now. Remember to let it be. All of our experiences with this type of anxiety aren’t meant to hurt us.

@pammyy Yes I am experiencing the same thing. Hyper aware of noise even when I’m not trying to be. Especially with the white noise in the fan or outside. It sends me into a panic. I have the same thing right now and I am terrified. I was told by my therapist that I’m just really anxious and hyper aware of everything now because this theme. But It’s so hard to believe. Any advice? How are you now