Does anyone else’s OCD cause them to be hyperaware or background noises (hum of refrigerator, fan, distant traffic, etc.) and make your hearing incredibly sensitive? If so, how do you push your way through it? Mine gets to the point where I can hear all these things that the mind normally tunes out, and then I fear I am having “hallucinations” because I get thoughts about how “I mean it kind of sounds like a whistle, or this or that” and then it causes panic due to my health anxiety and fear of psychosis. My psych has said this is a part of OCD and that I’m focusing on the noises and coupling them with intrusive thoughts, but I’m curious how others have fought this and gotten through.

"Pure" OCD

IhateOCD99

Date posted: 5y

Yes! This happens when I am very anxious about tinnitus. When I'm anxious about getting tinnitus, I hear sooo much more sounds than usual bc I focus too damn much on hearing a peep in my ear. What I do is focus on my breathing and try to meditate. If you focus on other things it'll go away. Everytime I think of having tinnitus, I get a peep in my ear and it's annoying as fuck. But when you're not focusing on it'll disappear.

Drepet123

Date posted: 5y

Yeah it disappears and then I’m like... what the hell how do some noises become “louder” just because im thinking of them or anxious. Woofta it’s annoying!

Chk168

Date posted: 5y

I have the same problem at night. It tough for me to go to sleep. I am scare of become schizophrenia and one of the symptoms is hearing the voice. Every night before i go to sleep i try to check the sound because everything is quiet. When i focus on my hearing to much and my ear turn really red. And than i just got tinnitus from there. I want to find a way to get out from there.

Catra

Date posted: 5y

Oh my gosh I do this too! I don’t like havig OCD but man am I grateful for this app because I can finally see that I’m not alone. :)

Drepet123

Date posted: 5y

I agree the app is great. It’s horrible because it’s like those sounds then appear louder since you’re fixating on them. Then I start with the “what if no one else hears it” or “it kind of sounds like someone humming” so then I’m convinced it must be me hearing things instead of it being an actual noise just coupled with an intrusive thought. Ocd is exhausting that’s for sure!!! How have you pushed through these things?

Catra

Date posted: 5y

Well, I still register the noise but I’m trying not to quesiton it/dwell on it and just let it go, like most other obsessions. If I need to, I’ll try focusing on something else, like a task or a person to distract me. I don’t struggle with the same exact thoughts about no one else hearing it, so it may not be the same for you. I work outside so I’ll hear trucks or something on the road and everyone else seems so focused on their task, like they didn’t even notice this noise, even if it’s very loud (at least to me it’s loud), but I think it’s because they naturally tune it out and put their attention on other things. We just need to work a little harder at tuning it out, I guess. I hope this was helpful, I’m sorry I wasn’t able to be more conclusive

kehask218

Date posted: 5y

Oh goodness, I understand completely. It’s particularly hard for me because I have five young children and the noise is loud and persistent.

Drepet123

Date posted: 5y

It’s hard sometimes I tell ya!!! Especially because when you notice a sound, it’s hard to unnotice it.

Chk168

Date posted: 5y

@Drepet123 I can hear it only in quiet

Sunrise22

Date posted: 5y

I don’t necessarily do this with noise but do it with visual stimuli. It’s like I’m hyper aware of what’s around me.

Drepet123

Date posted: 5y

I’ve had that too. It has moved to noise, but in the beginning I had it with visual as well. All the floaters or just natural slight movements we tend to ignore I focused on. Then that coupled with my fear of psychosis I thought it must have beeen me seeing things. Now I no it’s only hyperawareness. It passes though, I promise!!!

Sunrise22

Date posted: 5y

@Drepet123 Yup! I realized this awhile back, that anxiety can cause that hyper awareness of senses. Once you realize that, it takes away a lot of the fear of what you’re experiencing.

Chk168

Date posted: 5y

@Drepet123 I have the same problem as you. But i start with sensorimotor obsession. I check everything in my body. From breathing, swallowing, blinking and floater. Now i got tinnitus. My life has been ruined because of that.

Chk168

Date posted: 5y

I have the same problem like you too. Now i get tinnitus at night

Chk168

Date posted: 5y

I try to find a way to get out of it

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