i need your help : im generally sensitive to loud sounds, i don't hear that well, and my dad's family side has a history of hearing issues. so today right before an online class i was listening to music on an unusually high volume, and after that while taking a test on online school i could hear a strange sound kinda like the sound a broken radio makes if that makes sense and i couldn't tell if it was coming from my left ear or from the table lamp. i couldn't concentrate on the test and started panicking trying to figure out where the sound was coming from and although i don't hear it anymore i have terribly anxiety rn and i feel the need to check whether i can still hear something. i went and checked whether the table lamp or the computer in my room were producing any weird sounds and they weren't im so concerned this means ive damaged my ears without knowing.. i don't know if this is an obsession, ive never had health-related ocd before but im really concerned and confused on what to do any advice would help

Yah, don’t google. That is not helpful and can become very compulsive. My therapist has banned me from google. Lol!

now i feel like im hyperaware of the sounds around me. i can't tell if they're genuinely bothering me or if im just unconsciously checking. i also don't want to go in my room rn because that was the room i was in when that happened and im scared something similar might happen again

i went through this when i had my first panic attack . i’m hoping someone can say something that’ll help you and me both

me too i’m very hyper aware of my surroundings lately and it bothers me like it’s gotten better i’m going to start doing meditation and grounding techniques and also talk to my therapist ab it . if i learn something to help i’ll lyk . we are in this together !

I had the exact same thing happen to me and I don’t have hearing issues - I don’t think. I started noticing it about 5 months ago when I upped my luvox dose - could be a coincidence. My episode was similar to yours - I woke up and noticed the fan and it sounded like chatter and I totally freaked out - like full panic attack. It only fed into my fear of “going crazy” and it has been my obsession and fear ever since. I find myself scanning for sounds, noticing white noise sounds, inserting my own scary narrative, looking for the source of perceived sound, etc. I consider this health ocd or part of my ocd theme. I spoke with my therapist about this and she said this was all related to ocd and yes, anxiety can be this convincing. The goal is to face the fear and expose yourself to the fear - in your case maybe that’s losing your hearing or other medical diagnosis? We need to sit with the anxiety and possibility as well as expose ourselves to what we fear. It’s incredibly hard and when you are in it, it feels SO REAL! Know that you aren’t alone!

Yah, this is a tough one. But, here’s the thing - if you have a hearing condition or not, does it matter? Meaning, you will deal and still live a full and happy life! It sounds like you have tinnitus type symptoms, but many people with anxiety experience ringing, whooshing, etc. it’s a moving target - is it because you are hyper aware of the sound or is it “louder” than what others experience? Anyway, I did a ton of research on this - hearing (BAD compulsion), but some of it was helpful: 1. It’s not uncommon to hear chatter or even radio sounds in fans or even hairdryers. It’s been reported by others with anxiety. Our brains fill in the gaps and try to make sense of sound. 2. People mishear things from time to time! This is part of being human! Ask anyone and they will say they have experienced this. Just last week my daughter said, “are the dogs barking outside?” I didn’t hear it. And she’s completely healthy. 3. Consider sound therapy. Expose yourself to sounds - I’ve used a white noise apps as exposures. Anyway, not sure if that is helpful, but our senses are affected when we are anxious. That is our body’s normal reaction to a threat - heightened hearing and sight. If you have been to the doctor to rule out hearing loss/issues, let it go. Don’t keep going “back to the well” in hopes of fulfilling your worst fears. I catch myself doing this a lot. I have a symptom or thought and think I need to confess it to my therapist with the “hope” she’ll tell me it’s normal or even fulfill my worse fear. This is a compulsion. If you are truly worried about your hearing, make an appointment. Get a diagnosis or non diagnosis and then let it go. Don’t keep revisiting it and rexaming “new” symptoms.