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

pammyy

Date posted: 4y

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

feethebee

Date posted: 4y

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

LifeIsBeautiful

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 4y

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

feethebee

Date posted: 4y

it's good to know we're together in this. im really worried i hope someone will see this and offer help :(

LifeIsBeautiful

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 4y

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 !

feethebee

Date posted: 4y

oh yes meditation sounds helpful i hope it works for you❤️❤️ also thank you!

pammyy

Date posted: 4y

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!

feethebee

Date posted: 4y

thank you for sharing! i terribly relate to the part about the chattering sound, it was really scary at the moment and also the part about trying to scan sounds.. the reason why im actually concerned is because my hearing's always been a little crappy and as i said many of my family members have hearing issues - and by hearing issues i mean mediocre hearing or sensitivity to loud sounds, only my 50+ yo old relatives have actually gotten a medical diagnosis or have lost part of their hearing. so im a little conflicted because the possibility of me actually having something going on isn't unlikely. i went to the doctor in september because my ears were really sensitive and i felt pulses on my eardrums or something like that, and i was prescribed some ear drops and had an earwax removal session and then i was fine which was weird because i thought i had something serious. sorry for rumbling i just don't know if i should treat this as an obsession or actually be real about it

pammyy

Date posted: 4y

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.

feethebee

Date posted: 4y

thank you again for commenting! true im not even sure if that chattering sound was coming from my ear or the devices i was surrounded with because i got so anxious lol but either way this is the only time this has ever happened to me so.. yeah🤷‍♀️ and also i think i was just hyperaware, i tried to draw my attention to the sounds around me to see whether they were bothering me or not which is dumb because of course it's gonna bother me a little if i focus on them, i think. also thank you for doing that research that's very sweet, i might try sound therapy through apps, i'll see. if i keep feeling weird the next week ill probably book an appointment with my doctor but either way im always told i need my earwax removed for some reason,, but it surprisingly solves the problem every time. it sounds strange to me because if i were to google my symptoms id end up thinking ive got a tumor or something tragic. once again thank you so much for replying ill take your advice into account!

FallenSun

Date posted: 19w

uhh do i have ocd-

So scared to post this not wanting to sound dramatic incase i dont have it so uh yeah lets go Ive been struggling with this ocd spiral, googling everything i can, taking stupid test that prob dont mean anything, i dont really have compulsions i think? but anyways i cant let it go unless i know. ill give list of reasons why - I get intrusive thoughts i dont want, like sexual or harm related ones, multiple times a day- Yes ik intrusive thoughts are normal so this is probably nothing. To try and give an idea on how many or how constant- when i look at something either that be a person, pet, or an object can be fictional things to- there is a high chance of a thought or mental image popping up -I feel shame and guilty about it because it goes against everything, im asexual so having these thoughts about my family or animals is really upsetting and disturbing bc why am i thinking this, it doesn't feel normal -i try and push them away by blinking, shaking my head, or just walk away from what triggered them -i spiral trying to figure out whats wrong with me for example ofc my brain thinking i have ocd and it filling my brain. or can be about physical health or other mental health disorders- -i constantly am switching between thinking i have it to im faking it. When i see symptoms i have i think, "Okay wait, i must have it" to where when i see a symptom i don't have, i tell myself. "No im just lying for attention or im being dramatic and these aren't real problems". but like rn im struggling with thinking none of this really even happened and i'm just saying things so ppl think sm wrong with me - sometiems i avoid things that trigger it- not alot but like when i get a thought about my dog when im about to pet her, i stop- and walk away becuase it might come true. -i fear something is wrong with me, wether it be my mind, body, health, personality- -im scared to open up about these thoughts becuase im scared people will thing im lying, im weird, or ill be sent to a mental hospital. -also reassuring-seeking. now this isnt a big thing to me but when i think i offended someone i have to say "sorry if i offended you" or if i think i annoyed someone i must say "sorry if i annoyed you", OR i kinda down talk myself saying im annoying, there annoyed with me, they hate me This has been nagging me for days, and i cant get it to stop- BECAUSE what if i do and i don't get it diagnosed and ill deal with this forever or whatever, ik ppl have it worse and i'm probably being dramatic, high possibility. but i'm also scared to tell a therapist bc of that same exact reason and fear of being called dramatic and its all in your head. but uhm hopefully i didn't say anything bad and didn't repeat anything.

Tinker22557

Date posted: 14w

Loud concert front row

I enjoyed going to the concert and I had just regular earplugs but of course my OCD after it feels like my ears are ringing and now I’m worried I did damage to my hearing or have tinitius. I’m afraid I should’ve got professional earplugs. I have been worried for a week straight

es222

Date posted: 12w

fear of going crazy - OCD

I had experienced a few instances where I am about to fall asleep or waking up and I will hear something from a previous conversation no matter how long the time. For example, on time I heard in my head my daughter say mom or another time internally the laugh of my husband's friend, etc. It led me to research which was my biggest mistake because although I read that it could be hypnagogic hallucinations and could stem from anxiety or stress and disrupted sleeping patterns which I currently have all of those, As I continued reading I saw that it can be seen with patients that have schizophrenia as well and my mind went into full panic mode, now I am in crippling fear that I have it or psychosis and am worried I will start to hear things and hallucinate, etc. to the point where I now hear ringing in my ears and it has caused my anxiety to fully spike again. Anyone else experience something similar?

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