anxiety caused by loud room or too much noise

@jr50

Great question & absolutely relatable! As anxiety puts us in a constant state of fight or flight, it makes sense that our senses would heighten in order to be fully aware of our surroundings. Sadly in the case of anxiety this can be far from helpful!

Never been a fan of loud noise but when I had anxiety it truly was unbearable to be exposed to in excess. Though I must admit, it did help me build a tolerance that is still in place to this day.

Do you find any of your other senses are hypersensitive when you feel very anxious? I recall any strong scent would make me feel queasy. Perfumes/aftershaves, strong cooking smells, cigarette smoke, "people" odour & even my favourite beauty products of that time. (I still can't bear to catch a whiff of those to this day)

Such an interesting topic. Looking forward to other folks' experience of this. 😊

First time i went to meet my boyfriends friends was on a birthday party the room was really small and so many People i didnt know where packed togheter i held out for 20 minutes and then made a run for it.

I can't handle too much noise either. I mute commercials (much to the dislike of others around me) Too much noise just has me on edge. Unfortunately, the people I live with, though I love them very much, are very noisy. Right now there's a loud tv on as well as music blaring. There was already a raucous basketball game on earlier that got loud. I think the noise anxiety may be affecting my asthma too. It's frustrating. I don't know what to do. I downloaded a white noise app, and I love the soothing sound I created, bur I can still hear all the other noises over it even with my headphones on. Ugh! I need some peace!

Yes! I think it's sensory overload. Things like loud noises or strong smells can quickly overwhelm someone with anxiety. I often feel that way when there are too many people talking at the same time.

@jr50

Yup, I have definitely experienced that as well. Loud noises feel like so much is happening at once and it can get very, very overwhelming. Sensory overload can be overwhelming in general, you're definitely not alone

@jr50 yes it has happened to me quite a lot, I even had to change rooms in my school dorm because of it.

Actually it made me feel better that you posted about it, I'm always belittling my anxiety (I guess mostly cause nobody around me, not one of my friends relates or understands) so I always think of myself as this frustrated and sour person who can't allow others to laugh or party near her with loud noises, but it really steals my peace when I'm in those situations. People tell me just stop paying attention, I try, but it's not so easy

I started having panic attacks related to sound when I was about 8 years old. In my case, in very stressful situations, the anxiety/panic attack causes the room to become very loud. I can hear every noise amplified and when people talk to me it feels as if they are speaking at me in a very stern tone. It happened more often as a child, but still occurs from time to time. Ive had many diagnoses throughout the years. Bipolar, Anxiety/panic disorder, ADHD, major depressive disorder. My current therapist doesnt think Im Bipolar, but says I definitely have the other disorders. This problem with amplified noises makes me feel like I am crazy. I dont usually use that word, but I dont know how else to describe myself at those times.