anxiety caused by loud room or too much noise
I have always had an issue with loud rooms or too much noise, has anyone else experienced that? Please, share situations like that or others that cause an increase in anxiety?
@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. 😊
@IAmHere83. Yes , I also get nauseous from strong smells like cigarette smoke and strong perfume, I never thought of all the things that happen then, that's makes sense, I definitely get sensory overload at times. Thank you for your helpful reply.
@jr50 Not at all. I'm just so sorry you're having to have this battle with anxiety. It can be terribly difficult to cope with at times but I really admire you for being so proactive in your fight against it!
Have you been able to find anything so far that helps you cope day to day?
@IAmHere83. So far , I just do avoidance and I know that is not the healthy way to deal with it. Thank you for your kind words, I feel like a failure sometimes when I have to leave some where because I become overwhelmed and sometimes embarrassed.
@jr50
I understand & I'm sorry that you can feel overwhelmed or embarrassed at times.
I wonder what your predominant feeling is when noise intensifies your anxiety? Do you feel irritated? Frightened? Upset? None or all of those things?
Are there any noises that jar you more than others? Loud music/TV, people talking/shouting, machinery? None or all of those things?
I ask because sometimes if we can connect the dots & find out the reasons behind things, it can help create battle plans. It sounds so simple, doesn't it? But in the midst of anxiety levels going through the roof, it can be nigh on impossible to work out your thoughts & feelings. All you CAN feel is that clawing, incessant knawing in the depths. When you are more relaxed & calm though, it can pay dividends to have a wee think about it if possible...
For example, I realised that when I was out shopping in a town or city, it was definitely people that affected me most. Mainly the shouting. I realised that what made me feel so anxious was my irritation. A normally very calm & placid person, anxiety was forever cutting my fuse down short. This caused me to feel annoyed that I wasn't "myself", annoyed that I wanted to just leave the noise behind & annoyed that whatever I had planned was now ruined.
Once I'd realised this I was able to pay more attention to my body. If I woke up on a really bad day & had "noisy" plans I would either cancel, reschedule or suggest an alternative. It didn't feel great, but I knew I'd feel a lot worse later on if I went.
On my better days when I had the free time, I'd try to go somewhere crowded & with no pressure, tell myself I could leave anytime. I found those trips to be a lot easier on the good days.
Alongside my other ways of coping (I wrote some of them in another thread...thankyou for being so kind - really hope some of it is useful for you), I slowly began to feel less irritated & more able to deal with crowded places.
There are so many different coping techniques & like earlier, this is just something that helped me. If you find any of it at all useful, that's great too. If not, there are definitely solutions out there for you.
Lastly, if there is ever anything you feel I can help with or you just want to be heard, please feel free to message me. My schedule isn't the most reliable, but I will always message you back as soon as I can. Take good care of yourself today & please remember you are never alone 😊
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.