Why am I scared of loud sounds?

[Flor1310]

I wanted to know why I’m scared of any loud sounds whether they are indirect or direct. For example, fireworks, balloons popping, people shouting, people talking all around me, people talking to me at the same time(it leaves me so confused and angry). Those are some examples of the sounds and when I hear those sounds I feel like running and my ears would hurt and I would just get so scared that I cry and my leg won’t stop going up and down and I don’t calm down until hours later. I have no idea what to do.

[JW621]

I go through the same. I think it gets us angry because we sensitive to it

[Flor1310 in reply to JW621]

I’m not diagnosed yet but yes I’m so sensitive to it that my friends think I’m just pretending or something like that but I’m not. The sounds really hurt me.

[JW621 in reply to Flor1310]

There had to be trauma in your life

[Flor1310 in reply to JW621]

I think there is I just don’t know what it may be.

[JW621 in reply to Flor1310]

Was someone abusive in your house growing up?

[Flor1310 in reply to JW621]

Nope. Even if there was I can’t even remember what I eat for breakfast sooo I don’t think I can remember anything in my childhood. But as far as I remember I don’t remember any abuse or anything

[JW621 in reply to Flor1310]

They don’t understand. When you adhd it does have many other issues with it

[Flor1310 in reply to JW621]

My mom thinks I’m a high achieving student who’s lazy and isn’t focused enough in school. I give my very very best to achieve what she wants but I have a lot of times where I can’t be motivated so she calls me lazy. Stuff like that. My mom will never understand.

[JW621 in reply to JW621]

If you think have it. Most of time you do. Have a cognitive therapy session. It’ll teach you skills and coping methods

[JW621 in reply to JW621]

With meds

[Flor1310 in reply to JW621]

I’m scared to reach out because my mom won’t believe me and she’ll say I’m wasting time.

[IgnoranceWasNotBliss]

I’m not sure anyone knows exactly why some things are more common in adhd, just that they are. Us adhd’ers tend to have sensory sensitivities. Mine are worse when I’m already overwhelmed with things or anytime after I’ve had an “adhd meltdown”. It’s also possible that your sensitivity could classify as a sensory processing disorder. It’s something to look into and could help you understand yourself better and get help with it. We don’t “filter” the world like non adhd people and it can be a lot of information coming all at once and all at the same time. Autism can also occur with adhd. I feel like there is a lot of misconception about autism out there. People often assume it doesn’t apply to them but some people are very high functioning and on the spectrum. It’s something to look in to.

[Flor1310 in reply to IgnoranceWasNotBliss]

Thank you for this! I’ll look into it. I’m not diagnosed with ADHD but I think I may have it. And yes I know I’m not supposed to assume but I have a gut feeling about it. But everything that I describe is what happens to me everyday.

[IgnoranceWasNotBliss in reply to Flor1310]

Guessing is totally fine! Nobody knows you better than you. The key is to just keep an open mind so that if a doctor suggests something else, you can check it out and give it a chance.

I hope everything works out for you on your journey and you can find some answers.

[JW621]

Parents fight alot

[Chiara09]

It happens the same to me too. In my country fireworks explode for Christmas and I have never liked it. It makes me very nervous and scared.

[Flor1310 in reply to Chiara09]

Me too. But I try to run away although most of the time I can’t so I start panicking cause the sounds are just too loud for me to handle. Or I start crying then I can’t keep still and won’t calm down after a few hours later.

[ArtsieSteph]

Yup I’m like that though not as much. For me it’s like the inability to be able to block out and sort through sounds. If someone is trying to talk to me while I’m trying to think my brain cannot focus on what I’m doing, and I get all messed up. I hate the sound of Velcro, and for years I couldn’t handle the sounds of fireworks or that loud sound the THX thing made at movies. I notice I can’t NOT eavesdrop if someone is next to me, and I always notice sounds in places.

TLDR: yeah I’m a bit more sensitive to sound than normal people too 🤣

[Flor1310 in reply to ArtsieSteph]

Same I can relate. I literally restart what I’m doing or I forget what I was thinking about when people talk to me at the same time.

[applejack123]

I think this is a component of ADHD although not everyone has it. I didn't until I suffered a concussion several years ago and developed an exaggerated startle response to things like toilet seats falling shut as well as fairly bad anxiety. I also notice that my stimulant meds increase my anxiety and make my startle response worse.

[Flor1310 in reply to applejack123]

I got a concussion in 2019. I don’t know if that contributed to my startle response but I’m seeking help now. I also keep waking up in the middle of the night frequently and I didn’t even do that before. I noticed that I also get overstimulated and understimulated a lot or like everyday.

[applejack123 in reply to Flor1310]

Well it's definitely something to consider with your doc. Concussive syndrome is no joke. Did you have this issue prior to the concussion?

[Flor1310 in reply to applejack123]

I don’t remember. I honestly will never remember. I forget easily.

[applejack123 in reply to Flor1310]

I understand completely; my ability to recall when things happened chronologically in my life is ridiculously bad. 😂

[GregorysMom]

Flor I can relate to both you and Applejack. I was in my early 60s when a therapist finally suggested I might have ADHD altho I suspected 5 years earlier but he didn't want to be bothered. Now I'm 70 , living in another state and taking meds for adhd focus issues, in addition to antidepressants I've taken since my early 40s (ADHD usually travels in tandem with other condition s....e.g like some form of ADHD). But that took me a lifetime to find. You have to self educate a lot and be persistent to get good professional help,band get diagnosed asap.

Thank you for talking about avoidance of crowds and "getting scared or shocked" by sudden loud noises. Before I knew the cause of that tendency (yours sounds very bad) and before I retired from education 10 years ago, I had a reputation in 6he job for being crazy because I could not tolerate people being loud or having conversations and ignoring you while you are presenting to a group of adults or even when teaching either in schools or in college classrooms. Some ADHDers cannot handle all multisensory intrusion. . Now I know. I wish I did earlier.

I don't think it necessarily has anything to do with childhood trauma altho the condition might be aggravated by it . I've always been sensitive to sight of blood, but worse when seeing it in movies where it is deliberate. I still can't watch horror movies. I would not sleep for weeks if I did. I remember having traumatized watching a violent scene in Quentin Tarrantino's movie "Reservoir Dogs."

So Flor, my advice is, get educated, get diagnosed, then get treated by an adhd specialist or psychiatrist or preferably both. That could all take a lot of effort. Good luck to you.

[Flor1310 in reply to GregorysMom]

Hi! Thank you for your advice and support. I’m going to see a therapist on Thursday. Should I tell them I suspect that I may have ADHD and how do I do that without them dismissing the idea?

[GregorysMom in reply to Flor1310]

Well if they're any good they shouldn't dismiss you. Stack up your evidence,, the forgetfulness, lack of focus, shake up from loud vices, etc. You might even want to make a list for yourself before you go. You should try to show what you've read about it and learned about it. (additudemag.com/ is a wealth of info).

Try to stay calm and rational about this and convey that you've been dealing with these troubling behaviors and done research and spoken to people about it. etc. .... and that you really want to be tested, diagnosed, etc.

Bear in mind, you may need meds (meds alone will not solve anything but it's a sstart and can help you work through the rest). A therapist can't give you meds. So you may need to be referred. Be prepared that this may not be the end of the road.

Also, remember that ....adhd is pretty specialized and not too many people in the business know enough about it. Some may think they do but don't. It took me years with lousy therapists and a move to Florida and then a year's wait to find a psychiatrist who paid attention to me, gave me a test, and started me with new meds. I can't tell you what it was like when friends noticed a slight difference..... At 69. So you should ask questions about therapist's background and experience . with adhd.....maybe try that before you start pouring your soul out. You decide and see how it feels. YOU ARE THE CONSUMER. THEY ARE TAKING YOUR MONEY AND TIME. They should be able to answer questions. You have a right to work with someone knowledgeable and if they don't seem so (you might not find out in one meeting), be ready to move on. You don't have to say that. You don't want to alienate them.

So get ready for a journey. Maybe keep a journal. Good luck🤞 🤞🤞🤞

You can do this. 💪

[Flor1310 in reply to GregorysMom]

Thank you for the overflow of advice! I hope they’ll listen to me. I need someone to listen to me because I have this gut feeling that I may have it. Although it may be a gut feeling it is my body and I truly know when something doesn’t make sense. I have done tons of research about adhd. Everything connects with me. I will take your advice! Take care today!

[GregorysMom in reply to Flor1310]

Here's a link for you Flor 1310:additudemag.com/simplify-yo...

[GregorysMom in reply to GregorysMom]

👍😊

[petlover16]

Heya, I would like to let you know experience very similar things. Sometimes I become super aware of my surroundings and I can't divert my attention away. When that happens loud noises, yelling, busy streets, even car doors closing, can be painful, scary and deeply unnerving. I want to cry and close down, or scream and break things. I do have to admit these episodes got better after my diagnosis and finding a medication that worked. They still happen sometimes (especially when I don't get enough sleep) but they are much rarer.

I highly recommend seeing someone and talking to them. These feelings are real and important and there are ways you can get better at dealing with them. Feel free to reach out if you need help, or if you want someone to chat to.

-S

[Flor1310]

Thank you! I’m finally going to get help and seeing a therapist is my first step. But I’m scared that they’ll say I have nothing when I know it’s not.

[tj31moll]

I have always been this way. I see it as a sensory overload issue. It has similar characteristics as those on the spectrum. I was always scared of loud noise, fireworks, etc but mine stemmed a bit from trauma and a bit from hurting my ears. We take in way to much information and loud/sudden info seems, anecdotally a least, to short circuit us.