Spørsmål
I am an exchange student living in Oslo. Although the environment is quiet, I am very sensitive to noise, especially low-frequency vehicle sounds, which trigger anxiety. This sensitivity has persisted for many years, even in quiet settings. My room is next to a parking lot. Occasional vehicle noise during the day is not loud (30–40 dB), but I feel compelled to confirm its source to feel slightly relieved. Other sounds, such as neighbors moving furniture, do not bother me. As a child, I was not noise-sensitive, but peer pressure and constant comparison over grades in middle school caused stress and heightened my sensitivity to sound. Now, I feel the need to be in an extremely quiet environment, and even minor vehicle noises provoke anxiety. Fuel-powered vehicles are especially disturbing; electric cars are less noticeable. My sleep and study are not directly affected, but I am overly focused on noise.
Psykolog svarer
It seems like your sensitivity to noise is quite disturbing and is in someways decreasing your life quality. It certainly seen to consume a lot of your time and energy.
You describe that the sensitivity to noise trigger or is connected to anxiety, and confirming the source feels relieving. The nature of anxiety is to signal to us that something is dangerous. The go to action when experiencing the very strong physical anxiety arousal will be to avoid danger or fight the danger (the fight or flight response). So what will happen to you if you try to not act on this impulse to confirm where this possibly dangerous sound has its source? This behaviour will only shortly give you a relief, and is often infact a part of the problem.
Fighting anxiety always involves exposing oneself to the emotional state and learning strategies to soothe and calm your self, without using the usual safety measures.
Another way to approach this is through attention and awareness. Our attention and focus is possible to modify, and practice to focus differently. Focus on reframing emotional responses to the sound is also possible.
If you continue to struggle and it affects your life quality, your student health services can be of help. There are also audiotherapy to be found, where they spesialice in treating various types of struggles concerning hearing, also hyperacusis (over-sensitivity to sounds).
I hope you will enjoy your time as an exchange student and I wish you all the best.
Kind regards from psykologen