Phonophobia (fear of loud sounds): causes and treatment of axtikophobia

What is phonophobia and its types

What is the fear of sounds called? Phonophobia, or acousticophobia, is the fear of loud and sharp sounds, short and long sounds, and quiet sounds. It is normal to flinch at an unexpected sound and turn in the direction of the stimulus. This is due to the innate instinct of self-preservation and reflexes, in children this reflex is called Moro. We are talking about pathology when a person cannot cope with fear and panics.

Acousticophobia – fear of quiet sounds

The fear of quiet sounds is due to the fact that once a person had to hide and listen in order to determine the danger in advance. What situations could these be: captivity, war, kidnapping and slavery, fear of parents (for example, a child hid in a closet and listened for an angry stepfather to stop looking for him and go into another room).

Ligyrophobia

Ligyrophobia is the fear of loud noises and their sources. For example, a person experiences fear and anxiety not only when he hears a siren, but also when he sees a police car or an ambulance. Ligyrophobia is frightened by one type of alarm system, audio system, production machine, alarm clock and other sources of loud sounds. Birds, musical toys and instruments, children, singers and other living and non-living sources can also frighten.

Fear of the sound of voices

The reason for the fear of the sound of voices is an unhappy childhood. Insults, humiliation, psychological violence, criticism, demands, quarrels of other people - all this is deposited in the child’s memory. And then he associates any voice with a portion of negativity. If a child is often punished for expressing his opinions, desires, ideas, then a fear of his own voice develops. People with this mental disorder have problems with speech. They can formulate a thought, but cannot express it. They stutter, confuse words or endings, forget words, mumble.

Causes of fear of music and slurping

Some people get annoyed when others slurp. In this case, acoustic phobia is masked behind irritation and aggression. The exact causes of slurping intolerance are not known; psychologists continue to study this form of phonophobia.

Another specific form of phobia is the fear of music and its potential sources. The cause of fear is personal psychological trauma. The patient avoids possible sources of music, for example, concerts, sports fields, speakers, microphones, telephones, etc.

Diagnostics

Knowing what the fear of loud sounds is called and how it manifests itself, you need to visit a doctor for an accurate diagnosis. It is important to carry out a differential diagnosis with other diseases that may have similar symptoms. In addition to a psychotherapist, you need to be examined by an otolaryngologist and a neurologist. The first specialist will assess the health of the hearing organs, and a neurologist will help rule out problems such as damage to the auditory nerve and neurocirculatory dystonia.

On average, a consultation with each of the listed specialists will cost 500-1000 rubles.

For fear of loud sounds, the causes of which have nothing to do with diseases of the hearing organs, treatment is prescribed by a psychotherapist. Treatment of phonophobia depends on the severity of symptoms in a particular patient and is selected on an individual basis.

Causes of phonophobia

Loud music, conversation in a raised voice, noisy renovation work - this and much more cause anxiety in a phonophobe. A person does not feel safe when he hears noise. And he perceives a person with a naturally loud voice as an aggressor. Where did this setup come from? The reason must be sought in childhood.

Childhood psychotraumas

Most often, people who grew up in unfavorable conditions of tyranny and authoritarianism suffer from phonophobia. Parents' scandals, breaking dishes, slamming doors, screaming, insults and reproach, criticism are the prerequisites for phonophobia. Or maybe it was the kindergarten teacher who brought up her charges with a whip and scream.

For the development of a phobia in childhood, one fear is enough. For example, someone decided to play a trick on a child and suddenly burst a balloon in front of him. Or the child accidentally broke a vase and was frightened by both the sounds of broken glass and the mother’s further screams.

Reasons in adulthood

In adulthood, the cause of a phobia may be associated with an accident or personal negative experience. A phobia can develop if a loud sound precedes or accompanies a tragic event. For example, a person in a noisy place learned some unpleasant news. Or he was an unwitting participant in a terrorist attack, an accident, or a house collapse. Or something unpleasant happened at a noisy party. In people who served in the military or hot spots, acoustic phobia may be part of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

If a person experiences anxiety near a loudspeaker, radio, telephone or alarm clock, then this indicates associations with difficult, unpleasant times or hardships of the past. Maybe the patient is afraid of someone calling or is so tired at work that any call scares him. Or a person is exhausted and dissatisfied with his life, because the alarm clock scares him (associated with an unloved job and daily torment). Or the person had to live in a city with a special regime, where important news was announced over loudspeakers. Or the patient is afraid of a declaration of war, a natural disaster, etc.

It is important! The true cause of a phobia can be very unexpected; each case requires individual consideration.

Manifestation of acoustic phobia

Factors that provoke an attack of irrational fear:

• any unexpected sound (a slamming door, a bursting balloon, a switched-on household appliance, the sound of firecrackers),
• toys that make loud noises
• songs sung in a sonorous voice,
• music,
• sound of air and ground transport (engine roar, horn signal),
• storm,
• birds cawing.

A person suffering from acoustic phobia is often frightened not only by the sound itself, but also by the possibility of suddenly hearing it. Children and dogs often become a source of nervous tension for the patient, as they produce unexpected and loud noises. People susceptible to this disorder prefer not to attend holiday events, concerts, cinemas and try not to go outside.

The city is the most serious source of strong noise beyond human control.

An acoustic phobe is wary of all sound-amplifying devices (speakers, microphone, megaphone). You may notice that when you turn on a device playing music, a person first reduces the sound level to zero, then gradually increases the volume of the music to a comfortable sound.

Anxiety that cannot be explained logically can occur when talking on the phone or when being in a room with a strong acoustic effect. Moderate but long-lasting sound can also cause tension and fear. Raised conversations and quarrels force a person to look for a safe place.

Acoustic phobes are characterized by defensive behavior such as avoidance. A person simply tries not to get into situations that can cause attacks of irrational fear. In this regard, people suffering from acoustic phobia have a greatly deteriorated quality of life.

Sometimes the reaction to an unpleasant sound can be not only fear, but also unreasonable aggression. As soon as the annoying noise subsides, the person’s emotional state returns to normal.

In addition to the symptoms characteristic of any phobia, convulsions can be a response to a strong sound stimulus.

Signs and manifestations of phonophobia

A phonophobe tries not to visit noisy places (streets, shopping centers, concerts, public transport, cafes). He avoids contact with children, animals, and loud-voiced friends. Some people have to give up a profession if it involves noise. Only at home, where there is soundproofing and thick windows, and all possible sources of unpleasant sound are turned off or destroyed, does the patient feel safe. In short, phobia leads to isolation.

The emergence of phonophobia due to illness

A phobia can develop against the background of psychasthenia, neurasthenia, or VSD. And also increased sensitivity to sounds is a symptom of myophonia, hyperacus, Asperger's syndrome, Meniere's syndrome, autism, and hormonal imbalance. If the phobia is caused by another disease, then the primary pathology must be treated.

Phonophobia in children and adolescents

Acoustic phobia is more common in childhood and adolescence. This is explained by age-related increased sensitivity to sounds and an unstable psyche due to age. Children are often tired and overexerted, which also contributes.

Teenagers are often ashamed of their fear. They try to hide it. The phobia forces the teenager to avoid noisy companies and sports competitions. Due to their age, teenagers can react aggressively and take out their irritation on others.

It is important! Fear of loud noises in children is often part of another phobia. Until a certain time, this is considered the norm, but if a fear of loud sounds haunts a child for six months or longer, then you need to consult a psychologist.

Phonophobia in adults

Psychological manifestations of phobia in adults include:

• the desire to avoid contact with irritating sounds or to end contact as soon as possible and in any way;
• panic attack upon contact with an irritant (feeling of imminent death, inappropriate actions, attempts to hide, fear of going crazy).

In advanced stages of sound phobia, a person tries to mask the fear with alcohol. In addition to addictions, the condition is aggravated by nervous exhaustion and sometimes depression. During a panic attack, a person does not control himself, can be aggressive, and strives to destroy the source of the sound.

A panic attack is accompanied by somatic symptoms:

• dyspnea,
• tachycardia,
• dizziness,
• nausea,
• hyperhidrosis,
• convulsions,
• feeling of suffocation
• shiver,
• headache.

If a phonophobe is very sensitive to sounds, then this prevents him from sleeping. Constant tension and lack of sleep further worsen the condition.

Causes of loud noise phobia

Attempts to hide your condition from others only intensify the manifestation of symptoms. As the stimulus is eliminated, the internal state normalizes and manifestations of fear of loud human sounds disappear. The causes of this disorder can be caused by a childhood fright or an incident at a noisy crowded event with serious consequences.

At an early age, tragic events might be remembered by the sound of sirens or music at an ill-fated concert. In the future, the unprocessed psychological trauma will remind itself when a similar sound environment is repeated.

Chronic stress, vegetative-vascular dystonia, neurasthenic diagnoses can also become conductors of phonophobia.

In addition to the psychological component, fear of loud sounds can occur with rabies, a dangerous viral disease.

The development of this pathology is facilitated by suspicion, excessive emotionality, and a prolonged state of nervous tension. The resulting depression, lack of moral strength, and even falling into alcohol or drug addiction is the other side of phonophobia. Therefore, the question of treating or letting everything take its course is not worth even thinking about.

How to get rid of phonophobia

You can get rid of a mild phobia on your own. If you have moderate to severe fear, you should consult a psychologist.

Fighting fear on your own

For self-help purposes, you can use auto-training, relaxation and breathing exercises. The purpose of the classes is to learn to control your emotions and switch attention.

Getting rid of phobias through meditation

The purpose of meditation is to get closer to your inner self. Try to listen to your subconscious. It is necessary to find harmony between body, soul and thoughts. You need to hear what exactly is bothering your inner self.

Conditions for meditation:

• study in a clean and bright room, ventilate the room;
• exercise at the same time every day;
• concentrate on breathing.

How to do meditation:

1. Sit down and close your eyes, keep your back straight.
2. Inhale deeply through your nose, hold your breath for five seconds and exhale through your mouth. Repeat several times.
3. Train your thoughts. To begin, imagine placing your hand on your heart. Feel it (do not touch, act only with your thoughts). Then imagine other touches.
4. Keep breathing. As you inhale, say “there,” and as you exhale, say “there.”
5. Try not to think about anything, concentrate on your feelings. If you can’t get rid of thoughts, then say “These are empty thoughts, and they will soon dissolve into oblivion. I'm not afraid of loud noises."

Approximate meditation time is 10 minutes. But it’s better to focus on your feelings. Meditate until you feel completely relaxed and calm.

Psychotherapy

Professional treatment consists of psychotherapy and medication (if necessary). Antidepressants, tranquilizers and sedatives are prescribed among the medications.

It is important! You cannot self-medicate. Only a specialist can prescribe a drug, determine its dosage and course of treatment. Incorrect treatment is dangerous due to the development of side effects and addiction.

Methods of psychotherapy include hypnosis, neurolinguistic programming, and cognitive behavioral psychotherapy:

1. During hypnosis, the client is put into a trance with the help of positive statements, achieving complete relaxation and opening of the subconscious. After this, at the subconscious level, as if on a disk, new settings are recorded. Hypnosis helps both to determine the cause of a person’s fear of loud sounds and to overcome it.
2. In cognitive behavioral therapy, the client is gradually immersed in fearful situations. Getting closer to fear occurs under the supervision of a psychologist. The doctor helps to develop and learn to apply new response models.
3. Neurolinguistic programming works not with the client’s past, but with the present. A specialist helps to realize the irrationality of perception of reality, reveal personal potential and change the attitude towards the stimulus.

In addition, music therapy has a positive effect. The specialist plays relaxing music, gradually increases the volume, and then decreases it again.

It is important! Treatment methods are selected on an individual basis. The severity of the disease, the characteristics of the client, and the specific manifestation of the phobia are taken into account.

Fear of external noises

It is natural for a person to be afraid of loud sounds, to shudder and look back in the direction of the noise. This is a defensive reaction to exposure to a sharp external noisy stimulus. The reflex is developed from birth: a newly born baby reacts to external noise by spreading its legs and arms in different directions. Fear of noises is normal unless it becomes an uncontrollable phobia.

It is also called ligyrophobia and acousticophobia. Sometimes these terms are used as synonyms, although there are inconsistencies. Literally translated, phonophobia is the fear of loud sounds. Acousticophobia is auditory-coordinated fear. Ligyrophobia is the fear of extraneous noises and devices that produce them.

Humans react to loud noises from birth

Clinical picture

If you are afraid of noise, you should visit public places as little as possible. In severe forms of the disease, the quality of life decreases significantly, which is manifested in a complete refusal to spend time in shopping centers, cafes, concerts, cinemas or theaters. Some people are even forced to change their profession. Quite often, such patients practically do not leave home, since only there they can control their environment.

There are a number of signs of this pathology. Typically, the springboard for its development is the presence of chronic stress or excessive suspiciousness. When a person is afraid of loud sounds or noise, the following symptoms develop:

• People try to limit themselves to a certain space, and also try to turn off all devices that can make sounds, both at home and at work.
• Feeling of pronounced fear. Particularly severe forms are characterized by the fact that the patient is very afraid for his life. Panic may intensify if the patient is afraid that others will notice his condition and also begin to “tease” him.
• The end result of the disease is depression and nervous exhaustion. Sometimes some kind of addiction may develop, such as alcoholism or gambling addiction. In severe cases, patients resort to narcotic drugs.

The human body reacts to an irritating factor through the work of unconditioned reflexes. Under the influence of stimulation of the nervous system and the influence of adrenaline, the following manifestations may occur:

• Tachycardia, tachypnea;
• Convulsive states;
• Nausea to the point of vomiting;
• Increased sweating;
• Fainting.

A very characteristic sign of pathology is that the patient’s condition is restored immediately after the noise is eliminated. The patient comes to his senses quickly enough, the panic attack clinic disappears. If the fear of repetition of loud sounds persists, the person tries to leave this, in his opinion, dangerous place.

Doctors identify paradoxical phonophobia - a condition in which there is a fear of quiet sounds. They usually accompany severe mental disorders along with delusional ideas. Often these fears are very far-fetched, but they are closely related to memories and frightening moments. For example, during post-war psychosis, people carefully listen to silence in order to recognize sounds that may foreshadow or be associated with military action.

Signs of a phobia

People who suffer from a phobia have to limit their presence in public places. The fear of very loud sounds spoils a person’s entire existence. They try to be outside less often. Visits to stores, entertainment events, and catering establishments are unrealistic. In work life, it also happens that one rejects specialties that are accompanied by noise or various sharp sounds. Traveling by means of transport also entails unpleasant sensations. Occasionally, the disease forces a phonophobe to close himself off from the outside world in his home.

Fear of loud noises, like most anxiety disorders, has typical symptoms and progresses as a result of exhaustion and weakening of the human nervous system. Prolonged nervous tension, heightened emotionality, and suspicion contribute to a phobia of loud sounds and extraneous noises. We will consider the causes and symptoms of a mental nature below.

1. The desire to avoid. The patient makes an effort to stay away from noise-producing environments and tries to turn off the volume on devices before using them.
2. Feeling of shame and humiliation. During an outbreak of fear, all emotions go out of control, you want to hide from loud noise.
3. Bad habits. A constant fear of sounds in a person contributes to the formation of a depressive state, mental exhaustion, and occasionally leads to alcohol and drug addiction.

Signs of a physiological nature that occur as a result of involuntary excitement of the nervous system to a stimulus (loud, extraneous noise):

• increased heart rate;
• labored breathing;
• spasmodic contractions;
• feeling of disgust and gag reflex;
• sweating;
• lightheadedness, fainting.

After eliminating the noise, the person’s internal state normalizes. The stimulus in the form of sound subsides, and the physiological causes of the problem fade away. The phonophobe tries to leave the threatening room for fear of the loud sound occurring again.

Feelings of shame often accompany phonophobia

Causes of fear of music and slurping

Many of us are prone to intolerance to any unpleasant sounds. This type of rejection of the world is not a serious disease, and only a small proportion of people may suffer due to the fact that misophonia can set off a so-called trigger mechanism that will lead to negative consequences.

It is not for nothing that Dr. P. Yastrebov introduced such a term; modern medicine should not turn a blind eye to these problems. People suffering from mysophobia cannot eat at the same table with loved ones - this negatively affects relationships within the family.

If you turn to specialists, they will be able to help get rid of this disease. Various forms of sound therapy are used for this.

Research into this disease continues, and the search for ways to get rid of misophonia also continues.

Some individuals may be afraid of the sounds of music. Acousticophobes may be frightened not only by the sound itself, but also by the possibility of hearing it. Therefore, such people do not attend music concerts or sports grounds. Sound amplifiers (speakers, microphones) cause them to have a panic attack. As a result, the sufferer seeks places where he will not hear a single note of the song. The behavior becomes strange, and this addiction causes the person to become depressed, which only makes the situation worse.

Fear of the sound of voices

Fear of the sound of voices is a severe type of acoustic phobia . The cause of a complex disorder must be sought in the childhood of the sick person. Fear of speech is a consequence of constant insults and humiliation. If a person is accustomed to hearing only negative words addressed to him, a fear of hearing any speech at all gradually develops. Another reason is frequent quarrels between parents.

If one of the family members showed aggression towards members of the household, and the child had to hide and remain silent so as not to provoke anger towards himself, then the consequence may be fear of his own voice. With this disorder, a person is able to calmly formulate a thought in his head, but when trying to voice it, he gets confused or forgets the words.