Afraid I am going mad - a vibrating noise/feeling at night causing severe panic attac

[elliesun]

Hi everyone,

I have been doing really well. Feeling worry free for a bit as I've been going to therapy! I do have some stressful scenarios at home with my relative who is struggling with addiction along with my HA so I work hard to curb my worry.

However on Wednesday night, I heard this vibrating noise like an engine. Nobody else could hear it. I said to my brother and he said "yeah I could hear vibrating when I came down" and shrugged. I couldn't get it out my head, I went into a severe panic attack because of it and I stayed up all night rocking back and forth - the worst panic I've had. I was busy Thursday, Friday and I had a flashback to old fear of my bladder on Saturday as its the first time I'd drank alcohol, so I forgot about the sound.

Watching TV that night, I heard it again. Severe panic. I end up googling it and see there's this phenomenon called the Hum that like 2% of the population hear - people have even killed themselves. I am now terrified that this is what I'm hearing. I stayed with friends for a few nights and I was ok. On Sunday, I didn't hear it majory and managed to go to sleep.

Last night, I was anticipating bed all day. When I lay down on the pillow, I started hearing the engine idling sound and my whole body kept vibrating. I don't hear it when I plug my ears so it isn't like my usual hissing high pitch tinnitus.

I called my GP for support with anxiety and I see my therapist on Tuesday but I have convinced myself that I am now a sufferer of the Hum 2% and that I will never have peace in my life again at bedtime.

I can't even enjoy walking or being in nature because I am listening for low frequency noises. Last night I was so unwell with panic - sweating, shaking, buzzing and vibrsting inside unsure if I could even hear the sound or if it's in my head, stomach churning, heart racing, crying. I felt better as soon as I sat up ad I ended up sitting up all night and I even called the samaritans because I felt hopeless.

I don't know why I'm posting but I just still feel so hopeless. I am convinced I am going to hear this every night and never be at ease again. My life is over and I am so afraid.

[Carys]

Ellie, your 'strange hum' came and went and has done so a number of times, a serious issue would be there all the time. It could be that actually you are hearing something real, that isn't close by and as you are so focused you are picking things out that most would ignore.

However, I reckon its this - whole body tension, but specifically facial tension in this instance can cause the delicate jaw joint muscles to become tense and impact on the inner ear/eustachian tube and that whole area causing almost phantom noises. To demonstrate this, lightly put one finger right infront of your ear hole, directly next to the tragus, then bite down and clench your teeth. What happens ? You can feel all the mucles in that area tightening and pulling, and remember they are happening internally that you can't feel as well. I have had exactly what you describe at times of high anxiety, often it shows up at quiet times as there are no extraneous noises to cover it, but sometimes I have resorted to putting ear plugs in that seems to sort it temporarily until the muscles and nerves have relaxed. This, I'm sure, is a trick of your ears in response to tension - the reason it is coming and going is because there are times you are more relaxed than others. Accept it as an anxiety issue, try to relax your face and jaw and within a short time is can resolve. (Edited to add - I've been testing it myself on my ear with my finger infront of the tragus and biting down really hard, to be able to describe it to you, and now its started the hum off for me - there we go a direct example of it happening :roflmao:)

Madness, nope, scared of an anxiety symptom yep.

[Darksky]

Your brother heard it though as well. Also you don’t hear it when you plug your ears. If the sound was not external and coming from a source like tinnitus you would hear it while your plugs are in.

Have you tried to find the source of it? Does someone have a generator going nearby now and then? Do you have attached neighbours? Are they doing something?

[elliesun]

I think he heard the fish tank which is a different noise but nobody has heard it since.. I do have attached neighbours but when I listen against rhe wall I can't hear anything and I've tried to identify it but it's hard to tell where the sound is coming from :(

[Carys]

Ellie, did you read my long reply ?

[elliesun]

Thanks Carys. I think that may be what happened. I think I did hear it the first time and my brain has stamped it as a scary threat so I keep listening for it and perhaps am hearing those muscle noises etc you suggested! I

I actually have TMJ as I clench my jaw and I do notice that the vibrating sensation I have in my body only occurred after I read about people who heard the hum and felt it and it happened after anticipating going to bed for a long time. Realistically it's more likely for me to have thos as an anxiety symptom/muscular symptom than be one of the hum hearers! My ears are now listening tk every noise and I can hear cars far in the distance I probably never noticed before :(

Thank you - I do feel a bit better knowing I'm not alone but still very afraid for bed time.

[Carys]

I actually have TMJ as I clench my jaw

Then :roflmao:I would say almost 100 percent you have exactly what I talked about, TMJ dysfunction can cause all sorts of auditory changes. I caused it to happen just overly testing writing your message, and I am a tooth clencher big time ! Absolutely no reason to be afraid at all, it will go in its own time after you stop putting your jaw/ear muscles through such stress. Stick some ear plugs in.....

I had it once where I had to put earplugs in and turn up music really loud, it lasted quite a few hours and I did some 'jaw slackening off' type movements - relaxing it by hanging the mouth a bit and stuff like that before it went.

[elliesun]

Thank you. I can feel myself listening for it and constantly trying to justify the sound i could hear like checking if the workman is still outside or checking if there are cars which there always is so I think now I might just be hyperfocusing on this type of noise as I seem to be able to hear people driving up the street from ages away! I hope this will stop soon :(

[Carys]

It will stop - when you forget about it - then you will suddenly think 'Oh I've not thought of that noise , its not there'

[elliesun]

Thank you I hope so. Right now it feels impossible and I am becoming anxious over what I think is normal background noise. I got a short course of sleeping pills from the doctor and I was exhausted so I slept well last night but now back to listening and worrying. I'm so scared I am going to be like this forever as I can't turn my hearing off ;(

[Carys]

Wear earprotectors, or earplugs temporarily for periods of time - to give yourself a mental break from hyper focusing.

[elliesun]

That's what I have been doing but I end up taking a panic attack every time I have to take them out as I'm so afraid it will be there waiting. I know this is 100% an anxiety issue which I should ne able to stamp down but it has a real hold on me :(

[Carys]

I end up taking a panic attack every time I have to take them out as I'm so afraid it will be there waiting.

...and it might be, infact expect that it will be ! This is nothing to fear, its a temporary something that is coming and going and you know you have TMJ Disorder, you know that I have had the same. It won't be there forever, and whats the problem if it is there now and again - it just tells you that you've been clenching your teeth and jaw too tight ! its the same method that works quite well for panic attacks - expect them to happen, lose your fear of them, see them as what they are - a symptom only of being anxious, they don't kill you, they end and they are just adrenaline. Same for your buzzing noise thing.......what if it is there ? Nothing is going to happen to you.

[elliesun]

thanks Carys, even when I write this I know how stupid it is as it's just a sound. I have the usual hissing/ringing tinnitus that I've had since I was about 10/11 from the flu. It's there all the time and if I plug my ears I can hear it but I've pretty much habituated to it so I know that it's my reaction to the rumbling / car engine idle hum that is causing the problem rather than the sound. I just can't stop focusing on it and now I am listening for any similar sounds and becoming severely anxious over never having my form of silence with my white-noise tinnuts ever again. I keep convincing myself i am hearing the worldwide Hum because it sounds like an engine idling and I am scared I will lose my mind and end up suicidal :wacko: