Help! Peripheral vision, Smell and Hearing Distortions.

[Fly_away]

Hi everyone...

I have a few concerns regarding my anxiety and wanted to know if it's common and not anything more serious or first signs, below are examples of incidences:

First, peripheral vision or corner of my eye:*

- My mum came to my bedroom tonight to ask if I had any cold water to fill up her drink bottle, as I was holding both drink bottles and pouring I had a glimpse of her in my*peripheral vision and it looked like she was wearing a dust mask but when I looked directly at her she wasn't.*

- I came in the house and got a glimpse of my mum standing at the kitchen which at a glimpse in my*peripheral vision, she looked exactly like my sister. But then realized it wasn't.*

- Often when I'm looking down reading or using my ipad and whilst the television is on I'll see in a glimpse in my peripheral vision of the television and the image is something scary, but when I look directly at it it's not.


Second, Distorted smell:

- All of a sudden I get a whiff of something fragrant (bubblegum, essential oil etc), even though my nose is blocked most of the time, but when I try hard to inhale deeply I don't smell it.*


Third, Distorted hearing:

- I turn on my fan and the noise of the rotating propellers sounded like a crowd cheering, but when I turn it off I don't hear it anymore.*

- Turned on the tap in my bathroom, the water running sounded like someone talking, and when I turn it off I don't hear it anymore.

[dissdam0118]

Im so sorry your feeling this way. It can be scarey but I wonder do you spend a lot of time alone or not get enough sleep? When i was a teen I would hear people talking with things such as water running or fans or simply silence. Also smell wise I think thats totally normal. The visual problems Im not quite sure but I know that if we focus on something or feel stressed our minds will play some crazy tricks on us. Though Im not saying you shouldnt get checked out by a doctor/therapist if it's truely worrying you.

[dissdam0118]

This reminds me when I was a kid if I put my head to the floor or pillow I would hear people talking running a vacuum and a bird chirping and we lived in a single family home with none of this going on.

[Fly_away]

Im so sorry your feeling this way. It can be scarey but I wonder do you spend a lot of time alone or not get enough sleep? When i was a teen I would hear people talking with things such as water running or fans or simply silence. Also smell wise I think thats totally normal. The visual problems Im not quite sure but I know that if we focus on something or feel stressed our minds will play some crazy tricks on us. Though Im not saying you shouldnt get checked out by a doctor/therapist if it's truely worrying you.

Hi Dissdam, thank you for your reply. Yes I do spend a lot of time alone due to my anxiety issues I rarely go out and regarding sleep, it varies every night. Early if low anxiety, late (like tonight) if high anxiety. I get over 8 hours sleep though. When you had the hearing distortions, did you seek help for that? If so, what did your doctor say it was?

I'm terrified it could be a sign of something serious, I read an article (an hour ago, which sparked my anxiety) that states "peripheral vision may become wholly hallucinations".

[dissdam0118]

I didnt go get help for the hearing things when it first started I was to young to think I had a problem and enjoyed listening to it as odd as that sounds. Then when I was older and could hear crowds of people it only happened if I spent signifigant amounts of time alone or my sleeping was messed up. In regards to the sleeping I always got 8 hours or more to but it was more the consistency of when i went to bed and how late I was up no matter how late I lept in the next day. With your peripheral vision are you sure you just arent mis-seeing or are you sure they are hallucinations. I would go get help if I were you if they are hallucinations there are medicines and such that can keep it in check.

[Fly_away]

I think it's mis-seeing things in the corner of my eye, because when I focus directly I didn't see what I thought I saw.

[EMZ]

Some people with anxiety do get visual distortions. Do you feel stressed?

[Fly_away]

Some people with anxiety do get visual distortions. Do you feel stressed?

Yes, I am always stressed even when I'm relaxed. Lol. And I often catch myself holding my breath.

[AceParadox]

I sometimes hear stuff too when its quiet. I realized it was something called "Tinnitus". It's like a ringing in my ear, sometimes popping. One time I thought I heard it raining outside when falling sleep but it wasn't. I just turn a fan on and ignore it then snooze. I just accept these things now, I'm a hypochondriac to an extent and I hate it, so I try not to dwell on "Oh no, what if I got a tumor in my brain and its making these things happen! Like on Bones (My fav TV show), Booth saw the family guy kid talking to him and it turned out to be a tumor!! Ahhh" kind of stuff. It's helped me a lot. I do get visual distortions when stressed though. Like right now, I sometimes get weird vision like my eyes will suddenly defocus then focus again. It's annoying but I know it's just the anxiety because it only happens when I'm feeling anxious.

I think you don't have anything to worry about :] It's the stress, I think. Breath and release :]