[anonymousiam]

I should have clarified. I'm at ease in loud environments (bars, rock concerts, shooting ranges), but I get overwhelmed trying to understand what nearby people are saying. It's not a social anxiety issue, but something about my auditory processing. I have no trouble picking out a weak CW signal in a noisy HF environment, or listening to SSB phone on a crowded channel. It's a "saturation" issue. If the noise is loud enough, it overwhelms my ability to track the quieter sounds, and I get stressed out when trying to do so.