I don't go to bars, pubs or nightclubs all that regularly but when I do, like tonight with some workmates, sooner or later I'll get to the point where my sense of hearing is being constantly assaulted by the ever increasing volume of loud sounds, loud music, and voices having loud and increasingly loud conversations all around me all competing to be heard.   


Over the years, dealing with a few diagnosed anxiety issues including Social Anxiety disorder and Avoidant Personality Disorder, my state of being has I suppose a constant but low level fight or flight effect on my senses, especially sight and hearing where I can sometimes absorb waaay to much information through my senses and sometimes that's useful for my job and sometimes that's bad and stressful and it interferes with my ability to enjoy a variety of social activities. I'm not sure if alcohol dampens my senses or heightens them or both, but it may be a contributing factor.   


But being in a room with dozens of loud voices all competing to be heard through the noise of voices is like a minor form of torture on my senses and it always ruins any night out that I have with friends, forcing me to leave before I would otherwise be ready to. It's even worse when I'm not actually a part of any of these conversations as feeling left out and anxious does trigger my social anxiety to some extent.  


Can anyone provide any input into this problem and has anyone been able to overcome such problems without having to leave the area?