i think you should see a psychiatrist about this. i have had a similar problem when i was younger that sort of fizzled out. anxiety disorders like ocd fall on a spectrum and can be difficult to diagnose. anxiety can be a huge factor in ones ability to listen and focus. that constant inner dialogue can be very distracting. in your case it sounds like you obsess over repeating the words being spoken aloud in your own head. when i was a child i would often mouth or whisper under my breath what i had just said. it was an obsession over checking how it sounded and if i said it correctly. you may not have clinical ocd but anxiety can manifest itself in compulsions and obsessions. you may benefit from taking an ssri along with a very low dose of clonazepam (klonopin). i have found at low doses klonopin can really quiet that inner dialogue and improve focus. just because it is a sedative doesn't mean you will feel sedated especially if your brain is overactive. my pdoc prescribed 2mg of abilify for the first month of starting the ssri and it has worked wonders! * i am not advising you what meds to take only a doctor can do that but if you decide to see a psychiatrist about this i would expect he would start with an ssri. something to think about.
do i have a learning disorder or do i have ocd? . i have problems paying attention when someone is speaking i focus on repeating there words in my head so i don't really hear what they are saying. when i try to focus on listening or really hearing them it gets worse. so what i'm finding out or realizing is that i tune things or people out not really listening so i don't repeat things in my head. all these years i just thought i had a learning disorder but starting to realize why i have difculties remembering things or learning things