Published on 12, July, 2020
Hello all.
I'm awaiting an assessment for diagnosis, it's a 27 month wait list and my god am I struggling. I find my main struggles are sounds. I'm struggling to sleep because things are waking me, cars on the road, dogs barking, others in the house moving around.....the smallest of things. I've got white noise playing when I sleep and also sometimes have ear plugs in. If I'm at home and sat watching TV etc and I hear a dog bark, loud car pass my house etc it really triggers me, I can only describe it as making me feel ill and angry. I hate these feelings. Not sure what I can do. There's a list of other things too but the sounds is definitely the worst! Any advice would be so appreciated
Thanks
Lois
Hello, I experience the same thing as you with sounds - and the same sensation of them making me feel ill/angry. (That is a good way of describing it). I also don't know what to do. I would love to live on a Scottish Island and not be able to hear any of the things that upset me! I love silence and feel as though I need silence the same way as I need oxygen. I feel as though sounds interrupt my thought processes and it feels as though they are sort of assaulting and invading me. I can feel the vibrations of sounds on my body too and it bothers me that I can not escape from them or control whether or not they enter my personal space. I am the same with smells too. Sometimes it is not too bad and I can cope, but depending on my state of mind and how much pressure or stress I am under it can be terrible - and it is something that affects me very much every day. I am sorry I can't be of any help - hopefully some other people on here will be able to give you some tips, but I just wanted to let you know that I can relate.
Also, I hate the angry/ill feeling I get when a sound triggers me. I hate this feeling more than the sound itself. The worst thing is, even after the sound (or smell) has stopped/gone away, the horrible feeling in my body remains for quite some time and I find it very hard to calm down. Then I feel an anger towards the sound/smell for doing this to me but even more so, frustration at myself for being apparently unable to control my response to the sound/smell.
Wow, this sounds like I could have written this! I'm also the same with smells too. The sounds dictate my mood and can ruin my day to day life - sounds dramatic but honestly it does. I wish I could take it all away, or even just cope with it, but it's so hard. May I ask do you have your diagnosis yet or are you also waiting for assessment?
I'm sorry you are going through this too :(
I've always felt like i was a horrible person, I've even had people say I'm weird, due to my senses, it's so upsetting and no one truly understands unless they feel these things. Like you, I'm pleased to know there are others who understand.
Same here, if only we could learn to control it. I hope you are not waiting too long for your assessment.
I am sorry that you experience this too. At the same time it is a good feeling to discover that there are other people who struggle with this. I have spent my entire life desperately trying to control how sounds make me feel and thinking I am a terrible person for being so intolerant. Until I came to this forum I never encountered another being who understood in the slightest bit, and I never attempted to explain to anyone how I felt as I was embarrassed and ashamed that things which didn't bother anyone else affected me so much. I feel a little bit less alone now.
Yes, I understand. It makes me feel helpless to be so vulnerable to the impacts of sound, as though my well being, peace of mind and ability to function is at the mercy of endless factors that I cannot influence. Obviously we cannot control the sounds that other people make (I seem to be okay with natural sounds) but I wish I could learn to not react so badly and/or be able to recover quicker. I am currently waiting for an assessment but goodness knows how many months/years it will be.