Noise issues causing serious issues

Hi Cornflake,

I'm with you, too.  I'm not sure that I'm hypersensitive to sound, but I do tend to pick up on noises that others don't - and usually it's noise caused by other people being thoughtless.  With the advent of mobile technology, the problem has gotten much worse for me.  On public transport, in shops and supermarkets... even in places like the library: loud electronic noises, muzak ringtones, the constant 'beep-beep-beep' of people texting, etc.  And people have a natural tendency to speak much louder when they're on the phone, so the world now seems full of shouters, quite often having entirely pointless conversations.  "I'm on the bus.  I'll see you in about five minutes."  "Which shade of toilet roll shall I get?" And so on.  Most others seem to have gotten used to it.  My ex used to say to me, if someone was on the phone on the bus or train, "Just ignore it and let it go over your head."  If only.  For a short while, I carried a signal blocker around with me for the most annoying culprits - the shouters discussing trivia - and it was always gratifying to switch it on and suddenly hear "Hello?  Hello?  Uh!"  But I stopped using it for fear of being caught.

Music, too - that's another big one.  People with headphones and earphones, but who still have the music turned up loud enough for the noise to escape.  Argh!  And people who think it's perfectly alright, if they're in a public place like a park or beach, to take the headphones out and subject everyone to their hip-hop or electronic music tastes!  Double argh!!!

I once lived in a flat on our seafront, which I took because it was cheap and had great sea views.  After I moved in, though, I found out why it was cheap.  The noise was horrific, and mainly at night.  Loud parties in the downstairs flats most weekends.  A pub next door that had frequent, very loud live music nights.  Boy racers, screeching around and beeping well into the early hours in the car park opposite.  And, worst of all, a pizza takeaway on the ground floor that was open until 3 am every morning - so there'd constantly be cars drawing up and doors slamming, staff members talking loudly in the street.... plus their oven vent, the chimney for which ran up past my bedroom window, providing a constant background hum.  Again, my neighbours didn't really notice any of this because they were used to it.  For me, it was 18 months of pure hell.  I tried all sorts of things.  I made huge wooden boxes to fit in the windows, full of acoustic cladding.  I tried earplugs.  I tried complaints.  In the end, I took to sleeping on cushions in my hallway, because it was the only fully-enclosed 'room' away from windows.  When I finally got another place to live, I was so traumatised by the experience that I spent a whole month living in the kitchen and bedroom, because they were quiet rooms.  I was terrified on going in the living room in case I so much as heard the tiniest peep of my neighbour's TV downstairs.  I can hear him - but he doesn't play music and never has his TV loud, so after almost five years I've gotten used to it. 

I'm okay with normal ambient sounds - passing traffic, birdsong, etc.  But anything else is a shock to the system.  I hope things can improve for you.  I'm not sure that CBT can really help with these kinds of sensory issues, though.  As others have said - earplugs helped me to a degree, as long as the noise wasn't too loud.  I think part of the problem was that once I knew the noise was there, even with plugs in I was convincing myself that I could still hear the noises, when really I couldn't.  Neighbour noise is such a huge issue for so many people - sound sensitive or not.  I belonged to a forum for fellow 'noisy neighbour' sufferers for a while, and some people were going through horrific torment - with hardly anything getting done by their local councils.  It's unsurprising that many people think that they can simply get away with being anti-social in that way.

Best regards,

Tom

I've noticed this to some degree too, specially at work. That could be more about being trapped in an environment. I don't know. I figured out myself that I have Asperger's. I am not diagnosed yet. For me that's a formality that gives me more power with my employer to tweak my work environment. In terms of sounds, there are several different types of ear protection. They're designed for different things, they dull certain frequency ranges but allow others. I'd suggest exploring the differences, then narrow down what you're trying to block etc. For me I think I'm looking at the overall background ambience being blocked but people talking isn't. I think I'm looking at musicians earplugs. Whatever works for you is the correct option. Remember that it's not just the design but the rating.

I understand where you're coming from totally. I find noises very difficult, even 'daily' noises, such as someone eating. My anger flares incredibly even though I know it's an unreasonable reaction. I've learnt to cope with this over the years by taking myself out of the situation, going somewhere quieter, and putting my headphones on to listen to a calming radio programme. I also carry ear plugs with me. You can get disposable ones in the travel section really cheaply. I carry these everywhere with me. Unfortunately we can't always control other people's actions, but we can control out own to an extent - when you recognise you're about to explode with anger, take yourself away from the situation.

When I was younger I had outbursts and couldn't remember what I'd said/done, just as you described, but now, 9 times out of 10 I can stave off these outbursts by using the things mentioned above. It's still worth talking this over with your psychiatrist, but be proactive and take what control you can in the situation.

Hope this helps a little :)

One of my sensory problems is related to noise.

Headphones!

Headphones; earphones, I cannot stress that enough. There are noise cancelling headphones on the market that work wonders, currently I just have regular Sony earphones & Skullcandy headphones. If I don't get my music fix every day, it will end up being a bad time for me & people around me (i.e. I turn into a moody lump). 

For me; when I start to wear down or near overload, my ears can get so sensitive to sound; that even someone talking to me at a regular volume can be problematic. I struggle to describe it accurately, but I think the only way I can explain it is it's like when you hear something really high pitched, & your ears have that physical reaction to the noise, & it becomes incredibly uncomfortable. That is what it can get like; even if someone is just chatting to me.

With meltdowns, even listening to music can be too much.

If you have a negative reaction even to your neighbours playing music down the road, then keep some heaphones handy nearby, you don't even have to listen to music, just wear them to dull outside noises. Or there's always ear plugs.