Published on 12, July, 2020
Hi,
I'm 38 and following chatting to a friend recently diagnosed with high functioning autism and doing a lot of research I'm reasonably sure I have aspergers. I'm in two minds about actually seeking a diagnosis but that's probably another discussion altogether.
One big issue I've had for a number of years is bad reaction to noise caused by other people, although in specific circumstances. The usual thing is if I perceive it as someone being unreasonable (linking to the known issues with people 'not playing by the rules') so even if it's not very loud it can cause problems. This has led to quite violent reactions and sometimes I don't always remember the entire episode, I'm guessing it's effectively a meltdown but I experience extreme anger towards the source of the noise. A classic example would be neighbours playing loud music, even if it's a few doors down the road having a bbq at 3pm on a Sunday afternoon.
I'm due to be seeing a psychiatrist soon to have an assessment related to these specific issues (so not specifically for anything asd although I have mentioned I think I may be on the spectrum).
I'm wondering if anyone else has experienced similar issues and if so if they found a way to cope. I've had brief sessions of cbt over the phone before but it didn't help. It was all based around me being the issue not the people being noisy and the problem is because I believe it's the other people being unreasonable so it went agianst what I believe.
Thanks for starting thiis thread, interesting reading; I have an asperger's diagnosis and can relate a lot to what you have said. Particularly the part about where you feel the problem is with other people, not yourself.
I have noise problems at work, I don't mind a bit of noise, but it just gets too much. Open plan office, and there are approx about a third of the workers, when they speak I think they are employing "broadcast mode" as everyone in the office can hear their conversation. Sometimes you get these very odd silences, where they immediately switch to the opposite, whispering the conversation.
One of these worker's also talks loud about his thinking process to no one, but all the office can hear, makes it difficult to concentrate on your work. Noise cancelling headphones are an option. I did buy pair, they were very expensive (Bose), but I returned them after reading reports that the connections can break internally from the use of them being folded and unfolded (only applies in past couple of years).
In shops, similar things if its too noisy really stresses me out. The odd time now and then I will talk loud to myself sometimes answering the conversations of the loud people.
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