Published on 12, July, 2020
I suspect this is going to be one of those things that's because of ADHD and Autism mixing but I'm very sensitive to repetitive or aggressive sounds so I have to find ways to block them while I also have a need to have music or audiobooks playing because my mind starts to race when it's too quiet and I catastrophize and get panic attacks/meltdowns.Aggressive sounds is probably the wrong term but it's how I think of them, basically, dogs barking, hoover sounds, power tools, banging, shouting in the street/house, sirens, my dad sneezing and for some reason needing to scream to do so.The way I deal with it right now is I simply always have headphones on, earphones in, or a speaker right by me playing either music or an audiobook/podcast. There are times such as when I need maximum concentration I can't do either and I will wear earplugs. Anyone have any alternative ways to deal with it where I won't get complaints of being rude / possibly learn to have a quieter mind?
I'm afraid you're stuck with being human - the ears are close to the brain for shortest possible signal path and have very high priority in your interrupt routine - to keep you alive. Unfortunately, all those 'alert' type sounds happen all the time in modern life so your fight-or-flight is being continually triggered. You're pretty limited to attenuating or masking them to a level you can cope with.
Luckily, there's loads of gadgets around these days to help you - I'm sure you'll be trying all of them.
Darn! Why can't I be an android!?!Can I ask what sort of gadgets you mean? This whole world of knowing enough about my brain to actually adapt the world is very new to me, up to now I thought depression caused the need for sound and anxiety the need for silence so I was trying to fix my brain, which was evidently the wrong way to see it.
Are you familiar with noise cancelling headphones? They have a microphone that picks up the outside noise and they produce an opposite signal that cancels out the outside sounds - you only hear what you want to hear without deafening yourself.
I worked on them many years ago for tank crews - some of the modern consumer ones are amazingly effective.
Depends on the model - proper 'noise cancelling' leave you in total silence apart from what you want to hear. Some modern ones filter voice frequencies and let them through - not all.
Good to know, thankfully my office only has me in it as I work for myself, there are times blocking out chatter would be nice but I'm rarely trying to concentrate which is when chat annoys me the most.
noise cancelling headphones dont block people talking eg in the office
Cool - good luck!