Noise Cancelling Headphones

I live alone in a council flat and the area is very noisy even with double glazing and new doors, as the external walls are paper thin at all times, even the road outside - the council are not receptive at all to reports of ASB noise pollution in the 21 years I’ve lived here and are far more inclined to take legal action against those making “malicious” reports of ASB because of “perceptions” of noise rather than the offenders, because they take the mindset that council tenants “do not have any right to make any comments on any issues” even when it is trying to improve the community they see this as being “negative” - noise cancelling headphones are essential in this area, not just for travelling and compared to 21 years ago, the noise levels in both the U.K. and Ireland have become far greater, even in Rural Ireland - because we are perceived to have “mental health issues” when we attempt to object to much of this, we will never be taken seriously, we will be fobbed off and we always be dismissed as being cranks when we attempt to raise issues even via the “official” channels (used as a way of silencing complaints) 

Hi, I was moved by your message because I have similar problems coping with "urban" noises - particularly music from third parties (a kind of misophonia/melophobia), which causes meltdowns because the emotions are so strong and automatic. It's not uncommon at all and whenever I mention it to people quite a few of them tell me they have the same problem and start to shake and get anxious when exposed to noise (usually music) from third parties. It's a pity people aren't considerate enough to think twice before making noise. We only have "mental health" issues because the world is the way it currently is and we were dealt a set of "cards" which doesn't make it easy for our lives to run smoothly under these conditions. Change the planet for a quiet one (or turn the clock back a few hundred years) and all those inconsiderate noise-makers would be going mad because it's too quiet and having to have therapy to cope with the silence. You are right - the world is getting noisier and noisier. Perhaps we can try to lobby for quiet areas in towns reserved for quiet people who don't make noise and don't want noise. Would be great if every town in England (and Ireland) could have a quiet zone. You need to move out of your accommodation if possible. Good luck to you and best wishes.

Many enclosed Religious (Nuns) have said the same thing in Catholic documentaries - and it is because people’s lives are so full of noise that they cannot hear the voice of God speaking to them - I was a bit taken aback by my diagnosis report in 2021 after I’d returned to my Catholic faith 18 years previously (which was the only thing that carried me though Covid) when references were made to my “Passion (implying “obsession” with and for) for the Catholic Church” and I was quite surprised by this - it just shows that our world is in denial about the fact that it needs God more than ever in our times, even though I was raised in Vatican II and went away from my faith for many years since my teens in the 80’s on the gay scene, until I came back to my faith 18 years ago, going back to the Traditional Latin Mass and self-taught praying the Rosary in Latin - I would never have been made aware of this were it not for my grandparents generation who took their faith very seriously and were totally opposed to Vatican II 

Many enclosed Religious (Nuns) have said the same thing in Catholic documentaries - and it is because people’s lives are so full of noise that they cannot hear the voice of God speaking to them - I was a bit taken aback by my diagnosis report in 2021 after I’d returned to my Catholic faith 18 years previously (which was the only thing that carried me though Covid) when references were made to my “Passion (implying “obsession” with and for) for the Catholic Church” and I was quite surprised by this - it just shows that our world is in denial about the fact that it needs God more than ever in our times, even though I was raised in Vatican II and went away from my faith for many years since my teens in the 80’s on the gay scene, until I came back to my faith 18 years ago, going back to the Traditional Latin Mass and self-taught praying the Rosary in Latin - I would never have been made aware of this were it not for my grandparents generation who took their faith very seriously and were totally opposed to Vatican II