Published on 12, July, 2020
Hello i'm new to the community. I'm 53 and am still waiting for my full assessment to determine whether i am, as i suspect on the spectrum. I also have a history of anxiety and severe depression stretching back as far as my late teens. I am struggling to process a lot of things at the moment but my biggest challange is noise. I wonder if anyone has any suggestions please.
As i'm getting older i'm finding that my tolerance for noise is getting lower, to the point it has me in panic mode, running for any safe space that is quiet. I have got some Sony noise cancelling headphone as well as some Loops but these don't always help me. Just this weekend the noise was intense from mowers, strimmers, hedge cutters, dogs barking, motorbikes and those awful back firing cars...that i became so upset i was wishing i wasn't here anymore.
How do you cope with noise...Any tips or recommendations would be very gratefully received.
Thank you
Welcome to the community.
Noise is the bane of my life. I've always been sensitive to noise but like you my tolerance is getting lower as I age. I'm the same age as you and it's got to the point where I would gladly give up my hearing rather than continue like this. It's not just hearing though. I can feel the vibrations from noise, especially those awful back firing cars you mention.
How I cope? Well I don't really. It's an ongoing battle and I increasingly retreat and avoid where I can. Summer days and bank holiday weekends are the worst. More people are outside with their dogs, children, power and garden tools etc. I end up retreating inside with the doors and windows closed and my noise cancelling headphones on. It's a shame but certain noises trigger explosive meltdowns for me and prevention is better than cure.
I've tried all kinds of ear plugs and ear defenders over the years. I find that noise cancelling headphones work best but only with certain types of noise. They will block out a lawnmower but seem to have very little effect on the noise of a dog yapping. Also they are hard to tolerate once in the overwhelmed and fight / flight response stage. They just amplify internal bodily sounds which adds to the sensory overwhelm.
I understand how challenging it can be and how upset it can make you feel. If you have other things going on that can lower your tolerance to noise. The key is staying as calm as you can be in the circumstances. Try and distance or distract yourself from the noise at the earliest possible opportunity. Do not wait until you get to the point of being overwhelmed.
Thank you so much for your words of wisdom and I'm sorry you have such a hard time coping. I only said yesterday that I wished I was deaf, but then I thought of all the sounds I'd miss like the birds, wind through the trees, sea crashing onto the beach or a beautiful piece of music that moves me.
I too have had meltdowns and screamed at people I don't know...I get scared that one day I will hurt someone
I am going to try music through my headphones when I go out.
Gardengirl said:I thought of all the sounds I'd miss like the birds, wind through the trees, sea crashing onto the beach or a beautiful piece of music that moves me.
You are right I would miss all of those sounds too.
My 'happy place' is a small piece of woodland far away from any houses or roads. The only sounds are the birds, the wind rustling in the trees and the occasional sheep bleating. If things are difficult and I can't get there I try to picture it in my mind and it does help.