noise sensitivity

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It's always been bad.From childhood i can remember being thrown into a frenzy by dishes clanging together,doors slamming,anything loud has bothered me.Except for music.I'm a musician and I can stand loud music,but even that can be off-putting if it's really loud.I get physically angry at people talking too loud or banging things.This has made relationships very difficult.Living with a woman who is a great,talented singer/songwriter is nice,but if she's singing (even softly) while I'm trying to concentrate on a book or a tv show.I get really visibly angry bordering on rage..SometimesThis isn't helpful when you're trying to keep a relationship going.It's caused me to hide away and avoid a lot of situations .It may cause this relationship to end.Anybody out there having similar problems?Thanks

I never new other people felt angry about it. I thought that was a unique response of mine. I don't think I'm nearly as sensitive as you, but I think that part of the reason for that is I have intentionally trained myself not to be. The trick is to let it go. Yeah it's obnoxious, distracting, sometimes painful, but once you have chosen (and it is a choice) to accept it as an ongoing, natural, and inherent part of life and can keep in mind that there will always be relief sooner or later, it stops being nearly so bad. The most important thing is to not dwell on it. Let it pass through you, kind of like fear in Frank Herbert's litany. Mentally we Aspies are some of the strongest people on earth, but we are also the slowest to realize our strengths. You can handle it if you want to.

Thanks,I'll try to keep that in mind.The problem for me is that it seems like I ignore,ignore,ignore Bam,anger.It sneaks up on me.

It's my worst symptom and a huge source of stress. I don't mind white noise but anything else is impossible to ignore. If there are footsteps, voices, dishes, smacking of food, television or anything else like that I have to have earplugs or headphones on or it gets on my nerves fast. I rode my bike 4 miles each way to school because I couldn't deal with the bus.

That's amazing.Lip-smacking of food.My girlfriend slurps soup or coffee and I feel the hair on my neck go up.I have to get up and leave the room sometimes.I thought I was the only one who felt that way.I have to travel for work sometimes,planes ,busses ,whatever.Before I started using earplugs I thought I would erupt before the plane landed.Now with plugs and Yoga-breathing I can sometimes get off a plane feeling better than when I got on.That's a big difference.The problem for me now is the incidental stuff,household noise-dishwashers,slurpy girlfriends etc.I can't wear earplugs 24-7.My chance to have a decent longterm relationship is at least partially gonna be decided by whether I can cope with noise.Thanks,Steve

Earth Calling has proposed that children wear head phones. I suppose that is no better than ear plugs. Maybe that would filter the noise.

Yeah I know what you mean, I cannot filter out sounds of comprehensible speech while concentrating. Same goes for different type of noises, such as thumping, doors, clanging etc. I tend to prefer to listen to loud music without lyrics or with lyrics in a language I don't understand when I need to concentrate. So that way I can filter out every other sound.

When I was younger I used to throw a fit of rage everytime I was interrupted by a sound of some sort, even the smallest sound of dishes clanging together, or a door opening...Even a car accelerating!
I would probably still do that if it wasn't for my medication, cause when I went off it for 2 months as a test run I became increasingly agitated because of my hypersensitivity to sound, smell and light.

But the worst thing ever that still annoys me is when someone chews with their mouth open, or slurp their food. It just makes me so distracted and annoyed I can't eat at all, and I have to just wait for them to finish or start letting my mind wander far enough that I can eat.

I used to have that trouble when I was younger I won't go into any details of any past experiences but I have recovered

I had to recover I the Keyboard in a band

I hate the sound of sweeping wet concrete with a millet or straw broom. I makes me cringe even to think about it.

In junior high the only bus that went to my neighborhood was the short bus and that thing was great except for the stigma.

I hate the sound of sweeping wet concrete with a millet or straw broom. I makes me cringe even to think about it.

Sudden noise is the most agitating thing to my senses. I hate having to rely on earplugs, but that’s really the only way that I can concentrate on anything while in public. I keep a pair of earplugs in pockets of all of my pants/shorts. That way, they get cleaned in the wash, and they’re always available to me. My favorite ones are purple foam Flents Quiet Time.

I can totally relate to being angry with someone singing!
I used to get furious with my mother for doing so...it distracted me and I felt it violated my space and concentration, and I took it as a personal attack on me, but without being able to verbalize it.
And I still carry that anger to this day, only now I just feel slightly annoyed (because I've learned that it's not a personal attack ), and I will leave the room if I need to. (But I still cringe inside...)

I, too, love music...the louder the better if it's got a good groove goin'.
But as much as I love electronics, I can't stand their humming.
The noise from lights bug me.
CHEWING....AAAGGGHHHHH!! !!
And too many people talking at once can bring me to a complete 'get me out of here as fast as I can' mode.
And having the tv too loud or on at the same time as the stereo.....flippin' torture!

Actually, these are probably most of the reasons why I left my last husband...!(That's a topic for another time )

Glad to know it isn't just me! I live in a semi-detached unit, and when my neighbor comes home, he slams his door loud enough to jar the whole structure. It has even woken me, on occasion. Or when he sits on his porch and talks loudly to his friends, it drives me nuts. I can't focus on anything until he shuts up or goes inside. Thank God for earplugs and noise canceling headphones.

I can't stand the sound of my brother chewing with his mouth open. And when I make even a slight remark or just a reaction to it, my parents get really friggin' pissed off at me. But when I take a bite from a potato chip or such, my parents make a big deal about it and f*cking tell me to leave the room.

I make sure my friends know about my sensitivity. I try to describe the pain and frenzied feeling in my head to them before there is an encounter with noise. When everything is calm I frequently remind people I live and associate with how bad it is for me. That way, when I do react to loud noise my friends usually understand. Holding my hands over my ears and giving them a friendly grimace usually works better than turning things down or off myself. If they meet me halfway by controlling the really loud noises, I try to be good about not getting angry over the annoying, but painless sounds.