Highly Sensitive to Noise?
Tuesday October 10, 2006
On our Main Forum, Drop-In Jane writes:
"I was wondering, are any of you highly sensitive to noise? I'm moving, and part of the reason is that the walls here are paper-thin. I have a noisy neighbor who likes to have loud drinking parties until 4:00AM on the weekend.
"I'm too scared he'll 'Pacific Heights' me (retaliate) to call the cops. Seriously, i can hear them cough, sneeze and say the F-word over there. They holler when there's a touchdown, as well. I moved my bed into the living room just to get away from him. It's helped a lot for sleeping.
"I've been diagnosed with Chronic Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, so my sensitivity might come from that. I'm also bothered by noise on the bus, construction, alarms, loud music that i don't like and even raised voices. ...
"Going Bananas Because of Noise,
"Drop-In Jane."
"I'm too scared he'll 'Pacific Heights' me (retaliate) to call the cops. Seriously, i can hear them cough, sneeze and say the F-word over there. They holler when there's a touchdown, as well. I moved my bed into the living room just to get away from him. It's helped a lot for sleeping.
"I've been diagnosed with Chronic Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, so my sensitivity might come from that. I'm also bothered by noise on the bus, construction, alarms, loud music that i don't like and even raised voices. ...
"Going Bananas Because of Noise,
"Drop-In Jane."
Comments
I am also suffering from noise issues like slamming doors the sound of the elevator and people walking down the hallway where I live. I went through trauma of noise in Long Beach, CA with the neighbors from hell and I am still shook up as for 60 days it was like I live in a disco-tech. It all is very irritating!
Thanks
YES YES YES!!! I feel like sound is one of my super sensitive senses. Sometimes I can tolerate it but other times I have to remove myself from any environment with noises because I feel like I am going to go bonkers. Sometimes just a dripping faucet is enough to send me into another room…the drip will actually “echo”. I have days/nights where I get disturbed by my neighbors, the traffic on nearby streets, the sounds of my own house, the outdoors animals…they all seem to get louder and louder at times. I can’t find silence at those times no matter where I go actually. Then there are times where I can be out in a crowd rootin for my favorite football team and the cheers don’t bother me at all…in fact I will want them to turn the big screen up because the noise isn’t enough for me. That’s being bipolar for ya!!!
I have moved so many times because of noise. Right now I have a neighbor who actually harasses me on purpose. He clips the bushes under my window incessantly, because in June we argued about it. He sometimes clips as late as 1 a.m. I’ve called the police, but they said they can’t do anything unless he actually “touches me”. He also rakes and sweeps the sidewalks every single day and clunks his wheelbarrow every morning to wake me up (this is in an apartment complex BTW. He is a tenant). The noise sets me off though. I can’t stand it and I get angry. I’m bipolar.
Time for earplugs! They really help. Im super sensitive to sound to. I can totally relate to all the comments. I thought it was just me!
happiness & peace
Boy, can I relate…I can’t even take normal noise most of the time. I used to have the radio on all day & the t.v. on all night until I went to sleep. All of a sudden, like a light switch, all the noise irritated me like you wouldn’t believe. Off went the radio, off went the t.v., for 3 straight months. It blew me away, this change. I tried listening to quiet stuff, like classical music,Winnie the Pooh videos which I always loved…I couldn’t stand that stuff either. Finally about 4 months ago I could take it again, but now I am having some trouble with it again-I can watch t.v. usually but all day long I prefer the quiet. Something I used to hate. Also, loud noises like a door slamming, etc, really, really irritate me. I also can’t take the light, I have dark curtains up on my windows. I don’t understand. Get this, I have a desktop picture of gorgeous falling golden Autumn leaves-I love it & have it on my computer ever Fall-well this Fall I put it on & the bright color hurt my eyes!! I had to take it off. Makes me feel very very weird-can anyone relate to this?
This was a problem for me at my last job and it seemed to start when I got on a new medication. Music was WAY too loud, though when people I knew popped in to say hi they bugged their eyes out that they couldn’t believe how loud it was as well. Boss and coworker cranked it up constantly. I secretly tried to turn it down every chance I got, but the next time a really cool song came on, up it went again. Ear plugs didn’t help for me because the place was loud to begin with being a dry cleaner’s, but also it drove me nuts to hear myself breathe! I had to quit from osteoarthritis in my foot to where I cannot stand or walk for long anymore, and I was just approved for Soc. Security due to that and bipolar/a.d.d./depression/anxiety all mixed together. But really the noise didn’t seem to bother me much before I got on an additional new med.
Yes, especially to very low base sounds and neighbours slamming cupboard doors at night, or to people walking on high heels on a floor living above the apartment I found myself in. At the time I could actually hear the music coming from restaurants or clubs miles away, even though my friend was not aware of it untill I pointed it out to him (definately not imaginary). I was on lamictal, neurontin, seroqual and trileptal at the time, and despite all of it I could not sleep but for the sensitivity to these noises. Had to use earplugs at night, although it did not always help. Is it possibly the medication??
That sounds like me ,too. I have an upstairs neighbor with whom I have had a lot of problems.He’s a big guy, so the floor squeaks everytime he walks. He has a loud voice (no indoor or outdoor voice)so I can hear him when he’s on the phone. On 2 occasions my husband and I have had to call the police:
(1) when he was having sex for 2 hours after midnight
(2) letting his girl friend’s kid run up and down his hallway for an hour
We also have a daughter who is mentally retarded and has OCD. She becomes upset with when the kid runs in the upstairs apartment. Unfortunately, we do not have the money to move. The good news is that he never repeated the sex again. But with the kid running we have to keep reminding him. My therapist says many bipolars have an extra -sensitvity to sound. But with this guy, the other neighbors have complained about him, too.
I have the same sensitivity, and am especially intolerable of cell phones ringing, or TV. The one thing that calms me, though, is listening to a major league baseball game. Either on TV or on the radio. I’m not sure why, but that’s always helped. It’s hard when baseball is out of season!!
Yes! Absoultely but noise is something that usually only bothers me when I am hypomanic. I like to meet with a group of gals every month and find that when hypomanic I CANNOT stand the talking. Same thing when working out, when I am hypomanic the music, the people talking incessently drive me crazy. MY son was diagnosed bp before me and I remember back when he was 10 or so that he would get so mad if his brothers “chewed” too loud! Definitely noise is an issue. Pay
I love my peace and quiet so much! Loud noise definitely brings on BP symptoms for me – loud music – the TV drives me crazy and my husband is a TV fanatic. Talk about the compromise of the century. We are still working on that one. Why don’t we hear about this in the bipolar literature?
I live on a busy road, work from home and am introverted. So I stay home a lot. The noise from the traffic, boom cars, city buses, ambulances, motorcyles, city sanitation trucks at 5 AM – all of these drive me nuts. I am trying to sell my house, but who wants to live on a busy street?
I use ear plugs, a noise machine and a nature DVD with either the ocean or a waterfall that loop, and I turn the sound all the way up to drown out the noise when I sleep. I also take melatonin and valerian root, which knocks me out.
I have been diagnosd with Bi-Polar and fibromyalgia. Sensitivity to noise has been a problem my whole life. Once,in my twenties, I actually thought I was losing my hearing because I had difficulty hearing people who were speaking to me. I had my hearing tested and found I have above average hearing! They couldn’t even test it fully because they didn’t have the technology to test beyond what I could hear. The technician said that my hearing was so acute that I was hearing everything around me and in the far background, so I could not separate the noise.
My sensitivity to any noise, especially loud noise and certain types of noise, (rap music, jackhammers, t.v.,screaming kids, etc.)has gotten so much worse over the years that I can’t work in the public anymore. In order to adjust the t.v. so that I am not bothered by the loudness, I have to turn it down so low that even I can’t hear it!.
Neighbors are a constant problem and I often fantasize about living alone on a deserted island. Some noises that don’t drive me nuts are relaxing ocean or crickets sounds, a light breeze, soft chimes, and the sound of birds, (as long as they aren’t squawking).I have been under the impression that this was all caused by the fibro until reading your comments. I am so glad to know I’m not alone. Does anyone also have sensitivy to light or flashing lights, such as; a chat room signal, mechanical Christmas characters, halloween witches that pop out from behind counters, etc.? I would be interested to know if this is caused by bi-polar too.
OH MY GOD!!! I thought I was going crazy…but it’s not just me. All my life people have told me to shut up because I have a habit of talking too loud but it’s only been at times when there is so much noise in my head I can’t hear myself. I have had hearing tests and even had to wear an aide which only made noises amplified so I refused to wear it…now I’m told I don’t need it….dah!! My dad feels I suffer from some sort of bi polar disorder but I have yet to find a Dr ANYWHERE that has the same opinion but then I’m very good at hiding it all ever since I was little. Just coming to this sight and typing this is my step into seeing if there is something behind what others see.
So Thankyou Drop in Jane for the comment that got the ball rolling…
Bel
I THOUGHT I WAS THE ONLY ONE WHO COULDN’T STAND NOISE!! SOMETIMES I HAVE TO JUST YELL OUT SHUT UP, TO PEOPLE THAT ARE ON CELL PHONES AND WHISTLING INCESSANTLY WITH NOT EVEN A TUNE, JUST A CONSTANT WHISTLE! WHAT CAN WE DO FOR IT??? I FEEL LIKE I’M GOING OUT OF MY MIND. I’M BEING TREATED FOR DEPRESSION BUT NO DRUGS HAVE WORKED!
I remember going nuts when former boyfriends would whistle, especially if they had a high-pitched SSSSS sound, oh I remember that would make me cringe and it drove me nuts! And I have severe A.D.D. so having moved furniture around the other day, I put all my pill bottles somewhere and CANNOT REMEMBER WHERE~!!!! OMG my son started being annoying tonight and I was very irritable. I have looked everywhere and cannot find those pills. How can I wait for 2 weeks for the Lamictal mood stablizer, and 3 weeks for the Concerta? I was able to refill Buproprion but not knowing where the pills are is enough to drive me insane while I tear the house apart trying to find them. But now I am also noticing I can’t stand to listen to my four parakeets much so I have put them in a different room and shut the door. And another sound I just now had to ask my son what it was, his hamster’s wheel, I think I am about to move him in with the birds!
Yes! I know all about it: get ear plugs & ear muffs from gun shops{the highest decibel ratings} like the ones for shot-guns, then wear them 24/7 … it is the only answer I know of.
I have been trying to figure out what is wrong with me forever now! ever since i was very young i have been extremely sensitive to noises. they throw me over the edge… People tell me, oh just concentrate on something else. But it is IMPOSSIBLE! if i could i would!! so ahh… it is a bit of a relief to know i am not the only one….. any tips????????
.
I too suffer from extreme noise sensitivity – always have. It gets very bad at times-I can’t even listen to music I like. I love silence-especially at home. My Dx is Bipolar 11 and Anxiety disorder. Sorry we have that problem, but glad it is not only me. Makes me wonder how close Bipolar and Schizophrenia are?
This is so awesome I am not alone. I get so upset when I hear noise I just go outside and sit and smoke and smoke and smoke. I was trying to cut down and realized I was doing this because my husband has his keyboard cranked way up my children have the xbox at full base and music is blaring. I even cringe when the phone rings. It makes since because I am bipolar too!
When i was young, i had hearing problems. i discovered recently that it is only when there is more than one noise going on at once. i can’t focus on the one noise. It is worst when i am in the back of a car talking to people in the front and i get irritated because i can only hear the noise of the car and get left out of the conversation.
x
i have had bipolar for as long as i can remember but recently, i am finding that i am more sensitive to noise.
Music and TV are especially “Deafening” sometimes i just feel so annoyed and it messes my head up when things seem that loud.
my family don’t understand that bipolar has so many other symptoms and think i’m just being fussy, but it is scary how loud something can seem at a certain time.
i think my sensitivity to sound is worst when i am in a Mixed State. my mixed states tend to consist of me feeling tearful, awake, anxious, “on the edge”, irritable, easily wound up, sensitive to sound and bright lights (The sun especially, in my eyes can be very painful at times), racing thoughts and just generally feeling confused.
Another symptom i have is confusion with time. It’s like time i going too quickly. Yesterday seems like weeks ago. Does anyone else get this time problem?
Also, i have found that putting earphones in and listening to my favourite music quietly can help to stop the winding up feeling and you can just shut the world out of your ears for a while! i sometimes feel odd without my music on. i find it very comforting. Hopefully some other people with this annoying problem might find it helpful
Thanks
I have problems with eating noises too. I cannot be around people who chew with their mouths open, crinkle chip bags, smack gum, or gulp drinks. The clickety-clack of computer keys, especially when it’s other people typing or on tv. I can’t stand the tappety-tap of shoes clicking, again especially on tv. Water and splashing noises, especially on tv or the radio get to me too. It’s not only that I don’t like them, but they instantly put me into a bad mood. I hate them and will mute the tv or put something in my ears if I’m at work.
Wow. Thank the moon and the stars. I thought this noise sensitivity was just me.
Especially SAndy D….I have a LOT of trouble hearing people talk to me too but I was also tested and have above average hearing. I am thinking of getting one of those hearing aids the blocks out ambient noise so that you can hear just the voices being directed at you.
I am so glad there are others who understand this crazy noise sensitivity. I have actually burst into tears, put my hands over my ears and begged aloud for the noise to stop. Friends and family think I’m just bitchy but now I know it’s part of the BP disorder.
I’m about to go into hospital under anesthesia, to have my teeth worked on as I can’t stand the noise of the dentist drill or anything else he puts in my mouth. I’m so lucky to have a dentist who understands and is willing to go the extra mile.
As for the tv and radio, sometimes it’s okay and other times it hurts. I also avoid people who’s voices register in certain tones as I can’t understand a word they say!
Wow, I can’t believe everything I just read. For me, I can’t tolerate repetative sounds especially…dogs barking makes my skin crawl!! Even my cat meowing. Every night when I’m outside havin a smoke, I hear someone calling an animals name over and over and over, Toffee or Coffee..something…makes me want to SCREAM!! And I get very irritated and angry, right pissed at times. My husband has sleep apnea..oh ya…I can’t take it anymore! The moment I see him lay down on that couch( he says to stretch his legs! ya right!), I know he’s going to fall asleep, and I get so unreasonably mad at him. I’ve been so angry over the sound of him snoring (which also prevents me from getting ANY sleep at night), that I’ve yelled so horribally at him, and I could never have dreamed of speaking to him the way I have, I feel just rotten over it, but I can’t help it!
As far as things like music, if its music I really like, I can listen to it loud, but usually only for a while, especialy in vehicles, but if it’s music I don’t care for, it’s like nails on a chalk board! I DESPISE my husband’s surround sound!! It’s so loud and annoying!
I also feel like my mind won’t shut up, and It’s like it just can’t stop thinking!! My brain won’t relax!! It’s exhausting! I have the hardest time falling asleep anymore because of it…I have to cover my eyes with my hair to make it really dark, turn off any tv or stereo that is on. Then the fridge starts humming, or a neighbor mowes his lawn, or kids run screaming through my back lane and that’s when my blood just starts to boil! I need to sleep!! Oh yes, and I’m also the mom of a 17 month old baby girl…I need to sleep, lol!
Before she was able to start to communicate better with us, it was really hard hearing her cry or complain, like whine or moan…again it was the nails on the chalk board thing, so I think I got kinda bad for always jumping to her when she needed something or fussed, cuz I couldn’t tolerate the actual ’sound’ of it. It’s so much better now that she’s older and talking some and comunication is so much better.
I’ve never been diagnosed Bipolar and probably never would have even considered it if I hadn’t stumbled on this page…I googled ’sensitive to noise, not thinking for a second that it would come up with anything!
I have though, been diagnosed with a few other things..Epilepsy, Anxiety Disorder, Depression, I go through periods when I have bad panic attacks, think I’m honestly going insane and will die from it! Also a ‘mild’ OCD, which often comes hand in hand with Epilepsy and Tourette’s syndrome.
So what’s going on with me?..I see some of you say your similar syptoms could be from your meds, I’m only on meds for my seizures and a thyroid prob. I take Dilantin, Sabril, Lamotrogine and synthroid. Could they have something to do with this, or could I really be looking at another serious issue here??? Any thoughts are appreciated!
I have Fibromyalgia which is a pain condition. When I first got sick, All noise became intense by 50%. I dont listen to music anymore, I cant live near any noise. Doors banging, next doors door can wake me. Any background noise starts at the normal sound as time goes on my C.F sets in and all noise becomes so loud that iI can jump with a door closing. Im so lucky my neighbours now think about my condition but for a few years they never know. I cant believe how
inconsiderate people can be.I also have sensitivity to strong chemicals, light and can sometime live in a home with my curtains pulled and need almost black out curtains to deal with the light outside or it can bring headaches one. I can relate to you all!
Im easily irritated by certain noises… not all noise but quite a list of random noises that make me want to pull my hair out or.. smash things and just get really angry! (i dont do these things but its how i feel inside)
Its like when MOST say “oh i cant stand the noise of someone scratching a chalk board” well THATS HOW I FEEL WHEN : a clocks ticking when the rooms quiet, if someone whistles really high pitched, noise of people chewing, slurping drinks, grinding teeth, SNORING! my boyfriends parrot gringing her FUCKING beak!! and her bloody high pitched *ping* she does, i swear im guna murder her! polystyrene .. etc etc!
Why does it make me wanna explode into a million pieces when no one else takes a blind bit of notice of these things
I am having a really hard time right now. It is actually annoying to hear myself type. At first, I thought my friend on the phone was just being thoughtless, making a bunch of noise because she was doing other stuff while talking to me. But I can’t handle the sound of the dogs (5!) barking, the vacuum, my phone ringing, extra bubbles in my aquarium…
It makes me want to scream and cry. It isn’t painful, just incredibly annoying, like a dripping faucet in a silent room. My chest hurts and I feel like I’m going to cry. This is annoying.
I’m bipolar, off meds for almost a year and have been okay up until recently. Going back to the doc in a week to get something to reduce my irritation but not make me numb to everything. It’s hard to find the right combo, especially when my case is quite mild. If it makes me feel better, then I probably will have a lot of trouble sleeping. I ended up taking 12 pills a day at one point. No more of that. One or two.
Anyway, not sure what causes this sound sensitivity, but it is absolutely terrible.
I found this article for you all (below) because sometimes I feel behaviour and medical ’specialists’ are all too keen to pigeon hole people into a category without really looking deeply enough to see if other factors play a role in certain behaviours/approaches to living.
Have you ever thought that you may just be a ’sensitive’ soul with special gifts that are yet to be recognised? This is in contrast to labelling yourselves as ‘bipolar’ and pumping your body with a destructive cocktail of prescription drugs that only help to increase the profits of drug companies and the perks afforded by the companies to the doctors who prescribe them.
Sorry, but I refuse to be written off as having a ‘disorder’ simply because I cannot stand the inconsiderate ‘living’ noises of those around me. Perhaps there is more to it?
This is what I found by Jenna Avery, CLC,
Life Coach for Sensitive Souls, as follows:
Here is a list of qualities of Highly Sensitive Souls that I have developed, based on the work of Dr. Elaine Aron, and on my own experience. According to Aron, HSPs comprise about 15 to 20% of the population.
Characteristics of Highly Sensitive Souls
extremely intuitive
highly aware, keenly observant
attuned to the subtleties of the surrounding environment light, noise, sound, temperature, etc.
emotionally sensitive and caring, easily affected by the energy and emotions of others
often empathic or psychic
experience emotions with great intensity and depth
have a lower tolerance for stimulation than others
need adequate rest, nutrition and time alone to feel balanced
highly conscientious
intense, passionate, emotional
able to concentrate deeply with uninterrupted time
prefer to work independently
process information deeply and from many sources of information
often more right-brained, artistic
often feel very different than “everyone else”
have a rich, complex inner life – often highly imaginative
often seen by others as sensitive or shy
often introverted, though 30% of HSPs are “socially extroverted” according to Dr. Aron
can get extremely engaged with work and ideas
often prefer to avoid news and TV
have an important role to play in society as advisors, sages or prophets
Click these links to find out more about Highly Sensitive Souls and how we show up in the Enneagram and on the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator.
Something I’ve Learned
One of the absolutely most important things I’ve learned as Highly Sensitive Soul is to STOP asking myself, “What’s wrong with me?” if I ever felt uncomfortable or unhappy. In my experience, I was so often different than others around me, that I learned to ask myself this question early on. Now I ask myself, “What’s my intuition telling me right now?” What a gift to myself!
About the Name – Highly Sensitive Souls
I’ve adopted the name Highly Sensitive Souls for several reasons.
First, as a spiritual coach, I resonate deeply with the notion that we are all spiritual beings, and this name brings this even more into focus for me.
Second, I think it speaks to the intuitive aspects of being a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP). One of the key differences between being introverted and being an HSP is our sixth sense or intuitive and perceptive abilities. To me, intuition is derived from a connection to a greater knowing that can only be explained by a deep spiritual connection.
And lastly, some of you will likely recognize my pure delight in alliteration!
Copyright 2004-2005, Jennifer Avery, All rights reserved.
Jenna Avery is a highly sensitive coach and intuitive who offers an original coaching program called Embrace Your Essential Self, designed to guide sensitive souls to find a deep sense of inner rightness within themselves so they are inspired to step forward and shine. Jenna is a Certified Life Coach based in Berkeley, California. She can be reached at 510.981.0697. She also offers support for sensitives in business through the Sensitive Professionals Network.You’re invited to take her free online assessment: “Is Your Sensitivity Working For You?” on her website at http://www.highlysensitivesouls.com.
These articles may be published on your website in their entirety as long as the copyright notes and biographical information above are included in their entirety with functional hyperlinks (for “resource box” HTML, click here). Please also send me an e-mail to let me know they have been published, and where. Thank you!
CHECK OUT THESE ARTICLES ON SENSITIVITY from her website:
Are You Highly Sensitive?
Characteristics of Highly Sensitive Souls
Are You A Highly Sensitive Newbie?
What’s So Great About Being Highly Sensitive, Anyway?
Work That Works for Sensitive Souls:
Six Steps to Transform Your Career
Living Your Calling: Taking the First Steps
Travel Tips for Sensitive Souls
Holiday Strategies for Sensitive Souls
Beating the Winter Blues: Seasonal Survival for Sensitive Souls
The Power of Morning Pages
Understanding Empathy
Are Those Your Feelings?
Enjoy, and always BELIEVE in yourself! Let no other man or woman tell you who you are and what you stand for. Work is out for yourself. And, if you don’t go WITHIN, you will go WITHOUT!
PJ x
I suffer from a rare condition called Hyperacusis.The sound of running tap water hurts my ears.Everyday is a true challenge.Ther is no cure but noise therapy that could take months if not years to work.
I’m 66 and for the past 10 years my hearing sensitivity has become more and more acute. A screach, squeeking wheels, doors, whistling, particularly the one that people use in “appreciation” of a good performance, high soprano (even well sung – I love music) notes, children’s high pitched voices, children shouting. It has become a nightmare to go anywhere because any shop, restaurant, even someone whistle etc.
My hearing has always been more acute than most. I hear music from some houses away that no one else does, etc. But it has now become so intrusive. I react first because it hurts, not because it is annoying. I experience abuse from people because they can’t understand and think I am being intolerant of their childrens’ noise. Although maybe they should be more aware than they are.
Along with most other people, I think, I don’t like the overloud heavy beat stuff that people play in their cars – to the extent sometimes that my house shakes. But that doesn’t hurt like the high pitched noises do.
Light sleeping has also always been a problem because I hear every sound, but nothing compares with the pain of those high pitched sounds.
Does anyone else have this level of pain?
Hello Ladies,
I have many of the same issues with noise, light, chemicals, you name it anything that is an irritant to my central nervous centre and I can feel it in a big way.
Just something I wanted to add here and that is I found some information that you might all be very interested in reading. And it might put you on a better track to health even possibly getting you off some of the meds you are taking. Im a firm believer everything can be cured and healed but we have to look in the not so conventional means. And this goes for Bipolar, ADHD, fibromyalgia and everything else.
So here is the other info I found that might she some light for a least a few of you.
http://www.ctds.info/noise-sensitivity.html
Many blessings to you all. In love and light!
Cherîe
I am very sensitive to noise. It affects my whole life and really bothers me. Sometimes I just feel like screaming and moving into the forest away from people. I am really struggling and the quality of my life is horrible. I had a guy trying to open my door one night, which sent me into a panic attack. So from now on, every bit of noise, every click, every person walking in the hallway gives me anxiety and panic attacks. And if I use ear plugs, I get anxiety attacks thinking someone is trying to break in and I cannot hear them. So ear plugs aren’t the solution either. Life is hard
I have just recently gotten VERY noise sensitive. People talking in my office (I work in a cubicle environment), cars, ATV’s, loud music (any kind, even the ones I like) ESPECIALLY HIGH PITCHED NOISES like dirt bikes, whistling, women who raise their tone to sound high pitched sort of whining, chewing (me or other people), casino machines (even if I am playing them), typing, slamming doors, high heel shoes, dogs barking, or any of these noises on tv or radio, people who talk really low for whatever reason and they sound like they are mumbling (I don’t want to “listen” to their conversation, I just hate when it sounds like mumbling), loud laughing (especially snorting sound laughing). I went to the Dr and she said it could be OCD. I don’t think I’m that compulsive, I have learned to let go a little, or it could be sleep apnea. I was diagnosed with anxiety and panic attacks a couple of months after my mother died almost 9 years ago. I get depressed a lot, but push through it for my son. When I get angry or irritated for any reason my anxiety acts up and then the noise sensitivity is right behind it. I live in almost an apprehensive state 24/7. I don’t know what to do about all of this. I take 0.5 mg of Xanax when it all hits and I ususally feel better, but I have to kind of wean myself off of it over the next couple of days.
Could all of the people who have posted try to have a follw up of what is and what is not helping you. Thank you.
MB, I can empathise with your message.
I am fairly certain you and I have the same thing that is contributing to our noise sensitivity. I think we both have PTSD – post traumatic stress disorder or some other type of anxiety disorder. That’s my conclusion after years of due-diligence and research into this and why I am this way.
Thanks Tony. I do have anxiety which started after my mother died and my father died 5 years later, and he seemed very depressed. I try to get away from the house more and take my Xanax as soon as I think I may need it, not everyday. It works pretty fast, 15-30 minutes and I can take it without water, it melts on your tongue, that’s how you know you have a good manufacturer.
The words written here perfectly summarize my growing battle against sound.
I’m 32 and *highly* sensitive to sounds (especially higher frequency noises). I’m particularly disturbed around eating noises (crunching of chips, popcorn) and thudding/dropping noises (eg., apartment neighbors).
I will be purchasing a house this spring and look forward to at least limiting some of the exterior noise/wall noise. But, of course, that won’t alleviate my partner’s noises.
And, sadly, my reactions to my partner when she makes these noises is less than…
romantic. I find my sensitivities have really caused us sadness as a couple (due to my quickly accelerated anger at her noise).
We’ve talked about it in such terms and I have concentrated as best I can on the movie, tv show, book, etc. as I can. But it’s so difficult to just “tune it out” as so many others will offer as a “treatment”.
Earplugs during sleep is standard. Often I employ white noise (fans, dishwasher, etc.) to provide a basic “cover” for most noise.
I wish I had more tips.
I plan on building a new house soon, particularly to incorporate noise reducing walls. I had planned this a long time ago, but with my noise sensitivity growing, it has spurred me on to action. I have looked into noise reducing supplies, such as insulation and noise barriers (soundproofing). I would put it in now, but don’t want to spend the money on a house I’ll only be in for about another year. I find not having any control over the noise is a ‘big’ part of the problem. I keep all of the doors inside my house closed, it seems to help a lot with the outside noises. I wish I had all solid doors, those really cut down on noise penetration.
Hi.
I have post-polio syndrome. I have been disaled for about 8 years. Lately I have been noticing that certain noises make me very irritable. Namely the surround sound on the television. If it starts bassing a lot I feel like I am about to lose my mind and attack something or someone.
Hello,
I just want to say that I have always had a real sensitivity to noises also, and some of the comments I’ve read have made me laugh out loud because I can totally relate to them. Especially the refrigerator humming, the grinding of the parrot’s beak and people walking or talking in another room that you can hear through the walls. I used to yell at my parents when I was a kid to stop talking at night. I always have to have an apartment on the top floor so no one is above me. I have to use something at night as white noise (like a loud fan) to go to sleep. My reason for writing is to tell that some of you could be creative writers your messages are so descriptive and funny!
I also want to tell you that St. John’s Wort can really help and make you feel more at peace and soothed. When I take it, I am much more relaxed and can tolerant noises easier. Please try it if you can. I get it at Walgreens and it’s the Sundown Natural’s brand. I don’t know if I have BP, but I know I have trouble with anxiety. I take Xanax also and the St. John’s Wort doesn’t interfere with it and it lasts longer.
Thanks to all of you, I read quite a lot of these comments and it feels we are all in the same boat.
Living as a teacher in China, I put up with the most absurd ammount of noise a person could try to cope with, and on top of it all, i am sensitive to sounds.
I believe it is making me bi-polar (if possible)
and i am so strung -out that I have these mild episodic melt-downs on a near regular basis.
Last night I was working until late, with headphones on, knowing my neightbors were making a lot of noise, even after 2am, but not knowing which apartment it was coming from.
I have had problems with the upstairs neighbors, and they insist it isnt them making the noise.
Last night, tired, exausted, stressed and nervous about the noise, i took of the headphones, and the sound is going strong again, so i went to the apartment building’s night guard. He shrugged me off, and i was forced to confront the neighbors myself.
So long story short, i was assualted by the man upstairs for knocking on his door. And the noise quite possibly is coming from the building set next to my own.
I am literally losing my marbles due to this problem.
thanks to all of you for helping me less alone.
God Bless
Oh my God, it’s not just me! I’m so glad that I found this b/c I am super sensitive to noises that don’t even phase my boyfriend or other people around me…made me feel crazy or like people thought that I was just being a total bitch or that I was just being whiny when complaining about certain noises! I mean at times, I literally feel like screaming! I can look at my boyfriend & say “God, don’t you hear that?” & he doesn’t, it don’t bother him! I also seem to be sensitive to smells…anyone else do that too???
Its weird how much I relate. The main things that reallllly bother and make me so irriated/annoyed/mad are:
-people talking loudly on the phone in the same room as me (y do people do that? I dont want to hear their whole conversation, and I dont want people to hear mind)
-chewing. this has been a problem since i was about 12. i used to leave the dining room table and eat int he living room i would get in such a bad mood.
-people talking loudly.
-womens whinney or over excited voices
-tapping (worse if theirs no rythem, just random)
-garbage disposils and blenders (i make smoothies every day and cringe when i have to use the blender)
-dog barking
-annoying whisteling
i dont mind natrual sounds like loud rain, ocean, wind, chimes, rivers, crickets, etc. I actually reall love that sound. It human sounds that bother me. Music doesnt really bother me.
I thing I may have OCD. I am a perfectionist, I am very clean and feel stressed when its messy, wash my hands often and feel I need to wash them again if I “spoil them” by touching touching things that are often touched by people a lot like phones, remotes, door knobes, hand rails, etc.
Do the two maybe have something in common?
What could this be? is there a name? is there something i can take? Im going to try st. johns wart. Im am against antibiotics and stupid shit doctors try to subscribe you just to get money. If it really works and isnt harmful to my body please tell.
Hi, I am a mental health professional who also happens to be highly sensitive to sound. I don’t think that my hearing is more acute than others,just that I am more sensitive to the things that I do hear. I call it my blessing as well as my curse. For example, I almost lost my mind when a neighbor encouraged his little Spitz dog to bark nonstop for hours -just feet from my window and the authorities refused to intervene. This went on for 3 years and my sensitivty response increased to where my skin literally did “crawl” and my teeth chattered when I would hear this particular dog even start to bark. I had heard of people feeling their skin crawl and yes- it literally does. I was surprisd to find that the sensation was a crawling inward motion running from the fingers toward the center of the body -and yes it is sheer hell. A teeny dose of ativan was soothing but I do not lke to take drugs as I miss having the energy when I am wantig to do things! I call being acutely sensitive to sounds a belessing at times because when my environment is free of unwanted sounds and I hear soothing sounds such as “waterfalls, crickets, distant trains, treefrogs, the wind in the trees and such-then my body feels a soft relaxing glow and it is pure bliss. So my sound sensitivity is in a way “bipolar” (though I do not have Bipolar Illness to my knowledge) because my “highs” are higher than the norm and my “lows” lower than the norm. Fortunately I now live in an environment that is usually ver quiet and no problems with neighbors with high pitched yappy little dogs. Also- just a word of caution that if any of you have Bipolar Illness that you should know that some antidepressants can cause Bipolars to kick into a manic episode, so if you take St. John’s Wort or anything else with antidepressant properties be aware if you should start experiencing “sleeplessness, mind racing, excitement or irritability and other s/s of mania.
I am so glad I found this page. Like others said, I thought it was just me.
People say I exaggerate when I complain about the noise my neighbours make. Their kitchen is next to my bedroom and I can hear them washing up as the sink is against the wall. They must drop pots and pans in there from a great height. It drives me insane. The noise is so bad it physically hurts me, like I get an electric shock.
I talked to them about it and they said they do not make a noise in the kitchen and refused to discuss the matter further.
My other neighbour talking on her mobile phone outside on the patio drives me nuts.
I can hear her as far away as the bedroom which is the furthest room from where she is.
I feel like screaming just to get away from the noise. Sometimes I go for long walks when my neighbours are ‘active’
I feel I should not have to flee my house because of others and it makes me angry.
I’m looking to move but it’s hard to find anywhere quiet. I need to be on the top floor, and preferably on a corner so I only have 1 neighbour, and then just hope and pray it’s a quiet one.
I can hear a pin drop. I can hear things nobody else can hear. I should not have to live in a big city. It’s very unhealthy for me.
There are lots of noises which don’t bother me, like rain and wind, or even traffic most of the time.
I listen to relaxing nature sounds on my mp3 player and I can still hear my neighbours over that. Same with earplugs. I wear them day and night but they do not block out the noise completely.
Sometimes I wish I was deaf.
I wish I could find people like me so we could all move into a block of flats together and just all be quiet and considerate.
Better still I want to live like a hermit in the woods.
I don’t think the noise issues are bipolar disorder. I have noise issues but am not bipolar. However, these noise issues can drive me crazy to the extent that I may act bipolar.
The noise issues could be either hyperacusis or an auditory processing disorder. I have an auditory processing disorder. Go to an audiologist and ask for them to check for an auditory processing disorder–specifically auditory figure ground issues.
Well done PJ.
I honestly can’t believe that so many commenters think they are bi-polar, I mean honestly.
Noise is incredibly annoying. Repetitive sounds drive me absolutely bonkers. Smoke alarms that go off when I’m only making toast – damn them. Clicking sounds, sqeeking sounds…
I think that those selfish gits that play music or are just totally inconsiderate of others should all be put in the same jail cell where they can make as much noise as they like. They should be forced to listen to noise themselves 24 hours a day….
But wait!
Do most of you not realise that there is a spiritual condition that relates exactly to this? Needing quiet. Not wanting quiet, but needing it.
Unfortunately no one is aloud to say anything spiritual these days. We’re all supposed to deny the existence of God Almighty, work on Sundays, get divorced yada yada yada…
I have not watched TV for the past 9 years because I like the quiet. I could sit in absolute and utter silence and enjoy the peace.
Throw away your television sets. Don’t read the papers that only tell us stories of hate, murder rape and misery.
Finding this website has been a Godsend. I, too, cannot stand the sound of smacking lips, gulping, slurping, etc., however, more than anything, I HATE, HATE, HATE, the sound of wind chimes. I have nightmares about them, cringe at the sight of them, and fear hearing them, because their intermittent tinkling makes me come absolutely unglued to the point I could jump out of my own skin. If I were Queen of the World those #*!#ing things would no longer exist.
One more thing – how in the name of all that is holy hanging a musical instrument that is played whenever the wind blows OUTSIDE of your home to disturb the peace of entire neighborhood ever became popular is way beyond my comprehension. For heaven’s sake, when did the wind in the trees, children laughing, birds chirping, etc., fall out of fashion. Common courtesy would dictate that when one of these noise addicts wants to listen to her wind chime, she would take it outside, then take it back INSIDE when she is done listening to it. But, no, just hang it up and let it play, play, play, whenever the wind blows. It is just about as inconsiderate as a neighbor can get.
Uhhh… I have somewhat similar situation. I am in Clark College, studying English, and I hate when somebody eats food in class, especially crackers, trial mix, chips, etc… It is very irritating… Also car alarms, kids(crying, screaming), dog barking(annoying small dogs), the Hispanic neighbor talking loud outside on the phone, for hours between 10pm-2am, and my class-mates extremely stupid small talks… Those are driving me crazy.
I’ve had two ear surgeries to fix an ear drum perforation (hole) and ever since I’ve had that surgery, my hearing, especially in the unaffected ear has become super-sensitive. I can’t go to any fireworks displays, as they really hurt my ears. I hear everything, as our bedroom is downstairs, and our 3 teen’s bedrooms are upstairs and they’re up at different times of the night. I wake up at least 25x night! I am so overtired, I just can’t even sleep anymore!
Yes !!!
It hurts my ears when people slam doors, or cabinets, or clap their hands. I can’t stand raised voices. Or especially children screaming and crying. I find it painful to be within 100 feet of anybody who is washing dishes.
And then people seem to think I’m over-reacting … and frequently don’t believe me when I tell them that my ears are that sensitive.
If I go to an assembly or a concert, I have to wear the strongest earplugs I can find, and then the volume is at a reasonable level.
When I’m having a ’spell’ (or ‘episode’), it gets really bad.
One of the ways I can recognize when I’m having an episode. I start having to repeat myself to everybody, because they can’t hear me, even though I think I’m talking at a reasonable volume.
I’m also hyper-sensitive to bright light, and small temperature changes. Even my taste-buds seem to be hypersensitive. It seems that only my sniffer is safe, and most of the time it just seems to be off-duty.
Also … DENTISTS … trips to the dentist are terribly agonizing. Even for a general cleaning, I absolutely have to have the nitrous.
(continued)
Other things bother me too. Like clocks ticking in the next room, cell phone chargers (or other chargers) that make weird noises when they are plugged in. At times, especially at night, I’d swear I can hear a TV or radio from some un-locatable source, but can just never quite make out the words.
To top that off … would you believe that my neighbors used to wake me up to tell me to turn off my alarm clocks (yes, plural) in the morning?
I absolutely cant take loudspeakers, TV, loud-talking. I have no problem with sounds of nature …
birds, water, crickets, darkness, being-alone, eating-alone, sleeping-alone, working-alone, thinking-alone for hours and days. People think I am nuts. I have no argument. I am nuts.
YES!!!!!!!!!! what a relief to find this site, and to read all your comments, I can relate to so much of what you have all said, like a lot of you, I thought I was the only one, I am currently sitting in the quietest room in my house, ear plugs in, doors closed, and just thought i’d google the words “I am sensitive to noise” God bless you, other sensitive souls.
I thought I was the only one, OMG, why can’t any of you all be my neighbors? My neighbors, I’m sure hate my guts because of my constant complaining of their noise, like pounding stereo bases vibrating through walls. I’m really about ready to lose it. I’m very low income, and I’d love to move, but all the waiting lists for decent housing are so long. We’ve got people here who refuse to hook their telephone up downstairs to the callbox, so when they have visitors, they’re constantly coming by, yelling up at the windows, making loud obnoxious whistling sounds, all day and all night, trying to get the tenant’s attention, but thoroughly and furiously annoying me. The neighbor refuses to hook up to the call box because they don’t want certain people calling them, but this annoyance isn’t fair to me. My neighbors think I’m absolutely crazy. I do have bipolar and PTSD, but apparently no one around here understands such things. Everyone gives the same response. Use earplugs. Why should I have to resort to stinking those obnoxious things in my ears all day, and half the time, they don’t even work? We’re supposed to have a right to quiet enjoyment of our residence, but where is it? It’s too bad they can’t make a complete apartment complex that is only for people with noise sensitivities.
Debra, I’ll be your neighbor!!! LOL
Wow, am I glad I found this comment board… I only hope I can get my husband to sit down and read some of these posts – my whole family thinks I’m bitchy and unreasonable sometimes…
Sounds and smells that no one else seems to even notice are usually total mood killers for me. Like so many other posters, human-made noises drive me nuts, but “natural” sounds are always soothing. It makes no sense! Sometimes I will even open our bedroom window so the sounds of passing traffic will drown out the sound of my own family when I am trying to read or get to sleep at night.
The thing I feel terrible about is I usually end up going and asking everyone to PLEASE BE QUIET – but my stepkids have been raised to have fun 24/7 (they were never asked to tone it down before I came along) and my kids think I’m nuts and my husband says the noise they make doesn’t bother him. Just “tune it out” he says.
Well that’s impossible for me. At that point I just get angry with them, and angrier with myself for being angry at them. It’s my perceived lack of respect for my needs (few as they are, trust me) that makes matters worse. And the resentment just piles up on both sides. It’s all very sad.
People who douse themselves in cologne or perfume usually irritate the heck out of me, too. It’s very hard to go out in public sometimes because of these people – I’ve asked to be reseated more than once at restaurants because of (IMO) these totally inconsiderate “perfumigators”, as I like to call them.
Still there are times when the sensitivities seem to sort of go away, which makes me wonder if it’s possible that it’s a body chemistry thing. I thought this article was helpful in linking magnesium intake to auditory sensitvity:
http://www.ctds.info/noise-sensitivity.html
I am going to try to increase my magnesium intake and see what happens. I really wish that the news media would pick up on these kinds of stories and educate the rest of the public as to the personal hell we all live, every day.
Good luck to all of you out there – I hope we can ALL find some measure of peace in our own ways.
Ok it is good to find people who are alike myself in intolerance to noise.
I am not going to repeat the statements above, mine is more or less the same.
But there are only few notes on here regarding the solution. One solution mentioned here was “magnesium intake”.
Does anybody have any experience towards resolving this issue other than ear-plugs etc.?
You can leave me a note at code1058 at gmail dot com
Regards
me too i’m sensitive but when he noise is coming from me , it’s okay. ahahah
It happened suddenly one day, like a shock, I could NOT tolerate loud noise. That was 5 years ago now. I am now well on the way to having “normal” ears. This is my process and my advice…
- become aware of what stresses you and seek ways to relax and…….
- get rid of the television
- stop listening to ALL electronic music and talking
- avoid nightclubs, pubs, cinemas etc.
- limit or avoid mobile phone and landline use
- stay away from power tools
- use ear plugs whenever need to shut out noise
- where a thick beanie that covers ears in winter, in summer a thick headband over ears
- transfer interest in music to interest in visual arts – drawing, painting, sketching from life
- lots of walks and camping in nature, quiet, peace, relaxation, drawing
- go travelling to a foreign country, visit quiet art galleries, walk in nature, forget your stress
- seek advice from an ANTHROPOSOPHICAL doctor, who will seek to understand your whole person and offer you natural medicine – (Weleda and Wala products)
- become aware of an discuss and seek to resolve ALL your health issues, many of which will stem from STRESS
- Sessions with a CURATIVE EURYTHMIST (Eurythmy – an artisic, anthroposophical movement therapy)
- Meditate – 5 minutes in morning and night – use verse, image or prayer
- Bodywork – CRANIO OSTEOPATH
- Massage – RHYTHMICAL MASSAGE – anthroposophical
- Pay attention to diet – seek organic foods, filtered water, chamomile tea
- Eat slowly and quietly, be creative with cooking
- Be aware of noise sensitivity triggers -
- avoid alcohol and caffeine
- limit refined sugar intake and chocolate
- avoid cigarette smoke
- choose fresh food over canned/packaged
- avoid preservatives/food additives
- create an organic vege garden and live into the changing seasons and mother earth
- get a wood fireplace
- change from being a CONSUMER into a CREATOR
- enjoy with children – sing, tell fairy tales, do craft, garden, cook, play, laugh
SEEK MODERATION AND BALANCE
- be neither extremely happy nor extremely sad, but somewhere in between
- eat not too much, nor too little
- find a hobby that relaxes you and balance it with another hobby
- sleep not too much, nor too little
- be alone and with other people
- consider your own problems and those of others
SUGGESTED READING
- Kahil Gibran “The Prophet”
- Rudolf Steiner/Anthroposophy/Waldolf
- Rudolf Haushka “Nutrition”
- Charles Dickens, Patrick White, Bronte Sisters, Xavier Herbert, Goethe
- Sharon Heller “Too loud, too fast, too tight. What to do if you’re SENSORY DEFENSIVE in an overstimulating world”
I live in a busy area with lots of teenage boys. We’ve had tons of issues with noise because of them playing ball in the street directly in front of our house. That finally got resolved after I insisted the city enforce a code violation, but I had to live in chaos for two years. We had a hud house on the other side, which now has new residents. Last night, I realized they have a heavy metal band practicing in their basement, complete with a screaming male vocalist, guitars, and drums. I had finally gotten peace in the house after getting the teenagers to get out from the front of our house, and was looking forward to the winter and getting away even more from the noise of the neighbors. I was panic stricken when I heard the band last night thumping through every room of my home. My husband said I should try to be a little more tolerant, and I became enraged. I feel almost raped when someone imposes excessive noise on me. I’m trying to decide if I should start calling the police when I hear this booming screaming heavy metal playing. My husband said to wait until 10pm. Who is it that decides that loud noise has to be endured until late at night?? Why should someone else be able to effect what you are doing in your house? Your right to think or rest? I hate to make enemies but their loud hobbies literally ruin my mental health. I don’t care if they dislike me, but I worry they will try to hurt my animals if I complain too much, or even at all. Last year
when I reported the ball-games, someone poisoned my feral cats I care for.I realized last night that my noise sensitivity is something I need to respect about myself, even if no one understands. I am simply sensitive as a whole and always have been, I don’t believe it is an illness. If anyone wants to chat, feel free to email me at tazzmainiandevils@yahoo.com
I am so glad that this topic was brought up. I have suffered from sound sensitivity for about 20 years. I never associated it with BP. I too have been diagnosed with hyperacusis. Since I have not been working it has gotten better since I am not around as many people or as much noise as I have been in the past. It has prevented me from doing many things like: football games, concerts, going to festivals, sometimes even movies. Best of luck to all of you out there with this affliction!
Thank you for writing on this issue. I have suffered for years trying to deal with noise.
I quit a job that I loved because the sound of paper (quickly separating invoices) was too much to bare. My husband cannot use a mouse with his laptop. The clicking of a mouse makes me want to jump out of my skin. I seem to hear things that others have a hard time hearing. ((Sigh))….I am not alone.