Can't take sights and sounds

[Any1]

What is this? It feels like everything is attacking me. Can't even walk down the street without being distressed by passing cars and people. Does anyone else get like this? What is it called? It's been like this all day long. Some days it's not there at all. It's making me feel so desperate. Trapped in my house.

 

[Chem Lady]

Hyperacusis. That's the term I found for the sound sensitivity. There are other terms, but this one seems to fit. Once I really realized how bad this was for me, my husband and I made lifestyle changes that have increased my tolerance quite a bit. Our house is quiet. No music ever plays out loud. We watch tv and movies, but we watch them fairly quietly and use subtitles to follow along. We mute ads all the time. There just isnt unnecessary noise in our house or car. The stereo is always in the off position in the car. I keep ear plugs in every purse and backpack and desk and beside the bed. I bring earplugs on flights and sometimes in malls or even at work if I'm extra sensitive.
Now that I'm not inundated with noise all the time I have built a small tolerance for some everyday noises and it doesn't restrict me as much.
I used to have a lot of trouble with movement too. It just made my brain feel overwhelmed and crazy. It actually made me nauseous. When I was in university I use to take public transit, but there was so much noise and movement, I just had to find a way to pay the cost of driving my own car. It cut down on noise and movement. I rarely ride in someone else's car. Being trapped in a small space with noise and such is a horrible experience for me.
Now that I know my limitations and I make sure my needs are met at home, i have enough tolerance that I can even go to loud restaurants from time to time.
I hope you can find some things that help you deal with the sound and movement issue. I remember how tough it was all the time. It can get better.

 

[Friday]

Sounds like hypervigilance, &/or sensory overload, &/or disassociation >>> derealization, &/or an anxiety attack, &/or emotional flooding. Pretty much depends in what direction it's coming from and going to.

I've gotten all of the above, under different scenarios, with the exact same reaction you describe... But the details vary. How they vary gives me the clues on how to best deal with it.

 

[Any1]

There were no specific triggers that happen when I experience hypervigilance. It does feel like sensory overload and like I'm loosing my mind. Too much stimuli. My therapist thinks it's related to sleep and stress, which I guess makes sense, but it also feels like something more than that.

 

[user44376]

Ironically, for me wearing earbuds with music blaring has become a comfort gesture. I have a hard time tolerating the sounds of the world. Correction: the sounds of people. Idiotic conversations. General babble. Loud cars. Motorcycles. Horns. And, odd for a man who loves music, rude c*nts in cars with the bass rattling windows and blocking out any other aspect of the music. That sound pushes me from neutral to homicidal in a nanosecond.

I can handle birds and animals with ease.

Misophonia is real. Don't ever doubt it.

 

[Deleted member 38906]

I'm sorry you're going through this...it's called misophonia and it's real. Many people think that we are exagerating but I can tell you that it can be a very automatic response.

For me it's the sound of females talking/ whispering in the background. It makes me crazy to the point where i imagine myself walking up to those people and killing them with my bear hands. I can't go anywhere without headphones. I cant sleep or eat next to anyone.

There have been some studies that show that misphonia is linked to trauma. The idea is that some sounds come to the forefront of our minds and take over. Stephen Porges does a lot of research in this area and he's developed a sound protocol that ILS is offering for treatment. You rent the headphones and listen to the soundtrack in a quiet place 5 days in a row. It's shown to ease misphonia symptoms after the treatment. I'm signed up to get the treatment in a couple months. will update you if it helps with my misphonia.