Sound

[digger]

Other. people. eating...........no idea what it is about it or why it bothers me so much but it really does bother me. Even writing it is bothering me!

I can't think of anything else specific, but I do struggle quite a bit with too much background noise as it effects my ability to think and concentrate, and those things are already pretty bad. And anything too high pitched feels like it is physically irritating my ears.

 

[holdenmonty]

I know lots of noise bothers me such as a crowded food court with everybody talking. Even sometimes my office gets so loud with lots different people carring on conversations that it drives me nuts. I can't tell whats going on and it's just a bunch of chaos for me. The sound of the props on a black hawk helicopter... gets my heart going and panicy everytime also when they do the alarm test on base... drives me nuts especially when they don't send out an e-mail saying they will be testing them on a certain day and time or if I don't hear them doing the anouncement over the alarm system that they are going to be doing a test... Also the smell of dust like it isn't the soil type of dirt it's the super dry dirt that becomes dust it reminds me of the dust that was all over my uniform after I got up off the ground and was in my face when I was on the ground when we had rocket attacks. Also any loud noises that are unexpected especially anything that sounds like an explosion or an ak-47 being fired or an m-4/m-16 being fired.

 

[Hope4Now]

Sounds do all sorts of things to me. I've often wondered if I have some kind of synesthesia because I can "see" sound and sometimes "feel" sound in in my body. But I don't think I do because what I see and feel aren't totally consistent, especially the colors.

I startle badly at anything loud and sudden. My husband's loud explosive sneezes. Phones ringing. Doorbells. My dog barking suddenly. Car horns. Sirens. Etc.

I want to crawl out of my skin when I hear people chewing or making slurping noises when they drink, at the sound of people blowing their noses, at the sound of loose coughs, vomiting. Basically, most bodily stuff...we'll leave it at that. Also when there are loud-ish noises of any sort that are repetitive without having a predictable rhythm. Jackhammers...television and radio sounds in the background, etc.

I physically hurt in my body when I hear people shouting/arguing/or saying mean things to one another, loud atonal music, anything loud and high-pitched (even the lovely soprano on Sunday left me cringing...this is awful as my daughter has a huge vocal range and often sings soprano),

I go on super-high-alert when I hear any kind of sound I cannot identify, and I am exhausted when I can't tune out the high-pitched ringing in my ears.

Whew...that was interesting. I know I'm very sensitive to sound, but I've never actually consciously thought this through!

Once time at a science museum I did an interactive exhibit with hearing...it told me my hearing range goes far beyond the average for a human being both ends of the sound spectrum. I think it had me something like an elephant and a rat. Curious. It went a long way to explain to me my sensitivity to sound and why most people don't understand it. But NOW I wonder if it is not that, but PTSD.

 

[Nam]

It went a long way to explain to me my sensitivity to sound and why most people don't understand it. But NOW I wonder if it is not that, but PTSD.

It can be both, don't you think?

 

[ihateusernames]

I am super sensitive to sounds and very jumpy most of the time. I'm feeling anxious right now just trying to think through what sounds effect me.
:nailbiting:<-exactly what I'm doing right now.
Thumping noises, footsteps, clanging, tires squealing, audible eating and drinking, my husband sneezing! I feel so mean for this, but it's absolutely true, most non-verbal sounds people make.
Loud music, loud televisions, male voices with only a handful of exceptions, multiple people laughing, sounds associated with parties/get togethers, crying or anything slightly shrill that can be interpreted as a cry of some sort, sniffles, that sharp breath intake sound, any aggressive conversation or fighting- we saw a couple of guys fighting at the park over a baseball game tonight, which is probably why I'm on edge just thinking about this now, whispering or any conversation where I can't make out the words, most unidentifiable sounds, anything sudden or irregular, anything that dulls my ability to hear "everything" I know I'm not actually hearing everything, but I kind of imagine I am and if the tv is too loud for me to hear the road sounds or the neighbor's music or my husband's snoring obscures my ability to hear to my son's room I can't stand it. Shuffling/rustling sounds... this is starting to look like a list of all things that make noise. Maybe I should just spend all of my time with headphones on. That's what my sister does...

 

[Chava]

Chaotic, too many sounds, breaking things, sirens, sounds that don't belong. I'm hyper-sensitive to volume and don't do well with chaotic sound...exhausting. My ears are constantly organizing sounds (musician). When I'm really freaked out it's the sense that kicks into overdrive first (probably very natural?). And if I'm dissociative, it's the one sense that keeps working...and becomes extra sensitive (sight becomes fuzzy, body numb or frozen, but I hear everything crystal clear). Sounds were available when hiding in the dark or unconscious. I have always had the power to hear and try to organize information in my environment that way.

Mostly I find my sense of sound to be empowering and comforting, but I live a life of very controlled soundscapes.

@Hope4Now feeling sound makes perfect sense.

 

[desiderata310]

@WildMermaid My thearpist actually catagorized me as a "Highly Sensitive Person". What I THINK about that is another thing altogether but then, I'm not exactly a big fan of me.
In any case, we talked about the fact that It could have been that because I am an HSP, I might be more suseptable to PTSD. (another topic for another day)

 

[Neverthesame]

Any sudden loud crashing sound will get me going. But I have personal hatred for the sound of a helecopter. Not just any helecopter mind you, some of them I love the sound of. A huey for example, those have a very distictive sound. Only two rotor blades, slow heavy chop, chop, chop. Love it.

But a BK111. Hate it. Can't really describe the difference, not with written words anyway. Makes me unbelieveably anxious. The reason? Simple. As far I can tell anyway, there is only one company/service that uses that particular hele. Our local air ambulance service. Which for some reason only seems to fly when I am outside (I know that's not actually the case).

Otherwise sirens. Living in a fairly large city, I have little choice but to get used to that one. Doesn't help that I work next door (seriously, they are directly across the street) from a firehall. Really nice people there though. I also have to admit the 5 year old in me still thinks the fire trucks are just badass, lol. We have swapped a few funny stories now and again. My favorite was the one about the rookie firefighter who forgot to fold in the wing mirror on the the bush-buggy (all terrain firetruck). Turned on the hose at a bush fire, the spray bounced off the wing mirror and filled the cab with fire-retardant foam HA!

But I totally agree the sound of obnoxiously loud bass speaker thud, is infuriating to put it mildly. Especially at 3am.

 

[WildMermaid]

@desiderata310 well whether or not are of yourself, I'm a big fan of you! :hug:

@Neverthesame the story made me grimace and giggle at the same time! O.o :D

 

[reallydown]

Well, there are the triggering ones (fireworks, firecrackers, sonic booms...and anything that sounds like an air raid warning, emergency vehicle sirens etc)...But then any repetitive noise that last for any extended period (alarms or any kind etc)...If I am exposed to it eventually I start getting really pissed