Question:
Anna, Thanks for the kind replies. I can relate to your problem. Many many years I was high sensitive to sounds. And like you it where not all sounds and noises. But for me it was a part of a larger picture that turned out to be a Panic-disorder.
I have several questions I would like to ask you: How did you get rid of your sesitivity to noises and how long did it take you? How did you address the panic disorder? Did you take or are you taking any pills? And how do you feel now? Best regards, Adrian
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Anna, Thanks for the kind replies. I can relate to your problem. Many many years I was high sensitive to sounds. And like you it where not all sounds and noises. But for me it was a part of a larger picture that turned out to be a Panic-disorder. I have several questions I would like to ask you: How did you get rid of your sesitivity to noises and how long did it take you? How did you address the panic disorder? Did you take or are you taking any pills? And how do you feel now? Best regards, Adrian
Adrian, hi, i can relate to your post in every way imaginable, my problem with noises began while i was taking a med, and when i stopped the med, it got so incredibly bad, i have been wearing earplugs constantly for two yrs, i moved out of home, and live by myself, i see no one, and going out the house is agony, sounds irritate me beyond relief, my body tenses up to the point where i feel like it is being crushed, or i feel like my body is just going to combust, its so intense, its so unbearable i am currently weaning myself onto new medication and i hope this clears up, it is due to a very severe state of hyperarousal and anxiety, its like all sounds are ampified by 200% or something. I have a full on anxiety disorder thou, i dont know what u have, i think if u ever wanna talk indepth about your expereinces or what sounds bugs u beyond belief feel free to email me, is it just sounds that irriate u, or does all stimuli do this to u..?? Take care Natasha
Response:
I have several questions I would like to ask you: How did you get rid of your sesitivity to noises and how long did it take you? How did you address the panic disorder? Did you take or are you taking any pills? And how do you feel now? Best regards, Adrian
Well I did all I could,but in the end I gave in and went on medication for Panic-disorder and Obsessive disorder. I went on Paxil. When I started taking them the sensitivity subsided in a few weeks along with my high anxiety level and day to day panic attacks. I feel pretty well 
Sounds don’t bother me anymore. It is a bit of a sensitive spot,but no comparising to the times without medication. All in all I feel more relaxed nowadays. (sorry for the late response ) Love from Anna
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Thank you all for your thoughts – it means a lot to me to know that I am not totally alone. I can relate to your problem. Many many years I was high sensitive to sounds. And like you it where not all sounds and noises. But for me it was a part of a larger picture that turned out to be a Panic-disorder. It doesn’t sound you have this. Tho IMO it can also be PTSD-related. Do you feel anxious when you cannot control this noises ? Margrove and Philip are suggesting CBT-therapy. This is a therapy where irrational feelings will be challenged with rational thoughts. If the noises are your only problem I would quess that that is your best shot Love from Anna I have many other problems, but I don’t know which is cause, and which is effect, it’s probably all a big mix of crap coming all the way from my childhood. My father was a neurotic person and used to beat me up. Eventually got mentally sick because of the huge number of sleeping pills he used to take (5-10 every night), and died before I could level things out with him. I did not feel safe as a kid, and I think I never got to see the world as a safe place to be – I am always in a mildly defensive/anxious state.
I can relate and I hear you ! What is interesting is that my brother, who is a little younger, has the same problem. Is it heredity or environment?
It can be a mixture of both. You see things in your childhood and you are also genetic related to the persons in your childhood. So there can be ‘things’ you have learned by seeing them and they also can be genetic in yourself. Yes, I am somwhat anxious when I feel I am not in control of what’s going on with me in general, but most situations can be resolved or are temporary, so they do not create long term problems. Noise at home or work on the other hand cannot be easily controlled and usually there is no perspective that things will change, unless there is some confronting of the source, and that is very hard to do, because of fear of being labeld as "nuts" or that the problem would not get fixed and then it would become even more stressful.
I can see you’re way of thinking and it is very familiar for me. Especcially the ‘none control’ issue and the scary thought of confronting the source of the sound I was thinking of PTSD – the noise bacame such an issue almost overnight, at a time in my life when I had been in a very stressful situation for about 8 months, but I don’t think that alone could have caused it, it was more an accumulation of problems over many years.
I feel you are right about this. Accumulation of problems with a stressfull life can also cause PTSD,you only will get the symptoms slower. I would like to try some form of therapy, but the fact is that I have no more tolerance and patience left. I am tired of going to new therapists and having to go through the whole story all over again, just to have to quit after a few sessions because I feel the threrapy is going nowhere.
Yes that is very frustrating I know. I am not a depressive person, I am fundamentally very optimistic and full of energy and projects, but this continous fight with myself and the environment drains a lot of my mental energy and also makes me make wrong life decisions, which lead to more suffering for me and others. I am very angry at myself and quite hopeless – what’s the point of trying if I by the time I find a fix, I will have wasted the best years of my life.
I can hear your anger at this condition. I have no solutions other than CBT therapy. Maybe you would like to look into the possibility of taking medication for a short while,so the mind will have some rest. I am not a med expert by any standard,but maybe a benzo will give you some relief. When the mind is at ease a bit you will be able to make choises in the field of therapy that will help you I really appreciate your "listening" to me.
You are most welcome We all came here a first time It is nice to know you are not alone ! Love from Anna
Response:
I am not a depressive person, I am fundamentally very optimistic and full of energy and projects, but this continous fight with myself and the environment drains a lot of my mental energy and also makes me make wrong life decisions, which lead to more suffering for me and others. I am very angry at myself and quite hopeless – what’s the point of trying if I by the time I find a fix, I will have wasted the best years of my life.
I’d see a psychiatrist and get a diagnosis. Feeling hopeless, angrey, fatigued, and getting irritated easily are signs of depression. Meds and cognitive behavior therapy (usually lasts several months at most) are the best treatments for depression. Chip
Response:
Thank you all for your thoughts – it means a lot to me to know that I am not totally alone. I can relate to your problem. Many many years I was high sensitive to sounds. And like you it where not all sounds and noises. But for me it was a part of a larger picture that turned out to be a Panic-disorder. It doesn’t sound you have this. Tho IMO it can also be PTSD-related. Do you feel anxious when you cannot control this noises ? Margrove and Philip are suggesting CBT-therapy. This is a therapy where irrational feelings will be challenged with rational thoughts. If the noises are your only problem I would quess that that is your best shot Love from Anna
I have many other problems, but I don’t know which is cause, and which is effect, it’s probably all a big mix of crap coming all the way from my childhood. My father was a neurotic person and used to beat me up. Eventually got mentally sick because of the huge number of sleeping pills he used to take (5-10 every night), and died before I could level things out with him. I did not feel safe as a kid, and I think I never got to see the world as a safe place to be – I am always in a mildly defensive/anxious state. What is interesting is that my brother, who is a little younger, has the same problem. Is it heredity or environment? Yes, I am somwhat anxious when I feel I am not in control of what’s going on with me in general, but most situations can be resolved or are temporary, so they do not create long term problems. Noise at home or work on the other hand cannot be easily controlled and usually there is no perspective that things will change, unless there is some confronting of the source, and that is very hard to do, because of fear of being labeld as "nuts" or that the problem would not get fixed and then it would become even more stressful. I was thinking of PTSD – the noise bacame such an issue almost overnight, at a time in my life when I had been in a very stressful situation for about 8 months, but I don’t think that alone could have caused it, it was more an accumulation of problems over many years. I would like to try some form of therapy, but the fact is that I have no more tolerance and patience left. I am tired of going to new therapists and having to go through the whole story all over again, just to have to quit after a few sessions because I feel the threrapy is going nowhere. I am not a depressive person, I am fundamentally very optimistic and full of energy and projects, but this continous fight with myself and the environment drains a lot of my mental energy and also makes me make wrong life decisions, which lead to more suffering for me and others. I am very angry at myself and quite hopeless – what’s the point of trying if I by the time I find a fix, I will have wasted the best years of my life. I really appreciate your "listening" to me.
Response:
I am generally a quite stressed person, and have probably major unresolved issues dating from my childhood. I talked about this problem to different therapists, but I got the feeling that they had no idea what I was talking about, and nobody could come up with a solution. I would really appreciate any ideas/suggestions as to why this is happening and what I can do to alleviate it, including names of specialists who may be able to help. I live in the San Francisco Bay Area. Thanks.
Hello I can relate to your problem. Many many years I was high sensitive to sounds. And like you it where not all sounds and noises. But for me it was a part of a larger picture that turned out to be a Panic-disorder. It doesn’t sound you have this. Tho IMO it can also be PTSD-related. Do you feel anxious when you cannot control this noises ? Margrove and Philip are suggesting CBT-therapy. This is a therapy where irrational feelings will be challenged with rational thoughts. If the noises are your only problem I would quess that that is your best shot Love from Anna
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hello everybody, I am not sure if this is the right place to ask for help in this matter, but here is my problem. I am a 43 year old male, married and with one child. I have always been a hypersensitive person, but several years ago I developed a strange kind of sensitivity to noises that is very negatively affecting my life. Basically, I am bothered by certain noises, but only sometimes, and only in some circumstances. If I perceive some noise as an intrusion into my private environment either at home or at work, and if I feel that I cannot control it, I go through some very extreme emotions, of disproportionately high intensity. It is almost as I perceive the noise as a threat of some sort. The absolute same type of noise produced in a situation that is under my control, does not have any effect on me. The connections that I could make so far are: noise = lack of control, noise = lack of sensitivity relative to my feelings, noise = invasion of my privacy etc. For example, if I am at home and I hear my neighbor’s wind-chimes, this makes me angry, panicked, stressed, anxious to the point that I cannot do or think about anything else. If I go to a wind-chime store and my daughter starts shaking the chimes for 5 minutes, I find this amusing. If I am at work and a co-worker keeps slightly drumming his fingers on his desk, it drives me nuts, but the continuous sound of my keyboard (or even his) does not bother me at all. Also, it is not intensity related – a very low noise could bother me while a loud sound may go un-noticed. This whole thing is making my life miserable and unbearable at times. Sometimes the only solution I see is to move to a different apartment, or change jobs, or in general to run away from the problem, rather than cope with it (whatever coping with this may mean). This is clearly an unrealistic solution that only gives temporary relief. I am generally a quite stressed person, and have probably major unresolved issues dating from my childhood. I talked about this problem to different therapists, but I got the feeling that they had no idea what I was talking about, and nobody could come up with a solution. I would really appreciate any ideas/suggestions as to why this is happening and what I can do to alleviate it, including names of specialists who may be able to help. I live in the San Francisco Bay Area. Thanks.
I think *Cognitive Behavioral Therap* will help. Read: http://wwww.cognitivetherapy.com http://panicdisorder.about.com/cs/therapycbt/ Philip – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –
Response:
Hello everybody, I am not sure if this is the right place to ask for help in this matter, but here is my problem. I am a 43 year old male, married and with one child. I have always been a hypersensitive person, but several years ago I developed a strange kind of sensitivity to noises that is very negatively affecting my life. Basically, I am bothered by certain noises, but only sometimes, and only in some circumstances. If I perceive some noise as an intrusion into my private environment either at home or at work, and if I feel that I cannot control it, I go through some very extreme emotions, of disproportionately high intensity. It is almost as I perceive the noise as a threat of some sort. The absolute same type of noise produced in a situation that is under my control, does not have any effect on me. The connections that I could make so far are: noise = lack of control, noise = lack of sensitivity relative to my feelings, noise = invasion of my privacy etc. For example, if I am at home and I hear my neighbor’s wind-chimes, this makes me angry, panicked, stressed, anxious to the point that I cannot do or think about anything else. If I go to a wind-chime store and my daughter starts shaking the chimes for 5 minutes, I find this amusing. If I am at work and a co-worker keeps slightly drumming his fingers on his desk, it drives me nuts, but the continuous sound of my keyboard (or even his) does not bother me at all. Also, it is not intensity related – a very low noise could bother me while a loud sound may go un-noticed. This whole thing is making my life miserable and unbearable at times. Sometimes the only solution I see is to move to a different apartment, or change jobs, or in general to run away from the problem, rather than cope with it (whatever coping with this may mean). This is clearly an unrealistic solution that only gives temporary relief. I am generally a quite stressed person, and have probably major unresolved issues dating from my childhood. I talked about this problem to different therapists, but I got the feeling that they had no idea what I was talking about, and nobody could come up with a solution. I would really appreciate any ideas/suggestions as to why this is happening and what I can do to alleviate it, including names of specialists who may be able to help. I live in the San Francisco Bay Area. Thanks.
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hello everybody, I am not sure if this is the right place to ask for help in this matter, but here is my problem. I am a 43 year old male, married and with one child. I have always been a hypersensitive person, but several years ago I developed a strange kind of sensitivity to noises that is very negatively affecting my life. Basically, I am bothered by certain noises, but only sometimes, and only in some circumstances. If I perceive some noise as an intrusion into my private environment either at home or at work, and if I feel that I cannot control it, I go through some very extreme emotions, of disproportionately high intensity. It is almost as I perceive the noise as a threat of some sort. The absolute same type of noise produced in a situation that is under my control, does not have any effect on me. The connections that I could make so far are: noise = lack of control, noise = lack of sensitivity relative to my feelings, noise = invasion of my privacy etc. For example, if I am at home and I hear my neighbor’s wind-chimes, this makes me angry, panicked, stressed, anxious to the point that I cannot do or think about anything else. If I go to a wind-chime store and my daughter starts shaking the chimes for 5 minutes, I find this amusing. If I am at work and a co-worker keeps slightly drumming his fingers on his desk, it drives me nuts, but the continuous sound of my keyboard (or even his) does not bother me at all. Also, it is not intensity related – a very low noise could bother me while a loud sound may go un-noticed. This whole thing is making my life miserable and unbearable at times. Sometimes the only solution I see is to move to a different apartment, or change jobs, or in general to run away from the problem, rather than cope with it (whatever coping with this may mean). This is clearly an unrealistic solution that only gives temporary relief. I am generally a quite stressed person, and have probably major unresolved issues dating from my childhood. I talked about this problem to different therapists, but I got the feeling that they had no idea what I was talking about, and nobody could come up with a solution. I would really appreciate any ideas/suggestions as to why this is happening and what I can do to alleviate it, including names of specialists who may be able to help. I live in the San Francisco Bay Area. Thanks.
there are all kinds of perceptual disorders ranging from inner ear maladies to Irlen syndrome a scotopoic snesitivity disorder. However,since your irritation to noise seems to become heightened only under certain specific conditions and circumstances, it would bear out a psychological etiology rather then a perceptual one or one of process. When your attention is disrupted, or when noise becomes a forground rather then a background and your focus is interrupted or challenged, you experience symptoms of distraction and frustration therefore, some cognitive component is at work and a good cbt therapist could teach you how to increase your tolerance to frustration and discomfort as well as manage the belief systems that are put into play when you don’t. LM
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