Does anyone else suffer with auditory processing problems?

Thank you for starting this thread, OP. I’m another one who has long complained of hearing issues, yet hearing tests showed mild hearing loss at most. Certainly didn’t explain my difficulties. I suspect I may be ND too.

I'm terrible for this. I'm autistic and have ADHD.

Yes, don’t enjoy noisy bars etc.

Yes, places like this are the worst. I have a friend’s birthday coming up, huge group, don’t know many of them and I’m honestly feeling sick about it. Everyone talking across, getting louder with alcohol, going to a club after…. it’s so frustrating not being able to follow conversations, knowing there’s a blank look on your face, people thinking you’re rude/weird.

Yes, don’t enjoy noisy bars etc. The other day we went bowling in an amusement arcade - the actual bowling was fine but when booking the lane there was loud music and lots of other machine noises and I was staring at the guy and just couldn’t track what he was saying at all. I can physically hear it but I can’t make sense of it!

Another example is that I was trying to pack a parcel to post and the bath was running in the bathroom next door. I just kept getting in a flap and messing up because of the noise of the water. I think a running tap alone or the shower would have been fine but the sound of the bath getting deeper and deeper was just intolerable! I had to go and turn it off until I’d finished my job.

Yes, I do and also perusing an ADHD diagnosis. Cannot hear a thing in busy/loud/stimulating environments. Feel awful for my eldest child, he runs out of school wanting to tell me about something and I cannot hear a word he says until we’re sat back in the car. Think its name is auditory processing disorder isn’t it? Bloody frustrating whatever it is.

Yes also ND

Yes but I have ADHD. I also had my hearing tested for the same reason (couldn't hear in environments with background noise). They also said my hearing was fine "for my age" and that it was an "attention issue". It's one of (many) things that pushed me to pursue an ADHD assessment.

I have similar problems to you OP. If I am in a public place I find it very hard to hold a conversation, or pick out individual voices, and if I do hear it I find it hard to take in the information and process it. I have higher functioning autism, which is the likely cause for me.

I have this. Also had numerous hearing checks but all clear. It’s so annoying. I have subtitles on Tv at all times because otherwise I miss so much. And I hate phone calls!
I speak French also but I remember when learning, I found it really hard to understand speech unless I saw their mouths at the same time so I realised that I must lip read a lot- even in English.
Wish there was a fix for it but I’m 40 and I haven’t found one!

oh and dialogue in films..Can't follow.

I do, diagnosed after my boss kept moaning that I was deaf as a post. I wasn't, I hear volume, just not distinguishing the sounds. Phone ringing, music playing, people talking, and general clatter end up an overwhelming mash of noise.
Can't decipher lyrics ( misheard lyrics is a speciality😂)
struggle with accents
Can't use a phone with background noise
Can't take notes
Can't stay on tune singing if there is more than one level..descant/ overlays
Misophonia

I realise I've been like it since a child, didn't realise it was a thing until the last few years. I got into trouble at work for not taking notes in a meeting. I needed slow and dictated.

Yep. Autism and ADHD here.

Yes, but I do have a feeling I am undiagnosed ND.

I do!!!

Have a look at loop earbuds, they’ve changed my life with things like this. I can hear the conversation near me (or say if I’m reading a book I can hear the pages turning) but they cut out all background noise :)

Plus I got silver and they look like pretty jewellery rather than headphones

https://www.loopearplugs.com/

Yes I’m always the one to ask to put the tv volume up if I’m eating in someone else’s house. Also struggle with conversations in noisy environments. I have ADHD so don’t know if it’s to do with that.

I don’t see how the eating thing would be though as I literally can’t hear the words very well when I’m eating.

Yes. ASD here. You can get loop earplugs that might help.

I struggle in noisy environments- restaurants and cafes.

I had multiple ear infections when young and was operated on.

My hearing is measurably worse than normal.

I'm fine with foreign languages and accents although I require time to "tune in".

I have it when eating but I know a lot of it is due to the actors trying be more natural in the delivery of their lines. I have less of a problem with period drama (rp) or soaps (shouty).

I have this and I reckon it's getting worse with age. I really struggle with distinguishing voices in places with a lot of background noise. At home I get really irritated by the fan. And things like my husband running his hand over his stubble when we are sat watching tv drive me crazy but I know that's unreasonable so I have to apologise when asking him to stop. I use subtitles a lot. In recent years ive taken to almost constantly wearing AirPods not turned on, as a subtle type of ear defender.

I am similar with light. Have always worn sunglasses even when it's just a bit bright, not sunny. I only like lamps on, hate the main light. I set all my screens to warm or night mode even in the day, and hate blue-white xmas lights.

It's only as a parent of ND DC (one diagnosed one not) that I now realise I am also ND. It doesn't restrict my life enough to pursue diagnosis but it's so clear to me now. Filling in the diagnosis forms for DC1 was an eye opener as so much applied to me!

Yes, like several pp I'm also autistic.

Telephone calls are worse. I noticed once that someone had left a voice message on my phone. Tried picking it up but I was outside, not a noisy environment but there were people talking.
Absolute silence so thought that someone had called me and decided to hang up when the phone went to voicemail.
Checked voicemail again a few days later. I happened to be at the supermarket but this time I was wearing headphones which blocked off much of the external noise.
Turned out that the original message hadn't been silence after all. I could hear the caller's voice perfectly.

Hi OP
in a rush but I've got a hearing disorder called SSCD (type that plus ear into Google). I can hear myself blinking, cannot focus in conversations if there is background music on. Basically was told I have super sonar hearing so I hear everything at once.
PM me if you've got questions