to be so sensitive to noises

[gjkufbb]

I think I know that I am being unreasonable, but does anybody else suffer as much as I do when you hear certain sounds.

They make me instantly furious or even want to cry/ get away immediately I hate it so much.

The sounds that bother me the most are:

People scratching
Breathing noises
Water running (especially if somebody's in the shower)
Any sort of low level repetitive hum

I think it's getting worse too. I had a fish tank but the noise of the filter made me so stressed out I had to get rid of it. I don't know what I can do to make myself not get so worked up. Has anyone else got a similar hatred of certain sounds?

Loud noise doesn't bother me at all. It's like subtle repetitive noises I think that bother me the most. I'm considering wearing some sort of ear plugs like loop to help? Has anyone tried them?

Yes I can't stand people talking on speakerphone and want to murder my ndn who does it in the garden in the summer.

Also barking dogs.
The electric meter (pre payment) beeping when it's about to run out.
Music on phones in the street/on bus/train (thankfully I drive most places).
The front door being knocked loudly (although I did have a very traumatic experience years ago beginning with that noise).

It's awful and I live with it day to day. So tiring and the anxiety is overwhelming.

Weirdly I m fine at work with over 1000 secondary age kids milling about. It seems more like when it's in my home space it's worse.

I have had this for over 20 years since I was at primary school. The hardest noise for me is loud banging, so slamming doors/building work/dropping something/stomping feet etc. it gives me an instant panic attack. I’m also triggered by dogs barking and people coughing. I’ve always been told exposure therapy helps to lower the stress from any provoking sounds, but for me mine is connected to a bad childhood so I know it’s here to stay. It makes life impossible for me as I always hear neighbours making noise and I can’t relax in my own home. My previous neighbour knew how it affected me and done it on purpose overnight. People are rarely considerate with their noise these days and how it could be affecting those around them.

Sorry to hear you're suffering so much! Oh get so annoyed when my neighbour makes noise too. I'm really hoping for a miracle with the ear buds I've just ordered. I've seen some mixed reviews but I'll try anything at this point. It's debilitating

I bought a large pack of the green foam ear buds from eBay a while back and they do work well, if they manage to stay in all night. I can’t sleep without any form of earbud as I’m anticipating a loud bang from somewhere all night. I hope the ear plugs help and you get some peace, it’s a really horrible situation to be in

I have misophonia,,so many sounds can make me panic or anxious…sounds licking lips, swallowing,chewing, grunting,breathing loudly and movements too…like consistent tapping fingers or feet,jiggling coins in pocket, sound from a bag of crisps.it’s a constant battle..air pods are great but you can’t use them all the time…consider future employment with this in mind,, as nothing I ever did improved my response to noise…so choose a career that has little/ no triggers for you…definitely worsens with stress so work on daily actions to reduce stress…eat and sleep well and be happy!! Just avoid the triggers as calmly as you can..educate yourself and family and close friends on misophonia…

@FabbyDab yes! Clashing sounds or competing noises literally melts my brain. I have no idea if this has a name or why I'm this way. If my children are talking/shouting at me at the same time (which they do every day) I literally have to do deep breathing 😅

And more generally, noone can talk to me before I leave the house or I will forget my essentials. I cannot sleep without ear plugs. I have never been into music which shocks a lot of people but it's because I don't like noise!

My daughter was diagnosed with misophonia (literally means 'hatred of sound') by the hospital audiology department.
Her trigger sounds are human made. So a dripping tap doesn't annoy her particularly, but eating/breathing/snoring sounds make her want to rip her ears off. She finds our dog's snores adorable though
At high school, she needed a separate room for her final exams. Had she been in the exam hall, seated beside a person with a cold (for example!), the sniffing is the only thing she'd have been able to focus on.
She's 21 now and it has got slightly better with age. She also has a diagnosis of autism.

Oh, and Flare ear plugs did absolutely nothing for her. A complete waste of money.

It’s people talking while the TV or radio is on especially if I’m trying to listen to what is being said on the TV or radio.
Reverse that too so if the TV or radio is on especially slightly higher volume in the background and I’m trying to have a conversation. This makes my stomach knot and I can’t think straight, it makes me feel super anxious so much that I need to leave the situation to calm my head.

Certain instruments like loud and long guitar solos.
Jazz music that isn’t “ordered” with no rhythm or continuum in the melody.
Hurts my head.

Any crash or loud sound.

This is really really bad but the American accent, I think it’s the pitch. To me it’s loud and piercing to my ears, the exaggerated pronunciations actually hurt my ears.

Similarly droning voices. My hairdresser drones on and on and on with no break in sentences. If it’s more than 20 minutes it actually makes me nauseous.

Continuous Banging noises, my ds bangs wherever he is. It could be his foot on the floor or a cup up and down on the table, his chair leg up and down. I cannot stand this.

Children, talking over each other or all at once add in screaming or screeching and that finishes me off.

I know I am a weirdo and I try super super hard to not let the discomfort show because I know I’m weird with this irrational stuff but I just feel relaxed in solitude with quiet. Also an introvert with social anxiety so I’m not a particularly easy person. It mortifies me tbh.

Anyone struggle with cinema and theatre and the noise of wrappers and people eating???

Oh wow, you are my people! I can totally relate. I'm a schoolteacher and somehow I can cope with that, but not noises like my own children talking over each other, or my FIL whistling, or the oven extracter fan. It all gives me the rage!

Oh and the radio... does anyone else absolutely detest the radio? I just can't listen to it.

I can't stand people talking "at me" like a one way conversation.

If I have the radio on I find I can't do anything else, like I am frozen and can't do two things at once.

I have misophonia too. For me there are 2 types of bothersome noise. The first makes me detest the person making it - so it's chewing, chomping, sucking,

The second is noise like crowd noise on TV or echoy rooms - these meals me feel very anxious.

Talking of TV... hated Sundays because my dad would always have the formula racing or the football on. The noise of the crowds, the engines, the commentary! Terrible!

@ColinRobinsonsfamiliar are you me?!
I'm exactly the same , I've been known to put my hands over my ears 😬 it's so awful

Pretty sure mine is add related but it's the bathroom fans, washing machine, can't sit in the same room as dishwasher or washing machine on. Can also be everyone talking at once over TV shows. Trying to chat over radio in the car.

All adverts
Tinny music from devices
Screechy female singers like Beyonce, Celine Dion
Tap running
Whistling
Whispering

I've just ordered some of those Flare Calmer Pro.

All sorts of background noises irritate me. I get fed up with the TV too.

Kitchen extractor fan
whistling
football commentary
ticking clock in a quiet room

Someone earlier mentioned American accents and yes, no offence to Americans as they're lovely - but some the accents OMG - they make me want to gouge mg eyes out.

My DD watches Ryan Toys Reviews / Ryan's World on YouTube and as he's gotten older the mum has been more of a prominent fixture of the videos. Her voice is so high pitched and whiney. It's literally like nails on a chalkboard.

My son bouncing a ball on my hardwood floors does my head in. I could strangle him

Is there a cure? How do those with chewing issues cope when you have to eat around people?

I struggle greatly with this. I find cafes and restaurants difficult because of the competing sounds... trying to listen to companion talk while chairs scrape, coffee machines blast and other guests roar. I am partially deaf so I strain to hear, yet at the same time I am extremely sensitive to noise and become very tired/headachy from both straining for long periods of time and from persistent noise such as busy traffic, power tools and parties.

It doesn't make me angry, I just have to be mindful about the situations I put myself in.