What noises just tip you over the edge?

[ofwarren]

A question for other autistic people

Which noises are guaranteed to send you into sensory hell?

I'm lay in bed at the moment and can hear the incessant hum of a lawnmower and my heart is just racing and I'm clenching my teeth so hard. It's one of the worst noises for me.

I also can't handle military planes and power tools.

My dh coughing.
I don’t react to other people coughing, but when he’s coughing it feels like an attack.
it’s really getting me down at the moment

I love the sound of motorbikes and planes. For me it's anything mouth related that's the worst. Heels clicking or boots scraping the ground. Pick your bloody feet up! Rustling wrappers, tissues and paper napkins, nails tapping on phones or keyboards, snoring, sniffing, swallowing, whispering, whistling, music that isn't mine, lots of people taking at once, people in general really. Polystyrene.

I've got another one...
My DH with ADHD has just decided he wants to learn to sing....

My noise cancelling headphones are getting a lot of use at the moment...

Power tools, hammer drills in particular

Dentist's drills and sucky things

Blood curdling screams from toddlers

Radio interference

Dripping taps

There is a particular youtuber (won't mention their name, it's not their fault!) who my kids LOVE to watch... but whose voice really grates on me to the point that I cannot be in the room when they watch that channel, otherwise I will lose the plot very very fast. Also, unfortunately, my kids whining when they are heading towards a meltdown sets me off, I have to take a really deep breath and focus in order to help them calm down! The dehumidifier/ anything similar with that white noise type of hum as well. I have a decent pair of noise cancelling headphones which I use both at home and in the shops when needed!

Kids screaming
repetitive jazz music
people eating food packets rattling
bones breaking

The thing I hate the most is loud music. I can't believe the number of selfish people, usually men, who drive past my flat everyday or park their car while blaring out music. The bass vibrations are just insane.

I really have no idea as to what goes on in the mind of people who think that level of noise pollution is acceptable in residential areas.

Same thing in shops and cafes when they also have really loud music in the background.

Oh god yes, other peoples music. I don’t know if the lockdowns made people less self-aware, but I noticed more people playing music or loud games on their phones without headphones on the beach or by the pool, or even in boats on the sea! It’s like fingernails down a blackboard for me, I can’t bear it.

A ticking clock
dd1 eating crisps
snoring 😬

Metal cutlery hitting teeth - especially my own. I have to use a small childrens set, or plastic.

I love rhythmic noises - clocks ticking, tapping fingers.

I tend not to notice loud noises - I'm oblivious to sirens, my phone could be ringing in my hand and I sometimes wouldn’t notice, and a shrilling alarm clock has never woken me up, I have my phone under my pillow for the vibrations.

I also hate whispering, but my autistic son LOVES IT! I have to whisper-sing directly into his ear to get him to sleep every night, with the hairs all over my body standing up 😂

The same. If I’m on a train and I hear someone talking, I always check to see if they’re talking to someone who is physically there or on a phone. Somehow I can accept the former but I detest the latter. Especially if it’s speaker phone. I will and do move away.

And now technology means that NDN can have their speaker phone conversations outside instead of inside on their landline phones.

Oh goody

That too. We stopped having Premier Inn breakfasts because who wants loud crap Muzak first thing in the morning?

Other people’s music 😬

Any noise created by my DP:

-- when he loads the dishwasher
-- when he empties the dishwasher
-- when he puts cutlery in the drawer
-- when he chops food
-- when he has the TV on
-- tapping on his phone
-- the way he breathes through his nose in a quiet room
-- the noise his chair makes when he stands up
-- and sits down
-- the groan when he bends
-- when his jeans rub
-- the drag of his shoes
-- his eating noises
-- his drinking noises
-- when he talks sometimes 😬

Then non-DP stuff:

-- the fast spin on the washing machine
-- the phone ringing
-- my alarm
-- the microwave binging
-- cat scratching noises
-- dog sloppy licking noises
-- children screeching
-- people outside shouting
-- people outside laughing
-- music outside
-- running water
-- the toilet refilling
-- the boiler kicking up
-- pipes creaking
-- the laptop fan
-- when earphones start to fail and they start being unbalanced and making crackling noises

That was everything today while at home. DP is lucky to be alive.

People talking above a low volume.
Conversely to above - whispering. (I have a very narrow window of tolerance with people speaking!).
Whistling.
Dripping tap.
Snoring - especially when anywhere other than a bedroom.
Electrical hum type noises.

Engines running.
Whistling.
Banging doors.
Multiple sound sources-eg dishwasher running, tv on and dh playing guitar.
Plus multiple conversations going on in a room.
There are many more but I can't think of them rn as the fridge freezer is humming in the background and distracting me

Oh, professional singers/musicians that aren't pitch perfect. It hurts my ears and makes my brain rattle.

Nail biting
any ‘picking’ type noises
sniffing
crying babies
leaf blowers
extractor fan
wind rattling doors against frame
many low level mechanical type noises

iPad ‘game’ noises

Today I was in a pub restaurant and there was a guy sitting a good 20ft away from me and with every mouthful he smacked his lips loudly. When I placed our order I said what it was but that we might have to move because of the lip smacker. He really was disgusting. After I said that I realised he was actually a member of staff on his break. I'm going to have to get some kind of noise cancelling thingies. It's getting worse for me as I get older and since lockdown.

I have ADHD rather than autism but these are mine

Motorbikes, engines in general. Loud rumbling diesel engines are also awful.
Any kind of white noise like extractor fans, hoover, fan etc.
Children whining. Sometimes crying especially if I can't fix it or am otherwise overwhelmed.
Recorded stuff like rain sounds, DH likes them, I have to turn it off. Actual rain through a window is fine. I have absolutely no idea why.
TV or music being too high a volume, particularly people talking, certain accents are worse than others. DH likes this kind of thing about 3 volume settings higher than I do and I find it physically intrusive. It makes me feel sick. I hate the way films have all the sound effects really loud and the people talking too quietly so you have to turn it up to hear.
Dogs barking

I feel like I just go into panic and need to get away from the sounds.

Also - I don't like headphones that block out other sounds. If I'm using headphones they need to let sound in, otherwise I feel trapped. Especially in ear ones that make sounds when you touch the wires. Can't cope with those.