Noises drive me crazy - Soft Sound Sensitivity Syndrome

[ptmusic]

OMG,

thanks for posting this. I actually went to a therapist for this a while back, which helped a little. But the therapist didn't name it SSSS. It totally makes sense. I've always thought I was completely weird and alone on this.

That's not to say I'm exactly like you freaks, either! Metal on teeth and brushing sounds don't bother me. But other people eating - I get angry, tense, and I usually leave the room.

Sometimes I just tell people "don't eat with your mouth open" or "don't talk with your mouth full". Needless to say, barking orders doesn't help relationships with adults. And when someone is eating with mouth closed, I have to just deal with it myself. My wife often takes her food to another room when she wants to eat. Slurping, gulping, even loud swallowing drives me apeshit.

But I have found that I'm not too bothered when I'm eating something equally "loud" (crunchy, squishy) as another person, as long as the other person keeps his damn mouth shut.

Besides eating, I get bothered by quiet noises in very quiet places. If I'm in a lecture, and someone is whispering nearby, or someone is clicking their g-d pen a lot, I am stuck and it's awful.

The solution I learned in therapy that works a bit is to do everything you can to relax your entire body for a 5 count. Every single muscle should go limp if possible. Don't worry about focusing on the professor or whatever you should be focusing on. After the 5 count, tell yourself (silently) to "focus" on whatever you should be focusing on.

As for sleeping, I can't take it when a dog is barking down the street, or someone is playing music next door. Quiet is worse than loud! Ear plugs do work for me as a last resort.

-ptmusic