I am having problems lately with sounds causing me extreme (mental) irritation. Mostly at work. It feels like the only noises I am ok with are ones that I cause. I like to hear the clickety clack of myself typing on the keyboard. I like to listen to music at home. I like it when a cat purrs after I pet it.
What I don’t like is an ever-increasing list:
Ringing phones. If it goes for more than 1.5 rings I grit my teeth. After 5 rings I have to stuff my fingers in my ears and breathe loudly or click my teeth so I don’t hear it. (I work in a call center so I hear ringing phones pretty often. They will only ring if someone is away from their desk but still… it happens multiple times an hour). People chkting ballpoint pens. This one old disabled lady who moans, grunts, and gasps with pain every time she walks (and god help you if you’re in the bathroom when she has to take a shit–christ almighty I think I had an aneurysm). People eating bananas. And people clipping their nails feels almost like it hurts my brain. It also gets very loud right around 1015 pm because all of the midnight shifters have a break at the same time (but I get off at 11 so I have to work through it), and since we shut the phones off at 10 and switch to paperwork, it’s gabgabfuckinggab about kids, husbands, loud raucous laughter, nattergabshootmyselfintheface.
By the end of an 8 hour shift, I am practically running out the door for the relative peace and quiet of my car. I feel like the Grinch with his hate-on for the rare cantankular clinks (or whatever). And there are certain things about the noise level that really HAVE increased–people didn’t used to be this loud on their 1015 break. However, other things (the phone ringing especially) did not bother me this badly in the past.
I guess I’m wondering, how abnormal is this? Should I see a doctor? It seems more or less mundane on the surface, but I feel like I’m going to explode and scream at someone if things keep on going this way. I’ve tried earplugs and I don’t like hearing nothing. It makes me paranoid that someone could sneak up behind me and I wouldn’t notice. It also doesn’t help that I work by our “bridge” which is basically the hub of the office. All faxes are received 10 feet from my cube. All internal help calls are routed to the floor manager who works in the next cube over. Everyone who turns in a fax folder (department of 100+ people) walks by my desk.
I found there was a period of time when every, frickin’ little sound at work was making me crazy. I had to start wearing ear-plugs because the “widgy-widgy-widgy” sound of the automatic, motion-censor paper towel dispenser in the bathroom was making me homicidal. Even the faint, tiny “fffft, tinkle” sound of someone opening the fridge door in the office kitchen was maddening. Worse, I tried wearing headphones and wasn’t even able to enjoy my own music selection because I suddenly became hyper-aware of deficiencies in the recording or the crapiness of my cheapo headphones.
It ended up being related to generalized workplace stress. As twickster mentions, that kind of irritability can be a symptom of depression. In my case, it was very much tied to my job specifically. It’s not generally a high-stress environment, but there are multiple competing deadlines, perpetual demands for my immediate attention, and so on, until my entire psyche was wanting me to yell out “Calgon, take me away!” A vacation helped and then really making sure I had activities that freed up my mind and spirit, so I didn’t bring the stress home.
Edit: I would also recommend seeing either your doctor to determine if it’s workplace stress or something else, and if it is workplace stress, then a counselor who specializes in work-life balance. Very small modifications or stress relieving techniques can make a significant difference.
I got like this when I lived in an apartment, and continued to be hypersensitive to the–admittedly far fewer–sounds of neighbors for some time after I lived in a house. It went away when I stopped associating with a certain person who was encouraging me to be neurotic, and whose presence in my life was a constant irritation in itself.
Thanks for the advice, everyone! I want to re-emphasize that although I’ve tried them, earplugs don’t seem to be working for me on a long term basis. I can’t relax and/or focus on work while wearing them.
I don’t think it’s hyperacusis, simply because I’m totally down with any sound that I am in control of, loud or soft. But sounds caused by others at work (and sometimes when my roommate is being loud with his girlfriend :rolleyes:) make me nutty.
I guess it’s worth noting that I am due for a vacation the first week of January. I haven’t had a vacation from work since last January. Maybe that will help.
It happens to me, too. It’s probably related to my fairly whacked-out brain makeup, so I’ll have to throw in with the people who mention depression and suggest seeing a doctor. That being said, what helps me is listening to music on headphones, mainly because that gives me some organized, regular, controlled sound to focus on. If you can at your work, you might want to try that; I can’t. Sigh.
Music at work can sometimes be problematic (I can’t read while listening to stuff with lyrics, for example) but you might try headphones + white noise. Maybe a little old fan at your desk to make a constant whiirrrrrrrrrrr to block out the other noises?
I’ve tried listening to music and movies (I used to love www.listentoamovie.com). But lately I get extraordinarily paranoid when I can’t hear someone walking up behind me. I can’t listen to things when I’m on phones, obviously, but when we switch to paperwork at night I can. I just can’t do it anymore. Good suggestions, though.
I actually talked to my boss about getting my cubicle moved because in my row the fucking noise NEVER STOPS. Most of it is just people bullshitting, it’s not even business-related but there is nothing I can do about it because the chitchatters are managers. My boss said he would probably have a hard time getting it approved by management ad-hoc, but I am hoping if I do go to a doctor that I can get them to write me a note. And maybe some crazy (anti-anxiety?) pills.
I’m paying closer attention to my body than usual and I’ve been noticing that I am extremely oversensitive to sound caused by not-me, unexpected lights (ambient fluorescence is ok, headlights in my rearview mirror are awful), smells (perfume, axe, hand sanitizer, poop), and touches. So I’m dealing with sensory overload to pretty much everything but taste, since nobody can force things into my mouth.
Sadface. This is a totally new thing as of the last month or so. I recall specifically when I was seeing a guy that he tried to snugcuddle me and all I felt was a mounting irritation the entire time.
Anyway thanks again for the advice. It’s nice to organize my thoughts for potentially going to see a shrink, and maybe get some feedback at the same time. =)
That sounds exactly like my symptoms when I was still trying to work full-time despite having clinical depression and anxiety that was exacerbated from working and stressing too much. My doc told me they’re signs both of clinical depression and long-term stress. So - good that you’re thinking about seeing a doc. You might want to do it sooner than later - these things are not to be taken lightly. If it is anxiety or depression, you want to catch it early. Best of luck to you!
I dunno. People make that disgusting slushy noise when they’re eating bananas. That gross, vomit-inducing, phlegmy sound where you can hear them smacking that mush around their sticky, gooey mouth. I tend to move away from people eating bananas.
It may be a symptom of depression or anxiety so for the sake of your health and peace of mind, follow that up. Any recent head injury? - your symptoms are classic signs. The hypersensitivity is going to wear you out so reducing it is important.
However don’t let this get to you. The older I get the more I realise there are no “normal” people. Almost everyone has a quirk even if they don’t know it.
It’s not the eating, it’s the sound of the peeling that causing the problem.
I have a version of this sensitivity too. It’s mostly the susurration of music coming out of other’s head phones and the clacking of typing of on a keyboard, plus a few others.
I don’t mind hearing music played through speakers that sounds like music in its full range, but coming out of head or ear phones, where you can only hear the beat or a tiny amount of sound escaping sounds like insects buzzing around is torture. Of course, I’m surrounded by idiots on the train to and from work every day who are oblivious to the torture they’re causing me. I’ve actually changed subway cars because of this.
The same in the office or other public places with regard to the clackety-clack typing, including one guy who bangs the keys as if the words are going to stick to his document or email much better if he hits the keys with hammer force. Uhn-uh, not needed.
Also, my upstairs neighbor probably makes the normal amount of noise, but after one or two drags, drops or other bangs, I’m ready to commit homicide. I’ve actually yelled out at her to just please stop! Again, it’s the muffled, incompleteness and somebody-elseness of the sound that’s so irritating.
Yes, I’m depressed and found out about this symptom through this thread.
With bananas it is not the banana being peeled, it’s the sqush qush skwigk slurp sound of it being masticated. It is truly horrifying. Crunchy food noises (like apples and doritos) actually don’t bother me at all
Thanks for sharing! This may be relevant for me, too. Because I think my irritability may have been triggered in part because I just got a roommate in the room next to me after it being unoccupied (and thus blissfully silent) for 2 months. The homeowner I rent a room from was going to use it as a computer room and then changed her mind… bitch. And this roommate is unfortunately on the louder side of normal, and also has a girlfriend who comes over late at night (I can tell they’re trying to be quiet, which I appreciate, but the walls are thin and I still hear things through it. sigh). Before that the situation was perfectly ideal, since the homeower’s room is separated from mine by a closet AND the bathroom. No such luck for my new roommate and me.
Yet another person here who experiences this from time to time, and who is probably depressed.
But as others have suggested, don’t be complacent, especially if things deteriorate. Early intervention can be critical, not just in depression, but also in psychosis.
Good suggestions, though.
