Coping with noise

[The People]

Right now we are out in a coffee shop. We forgot out headphones. As we are overly tired and overly stressed our ability to tolerate noise is fractional.

But even on good days we cannot tolerate nose that is not of our making. We are in a coffee shop out of need for brew and internet.

When we are out walking and sirens go by we have to plug ears. Last weekend the fire alarm went off in building. We felt physically ill and dizzy.

We cannot wear headphones 24/7. Bad for ears. Cannot stand ear plugs. hat f someone is coming behind us and we don't hear them?

Do other people have this issue? If so, how do you cope with it? Noise pollution is an ever growing issue in this world.

[MakersDozn]

For those who don't know, we commute to work in Manhattan from the suburbs. We wear earplugs on the train and on the streets of the city. We also wear the earplugs while at the movie theater or at sporting events, neither of which we attend very often.

The earplugs don't block everything out, although sometimes we wish that they did. We don't feel unsafe wearing them because we know that we can still hear, only the noise is reduced rather than eliminated.

MDs

[nats]

hmm, often wondered why more people don't cover their ears during sirens. so loud! never occurred to us to use earplugs like MDs do. mainly we just find them uncomfortable, though apparently that's because we've only used the cheap ones.. don't know.

[angel with wings]

Sometimes when noise that's not my making is stressing me out, I find music helps. I use head phones an listen to music that's loud enough to drown out the unwanted noise.
I'd rather listen to loud music of my choosing, than a screaming kid. Music calms me.
Just a suggestion.

[The People]

AWW we do wear headset. Forgot them today when we wrote that at a coffee shop. As for earplugs glad it works for others but they make me crazy. I think my ear is oddly shaped. Earbuds can cause TMJ and eardrum issues but they don't fit well, ever. We once got abluetooth and not one of the pieces fit properly.

[The Warren]

We have issues with ear plugs also. We have small ear canals, and they are hard to get in and they fall out. We can use ear buds but we have to use the smallest fittings. Over the ear pieces like bluetooth headsets don't fit us well. We use the headphone type at work. A friend of ours spent a lot of money getting custom ear pieces made for her bluetooth headsets when she was doing a lot of work from home and had to be on calls. They were really expensive.

Noise canceling headphones work great even without music, but also not cheap, and it hurts our ears to have headphones on for a long time, but in terms of blocking out annoying noise, we get the best result from that. Luckily we are good at mentally blocking out most noise. So the instances where we feel the need to block it out are not frequent.

We really really hate ear plugs in bed, and it's not comfortable to fall asleep with headphones. THe next best thing we've discovered is playing environmental sounds like wind, rain, the ocean or using a white noise machine. We have an air filter in the bedroom to help with allergies, and it conveniently doubles as a noise masker.

At work, we will either put on headphones and play music or if it's really bad, we will get up and take a break away from our desk to relax. If it's really bad, we can just take our laptop and move to someplace quieter. Sometimes we like to go up to the cafeteria on off hours and sit next to the window. We have wifi all through the building so I am connected to our network no matter where I go. If the weather is really nice and the tables are still out (spring-fall - during the winter they turn the area into a skating rink), we can sit and work outside.

If we don't have headphone or music or something, we seek to leave the area ASAP when it is intolerable, which could mean moving tables or finding another cafe. We've had to do that at lunch sometimes when the cafeteria is very crowded or there is a loud table of people. If we're trapped, like if we are on the subway or something, we keep reminding ourselves it is temporary and try to distract ourselves with other things, our phone, texting to b*tch about the noise, breathing, techniques to calm us, that kind of thing.

[The People]

For bed we watch TV. And we set the timer on the clicker so it shuts off. If we aren't doing well the sudden loss of noise wakes us up and we have to turn it on again. But mostly it work good. Right now I cannot find it. I will be so glad when the rest of the stuff is gone from my place so I can arrange it to find things when I need them. Still not set up.

[BlackeBird]

As someone who carries both a DID and an ASD diagnosis, I can SO relate to this post. I can go very easily into sensory overload, and sound is my most sensitive area. I love my noise-cancelling headphones. You're right that one can't wear them 24/7, but in a situation like a coffee shop I would wear them. I also have issues with visual overstimulation and tactile overstimulation. Lots of times other people can't understand. Florescent lights are the worst - they make a high-pitched buzzing sound that no one around me seems to even hear, let alone be bothered by. They also hurt my eyes. They also feel like something on my skin. I'm always arguing with my coworkers about turning them off and using lamps. I can't think of anything else to suggest other than headphones, and just avoiding noisy crowded places. I'm happiest at home sitting quietly with my cats.

Kate

[The People]

Blackebird like you I have the tactile issues. It is difficult for us to buy clothes these days as cotton is out of style and a lot of other stuff itches us. We got a really nice red sweater. Don't know what it is made of but it was an expensive gift too warm too so we shall pass it along.

A few weeks ago we had a very stressful T session. She gets us to do wind down stuff and one of them was to name things we could hear. Whoever was out could hear the electricity running. Asked T f it was normal she said "it would be for you." An they were normal lights in an old house that has been turned into offices.

[nats]

aggh, fluorescent lights are truly awful! and they're everywhere now so we just have to accept. they make that buzzy noise with the flickering.. can't STAND them. never understood how other people don't seem bothered.

[The People]

T's lights weren't fluorescent though. I was so sensitized I could hear the electricity flowing.

[WeAreKaren]

Since everyone has addressed various methods of coping, I'm going to go for what might be the underlying cause. Because if you can learn about that, you can actually be less sensitive to what bothers you if you learn about what can help (known as a Sensory Diet). The People, you mentioned tactile as well as noise sensitivity. That is a hallmark sensitivity for someone who has Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD). My therapist says that many of her clients who have DID also have SPD. And I am one of them. I learned about it almost a year ago now and knowing about it changed my life almost as much as knowing I have DID. It explained so many things, such as why I unscrew all but one of the light bulbs in those awful banks of lights they put in bathrooms these days, and why having a hair between my breasts or on my back drives me crazy until I remove it, and why a repetitive noise drives me to distraction and makes it impossible for me to fall asleep.

SPD is a common yet little known "miswiring" of the brain. Rather than tell you more about it here, though, I am going to suggest that you look for the website spdlife.org, which is aimed at adults with SPD. (There are tons of sites aimed at kids, but this seems to be the only one for adults.) The page I found most helpful to start out with was the SPD Information page, which has three tabs: SPD Information, Symptoms, and Impact on the Senses. That is where I found out about the book I mentioned I'm reading in my Introduction update post. Just knowing the reason that I earned the nickname "Princess" (as in Princess and the Pea) from my ex-partner really, really helped me to feel better about myself. And then, of course, I learned ways to help me not be so reactive. You'll also note that there is a lot of overlap with PTSD. To me what that means is that SPD can multiply a PTSD reaction, or you can think you're having a PTSD reaction when actually it's the SPD.

Anyway, good luck, Jim. I encourage you (that means anyone on this thread who thinks this might apply to them) to take on this mission.

[BlackeBird]

(03-03-2016, 04:20 AM)The People Wrote: Blackebird like you I have the tactile issues. It is difficult for us to buy clothes these days as cotton is out of style and a lot of other stuff itches us. We got a really nice red sweater. Don't know what it is made of but it was an expensive gift too warm too so we shall pass it along.

A few weeks ago we had a very stressful T session. She gets us to do wind down stuff and one of them was to name things we could hear. Whoever was out could hear the electricity running. Asked T f it was normal she said "it would be for you." An they were normal lights in an old house that has been turned into offices.

I use a weighted blanket at home which has been AWESOME. I just got it a few weeks ago. I can't bring it to a restaurant or anything like that, but I imagine a therapist would be OK with it.

Kate

[MakersDozn]

Bright light bothers us also. We much prefer being outside on days that are cloudy (or at least not completely sunny). At home, we keep the blinds drawn, and we have the lights on very low at night.

We're not bothered by artificial light, but we just don't like the way it looks. It's hard to describe. Florescent light feels cold and clinical, and incandescent light feels unnaturally yellow.

We also use near-darkness (having only night-lights on at night, even well before bedtime) as a way of dissociating from the reality of our surroundings. I'm the one does this; the others just go along with me because it's easier than pushing me out of my comfort zone.

We don't have difficulties with tactile issues beyond our dislike of being touched. But that's a CSA issue, not an SPD issue.

Charity

[The People]

Blackebird I sent info about it to my T. She is very knowledgeable and we are going to discuss it when I see her tomorrow.