Out of the Storm

Physical & Psychological Comorbidities => Co-Morbidities => Other => Topic started by: spryte on October 08, 2014, 11:44:33 AM

Title: Sensitivity to Sound?
Post by: spryte on October 08, 2014, 11:44:33 AM
Do any of you experience sensitivity to sound? I had been chalking this up to me being an HSP (highly sensitive person) but I'm noticing more and more characteristics of that that cross over with c-ptsd as well. The sound issue has been getting worse this last year or so.

Title: Re: Sensitivity to Sound?
Post by: spryte on October 08, 2014, 12:20:15 PM
bheart - sorry VF?

Yes, I feel like I've always been sensitive to people raising their voices, which is no surprise considering how much my mother screamed and raged at us. I'm extremely uncomfortable even raising my own voice. I have a really hard time talking to people who are hearing impaired for that reason. My ex and I had a terrible time because he's got hearing loss.

But yes, loud talking...my office gets so loud sometimes with everyone talking and laughing and I just want to crawl under my desk and shove erasers in my ears. It is NOT helping that I moved into an extremely loud apartment complex two months ago. THAT has been a serious exercise in building my resiliency, complete with conflicts with upstairs neighbors and listening to him rage around when he's upset.
Title: Re: Sensitivity to Sound?
Post by: Rrecovery on October 08, 2014, 01:43:24 PM
I'm so very sensitive to loud talking, loud noises and OMG noisy neighbors  :stars: I had a month long EF (with a sinus infection manifesting) when I thought the neighbor I was going to move next to was going to be crazy loud.  She isn't. 

I also chalked up this sensitivity to being a HSP.  I now see that HSP and Cptsd are two distinct conditions, but they can definitely feed into each other.  Perhaps this should be a separate thread but I wonder if being a HSP is part of why one victim of an abusive childhood develops Cptsd and another child doesn't.
Title: Re: Sensitivity to Sound?
Post by: spryte on October 08, 2014, 01:54:57 PM
bheart - I am changing jobs here at the end of the month and I'm going from having my own office with a door that I can close, to being in a cubicle. I am very nervous about it. :( I went to the office at around 3:00 on a Friday and it seemed calm and peaceful, but you never know. I'm also not sure whether or not I'll be able to listen to music at my desk (or in headphones since it's a cubicle environment, I wouldn't want to bother anyone else) which I can do here and which keeps me sane. It's going to be a big adjustment.

Rrecovery - I'd be interested in a thread about HSP. I've often wondered why my childhood effected me so much more profoundly than it did the other kids in my family. I have a brother, and three cousins who have a BPDm who all seem much more functional than I am. And, I don't know if it's still me minimizing my experiences, but I know there are people who have dealt with much worse than I have, who seem to have much more resilience than I apparently did.

I don't have many memories from when I was a kid, so I don't remember whether or not I exhibited many HSP characteristics - but then...it seems that the abuse started so early that I don't think there's any way to tell, even if I HAD memories. All I know is that I score really high on the HSP test, and I'm not so certain that I agree with the supposition that it's something that you have to be born with. Considering the neuroplasticity of the brain (which works both ways) I think there's a lot of room for the development of HSP in relationship to things like c-PTSD.
Title: Re: Sensitivity to Sound?
Post by: globetrotter on October 08, 2014, 03:01:02 PM
Spryte:
I am going through that exact same thing. My last day in an office is tomorrow and Monday I come in to a cube. I'm attached to my earphones and Pandora or Spotify, but even that gets overstimulating and I can only take it in doses. They are pumping white noise through the building to help (this is all the result of a big remodel) which kind of bugs me...like a form of mind control...but those already in the new sections say it really helps to deaden sound. I'm more bothered about the loss of privacy and simply having people closer to me all day, observing my comings and goings, personal phone chats, etc. It seems every company has its obnoxious loud ones, but have found management is usually agreeable to moving people to quieter spots if that's what they need for better productivity.

Interesting idea re: HSP being a result of developmental impacts. As an artist, I think I was born with it, but I think it was Rain who said that as an HSP, we tend to absorb abuse much more intensely.
Title: Re: Sensitivity to Sound?
Post by: Rrecovery on October 08, 2014, 05:58:46 PM
I am also an artist and a musician and I am certain my sensitivities to pitch and colors, etc. is just part of the real me  ;)
Title: YUP: Sensitivity to Sound?
Post by: Unconcious_Ghost on October 09, 2014, 06:13:53 PM
Glad someone started this topic of sound issues.
Over time, I now have a severe irritation to sound...screaming, obnoxious, mouthy kids are the worst.  Having to put up with noisy neighbors in hotel hallways, TV's in other rooms, etc...severely intolerant to it.  I simply cannot stomach or withstand listening to people on cell phones, through walls (hotels, apartments), etc.  -Many of my fellow disaster workers would also get top floor rooms that didn't 'border' other rooms as much as possible. 
My best salvo is being anywhere I don't have to be bombarded by the cacophony of noises generated by the human race.  Getting FAR FAR back into wilderness areas & camping solo is what works best for me.  If I could live far back in the mountains/boonies, I'd be a happy person.  :yes:
Title: Re: Sensitivity to Sound?
Post by: spryte on October 09, 2014, 06:23:46 PM
I can't tell you how much I've been fantasizing about living in a cabin in the woods...far far away from other humans.

I would like to know more about how these sensitivities develop though, and whether or not they can be reduced rather than just managed. It's simply not practical to keep finding ways to avoid sound and I can't imagine letting it continue on and get worse. I have enough triggers for my anxiety, I don't need another one.

I've seen that sound sensitivity is definitely a symptom of PTSD, not just c-ptsd, so maybe there is a therapeutic way of dealing with it. Maybe some kind of desensitization/exposure therapy?
Title: To Spryte: Sensitivity to Sound?
Post by: Unconcious_Ghost on October 09, 2014, 06:36:06 PM
Yeah, I don't know what therapies would work to help alleviate the 'din of the human race.'  I understand its not 'their fault' and the problem lies within me and it's my pathetic responsibility to figure out how to manage it.  I can no longer go swimming at public pools, attend concerts, or be around public places. 
In my world, I look at it like being 'burnt out' and just too fatigued at a certain level to withstand much.  So, I find solace and peace in the outdoors.  As the cookie cutter symptoms go with 'doesn't enjoy activities you once did'...that fits me to a tee as well.  I used to fish, hike, run, etc all the time.  It's now a sad struggle to get back to it.  But 'sound' irritancies is a big deal to me.  Best thing I can do to avoid being confrontational with innocent humans at this point is to simply stay away from them.  -Which bleeds right into social isolation & distancing, which further injures my quality of life.
Title: Re: Sensitivity to Sound?
Post by: spryte on October 09, 2014, 06:43:54 PM
*nod*

QuoteI look at it like being 'burnt out' and just too fatigued at a certain level to withstand much.
Do you notice that your sound sensitivities are more pronounced during some times than at others?

I know that if my anxiety has already been sparked off by something, or I'm feeling "burnt out" or "overwhelmed" or too tired, they are definitely worse. So, for me, "reducing them" definitely looks like good self-care. Although, obviously, any of those states ^^ can't always be avoided no matter how much good self-care I do.

Hmm...I might do some exposure therapy experiments on myself soon. Usually I do whatever I can to avoid avoid avoid when sounds are bothering me. Turn music up, go into another room (if there are people screaming at the pool right outside my kitchen window) put headphones on, close my office door. I know from experience that the more I cater to my sensitivities, whatever they are, the worse they actually get. Maybe we can build "auditory resiliency" haha.
Title: To Spryte: Sensitivity to Sound?
Post by: Unconcious_Ghost on October 09, 2014, 07:46:29 PM
As I've shared before about my commonalities with combat vets who really suffer from PTSD effects...they also 'head for the hills' to get relief.  For them and 'noise'...well, their prior reaction to dealing with irritating subject matter, -is met by highly violent action.  So, they REALLY have to quarantine themselves to wilderness and/or quiet, rural settings where they feel comfortable 'defending' themselves. 
I agree with your terminology of 'auditory resiliency.' I just avoid human caused noises with a vengeance by either tuning them out (headphones & music) or tailoring my activities to steer clear of having to be bombarded by unwanted sound sources.
Title: Re: Sensitivity to Sound?
Post by: Rain on October 09, 2014, 07:54:53 PM
and I am actually wearing road construction headset to nearly totally block sound right now.
Title: Re: Sensitivity to Sound?
Post by: globetrotter on October 09, 2014, 09:40:53 PM
..this creates an interesting visual for me, Rain...are you in an office environment? :-)

I find I auto-filter when I can but when I become cognizant of my surroundings (i.e.: idiot in the office next door), it can be pretty overwhelming depending on where I am. Agree with sounds of nature are wonderful and birds, wind and streams can chat it up to their hearts' content!
Title: Re: Sensitivity to Sound?
Post by: Bluevermonter on October 10, 2014, 04:38:31 AM
Thanks for all ur comments so far.  My ex had to mute the tv between commercials, could not go to parties, malls, movie theaters without wearing earplugs.  She was bad at identifying everyday transient sounds, and where they came from.  so a plane, car backfire, tree falling in the forest, someone dropping a bag, would startle her and she would flinch and duck until I told her, "oh, it's just the neighbor trying to start his chainsaw," for example.

"What was that noise?" was a question she asked several times a week.

She could not handle loud voices, especially those in my family, where there are lots of hard of hearing old ladies, as well as boys running around like maniacs.

It's as if she had superhero hearing, except that everything she heard was dangerous.
Title: Re: Sensitivity to Sound?
Post by: schrödinger's cat on October 10, 2014, 07:34:51 AM
Quote from: Bluevermonter on October 10, 2014, 04:38:31 AM
It's as if she had superhero hearing, except that everything she heard was dangerous.

I think that's a good description of hypervigilance. That's it in a nutshell.
Title: Re: Sensitivity to Sound?
Post by: spryte on October 10, 2014, 11:46:33 AM
So, I think there might be a distinction here between "sounds make me nervous, or make me feel unsafe" and "sounds irritate the living crap out of me, sometimes to the point where I want to punch people" - there's a name for that second one, Misophonia and I've always had it a bit...I used to not be able to be in the same room with someone who was chewing on anything crunchy. That actually went away for a while, but now it's coming back, and it's getting a lot worse. I can seriously hear my co-worker crunching on SOMETHING during snack time all the way across the hall from me, and it just makes me cringe inside and makes me like...angry. I have to shut my door. I can't stand repetitive noises, or children shrieking, (my boyfriend and I both nearly ran for the nearest exit at the grocery store last night when a child started shrieking...and you know, I looked back and the mother's just laughing and a woman who walked by laughed and was like...aww...and in my head I'm like...can't you shut your kid up, how do you not realize how rude that is?)

I was looking into therapies for this and came across this which was interesting:
QuoteChelated magnesium supplement. Sound sensitivity sufferers have often been found to have an overabundance of a neurotransmitter called glutamate. Clinical studies have hypothesized that during periods of stress, endogenous dynorphins are released into the synaptic region behind inner hair cells. This is thought to increase the strength of glutamate, causing otherwise-tolerable sounds to be perceived with excessive loudness.

In my practice, 85 percent of my patients came to me with a severe magnesium deficiency. A deficiency in this mineral often leads to anxiety, mood swings, personality disorders, sound sensitivity, light sensitivity, and insomnia. Magnesium has been shown to mitigate the neurotransmitter glutamate while easing the anxiety and anger experienced by someone with most types of sound sensitivity. Chelated magnesium is one of the best types of mineral supplements as it is very small and easy for the body to absorb and make use of.

Magnesium is like...the number one mineral that gets lost during stress. Almost all normal people are deficient in magnesium, so it would probably be doubly true for c-ptsd sufferers.

There's a whole biological dimension to c-ptsd that I haven't seen discussed here yet. That might be interesting.
Title: Re: Sensitivity to Sound?
Post by: spryte on October 10, 2014, 12:25:52 PM
You're welcome. I meant to include that I have both. I also have a high startle response to unexpected noises, and I'll get a "not safe" feeling if I hear noises that I can't identify.
Title: Re: Sensitivity to Sound?
Post by: Butterfly on October 13, 2014, 12:22:11 AM
Yup both loud sustained noise or sudden loud noise. Angry arguing makes my stomach hurt so bad. Even someone walking into the room if I'm lost in thought will start me stiff. Sometimes I wind up putting soft silicone in my ears to dampen noise in crowds or full plugs to block the noise completely.
Title: Re: Sensitivity to Sound?
Post by: schrödinger's cat on October 13, 2014, 07:00:35 AM
I've got a question. Does any of you get more sensitive to noise when they're flashing back to something?
Title: Re: Sensitivity to Sound?
Post by: Butterfly on October 14, 2014, 09:56:16 AM
It certainly does seem so, the times when I was in full on obvious flashback I just wanted to lay there in peace and quiet. Sometimes reading but sometimes I didn't even want to read
Title: Re: Sensitivity to Sound?
Post by: schrödinger's cat on October 14, 2014, 12:03:18 PM
I'm asking because my mother was that way. Whenever she is stressed, she needs things to be quiet, and she'll often pull down the blinds so the room is half dark. She'd say: "I just simply don't want to hear or see a single thing." Puzzling, when I was a kid, but it makes sense in hindsight. She was so stressed out - no wonder she wanted absolute silence.

Ironically enough, it means that nowadays I'm getting stressed by half-dark rooms and absolute silence. It feels claustrophobic, like I'm locked up and the walls are coming closer. It makes visits home interesting. There'll be a bright sunshiny day, and my mother will pull down the blinds and close the windows to shut out birdsong, and sigh with relief: "NOW we're comfortable." And I'll be like: "...oh dear." :blink:
Title: Re: Sensitivity to Sound?
Post by: Kizzie on October 19, 2014, 12:12:09 AM
Oh that is ironic Cat, but I guess it makes sense that what worked for her would in the end come to signal something negative for you (i.e., M is having one of those days).

Misophonia - ah yes, tick.  Sometimes when we're in a restaurant and someone at another table is speaking loudly or braying with laughter I can't tune it out and I become seriously annoyed too - sounds like fingernails on a blackboard after a while.  Part of that is just annoyance with people who have the bad manners to be louder than everyone else in the room, but the other is a CPTSD reaction - not fond of loud, boisterous, stage hogging people, have an over active amygdala and am hypervigilant which taken together = sensitivity to loud sound (and strong light and too much movement), especially when I am having an EF. 

I do notice that I am becoming less hypervigilant and reactive though, and that I can stay in my own skin more (not be as outwardly focused), tune out external things better - I suppose because as I convince my IC to come out she is learning that world is not as unsafe and scary and adult me doesn't have to be constantly on guard - something like that anyway.  :stars:
Title: Re: Sensitivity to Sound?
Post by: Rain on October 19, 2014, 12:27:14 AM
Cat and Kizzie, you both have such perfect descriptions ...I feel like I'm there (well, really ...I mean that I'm grateful that I'm not there!)   :yes:
Title: Re: Sensitivity to Sound?
Post by: Kizzie on October 19, 2014, 12:46:33 AM
I just came across this at a site BadMemories posted a link to - http://www.entnet.org/content/hyperacusis-increased-sensitivity-everyday-sounds:

Hyperacusis is a condition that arises from a problem in the way the brain's central auditory processing center perceives noise. It can often lead to pain and discomfort.

Individuals with hyperacusis have difficulty tolerating sounds which do not seem loud to others, such as the noise from running faucet water, riding in a car, walking on leaves, dishwasher, fan on the refrigerator, shuffling papers. Although all sounds may be perceived as too loud, high frequency sounds may be particularly troublesome.
Title: Re: Sensitivity to Sound?
Post by: Rain on October 19, 2014, 01:22:29 AM
OMG ..can you imagine sensitivity to sound AND developing tinnitus (ringing in the ear)??   NO escape from sound!??!  ???

:aaauuugh: :aaauuugh: :aaauuugh:


thanks for the link Kizzie!
Title: Re: Sensitivity to Sound?
Post by: Butterfly on October 19, 2014, 06:42:26 PM
:heythere: actually, sadly, yes. When I close my eyes and all is quiet even with ear plugs I have a constant swooshing in my ears. Sometimes it's a pitched hiss.  It's awful.
Title: Re: Sensitivity to Sound?
Post by: Rain on October 19, 2014, 07:06:34 PM
Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!

I am so sorry, Butterfly.   I wonder if by some wild chance a professional, savvy hypnotist can have your brain rewire to not hear what is there.

Or, maybe your cat likes to have fun with you at night and does a "pitched hiss" by your ears.   (bad joke....)    :sadno:


Sorry you have that, Butterfly.   And to think I sometimes listen to recordings of ocean waves to fall asleep by, and yours are built in.   oh sigh.
Title: Re: Sensitivity to Sound?
Post by: Kizzie on October 19, 2014, 07:11:03 PM
Oh dear is right Butterfly - yikes.  I have a sound machine like Rain mentioned - I wonder if that would help?  I like the babbling brook.  We even take it when we're on the road as now we can't sleep without it lol.
Title: Re: Sensitivity to Sound?
Post by: Butterfly on October 19, 2014, 07:12:22 PM
Hissing cats. :P

White noise drives me batty. The hums and hissing eventually die down, just takes some time for brain to unwind.
Title: Re: Sensitivity to Sound?
Post by: Rain on October 19, 2014, 08:05:48 PM
Oh Kizzie you got me laughing with you guys taking the sound machine (and maybe Papa Bear now) on the road.   Love it!

Butterfly, that noise bit in your brain would drive me bonkers (well more than I am!).   Yuck, poooey.
Title: Re: Sensitivity to Sound?
Post by: spryte on October 22, 2014, 12:38:26 PM
Cat - sadly, I actually have the same reaction that your mother does. My sound sensitivity is way worse when I am stressed - and for me, stress keeps happening with this recurring trifecta that I haven't quite got a handle on yet of lack of sleep, lack of food, and too much coffee. When I am well taken care of (by me) my sound sensitivity is way less prevalent. I think I will always just prefer quiet to loud though. I listen to music, all day long I listen to music. But it's MY noise. *I* have complete control over it. It's the sounds that I have no control over that immediately put me on edge.

I was SO happy that the completely random restaurant that I picked for my birthday last weekend was both tasty AND completely empty. Lol
Title: Re: Sensitivity to Sound?
Post by: schrödinger's cat on October 22, 2014, 04:38:11 PM
Happy birthday (belatedly)!  :cake:   Interesting, what you say about noise that's under your control. I'm the same with silence. As long as I can get people noises when I want them, I'm okay with silence.
Title: Re: Sensitivity to Sound?
Post by: spryte on October 22, 2014, 04:43:12 PM
Thanks!
Title: Re: Sensitivity to Sound?
Post by: findingmyhome on October 24, 2014, 02:54:52 PM
Quote from: spryte on October 09, 2014, 06:23:46 PM
I can't tell you how much I've been fantasizing about living in a cabin in the woods...far far away from other humans.


I had that fantasy for decades and here I am in the middle of ten acres of woods. 

The neighbor who has two acres running along our ten filled it with a dirt bike track speaking of noise.  I am ready to move and we just got here.  Counting the days.  Maybe 100 acres next time. 

I am sensitive to noise and light.
Title: Re: Sensitivity to Sound?
Post by: spryte on October 24, 2014, 03:17:08 PM
Oh findingmyhome.... :blowup:

I can't even imagine.