I am overly sensitive to noise and I find it hard or impossible to block it out. It has been an issue for a very, very long time. It is only now that I've been working in an office cubicle environment that I am having a lot of trouble dealing with it. In the past I've been able to go off on my own and work in isolation pretty much. I can't do that any more.
I've received "Extreme Isolation" noise blocking headphones, which by themselves don't do much to help my problem. I am wearing silicone ear plugs with the headphones and the combination doesn't block out enough. I swear its like I hear through my nose or something. I have been playing popular music, but that is also distracting. I've tried white noise and that is annoying.
Some days I don't have to use the noise blocking very much, if at all. But some days, even the slightest thing sends me into a freak-out. Like today. Its not like a panic attack, I don't think. Its just that the noise level and different conversations and sounds all crash in at once and create an overload I suppose. Like kicking a nest of hornets in my head. I can't concentrate, I can't think and all I want to do is yell, "Shut Up!" over and over and over again. I don't... very often, but I want to really bad. When I put on the headphones and play music and I can still hear people talking its like, "What the #&*@** are you doing? Why the &*#& do you have to talk that &@#&# loud?? I have on noise blocking headphones and loud music and I can STILL hear you! WTF!?!?" Turns out, its just me.
I have found a couple solutions that I am enjoying. What I am doing now is I have the silicone earplugs, the noise cancelling headphones and listening to some calming music from http://www.purple-planet.com/#/royalty-free-music-calm and listening to http://www.rainymood.com/ at the same time. This is helping to drown out most conversation.... yes, still not all. I am concerned that turning the music up any more will hurt my hearing, LOL!!
I am going to get evaluated on the 8th to find out WHY I am like this. It think that I am about to be diagnosed with Asperger's or CAPD or something like that. In fact, some people have told me that I have to be 'on the autism spectrum' somewhere - people who have autistic kids or siblings.
Update: I never did get tested. Insurance doesn't cover the testing, so I am fairly screwed. Dealing with whatever this is that makes me so different from most other people really, really sucks sometimes.
I've received "Extreme Isolation" noise blocking headphones, which by themselves don't do much to help my problem. I am wearing silicone ear plugs with the headphones and the combination doesn't block out enough. I swear its like I hear through my nose or something. I have been playing popular music, but that is also distracting. I've tried white noise and that is annoying.
Some days I don't have to use the noise blocking very much, if at all. But some days, even the slightest thing sends me into a freak-out. Like today. Its not like a panic attack, I don't think. Its just that the noise level and different conversations and sounds all crash in at once and create an overload I suppose. Like kicking a nest of hornets in my head. I can't concentrate, I can't think and all I want to do is yell, "Shut Up!" over and over and over again. I don't... very often, but I want to really bad. When I put on the headphones and play music and I can still hear people talking its like, "What the #&*@** are you doing? Why the &*#& do you have to talk that &@#&# loud?? I have on noise blocking headphones and loud music and I can STILL hear you! WTF!?!?" Turns out, its just me.
I have found a couple solutions that I am enjoying. What I am doing now is I have the silicone earplugs, the noise cancelling headphones and listening to some calming music from http://www.purple-planet.com/#/royalty-free-music-calm and listening to http://www.rainymood.com/ at the same time. This is helping to drown out most conversation.... yes, still not all. I am concerned that turning the music up any more will hurt my hearing, LOL!!
I am going to get evaluated on the 8th to find out WHY I am like this. It think that I am about to be diagnosed with Asperger's or CAPD or something like that. In fact, some people have told me that I have to be 'on the autism spectrum' somewhere - people who have autistic kids or siblings.
