#Annoying Hyperacusis

[redacted-coiner]

Hyperacusus of intensity, Hyperacusus/Hyperacusis, Annoying Hyperacusis

Hyperacusis of fear, Misophonia, Pain Hyperacusis

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[fr3nchtoastcrunch]

DOG LOVERS DNI (RANT)

My roommate has the loudest, most obnoxious and disobedient dogs ever. Seriously, I've always been a cat person, but I never outright hated dogs until now. After living with these two absolute hellions for two months now, I seriously cannot understand how people can prefer dogs over cats.

A cat can be pretty annoying sometimes, but at least they don't scream non-stop for several minutes just for the hell of it. And when a cat does it, it doesn't make the house shake, and there's usually an actual reason for it.

A cat with no concept of personal space is only sometimes annoying if they come to you at an inappropriate time, but a large dog with no sense of personal space is a nightmare no matter when they strike.

A mean cat will generally leave you alone if you do the same and can even be nice to you if you really try, while a mean dog will attack you for simply existing.*

*Source: I lived with a mean cat for almost the entirety of my childhood. She was the quintessential cat personification of a Tsundere; in other words, while she was a bit of an asshole, she was very friendly and loving on a good day. And now she's long dead and I'm living with two dogs that bark and growl at me whenever I do so much as walk past them, and even tried to bite my hand when I told him to get out of the cat's litterbox. As an added bonus, that cat was not only incredibly intelligent, but she actually listened when you talked to her; these damn dogs...don't.

Seriously, I dare you to spend a month or two with these dogs. You will HATE them. No matter how patient you think you are, no matter how much you love dogs. YOU WILL HATE THEM. Not only do they do every annoying thing that dogs do, but they don't fucking listen! When I said they were the most disobedient dogs ever, I did not fucking lie! And it's not a case of bad ownership - my roommate has busted his ass since shortly after they were born trying to make them at least somewhat tolerable!

[kunstmull]

I think part of the problem of my hyperacusis is that I never, ever seem to have time where i can be truly alone in silence to rest, relax and recharge

Can't walk around the neighbourhood without cars roaring and car stereos blaring. Can't go to the park without people broadcasting their shitty tinny iPhone music to everyone in earshot

I can't even be alone, in my own house, without having to be bombarded with the constant sounds of loud cars passing outside, Stompy McSqueakybed upstairs or Neighbour A and his annoying mates getting drunk on the street outside

I'm always on hyperalert and never have a change to reset

Other people's noise has infiltrated my every waking and sleeping noise and I'm so. damn. tired.

[chronicbeans]

A Random Fact About Each Iolite Hospital Character:

Aluminum: He has joint pain from his medication, so he sometimes wears knee and wrist braces.

Dr. Cogsworth: He and Dr. Baxter dated at one point after Baxter asked him out. He kinda misses those times, but he felt bad due to his difficulty showing affection or recognizing his emotions.

Dr. Baxter: He's scared of thunder, cars, dogs, basically anything that can be loud.

Maya: She's scared of water. Most Landsharks physically can't swim, though, so her fear is mostly from instinct.

Derek: He sleeps in a nest made of hay. Cow People prefer the feeling of hay to a mattress when sleeping indoors, since it reminds them of the feeling of grass/the ground, which they are meant to sleep on.

Johnny Doe: He has hyperacusis, or a reduced tolerance to sounds. Normal sounds seem too loud and annoying, while loud ones can be painful. He's stressed by this, a lot of the time, which is why he eats a lot (including the things his pica causes him to eat). It helps him calm down. He hasn't mentioned it because he thinks his sound intolerance is normal.

Father Cosmos: It is very flirtatious, which might seem unbecoming of a priest. However, due to the fact that everyone in this world only knows about Christianity and any human religion due to the religious scriptures falling into the world without context, their version of Christianity, Judaism, and such are very different than the human versions. This is made extra difficult due to it being the only person following Christianity. It believes that it is okay for a religious leader of Christianity to be flirtatious, due to it having no other role model to follow.

Chef Starlight: Her favorite texture of food is crunchy. She can eat her favorite food, void chips, for days. The only reason why she doesn't do so is because void chips are extremely unhealthy and she doesn't want to be a bad role model for the patients.

Dr. Clown: She tries to keep everyone's spirits up by holding a magic show every Sunday and Saturday. She also makes balloon animals and balloon teeth, face paints, and tells knock-knock jokes.

[lesbiancorvoattano]

going into the hyperacusis tag and seeing ppl talk about their autism sensory issues instead of noise induced hearing loss is annoying to say the least. they are not the same 

[inwintersolitude]

- May 11th 2023 -

How long has it been since you moved out of the house you grew up in? It's been nearly 15 years.

What color shirt are you wearing? Black.

The last time you ate leftovers, what was it that you were eating? Penne pasta with arrabbiata sauce.

What was the last flavor of ice cream you ate? Strawberry.

Do you regret anything you've done in the last 24 hours, and if so, what? Yep. Staying up way too late last night, when I should be trying to shift my sleep schedule earlier for plans on Friday.

What is your favorite type of soup? White bean and vegetable soup, broccoli cheddar soup, minestrone soup, white chicken chili... I have a lot of favorites haha.

When was the last time you saw a beautiful sunset? A few days ago.

What is your favorite song at the moment? No favorite.

What are 5-10 things you love about being you? I'm self-assured, I'm mentally/emotionally stable, I'm intelligent, I have a positive outlook on life, I have an amazing husband, I have a great relationship with my family, I really like where I live, and I have the financial means to live a leisurely life and spend my time on hobbies and personal projects rather than working.

What is your favorite board that you've made on Pinterest? Eh, I don't know, I haven't been on Pinterest in ages. I don't remember what boards I have on there.

Do you get on Facebook or Instagram more? Instagram.

What color is your favorite sweater? Dark gray.

What are three things people would never guess about you just by looking at the photos you post on social media? The photos I post on Instagram are mostly my nature photography and drone photography, occasionally my pet birds - I don't post anything super personal, so there's quite a lot about me that people would never guess just by looking at that.

What is one thing you have too much of? Medical problems lol. Thankfully most of it is minor, but I do have way more diagnoses than anyone in their 30s should have. Migraines, TMJ disorder, hyperacusis, ADHD, scoliosis, blah blah blah.

What was the last thing you ate or drank that was blue raspberry-flavored? I don't remember.

What are three of your favorite scents? Pine forests, the musky scent the woods in this area get after the leaves have fallen in autumn, and whatever they use to scent the spa that I go to during vacations to Hilton Head Island, I don't know what it is but it's heavenly.

What was the last flavor of tea you drank? English breakfast tea.

When was the last time you wore your hair in a fishtail braid? Never.

What is one annoying thing your computer does? It doesn't do anything annoying.

What type of fruit do you eat the most? Lately, I've been eating a lot of blueberries and raspberries.

How often do you go out to eat? About once a week.

What would your dream wedding dress look like? I'm already married. My dress was a strapless A-line gown with pearls and silver threading embroidered around the bust/midriff and down the train. I wouldn't say I ever had a "dream” wedding dress, though. I was never the type to dream about wedding stuff.

Which fall flavor do you prefer: pumpkin spice or apple cinnamon? It depends on what sort of food the flavor is being used in.

What is the most annoying thing about your life right now? My circadian rhythm is completely dysfunctional. But that's nothing new, I've had a messed up circadian rhythm since I was a young child. It's just been really extra messed up lately.

Which holiday treat do you like better: candy corn or conversation hearts? I don't really like either of those.

What is your favorite apple-flavored treat? Apple crisp.

What are you counting down the days to right now, if anything? Our trip to Ireland.

What was the last book you read about? Landscape photography.

Have you been daydreaming a lot lately about a scenario you wish would happen? No.

What are three of your favorite things about camping? Spending time in nature, cooking over a campfire, and tents are cozy lol.

If you could choose what month to be born in, what month would you have chosen as your birth month, and why? Eh, it doesn't really matter to me.

...and what is your actual birth month? January.

What are three of your favorite things to do on a rainy day? Sleep in, have a cup of tea, watch TV/Netflix/Youtube.

Would you rather eat strawberries or watermelon? Watermelon.

Do you prefer smoothies or milkshakes? I prefer homemade smoothies over milkshakes, but I prefer milkshakes over the overly-sugary types of smoothies you get from restaurants/smoothie shops.

Do you prefer hamburgers or hot dogs? Hamburgers.

When was the last time you felt nauseous? A few weeks ago.

What was the last thing you ate that made you feel nauseous? There aren't any foods that make me feel nauseous.

Do you enjoy going to your local county fair? I did when I was a kid. I haven't been to a county fair since then, though.

How far away do you live from the place where you were born? About a 7-hour drive.

Do you prefer zebra print or cheetah print? I don't like any animal prints. Not my style.

[cloverslovelygarden]

1. I have chronic migraines, irregular menstrual issues and hyperacusis. (All obviously physical)

2. The menstrual stuff has gone on since I got my first one and the chronic migraines happened about 4 years ago, hyperacusis is new to me though as it has only been here for half a year!

3. I dont really have any specific meds yet but I use regular painkillers like Nexproxin and Ibuprofen. (When a migraine is present I use maxalt.)

4. Alot of my friends and family have mental disabilities but I think I only know maybe one other person who had migraines like me in my family and she only had hers once a year. (So not really many like mine.)

5. Yes, I do. If my menstrual issues are acting up really bad then I will get a migraine (which is usually) but it doesn't happen vice versa. My hyperacusis can cause very bad migraines and a slight headache can cause my hyperacusis to become just the slightest bit more sensitive which gives me a bigger headache.

6. Almost nothing but there is a very slim chance that when you tell people they will be incredibly aware of it and make sure they don't to anything to make it worse/happen.

7. Honestly I wish people talked about how common disabilities are and also how its not something to be afraid of. Whether it be mental or physical its a challenge nonetheless and your should talk to a doctor or a trusted loved one about it. I also wish educators would talk about periods more. Especially menstrual isses or irregularities.

8. I dont think they affect my gender or sexuality but they definitely effect my hobbies. I cant do sports because I always get a headache from the heat and end up throwing up and Ive even stopping some of my more complex hobbies like candle making because of the stress and low energy from my migraines.

9. I usually say juice or just energy. Like for example, "My juices are running low, I need to lay down."

10. I talked to my doctor and she understood and wrote me a note for all of my classes of something along the lines of, "They need to drink lots of water so make sure they get extra bathroom passes if needed. When having a migraine take student into a dark, quiet room until migraine it dampened or gone." and she even used the exactly words, "Sometimes absences are inevitable." Which was really cool. I also use earbuds or noise cancelling headphones when I have bad noise sensitivity and sometimes and ice pack or cold wet rag for my head to help.

11. The need for quiteness /j but on a real note probably the ban on noise canceling headphones in school to be lifted. I know people who just like to use them that don't have the common sense to take them off when instructed which is taking some resources away from disabled people which is incredibly annoying.

12. A lot of people don't know that my migraines can cause excessive dizziness or tiredness so they don't understand why I can't do anything with a migraine "just because your head hurts."

13. Its a strong tie between, "Well you don't look sick." and "Well youre speaking okay, you don't sound bad." (Its not being sick Karen, I'm not going to have a raspy voice from a headache, also I've dealt with migraine long enough to look my lowest constantly.)

14. No, actually. I've had almost no moments where I've thought, "I have the same struggles as you!" or "I can relate to you because we go through some of the same things." (I mean my OBGYN totally understood my problems but I do not know her very well so I didn't really see it as a community moment.)

15. What disability pride month means to me is being able to talk about my disabilities and share with others so that other people could possibly get the help they need. I like sharing my stories to bring light onto hardly talked about situations like menstrual irregularities in children and teens and how to help someone with a migraine or dizzy spell. It also allows me to show how I can talk about disabilities without feeling embarrassed or alienated so it gives confidence to others who may feel strange to talk about them.

16. Happy disability pride month, drink lots of water or re-hydrating sports drink. Eat balanced meals if you can and do not feel forced to eat 3 meals a day if you feel like you cant eat but don't starve yourself either!! And also tell people about disability pride month, spread the word and share your stories!!!

disability pride ask game

I'm so sleepy but I have persisted anyway bc i am so brave

feel free to reblog, try and send an ask to the person you're reblogging from so the game doesn't die, and absolutely never be pressured to answer anything that feels too personal--this is about/inspiration for what you Want to share about disability and experiences being disabled, not what you feel like you have to! (also: this ask game is PRO SELF DX.)

what disability/ies do you have? (and are they mental, physical, or both?)

how long have you known you're disabled? does that match up with diagnosis?

what, if any, disability aids do you use? (mobility aids, sensory aids, braces, communicative devices, IVs, etc. meds also count here). do you customize them/their containers/outsides?

do you know any disabled people irl? what about online?

if you have multiple disabilities: do they affect each other? how?

what's something good that's come out of being disabled?

what's a struggle you wish more people talked about?

does your disability affect how you experience other parts of your identity? (gender, queerness, culture, even hobbies/life goals you're very passionate about)

how do you measure your energy? (spoons, battery, something else?)

whats something youve come up with or integrated into your life that makes disability easier, besides typical aids?

how would you label your support needs?

what's something (a struggle, a symptom, a weird phenomenon, or even a funny experience) people don't realize about your disability?

whats the most Abled Person Thing someone has said to you?

has there ever been a time where you felt solidarity/community with another disabled person in a situation with you?

what does disability pride mean to you?

free space to talk about whatever disability issue or experience you want !

[alrightoddity]

if you get this, answer with three random facts about yourself and send it to the last seven blogs in your notifs! anon or not, doesn't matter, let's get to know the person behind the blog <3 (absolutely no pressure)

ok lemme see what i can think up uhhhh

i have hyperacusis! idk if its related to my probable undiagnosed neurodivergency or not, but i have really sensitive hearing that sometimes acts up and makes everything 100x louder than it actually is (which can be annoying when editing sound, unfortunately :/)

i recently started a karate class and it's been so much fun!!! it gets me excited to get my body moving and i learn self-defense and feel a lot more confident

i have probably hit my 10 years on tumblr milestone within the last year (or will hit it soon). not on this account, but oh boy. i've been on this hellsite (neutral) for a bit

thanks for the ask game! <3

[thethingything]

trying incredibly hard to just relax and have a nice chill evening but we've got a migraine and someone's been constantly setting off fireworks for the last 2 hours and before that our mum's boyfriend visited and was talking so loudly it made us feel like we were gonna throw up and he got here while we were trying to sleep and we kept getting woken up by him talking so loudly and someone decided to park right outside and blast music in their car.

I don't want to be annoyed. I hate that migraines make us irritable. I hate that they make us so sensitive to sound. I want to just calm down and ignore all this shit but unfortunately it's all painfully loud and I can't just use the same methods we've been using for handling stuff that's just annoying because you can't journal and breathing exercise your way out of hyperacusis and we can't get away from the noises

[redacted-coiner]

Do you know flags for Hyperacusis (sound hypersensitivity)?

Found these

[iltaimpi]

{ A lot of the mental disorder corresponds with the hyperacusis.

Zatta also used to cover her ears before yelling. As a child, the main thing that probably indicated her hearing was painfully sensitive was how soft-spoken and taciturn she was. She was apparently a very quiet baby. As a kid, she was seen as shy, and she had trouble befriending other kids because of how untalkative she was. However, it was almost entirely because speaking at a normal volume hurt her. Even through teens / young adulthood, she struggled to make friends for other reasons. In university, she had two friends.

She's actually pretty much always walked silently ( and snuck up on people, scaring the fuck out of them * ); the sound of her own footsteps pissed her off as a child, so she learnt how to walk as quietly as physically possible. She knew every creaky floorboard in the house so that she could avoid all of them. She used to refuse to go into certain rooms of the house if they had a tendency to settle.

She got into a habit of covering her ears at certain exact times of the day, every day, regardless of whether she was actually home or not, because the icemaker scared the fuck out of her. She mostly grew out of it, but due to muscle memory and the consistency of the habit through her childhood, she actually started adjusting to icemakers in other places where she's lived or spent enough time. Though mostly able to repress it, sometimes she's seen covering her ears 'for no reason'.

She also used to be scared of the vacuum, fireworks, train and truck horns... and balloons, so naturally, her big sister liked to pop them behind her to scare the fuck out of her and make her cry.

Specifically because of that, her globophobia is the only one of these that has actually persisted into adulthood. So, yes, Zatta, even as an assassin, is fucking afraid of balloons. Most of the other things are just things that annoy her, she'll get mad, or she's learnt to cope... not balloons, really. Still freaks out but tries to get away from the situation before she can start visibly freaking out. Or crying. Nobody is going to see her cry. And even if they do they know they're taking it to the grave with them.

Around her younger teen years she got a Walkman and earphones and spent all her fucking time just. wearing those earphones. They were her fucking lifeline for being less shy and functioning better as a human person. Though she had to keep it at a very low volume, assuming she could manage to listen with the earphones in at all, she became very attached to the medium of music, even though it could cause her pain. Her attachment to music is what eventually pushed her to build up her tolerance to sound, at least somewhat.

* [ Ironically, the fact that she scared people so much was counterproductive to her goal of quietness since they would react loudly out of fear. For a while, she got used to walking all the way around a person, at a wide berth, and only approaching them once she was in their line of vision already.

Naturally, as an adult—despite her hearing being even more sensitive due to her Stand—she unlearnt this, which is good, considering the assassination job. But she could do to scare her coworkers a little less often no matter how funny it is. She makes a concerted effort, however, not to sneak up on Ghiaccio after doing so once, because she swore her ears were ringing for the rest of the day. Though she claims that Ghiaccio "has a fucking point at least half the time", she also admits that once he reaches a particular volume, she usually can't really understand him. For the sake of wanting to be able to communicate, Ghiaccio tries to speak more quietly to her, but it's not easy for him to control his volume ].

Er, that was longer than I expected. My silly little habit of accidental OC loredumps. Lots of text with no visuals. Anyone want to see younger Zatta?}

{Drawing young Zatta is so funny to me. She Used To Be Normal. She used to have braces. She used to have glasses. She probably used to have a diary. Of course, there was also the mental disorder.}

[itismarvelicious]

My sister has noise sensitivity and while I know it's to be taken seriously, I can't help but feel it's unfair. Because. My dad and I, on the opposite, are hard of hearing. I wear hearing aids. At home, all my life, as a child, growing up and still now, I've been told off for putting on the TV too loud. My mom seriously has always made "Are you deaf?!" comments when she's known I'm hard of hearing ever since I'm three years old. So all my life I had to turn the TV down and struggle to listen to anything. Then comes in my sister, with her newly noise sensitivity, and now WE have to adjust our lives to her, when NO ONE adjusted their lives for me? Me who struggled my whole life? So like. We have to talk quietly. We can't sing in the house. Can't move chairs when she's there. Definitely have to turn the TV down. My dad literally has to sit next to the TV to hear it (luckily, now I can turn on the sound of my hearing aids when needed so I don't struggle to listen to the TV so much) and my mom and sisters make fun of him for it. Guys. You don't get to accept one's condition but not the other's handicap. You don't get pick one handicap over the other just because it suits you too. You adjust to both.

[biggest-gaudiest-patronuses]

So I (finally!) bought a pair of really good noise cancelling headphones, and it has changed my life! It's the fanciest thing I've bought in years, so to recoup some of the cost, I’ve researched & written a little essay based on my experiences with extreme noise sensitivity.

Hypersensitivity to sound is something I’ve dealt with all of my life, but I only recently found out it's medically known a Hyperacusis. (Please note this is a separate condition from Misophonia.) If you consistently struggle to cope with noise, the info below could be helpful! I’m including a link to my ko-fi, and I will be answering questions in the notes.

(skip to the bottom to read fun facts about my tax return and/or street organs vendettas!)

DISCLAIMER: I am not a professional, this is based solely on my experiences as a patient, and on what I have read and been told by professionals. Please notify me if you have corrections or concerns about accuracy!

BACKGROUND: Sensitivity to sound is a common type of sensory issue. While anyone can experience such issues (most people, for example, might be bothered by loud music in a crowded restaurant), some people are more sensitive than others, to the point it becomes a quality-of-life aka a medical issue.

If you consistently struggle with environmental stimuli that other people aren’t bothered by (background noises, bright lights, certain textures and tastes, etc), to the point it causes daily discomfort or limits the environments you can be in, I recommend reading about Sensory Processing Disorder.

SPD and sound sensitivity are both super common in autistic folks (like me!), but allistic (non-autistic) people can experience them too. Weep, ye prisoners of mortal coil, for none are safe, nothing sacred, not in this thy most accursed tomb of human flesh!

Anyway.

SOUND SENSITIVITY or HYPERACUSIS: Noise issues are particularly difficult to navigate in a world that is increasingly...noisy. The relatively new phenomenon of constant overhead music in restaurants, grocery stores, shopping malls etc—all of this means that public spaces are increasingly inaccessible to people with auditory issues.*

As a kid, nothing quite triggered sensory overload/meltdowns for me like the constant exposure to noise I couldn’t control—the background chatter of other kids in the lunchroom, the constant noise in public spaces, being trapped in the car with the radio on.... I had so many fights with my siblings about the car radio, and who got to choose the music.**

But it’s not just loud sounds that are the problem. As an adult who lives alone and works from home***, I’m lucky enough to be able to avoid loud environments most of the time. This does wonders for my general levels of anxiety and discomfort. But even in a mostly controlled environment, I still experience problems. Because part of sound sensitivity is that even normal or quiet sounds can feel loud and intrusive. Here are some “normal” sounds that can cause me discomfort (ranging from annoyance to outright pain, depending on the day):

refrigerator/AC/ceiling lights humming

dishwasher/washing machine noises

ceiling fan making that damn ceiling fan noise

faint sounds of traffic

riding in a car

other people having a normal conversation in the background

someone talking to me in a perfectly normal inside voice

Unfortunately, even in a “controlled” environment, many triggering noises can’t be controlled. And many parts of life can’t be lived in a controlled environment. This presents...some incredibly freaking annoying problems. Luckily there are solutions!

Sorta.

There are sorta some solutions.

They are imperfect, but they help.

TREATMENT: And now I have something rather shame-faced to admit. In all the years of managing my symptoms, it never once occurred to me to see a hearing specialist for my issues with sound. I wasn’t even aware that treatment options exist, because none of my other doctors mentioned it. Instead, I’ve spent years finding my own coping mechanisms and tools, with help from therapists and psychiatrists, but without ever consulting an audiologist/ENT. It was only while researching this post that I found out that was even an option, holy shit.

So it turns out I am going to be making an appointment with my local ENT practice. shit.

Apparently treatment options include sound/acoustic therapy, systematic desensitization/exposure therapy, cognitive behavior therapy, sound machines, and other options that I had no idea even existed, goddammit.

MANAGEMENT: In the meantime, here are my current coping mechanisms. I’ve relied rather heavily on hearing protection, which is very useful when used in moderation. Unfortunately, it can cause its own problems: it’s important not to overuse hearing protection, because in the long-term this can increase your sensitivity. So again: a useful tool, but be careful not to overdo it.

With that in mind, here are some of the coping strategies I’ve used over the last decade to manage my symptoms. This is not a perfect system and you should contact your local ENT clinic for better, long-term solutions, but in the meantime here are some tips I use to just get myself through the damn day:

Regularly spending time in a quiet controlled environment, to allow my nervous system to decompress.

Wearing earplugs, (I use two different grade, depending on the level of noise prevention I need), and always carrying an extra pair in case I need them unexpectedly. I bought a 50 pack for $7 and put spares in all my bags and jacket pockets.

(I mostly use Mack’s Ultra Soft, but there are so many types and materials and brands, including foam, silicone, wax, custom moldable etc. Even if you have trouble wearing things in your ears, you might be able to find something comfortable.)

Similarly: hearing protection earmuffs, the kind used in gun ranges and on construction sites. I bought mine online for $10. they look like normal wireless headphones, so I've never gotten comments when wearing mine in public (other than “cool heaphones” bc i added skull glitter stickers).

Sometimes I wear the earmuffs on top of earplugs, when life is just too damn LOUD.

Listening to music w/ earbuds or headphones is a great way to balance out background noises, especially if you can find soothing playlists that help you concentrate. Also useful to put in just one earbud when you need to pay attention in class/at work.

Pro tip: if your hair is long enough you can wear wireless earbuds without anyone knowing.

White noise, rain noises, ocean noises etc can be helpful! Some people like whale songs although personally this activates my primal fear response

Active noise cancelling headphones: the reason I wrote this post to begin with—I finally bought a pair! As in, a really good pair! As in, a depressingly expensive pair with noise cancelling technology that actually WORKS, holy shit. I probably need to wear them a little less at home (bc overprotection causes problems in the longterm) but they have absolutely transformed my ability to go out in public and i never ever want to take these suckers off again please take a power screwdriver and nail these to my head, bury me in the sweet sweet shroud of silence. holy canoli and cream puffs I want to marry form a civil partnership with these headphones. Plus they have a bunch of features, like being able to control the level of noise cancellation, so I can hold a conversation or be aware of some ambient noise for safety reasons.

Oh, and also they play music I guess?

Sorry sorry I promise this post wasn’t supposed to be me shilling for Big Electronics. I’m just excited, I’m an excited flabby little ball of expired flubber. ANC headphones aren’t a perfect solution, and I still sometimes wear earplugs underneath, and I will always be uncomfortable some of the time, but for me it’s been a big step.

Unfortunately the cost of good quality ANC technology means this isn’t an option for everyone, and the (much cheaper) gunshot protection earmuffs I mentioned earlier still provide an impressive amount of protection and bang-for-your buck (maybe even an equal amount of protection, if you can find ones that fit well). But if noise consistently prevents you from enjoying public space and life in general, and you’ve already tried earmuffs & earplugs and find they don’t offer enough comfort/convenience/protection, and if you’re in a position to save up for a one time non-necessity purchase of $150+, noise cancelling headphones are an option to be aware of. (Please always check the return policy so you can try before you buy. I ended up buying and returning 2 pairs before finding what worked best for me. And please look for a retailer that offers an extended warranty. You want those motherforkers to last).

There are cheaper options available, including some under $50. The ones I tried didn't work as well as my hearing protection earmuffs, but some people report good experiences, so that is something to consider. it's always good to know your options! Passive noise canceling is another affordable alternative.

Medication: A final tool in my toolbox, which for me personally has helped as much as every other method combined. Like, a lot, it’s helped a lot. It turns out some anti-anxiety medications can also help sensory issues. There’s not much research on this, and I only discovered it firsthand when a medication my doctor prescribed for anxiety ended up significantly helping my sensory issues. I no longer need medication for anxiety, but my psychiatrist still prescribes that same medication off-label for my sensory stuff. Ask your psychiatrist to research your options (they will probably have to do some digging to find relevant research, but you deserve to know all your options, even the obscure ones). Fyi, the medication I use is in the benzodiazepines class, but there are other options for those concerned about dependency or side effects.

(I'm also told anti-anxiety supplements may be helpful, though I haven't tried this yet. If you're on prescription meds, always talk to your doctor about contraindications before taking anything over-the-counter.)

So there you have it, my main coping strategies for sound sensitivity! They are not a replacement for medical treatment (except that last one which is in fact...medical treatment), but I find them helpful and I hope some of you will too! I’ve struggled for a long time, and I’m very pleased to have reached the point where I can just do things in public. Eating out in loud restaurants? I can do that now, and even enjoy it, holy shit! I can comfortably travel in cars for hours at a time, and walk around shopping malls and grocery stores with overhead music, and, and —and just exist. It is so so freeing, to feel like maybe, after everything, you are actually allowed to just exist in a world that wasn’t really designed for you.

Again, be careful not to overuse hearing protection—the goal is to allow you to be less uncomfortable and to function better, but if you find you are becoming more sensitive to noise, it is time to dial it back a notch. Or maybe consider listening to music (at a reasonable volume) to block out background noise instead.

*(This also includes people with hearing loss and related issues, btw. While that’s not my area of knowledge, I would welcome it if any of my HoH followers want to share their experiences.)

**A sign of sensory issues that parents often miss is when a child complains about music being too loud—but has no problem listening to their own music at high volume. This is because music that is already familiar to the listener (and that the listener enjoys) is much easier for the brain to process, since it knows what pattern of sounds to expect. Loud music that they get to control can be soothing for people with sound issues, especially when it blocks out background noise and sensations. This is why repetitively playing the same songs can be a helpful form of stimming.

***(working on this blog, actually. since it’s my only source of income, my 2020 income tax return literally lists my occupation as ‘Tumblr Blogger.’ Oddly, my parent didn’t feel this achievement was worth including in the holiday family newsletter.)

bonus fun fact: Charles Babbage aka “father of the computer” may have been autistic and hypersensitive to sound. He definitely had a huge problem with public noise pollution, and spent his later year waging a war on street musicians (and organ grinders in particular).

(bc like, yeah. screw organ grinders.)

Sometimes when I’m out in public and the overhead music is particularly unbearable, I’ll take a moment to look up to the sky and scream out: “HE TRIED TO WARN US! THE FATHER OF COMPUTERS TRIED TO WARN US!!! we should have listened, sweet heaven we should have listened!”

except i don’t scream it, i say it very quietly under my breath

(i have issues with noise)

so yeah that is my short essay. and here is the ko-fi goal

k ciao i gotta go pick out glitter stickers for my headphones

[starry-skies-116]

Neurodivergent Michael Headcanons (Part 1/3)!

Michael was diagnosed with dyslexia at age four- he often loved to listen to stories, but had little interest in letters or words and had extreme trouble with reading to the point where he would throw tantrums and have meltdowns if he had to read books. However, his synesthesia and misophonia due to hyperacusis was never diagnosed, and he was often bullied by his neurotypical peers (which resulted in him developing and internalizing hatred of people his age- that is, until he met his friends).

Michael’s favorite auditory stims include the sound of distant thunder booming, a spring breeze rustling, and the sound of a crackling campfire that has JUST RIGHT crackling noises.

Because Michael has misophonia, whenever Evan’s crying, his ears also start screaming bloody murder. It’s more of a situation secretly that has Michael saying that Evan crying is annoying, but it’s more of a case of “AYO DON’T CRY, IF YOU CRY I’LL START CRYING TOO BECAUSE MY EARS ARE TWO WHINY LITTLE BITCHES THAT BEHAVE LIKE AGGRESSIVE FERAL HISSING CATS AT THE TINIEST HINT OF NOISE”. He indiscriminately behaves like that around everyone, unbeknownst to everyone else.

Michael is not exactly a fan of uncomfortable textures, bright lights, foul odors or disgusting tastes, but among all five senses, sound is his biggest upsetter and the one he is most sensitive to (just as Evan’s biggest upsetters are smell, touch and sight, and Elizabeth’s biggest upsetters involve touch and taste).

Misophonia is one of the bitchiest of bitches to deal with. Basically Michael was sent to the principal’s office when he was eight because he snapped at a kid in his music class for playing the trombone too loudly, and nearly stabbed a kid in the thigh with a pencil because said kid was repeatedly sniffling too loud during a test. He also screamed at a kid to ‘shut up’ when they were eating a sandwich and making sloppy chewing and eating noises with their mouth open. There were many more incidents involving sensory overloads due to this, of which I can’t go into detail about because then we’d be here all day, hehe.

And crowds. Oh, god, where do I BEGIN with crowds? Michael hates them to the point of being borderline agoraphobic, and he didn’t even know until he attended one of Hurricane Middle School’s pep rallies with his friends- not precisely because of the close proximity of sweaty young teenagers packed up against him in the masses, but the sheer amount of sensory input was driving both his synesthesia and misophonia up the wall- countless onslaughts of colors were flashing before his eyes in the masses, assaulting his sight even when he had his eyes squeezed shut so hard that it hurt. Tastes were on his buds, clashing furiously with one another and it brought tears to his eyes- was this what an epileptic attack felt like, but with sound?

Michael ended up being hospitalized because of the serious condition he was in due to his nervous breakdown requiring stabilization and treatment. William saw it as a bit of an inconvenience, whereas Eleanor, Elizabeth and especially Evan were worried sick about him. The cup of warm milk he had when he came home was so soothing it might as well have been the best damn cup of milk he’s ever had in his entire life.

STIMS! Stiiiiims! Everybody loves stims, especially neurodivergent people! Michael tends to stim via fidgeting with the rim of the fabric of his fingerless gloves, picking at any bandage gauzes that might be covering his skin, twisting any rings he might wear around his finger, chewing/nibbling at the clay beads on his necklace, etc. When he’s sitting down, he may bounce his leg, fiddle with the pages of a book in front of him if there is one, or chew on something.

Speaking of chewing, this man HAS to have something to chew on, or he will, as another one of his restless stims, pop, click and twist his tongue sore and grind his teeth to smithereens. He always carries either a pack of chewing gum, or spare pocket change to spend at bubblegum machines- he’s nigh-unparalleled at blowing ridiculously big bubbles with gum because of the fact that his brain ALWAYS NEEDS HIM TO BE DOING SOMETHING WITH HIS MOUTH.

Michael LOVES stimming with gum and chewy foods such as marshmallows- when Easter comes around, his friends find it incredibly endearing how he basically gorges on Tootsie Pops, Peeps Marshmallows, gummies and basically anything with a chewy texture or chewy, stretchy gelatin candy (that doesn’t make a too-loud popit sound). Why? Because “texture good”.

Speaking of which, if you buy him a walkman with a set of headphones and complimentary earplugs (for when he doesn’t feel like listening to music), he will thank you and you’ve basically got a friend for life. His misophonic self HATES sound, and gets easily startled by loud noises, such as speakers, buses, chatter and screaming. Headphones greatly calms him, and he basically fiddles with the cord of his walkman. He also tends to semi-tap dance as a stim when he’s walking on occasion.

Additional stims Michael has is singing his favorite verses of certain songs to himself, drumming his fingernails against the desk, and twirling a pen masterfully between his fingers (a stim he shares with Evan despite the former having substantially superior motor skills).

Lexical-gustatory synesthesia and chromesthesia makes Michael associate certain colors and tastes with certain words and songs, as well as certain voices of other people- they can be sounds he craves and enjoys (Evan’s voice when he’s calm sounds, tastes and looks incredibly pleasant to him), sounds he hates (really loud or sudden noises that make him flinch or jerk), or even sounds he fears (William’s voice taking on any tone).

Whenever sensory overloads brought on by Synesthesia or just neurodivergence occurs, his brain basically completely, wholly and utterly BREAKS AND SHUTS DOWN ENTIRELY due to his brain failing to process all the stimuli around him. He can only make noises (at best stuttering out an incoherent string of slurred words) since his brain doesn’t have the capacity or energy in that moment to translate everything into sentences to convey what’s wrong. In this moment, he just covers his ears and goes nonverbal to prevent basically making noises, stuttering, and slurring, since that’s all he can do when he tries to speak during a sensory overload-caused meltdown. He just cries, silently sobbing, and rocks back and forth trying to soothe himself.

Whenever Michael is VERY happy, he basically claps his hands in a flappy-type motion and jumps up and down a few times, making a verbal exclamation of sorts and giggling to himself- just like his siblings. That, or he does really rapid and fast high knees while squealing and hitting the edge of his wrists together multiple times rapidly (his hands flap and flail while he’s doing this, EVERYONE thinks it’s freaking adorable and Evan joins him 500000% of the time- in other words, every damn time, without question, without exception).

Bro. His special interests being music, movies, Disney, theatre, filmmaking, songwriting, singing and just a passion for stageplay and the fine arts in general? And his favorite music secretly being from the soundtrack of Swan Lake instead of some edgy-ass rock band? AND IF ANYONE WITHIN A 15 MILE RADIUS EVEN VAGUELY MENTIONS OR EVEN SUBTLY DRAWS REFERENCES FROM COMEDIA DELL’ARTE? PLEASE.

He will INFODUMP SO DAMN HARD whenever someone even remotely, vaguely or slightly MENTIONS ANY of these things. He is a GAY THESPIAN THEATRE KID, through and through, loud and proud.

As Glamrock Freddy, Michael has accommodations in the form of special features implemented into his programming that let him muffle/cancel out noises (espeically trigger noises) and let him selectively listen to the ones he wants to hear as he pleases. To his annoyance, these accommodations are disabled when he’s on emergency power mode- however, Gregory’s presence and wellbeing seems to calm and please him alone. One look into those glimmering dark eyes, so large and gentle in their gaze that observed all under it’s watchful eye, and he felt as though he were looking at a calming night sky alight with stars. He instantly calms himself after looking at or just interacting with the boy that reminds him so much of his brother (hmm I wonder why… probably because the brunette boy IS your brother ahaha~).

When the animatronics were first made and were about to do a rehearsal performance/test run of their programming, Glamrock Freddy was visibly having a breakdown in the form of his wires fizzling and him spritzing out because Michael was basically screaming inside due to the sheer amount of NOISE around him. He could feel the low frequencies, the electronic pulsating of the stage and the music, the colors flashing before him and the phantasmal sensations of taste on his tongue EVEN WHEN he had long since forfeited his mortal flesh. Freddy/Michael basically collapsed onstage due to the sheer sensory onslaught of stimuli, and emergency maintenance had to be performed because an animatronic had a mental breakdown.

Ever since then, Glamrock Bonnie was the one that recommended and fought tooth-and-nail for Freddy to receive the feature of muffling out noise due to him basically constantly exhibiting misophonic behaviors and symptoms of both dyslexia and synesthesia (even when Michael was existing in a state of metaphysicality as a spirit possessing a robotic host). The other animatronics soon quickly followed.

[baphometboots]

hoity toity folks abound, what-ought to come down and be humble. i have hyperacusis so id probably find busking a little annoying too but i think it's really important. "theres no point in live music anymore we all have phones" Theres no point in cuisine anymore we have mcdonalds 🖕🖕🖕🖕🖕🖕🖕

listening to adam ragusea talk about anything other than food and culinary anthropology is like watching sideshow bob walk into upturned rakes for 5 years