topic Hello :) in Anxiety

Hello :)

Em87 — Sat, 25 Apr 2020 08:52:01 GMT

Hi all 🙂

I’m new! Jumped on as I am struggling with anxiety just now... for me it is only triggered by noise. Otherwise, life is good! But when I settle in for the evening (not always the evening, but that’s the worst), noise outside of my apartment makes me feel sick to my stomach. It can be just a couple of people having a ciggy and chatting, it stops me being able to focus on anything else and I feel so ANGRY! I know it’s completely my issue and I’m massively over magnifying. Also footsteps upstairs/next door neighbours daughter bouncing a ball off the front door gets me. I have always really struggled with chewing/pen tapping/loud typing etc (misophonia), but luckily my partner isn’t bad and so the lockdown not awful on that side of things!

Anybody else have any noise specific issues? Or can point me towards a thread that I can join/reignite?

It’s nice to just not feel alone in all of this hey!

Happy Saturday!

Em x

Hello :)

quirkywords — Sat, 25 Apr 2020 12:25:41 GMT

Welcome Em to the forum.

Thanks for starting this post with an interesting topic.

I can find some noises very annoying. This may sound

silly but I find the sound of someone shuffling along in slippers and not picking up their feet to be so annoying.

The sound of possums in the roof I find a bit scary as it sounds like people trying to egt into the house.

I think many people find various noises annoying.

Thanks again for starting your thread.

Hello :)

Em87 — Sat, 25 Apr 2020 13:06:27 GMT

Nothing sounds silly to me when it comes to noise! People not picking up their feet also winds me up. It’s bizarre because I genuinely don’t suffer with anxiety in any other part of my life.

Oh goodness I was once in an Airbnb and what I’m sure now were possums, at the time was ‘definitely’ a man outside! I had to sleep with a kitchen knife next to my bed!

Generally though ‘normal’ sounds don’t bother me, traffic/animals etc. It’s very specifically noises from other humans, and strangers particularly. If for example I knew my neighbours well, it wouldn’t bother me anywhere near as much them making noise. Although this isn’t the case if we talk about chewing and such, then I would still need to leave the room if it was bad, even if someone I love!

I know it must stem from my past, and I remember as a child always ‘hearing noises’ at night time that scared me. So it’s well and truly rooted. I’ve spoken to a therapist and it was just classified as ‘hyper sensitivity’. I think it’s just one of those things you have to try and find ways to self manage. I use earplugs, but get this, if I THINK I hear a noise, I take them out to check. I mean.. I know that’s just silly!!

Even if this thread doesn’t continue, thank you for your response and allowing me to self indulge in a bit of therapy in the shape of writing it all down. Although I can’t imagine I’m the only one struggling with noise! Perhaps I should have titled my thread more appropriately, haha.

Hello :)

Daniel0712 — Sun, 26 Apr 2020 15:01:44 GMT

Hi Em

Thanks for sharing your experience, it is interesting hey how the human mind can work and play tricks on us. Would it help to further mask any noises with a while noise machine (I have one myself to keep me get to sleep)?

Hello :)

Em87 — Mon, 27 Apr 2020 08:02:06 GMT

Hey Daniel,

It really, really is! Bizarre, almost. And no matter how many times I tell myself that it’s nothing to worry about, it’s all in my mind, it’s silly... it doesn’t stop that anxious feeling through my body.

Generally once I go to bed and pop my earplugs in I’m okay, although if a neighbour has music/chatting that would keep me up. I’ve looked into white noise machines, are they good for tuning other sounds out?

Thanks for your reply. It’s just nice to talk it out 🙂