why am i sensitive to certain noises?

I believe most people would consider me to be a "normal" person on the surface.. Others would most likely call me friendly, smart, caring, responsible, funny, etc. But they do not know how crazy I am deep down. Since my early teenage years I have been sensitive to certain noises. For example, breathing. I cannot have a sleepover with anyone. Even hearing others breathe during the day, makes me go insane that I have to leave the room (even if I am not trying to concentrate on something). Another example. My brother's bedroom is right next to mine and if I even just suspect that his TV is on while I am trying to sleep (even if it is on extremely low volume) I would have to check his room to see if it is on. If it is on, I would have to make him turn it off, even though it is on so low that I wasn't even sure it was on or not before I checked his room.

Why am I like this? These are just 2 examples, but there are more. My family thinks I am insane. Is this some kind of disorder? Thanks.

Hi there.

I'm very sensitive to certain noises as well and other people seem to be very comfortable around those noises or at least tolerate them. I started psychotherapy, did some research, and ended up realizing my sensitivity (both emotionally and physically) is very high. I was born that way and this is not a disorder or a disease. However, every now and then anxiety and depression episodes have made me "hypersensitive" to things that wouldn't normally bother me and sometimes it might be hard to tell the difference.

I know this doesn't help much. Just wanted to let you know you're not alone.

I find myself going through something very similar to what you described. I find that I can handle many sounds most of the time, but on occasion, especially when I get particularly depressed or anxious, everything just feels louder and more intrusive. If I am outside on a busy road then I have to use my earbuds to block some of the sound out. As for particular noises, the TV in my room makes kind of this clicking noise when it's off that makes it impossible to sleep and I have to unplug it for the noise to stop.

Oh gosh this is me. I am very sensitive to sounds and if I am anxious or upset, I am hyper-sensitive. One example, I had a co-worker who had a squeaky "s" when she spoke meaning her "s" sound had a high pitched whistle in it. This drove me crazy. She didn't even sit close to me but if I could hear it at all, I would just become fixated on it. And yes, I did feel crazy because I would look around the room and wonder why I was the only person who was bothered by the squeaky "s". Thankfully that woman found another job and I got some relief. Oh but the guy who replaced her snaps his gum. Arrrgh.

I also have a very hard time having a conversation in a noisy restaurant or bar. I can't concentrate and I end up shutting down.

Sorry I can't answer your question about why this is. My father is also sensitive to sound. Maybe it's genetic?

If anyone has any suggestions about how to reduce this sensitivity I would like know. I was told that learning to meditate would be helpful so I attended a seminar on meditation techniques and had to spend an agonizing hour sitting next to a heavy breather trying to quiet my mind. Torture.

I have this problem, too. I wear ear plugs a lot of the time. If my mood state is "off," I am much more hypersensitive than normal.

I used to have specific noises bother me.
Now it's a question of the pitch (lower tones in general are the worst) but that is due to an issue with one ear. For the most part, it doesn't work - but once in a while it will pick up a little (usually a lower pitched tone) and then it's too loud to stand! This is due to hairs responsible for sending sound to the brain dying - the brain can not handle not having a full set of tones - so what that hair was responsible for gets re-assigned to one already assigned a set of tones, both sets now are amplified. NBD if this only happens once or twice - but eventually, by the time you hear anything, it's already too LOUD to stand! This condition is called "recruitment".
What about those bothersome noises in the ear that is still good? Well I don't really notice them anymore even in the good ear because the tinnitus in the bad one is so bad 24/7/365 - Oh, WILL YOU STOP THIS RINGING ALREADY! - COME ON 15 YEARS WITHOUT A BREAK FOR EVEN ONE SECOND! - STOP IT - PLEASE!!1!!

I am annoyed by noise in general. If I'm trying to study, don't turn the tv on so loud! Don't talk so loudly! Why must you talk so loudly? Are you deaf? In the car with my mom, i literally feel like my head is being pressurized when she speaks. I think my hearing is generally better than my family's, but maybe it's because of age..

I have this issue too! It's been this way for me for about four years now. I can't stand the sound of water rushing and people talking without breaks (my hearts start beating very fast and I feel like I'm going crazy). I also can't stand to hear myself chew, I always have to eat with the television or radio on at a very high volume.

Crazy for not liking listening to others loud breathing?! Crazy for wanting silence to fall asleep?

Nice family labeling you the crazy one!!

i am very sensitive to sounds as well. i am fine in a dull roar (out in public and no one is being particularly noisy so i hear everything and therefore nothing at the same time) but if i am in a quiet room or the dull roar is broken by a sudden loud noise, my concentration is completely severed from whatever i am doing and i might never be able to get back on track.

eta...
when my concentration is broken, it causes a lot of anxiety and, depending on the situation and the people around me, that can morph into either anger or depression. when i'm at home and am alone or around people who know there is something wrong with me (my husband) it turns into anger. but out in public it just turns into depression or stays as anxiety.

i can hear noises really well, and things on the extreme ends of the scales (high-pitched whistling vs. crazy sub-woofers and their bass of doom) cause pain. i can hear the hum of electricity so i know when someone has turned on an electronic device even if it is muted. i have to sleep with a fan on at night because i am such a light sleeper that a mouse could (and has) run across my floor and wake me up.

I can totally relate to this!!! I, too don't exactly know how to give you answers but I know that if I were you, I would like to know that I'm not alone. SO yeah. You're not alone. And my mum thinks I'm insane too.... meh. We can be insane together :P I CANNOT stand the sound of people chewing, swallowing, breathing tapping, everything really. It all just bothers me to the point where sometimes I'm in the middle of a conversation with a group of people, and one person in the group is chewing too loud and I go quiet and it's suddenly the only thing I can hear. If it doesn't stop I usually end up leaving the group and going to the restroom. I've started practically crying in class before because someone was tapping their pen and gahhh. Yeah. It's bad, I know how you feel. But stay strong!
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Hyperacusis - wiki it!

I too deal with this - not even my entire life - and it was maddening.

The best thing I ever did was buy noise cancelling headphones - life savers - and I don't even wear them that often anymore.

Another suggestion is a book called "tortured by sound" very, very interesting.

Hope it gets better!