What's the deciding factor?

[Guest guest]

How do you come to the conclusion that you have 4s? I've been

reading everything I can about this and other types of sound

sensitivity because I've been living with such symptons for the last

5years or so. I find my triggers to be gum chewing, whistling,

humming, biting utensils, slurping, swallowing and tongue clucking,

amoung others. These sounds elicit such emotion, simply writing them

here has my stomache in knots, my heart racing and my face all

flushed.

I work with a man who sits a few desks away from me. He has an

awful habit of whistling and humming at his desk and just the thought

of it makes me want to scream. Yesterday it was all I could do to

not physically harm him. I just wanted him to never make those

noises again. Behind him is a woman who is a great friend of mine.

She's taken up the habit of walking at lunch and then she stops at my

desk when she returns. The sound of her breathing completely

encompasses me and all I can think of is how to get her to leave my

area or make it stop. Yet another woman constantly pops gum, all day

long. She doesn't sit near me but she does enter my part of the

office quite often. I basically yelled at her just the other day

that she has got to quit the chewing/popping or leave my part of the

office. And I was loud about it. I've suggested to my boss that he

move certain people's desks simply so i don't have to hear them.

I've put signs up about office ettiquette i.e. gum chewing and

humming, in hopes of detering the offenders. I dread coming to work

because of the anxiety I have about these negative feelings.

I've tried explaining myself to people and they tell me that it's

because I'm too stressed out. That the sounds are just annoying,

that I'm just frustrated. But I don't feel that way. Like today,

everythings fine, no whistling, no breathing, no gum chewing and I'm

having a good day. But in the back of my mind I'm still waiting for

it to start.