RE: overexposure to trigger sounds

[Guest guest]

I definitely have an opinion about this topic. Over the past year, I have had a completely different experience with two of my worst trigger sounds: breathing and gum chewing.

Gum chewing--I back tracked a lot and my irritation and secondary problems are more severe than they ever were.

Breathing--I made more progress than I ever thought possible. I still find the sound to be noxious, but I am much more able to deal with breathing sounds and not have to leave of put in ear plus.

So, yes, I do believe it is possible to improve through a combination of exposure therapy and cognitive behavior therapy. So why the different paths for these two triggers? It is simple really when you consider the context of each:

Gum chewing--In January we moved to a new building--I spoke with HR and management specifically to be place in a situation I could tolerate. One thing that I emphasized very strongly is that I did not want any gum chewers around me. When I moved in--there was a honeymoon period--people were still shifting around so I did not have my permanent neighbors. I got away with just playing music at my desk--no headphones. Then I heard gum chewing from a distance--had to but on the headphones. Then I observed that the two people close to me were in fact gum chewers--although not loud ones--still that stepped it up for me. Then in May new employee--put in the vacant cube by me--GUM CHEWER. At this point I am still trying to cope with it not trying to make waives because I have been down that bath and it usually ends up being really hard on me. Finally I just kind of snap. I realize here I am in a situation in which HR and management know I have a strong aversion to gum chewing. There is a several year history of dealing with me and my various sound problems and ALL THREE PEOPLE around me are gum chewers!!! This erodes my trust. If I were the manager (and yes I did end up telling my boss this)--knowing how serious my issue is, I would have made darn sure that nobody around the sensitive person chewed gum. I worked through my busy period in August--using strategies such as coming in at 5am and working at home as much as possible. Yes I had limited work at home rights--but really it was more like having a dog collar on in how my boss approached it. Finally in September, I truly had a breakdown--I was getting paranoid about the gum chewing. I could see the difference in how I dealt with visuals and checking for gum chewing--I became very fixated on it. OCD in full force. I lost it at work one day. Finally they became more lenient about work at home and although I work at home about half the time now, my gum chewing phobia and anger issues are still strong.

Breathing--This time last year I joined a mediation class in order to expose myself to breathing. It was incredibly hard at first. Darth Vador was at the first session and I just remember sobbing in silence and twitching a lot. Sure I had taken a mediation class before, but that was in a large room where I went way across the room from everyone else and I put in my ear plugs virtually the whole time. This time I was doing it without ear plugs. I new I could leave the class at any time, so I stuck it out. Even at the end of the first class I was able to gain some confidence--I was in less agony at the end of the class than I was in the beginning-so that was progress. I now go to meditation once in a while and go to yoga more often. Looking at where I am today versus a year ago--there is a world of difference in my ability to deal with breathing. I did notice in Yoga on Sunday that after someone cracked their gum, I felt less tolerant to everything--including the breathing. But amazingly, I was able to calm myself and stick with it. It is kind of weird--I can achieve a relaxed state--even as I am still listening to and resisting the noxious sound. So now if I am in a meeting and there is a breather near me I mostly don't even have to plug my ears. Gum is a different story--I just want to fight and flee.

What s true for me: Forced exposure is bad. Controlled self-exposure with reasonable expectations is good.

Sonya

-----Original Message-----From: Soundsensitivity [mailto:Soundsensitivity ]On Behalf Of Maureen PescaiaSent: Thursday, November 20, 2008 9:54 PMTo: Soundsensitivity Subject: overexposure to trigger sounds

I appreciate your energy on behalf of your sister and other 4s sufferers. However, if someone exposed me to my trigger sounds on a long term basis, I fear I would start punching the lights out of the person conducting the test. The rage that I feel about trigger noises is extreme. Although it's a good hypothesis, it makes my heart start pounding with anxiety just thinking about it.Nalani"I was thinking.... . and many if not all of you probably will say thatit is crazy and will not work. What about extreme exposure todesensitize? But I mean really EXTREME. You know how doctors don'teven wince at the sight of blood, or funeral home owners at death,people that live by airports or train stations don't even hear thetrains/plains, smokers don't smell cigarette smoke. I know it's notthe same but what would happen if you were exposed to one of thesesounds consistently and without stopping for an extended amount oftime..... the brain needs to produce chemicals/hormones/ neuraltransmitters in order to maintain a level of anger/flight- fightresponse. "