Re: Dear Lord, Please give me strength!

March 14, 2012

I know the feeling the guy next to me hums all the time the guy behind me plays with his yoyo and taps his chair. I fortunately can wear headphones though so i got lucky there. I used to just get up take a short walk and count to calm my nerves. Maybe that will help. Sent from my HTC Statusâ„¢ on AT & T----- Reply message -----From: ecudnyj@...To: <soundsensitivity >Subject: Dear Lord, Please give me strength!Date: Wed, Mar 14, 2012 12:03 pm This is all I have to keep saying to myself everyday at work because I keep noticing more trigger sounds. It is so awful. I just needed to vent to people who understand. My entire day is consumed with ruminating thoughts about the noises I hear, the anticipation of when they will come again and having my insides feel like I they are going to jump out of my skin b/c of rage and anger. Now I have noticed that one of my bosses sucks his teeth all the time - in addition to the hiccuping and snapping and desk drumming that I have been suffering with forever now. I am so worked up that I just dont know what to do with myself. I have it coming from either side of me and in front of me. I feel like I never have peace. It is bad enough to have a job that you are bothered by much of the time, but then to come in and have to be "triggered" all damn day is excruciating. I am sure many of you can relate. I am not in a situation where I can really go to Human Resources. Its a long story but it would make things even worse if I did. What do you do with all this!? I keep my radio on low, that does nothing. I cannot wear headphones b/c I answer the phones all day. I think I must get a fan that makes a loud blowing noise right next to me and hope to drown some of it out. I have tried the simply noise website but that actually bothers me. I am sorry.. I just needed to vent to people who can relate to how I feel.

March 14, 2012

I totally get where you are at. Sometimes you just feel trapped. I was always

driven nuts by the sound of someone else typing on their keyboard, especially if

they typed fast, the constant click..click..click! (Of course it doesn't bother

me when I do it.)How do you complain to HR about that?

Now I work in a small two person office with a man with a booming voice, worse

when he's on the phone. There's something about the tone of his voice that

annoys me too but when he gets on the phone it's like he's on a megaphone.

Drives me to distraction. The workplace is definitely a challenge because we

have to work. I don't know how your office is set if you can try to get away

from it by listening to music with headphones. I know you answer the phone and I

do too but I can always hear the ring, even listening to simplynoise.com.

I hope you can find some relief, I totally get it.

Sharon

>

> This is all I have to keep saying to myself everyday at work because I keep

> noticing more trigger sounds. It is so awful. I just needed to vent to

> people who understand. My entire day is consumed with ruminating thoughts

> about the noises I hear, the anticipation of when they will come again and

> having my insides feel like I they are going to jump out of my skin b/c of

> rage and anger. Now I have noticed that one of my bosses sucks his teeth

> all the time - in addition to the hiccuping and snapping and desk drumming

> that I have been suffering with forever now. I am so worked up that I just

> dont know what to do with myself. I have it coming from either side of me

> and in front of me. I feel like I never have peace. It is bad enough to

> have a job that you are bothered by much of the time, but then to come in and

> have to be " triggered " all damn day is excruciating. I am sure many of you

> can relate.

>

> I am not in a situation where I can really go to Human Resources. Its a

> long story but it would make things even worse if I did. What do you do

> with all this!? I keep my radio on low, that does nothing. I cannot wear

> headphones b/c I answer the phones all day. I think I must get a fan that

> makes a loud blowing noise right next to me and hope to drown some of it out.

> I have tried the simply noise website but that actually bothers me.

>

> I am sorry.. I just needed to vent to people who can relate to how I feel.

>

March 14, 2012

Hi Sharon

Funny you should mention this. I just happened to find this article today on

the MSNBC website. Check it out.

Loud talkers: Why do some voices seem to be set at top volume?

If there were a " Saturday Night Live " skit that sums up ' life, it

would have to be The Loud Family.

" My family is full of loud talkers, " says the 42-year-old author and educational

consultant from Detroit. He jokes, " My mother sneezes so loudly that children in

the neighborhood congregate around the house waiting for one.

" I do a lot of public speaking and don't use a microphone, even if I'm talking

to 400 people. And whenever I get together with my brother, we're out of hand.

Everybody shushes us. We just have booming voices. "

' sister, on the other hand, has her volume set to low.

Advertise |

" My older sister compensates, " he says. " She has a first grade subdued teacher

voice. She's more of a soft talker. "

While loud talkers and soft talkers may seem like the stuff of " Seinfeld, "

researchers have actually pinpointed why some of us are constantly shushed while

others struggle to be heard.

" There are four different factors, " says Dr. Amee Shah, director of the speech

acoustics and perception laboratory at Cleveland State University. " There's a

biological component, a pathological component, a personality component and a

cultural component. "

Sometimes, loud or soft voices are simply based on the way we're built, Shah

explains.

" It can be mechanical, " she says. " Everybody is born with a different size

larynx and vocal cords within that. Also, some may have smaller lungs and can't

generate enough airflow to have a louder voice. "

Pathologically speaking, the volume of a person's voice can be due to changes in

the tissue or vibration rate of the vocal cords.

" As we age, our tissue atrophies, " says Shah. " The vocal cords don't vibrate as

fast. Or there could be other things, such as the person is a lifelong smoker or

they have vocal nodules or polyps. All those things can contribute to a softer

voice. "

Personality can play a part in the loud voice-soft voice smackdown, as well

(just check out the difference between the " Super Bass " singing cousins Sophia

Grace and Rosie in this viral video).

" Some people may be shy and withdrawn and inhibited, " says Shah. " They may not

be comfortable in a social situation, they may not be a good speaker. This is

where some of the examples from 'Seinfeld' come in -- the low talkers or the

people who like to mumble. Psychologically, they're not able to project their

voices loud enough. "

Even culture can affect how loudly (or softly) we talk, says Shah.

" Certain cultures prevent or inhibit loud talking, especially if you're a

woman, " she says. " There are pragmatic reasons why someone may not make direct

eye contact and not project their voice loud enough. "

As to whether loud talking is genetic, Shah says it's more about environment.

" At the family level, it's more of a mental influence, " she says. " If it's a

large family, everybody learns that to be heard, you have to speak up. It's more

sociological. "

But growing up around a bunch of loud talkers can have the opposite effect, she

says, as with ' soft-talking sister.

" Sometimes, if a father or older brother is louder, a sibling might tend to be

more withdrawn, " she says.

There is good news for soft talkers longing to be heard, though, says Shah.

" You can definitely train yourself to talk louder, " she says, pointing to

various methods such as using the respiratory control more efficiently, learning

to work your optimal pitch so you're not wasting air flow, taking deeper

breaths, hydrating yourself more often, and doing yoga.

" All of these give you more projection, " she says.

As for talking softer, Shah says that's much more difficult.

" Most of the time, people aren't aware they're doing it, " she says. " They may

not think they're loud unless somebody tells them. A lot of the time, people

focus on content and don't think about delivery. "

Best regards

Elaine

> >

> > This is all I have to keep saying to myself everyday at work because I keep

> > noticing more trigger sounds. It is so awful. I just needed to vent to

> > people who understand. My entire day is consumed with ruminating thoughts

> > about the noises I hear, the anticipation of when they will come again and

> > having my insides feel like I they are going to jump out of my skin b/c of

> > rage and anger. Now I have noticed that one of my bosses sucks his teeth

> > all the time - in addition to the hiccuping and snapping and desk drumming

> > that I have been suffering with forever now. I am so worked up that I just

> > dont know what to do with myself. I have it coming from either side of me

> > and in front of me. I feel like I never have peace. It is bad enough to

> > have a job that you are bothered by much of the time, but then to come in

and

> > have to be " triggered " all damn day is excruciating. I am sure many of you

> > can relate.

> >

> > I am not in a situation where I can really go to Human Resources. Its a

> > long story but it would make things even worse if I did. What do you do

> > with all this!? I keep my radio on low, that does nothing. I cannot wear

> > headphones b/c I answer the phones all day. I think I must get a fan that

> > makes a loud blowing noise right next to me and hope to drown some of it

out.

> > I have tried the simply noise website but that actually bothers me.

> >

> > I am sorry.. I just needed to vent to people who can relate to how I feel.

> >

>

March 14, 2012

I know how you feel. Once you hear that first horrible noise of the day, it's hard to think about anything else. One thing you can do is meditate. I've found it clears my head and makes me realize the less aware I am the less I'll suffer. Take out as many unnecessary stressors you can in your schedule, because the less of those there are the less aggravated you'll be when you hear stupid sounds. So anyway, after having deep meditation, I am not bothered by these noises for a short while. (an hour is probably the longest possible) Honestly, I am so at peace it's like I don't hear it. So you might want to try meditating for as long as you at the beginning of the day, your breaks, and before bed. It's just one more little way to have hope! Good luck. I am a new member so I'm so excited to get comfort and support from this!

I know the feeling the guy next to me hums all the time the guy behind me plays with his yoyo and taps his chair. I fortunately can wear headphones though so i got lucky there. I used to just get up take a short walk and count to calm my nerves. Maybe that will help. Sent from my HTC StatusÃ¢â€žÂ¢ on AT & T----- Reply message -----From: ecudnyj@...To: <soundsensitivity >Subject: Dear Lord, Please give me strength!Date: Wed, Mar 14, 2012 12:03 pm

This is all I have to keep saying to myself everyday at work because I keep noticing more trigger sounds. It is so awful. I just needed to vent to people who understand. My entire day is consumed with ruminating thoughts about the noises I hear, the anticipation of when they will come again and having my insides feel like I they are going to jump out of my skin b/c of rage and anger. Now I have noticed that one of my bosses sucks his teeth all the time - in addition to the hiccuping and snapping and desk drumming that I have been suffering with forever now. I am so worked up that I just dont know what to do with myself. I have it coming from either side of me and in front of me. I feel like I never have peace. It is bad enough to have a job that you are bothered by much of the time, but then to come in and have to be "triggered" all damn day is excruciating. I am sure many of you can relate.

I am not in a situation where I can really go to Human Resources. Its a long story but it would make things even worse if I did. What do you do with all this!? I keep my radio on low, that does nothing. I cannot wear headphones b/c I answer the phones all day. I think I must get a fan that makes a loud blowing noise right next to me and hope to drown some of it out. I have tried the simply noise website but that actually bothers me.

I am sorry.. I just needed to vent to people who can relate to how I feel.

3I4H<Ã£QÃ²Ã˜Ã½qÃ“0Â´â€œDÆ’ÃŽ5-

March 15, 2012

Hi Elaine,Thanks for sending. I am an avid Seinfeld watcher and relate to much of what is on that show. High talkers, low talkers, loud talkers, close talkers....Lots of good stuff on that show. I don't remember The Loud Family from Sat. Night Live, I'll have to find that on the Web. It's funny what a double edge sword the sense of hearing can be. I think there is something in our brains that once we've honed in on a particular sound, we can make it an annoyance or worse. I know with the computer keyboard clicking it went on for awhile when all of a sudden I noticed it and from then on I was tuned in and couldn't ignore it. I actually tried to get the "offender" a less clicky keyboard, the lengths we go...To: Soundsensitivity From: elainenamanworth@...Date: Wed, 14 Mar 2012 21:18:42 +0000Subject: Re: Dear Lord, Please give me strength!

Hi Sharon

Funny you should mention this. I just happened to find this article today on the MSNBC website. Check it out.

Loud talkers: Why do some voices seem to be set at top volume?

If there were a "Saturday Night Live" skit that sums up ' life, it would have to be The Loud Family.

"My family is full of loud talkers," says the 42-year-old author and educational consultant from Detroit. He jokes, "My mother sneezes so loudly that children in the neighborhood congregate around the house waiting for one.

"I do a lot of public speaking and don't use a microphone, even if I'm talking to 400 people. And whenever I get together with my brother, we're out of hand. Everybody shushes us. We just have booming voices."

' sister, on the other hand, has her volume set to low.

Advertise |

"My older sister compensates," he says. "She has a first grade subdued teacher voice. She's more of a soft talker."

While loud talkers and soft talkers may seem like the stuff of "Seinfeld," researchers have actually pinpointed why some of us are constantly shushed while others struggle to be heard.

"There are four different factors," says Dr. Amee Shah, director of the speech acoustics and perception laboratory at Cleveland State University. "There's a biological component, a pathological component, a personality component and a cultural component."

Sometimes, loud or soft voices are simply based on the way we're built, Shah explains.

"It can be mechanical," she says. "Everybody is born with a different size larynx and vocal cords within that. Also, some may have smaller lungs and can't generate enough airflow to have a louder voice."

Pathologically speaking, the volume of a person's voice can be due to changes in the tissue or vibration rate of the vocal cords.

"As we age, our tissue atrophies," says Shah. "The vocal cords don't vibrate as fast. Or there could be other things, such as the person is a lifelong smoker or they have vocal nodules or polyps. All those things can contribute to a softer voice."

Personality can play a part in the loud voice-soft voice smackdown, as well (just check out the difference between the "Super Bass" singing cousins Sophia Grace and Rosie in this viral video).

"Some people may be shy and withdrawn and inhibited," says Shah. "They may not be comfortable in a social situation, they may not be a good speaker. This is where some of the examples from 'Seinfeld' come in -- the low talkers or the people who like to mumble. Psychologically, they're not able to project their voices loud enough."

Even culture can affect how loudly (or softly) we talk, says Shah.

"Certain cultures prevent or inhibit loud talking, especially if you're a woman," she says. "There are pragmatic reasons why someone may not make direct eye contact and not project their voice loud enough."

As to whether loud talking is genetic, Shah says it's more about environment.

"At the family level, it's more of a mental influence," she says. "If it's a large family, everybody learns that to be heard, you have to speak up. It's more sociological."

But growing up around a bunch of loud talkers can have the opposite effect, she says, as with ' soft-talking sister.

"Sometimes, if a father or older brother is louder, a sibling might tend to be more withdrawn," she says.

There is good news for soft talkers longing to be heard, though, says Shah.

"You can definitely train yourself to talk louder," she says, pointing to various methods such as using the respiratory control more efficiently, learning to work your optimal pitch so you're not wasting air flow, taking deeper breaths, hydrating yourself more often, and doing yoga.

"All of these give you more projection," she says.

As for talking softer, Shah says that's much more difficult.

"Most of the time, people aren't aware they're doing it," she says. "They may not think they're loud unless somebody tells them. A lot of the time, people focus on content and don't think about delivery."