Since I was a little child I've always had a problem with noise. Loud sounds would send me into panic for some reason. Later on, they still bugged me but were less of a pain. However, I've noticed just how much I dislike noise even today.

When I'm in the car with someone, I really dislike having the radio on if I'm talking to someone. I can't focus enough to pay attention to whoever I'm in the car with. It's gotten to the point where if I'm with family I turn the radio off- bugs me that much. Music is much better, however. Oddly, though, I hate books-on-tape. They read too slowly, where almost each word is painful to listen to. It becomes a pain because that's the only real stimulation within the car...and it's just so dreadfully slow and pronouced.

At school, too, classrooms are a bit of a problem. With all the noise generated from people talking and feet walking, I can't really concentrate enough to hear someone clearly. I have to constantly ask them what they just said- I have pretty good hearing otherwise, it's just that I can't differentiate when there's lots of noise. Apparently, that's supposed to be a symptom of ADD? When I can't filter stuff out properly, I mean.

So, does anyone else such a sensitivity?

Yeah, I'm like that! I still about jump out of my skin when there is a loud noise and way over react. Hallowell and Ratey discuss that trait in their book Driven to Distraction. There are two parts -- for sudden noise, it startles the system and a "mini panic" (their words) ensues. It takes ADDers a bit longer than regular folks to recover from that. We have pretty sensitive systems and it can be difficult to get back on track for us. As for noise in general, the filtering part of the brain is the part that's not working too well for ADD folks. It lets in way too much stimulous for the brain to handle. You might check out their book -- it's pretty interesting.

Scattered

I actually thought I was hard of hearing when I was younger because I would have trouble hearing people in crowded places like restaurants or anywhere there was a lot going on. Turns out it wasn't my hearing that was broken it was my attention span and focusing ability. My hearing is actually great so it's definately an ADD thing

I actually thought I was hard of hearing when I was younger because I would have trouble hearing people in crowded places like restaurants or anywhere there was a lot going on. Turns out it wasn't my hearing that was broken it was my attention span and focusing ability. My hearing is actually great so it's definately an ADD thingYeah, this is funny. I actually took my daughter to the doctor a couple of times to have her hearing checked, because she kept asking us to repeat things. Doctor said something about attention, but I thought she just meant I was a bad mom and hadn't gotten my daughters attention. I didn't realize she meant Attention Deficit Disorder!:eyebrow: I only realized the other day, that I had gone in to have my ears checked too because I was having trouble hearing things. That's a big difference on and off meds for me. I can be directly listening to someone and still miss three or for words (sound like the Charlie Brown adults -- "Wha wha ....wha wha whaaaaa")when I'm off meds. On meds that is much, much less of a problem. We were both diagnosed about a month apart with ADHD!:D

I am recently diagnosed as well, and just figured this out last week! I also used to think I had a hearing problem, and even went to get it checked several times over the last decade. Sure enough, I was always told that my hearing is perfect.

I'm the same way - the radio needs to be off when I'm talking with someone. I used to get mad at my friend for leaving the radio on in the car while having a conversation. It was too distracting! I realize now that it isn't distracting for anyone but me.

My hearing is weird, some things I cannot seem to hear well (like when someone is talking to me and I don't know it) but is someone is chewing food or gum with their mouth open within a 50 yard radius it about drives me mad. Little noises bug the tar out of me, big noises interest me.

Craig

I actually thought I was hard of hearing when I was younger because I would have trouble hearing people in crowded places like restaurants Yes, I have slight hearing loss but hear very poorly if I am near any noise like running water, TVs, radios, or in crowds.

My hearing was tested and I only have the slightest of hearing loss. It seems I just can not discern or separate the 'good' noise from the bad.

Best wishes,

Vic

- living with recently diagnosed severe ADHD inattentive type

to this day champagne corks popping and biscuit tins (pillsbury) sent me hiding. my family thinks it is funny. i am getting better, but loud noises still make me flinch.

TyrionX, that sounds a lot like Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD) - sometimes co-morbid with ADHD.

I have the same issues too, although probably not quite as badly as you're describing. I've heard enough people mention this that I strongly suspect that ADHD people have more auditory-processing problems than the general population, but that's just my own observation.

CAPD will NOT show up on a normal hearing test, because it's not an issue with your physical ability to hear. Scattered pretty much had it when she was talking about filtering... I tend to think of it as "hearing dyslexia," and I hope that idea is intuitive enough to give you an idea. The right noise goes in; the problem is what your brain does with it.

To be tested for it, you would have to specify to an audiologist that you wanted to be tested for CAPD. If it's severe enough, you may be able to get a special type of hearing device to put in, which will filter out everything but human voices for you. Oh, and you can take it out, it's not a permanent fixture - at least that's my understanding. Might not help if you're surrounded by people talking, though.

(You may not think it's bad enough for that, but I thought I'd throw the info out there.)

sounds a lot like Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD) - sometimes co-morbid with ADHD.


Excellent point here. I too thought it sounded like one of those hearing things but had it not been for Bean I never would have been able to remember the exact name!!!!!!

Here is a WEB site that may give you some more information as to what this centeral auditory processing disorder is!!!!


http://www.tsbvi.edu/Outreach/seehear/spring00/centralauditory.htm


Hope this helps :D

I'm sensitive to noise if I haven't braced myself for it. I still can't stand to be in a Garage with powertools for the noise...

I'm also really sensitive to light, I've noticed. I can't go outside on sunny days without wearing sun-glasses or covering my eyes in some other way...

About 20% of ADDers have hypersensitivities to at least some degree.
You might wantto check out the sensory thread. It has a lot of info, and has info on coping strategies in the event your hypersensitivity is causing discomfort.

ME :D


Since I was a little child I've always had a problem with noise. Loud sounds would send me into panic for some reason. Later on, they still bugged me but were less of a pain. However, I've noticed just how much I dislike noise even today.

When I'm in the car with someone, I really dislike having the radio on if I'm talking to someone. I can't focus enough to pay attention to whoever I'm in the car with. It's gotten to the point where if I'm with family I turn the radio off- bugs me that much. Music is much better, however. Oddly, though, I hate books-on-tape. They read too slowly, where almost each word is painful to listen to. It becomes a pain because that's the only real stimulation within the car...and it's just so dreadfully slow and pronouced.

At school, too, classrooms are a bit of a problem. With all the noise generated from people talking and feet walking, I can't really concentrate enough to hear someone clearly. I have to constantly ask them what they just said- I have pretty good hearing otherwise, it's just that I can't differentiate when there's lots of noise. Apparently, that's supposed to be a symptom of ADD? When I can't filter stuff out properly, I mean.

So, does anyone else such a sensitivity?

TyrionX, that sounds a lot like Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD) - sometimes co-morbid with ADHD.

I have the same issues too, although probably not quite as badly as you're describing. I've heard enough people mention this that I strongly suspect that ADHD people have more auditory-processing problems than the general population, but that's just my own observation.

CAPD will NOT show up on a normal hearing test, because it's not an issue with your physical ability to hear. Scattered pretty much had it when she was talking about filtering... I tend to think of it as "hearing dyslexia," and I hope that idea is intuitive enough to give you an idea. The right noise goes in; the problem is what your brain does with it.

To be tested for it, you would have to specify to an audiologist that you wanted to be tested for CAPD. If it's severe enough, you may be able to get a special type of hearing device to put in, which will filter out everything but human voices for you. Oh, and you can take it out, it's not a permanent fixture - at least that's my understanding. Might not help if you're surrounded by people talking, though.

(You may not think it's bad enough for that, but I thought I'd throw the info out there.)It's not bad enough for a hearing aid, though. I can still understand most of the time...it just gets annoying.

But I don't think it's CAPD...for one thing, I also flinch quite alot- people tend to think they're cool and all because they can fake a punch at my face and I flinch anyway. Sad thing is, no matter how hard I'd try I can't stop it, it's too involuntary.

Then again, according to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CAPD I have most of the symptoms except for a few, but I noticed in there it says that people with CADP usually have trouble with a foreign language and vocabulary. This is odd, because while I do really well with knowing vocabulary, I can't actually speak either foreign or native languages well. Wrong emphases on the wrong syllable. Infact, I'm learning Spanish right now- while I am learning the vocabulary at a pretty good pace, I can not for the life of me pronounce them. Tu(you) is nearly impossible, much to the humor of my friends.

Oooh, thanks for linking the Wiki article, I hadn't seen it. I have basically all of those behavioural characteristics, too. But like I said, it's fairly mild, so no doctors needed. I just like to know what's going on.

Jumping easily is called "high startle reflex," and it's a totally separate thing. It's common for ADHD people to have a high startle; it also shows up in people with anxiety disorders, and in people with PTSD. Probably something to do with a disregulated nervous system. I do that too, and people think it's HILARIOUS how easily they can make me flinch.

Also Tammy, thanks for your article as well. I just looked at it, and it looks really informative. I don't have "attention petrol" for it right now, but I'll have to read it later. I find it interesting that they add another characteristic in there ("difficulty processing non-verbal information"). I bet that shows up more when CAPD is quite severe, since I don't believe I've met anyone with CAPD yet who has trouble with musical appreciation. Very interesting, though.

Also, another good one is from the autistics.org library (CAPD is common in autistic people): http://www.autistics.us/library/capd.html

I do that too, and people think it's HILARIOUS how easily they can make me flinch.
I don't recommend this but there was a guy in high school that loved to grab me at my locker and startle me. I started swinging around with my elbow out... he quit after the second time. :p