New member here! :) Very nice forum. Been an observer for a couple weeks, but having a difficult day, and needing some support from people that might understand.

It's Tuesday. I am taking a long lunch to unwind a bit, before I go back to work. (I love my job, BTW)

Practically had a melt-down at work this morning. Apparently, I did not have my morning coffee. My story is very simplistic...however, what happened today made me feel like a caged animal...that was being tortured...wanting to get loose...and flee!!! :eek:

My wonderful (mean it!) boss decided to crank his I-tunes at work today via his Bose stereo. It was good music. My other eight co-workers enjoyed it and found it motivating...except me!!

The music rendered me utterly useless! Couldn't concentrate to save my life! I had no control over my brain! I wasted so much energy trying to focus and push that noise out of my head, that I feel burned-out. I still have a half day of work left.

No one could possibly relate with how I feel. No one would understand.
This is my issue. I shouldn't have to make my issue, their issue. ..and ruin the fun. There was *NO* way I was going to *assertively* suggest to my boss to turn the music down...preferrably "OFF".

I would be shunned as selfish, or better yet, a weirdo. Well, that's how I feel right now.

Any suggestions about handling these types of distractions in the workplace? Guess I should just buy some good headphones, but I gotta be able to hear the phone ring.

Has anyone else experienced this before??? How did you handle it?

Thank you.
Pamj

* Diagnosed 8 months ago with ADHD by my family doctor. Didn't even know such a thing existed...but, the diagnoses explained a lot.
* I was taking 72 mg Concerta, but my shoulder-shrug tic got bad.
* A week ago, I decided to cut down,and take only 54 mg of Concerta.
* Seemed like the medication made my tics worse.
* Suffered from the tic my whole life...along with moving my fingers as if I was counting each one over and over.

(Love to make lists...can you tell?)

Last year the guy in the cube behind me whistled all day. Loudly. Stuff like Zipi-dee-doo-dah, Whistle while you work, Small World.

I couldn't do anything. When he would briefly stop, I'd sit there anticipating that he might start back up again. I work 6am-2pm, which means I usually have 2 hours of quiet before everyone starts coming in (huge company).

This guy would get in at 6:15am, so I didn't even have a break!

He wasn't in my group but some people on his aisle would softly go "shuuuuuuush" when he started whistling.

Well, even the shuuushing started getting to me. He was a jerk, so he'd defiantly whistle even with the shushing.

Finally, I looked him up and went to his supervisor. It got better, but he'd still start up whistling, remember he wasn't supposed to, and then trail off. Repeat. All Day.

I was very close to going to HR and asking to move to a new desk when I got asked to join a different group. I accepted that offer so fast!

I hate wearing head phones, but if you got some good ones (Bose Noise Cancelling for a couple hundred), could you also get a phone with a light that blinks when a call comes in?

Talk to your boss's supervisor. If you are not comfortable with that, leave an unsigned letter on his desk saying that the music is distracting. By not signing it, he won't know who it came from so you don't have to confront him yourself. Have you disclosed to your boss that you are ADHD? If so, he should understand. You could approach him yourself and say something like "boy that music was fun yesterday but I got NOTHING done." Maybe he will pick up on the hint.

I'm sure your boss will understand if you explain to him you have ADHD. And if you don't want to tell em that, then you could always hint that you got nothing done with the music on, as msam mentioned. Since you've got a great boss, no doubt he'd be kind enough to turn the music off either way.
No worries =D

Thank you all so much for your advice. Really helped give me the courage to ...dare I say... approach my boss with the issue. :eek:

He cranked his stereo again today. Come on!! :(

I told him, as respectfully as I could, that I can't focus well with the music on. I did tell him about my ADHD. He seemed to understand, but I felt like a total dweeb, though. :faint:

A coworker of mine asked me why it was ok for me to listen to my own radio at my desk. Why would his radio bother me so much...and not mine.
The only thing I could think of was that I had the *power* to shut mine off when my brain was feeling overwhelmed. :confused:

Kinda hurt my feelings that she brought that to my attention. But, I probably hurt my boss' feelings by telling him to shut his music off. :foot:

ADHD really sucks sometimes, but at the same time, I wouldn't give it up for nothing. :eyebrow:

Good for you for sticking to your guns. As for the coworker, there is always one in every crowd. Good answer though, wouldn't have been that quick on my feet!

A coworker of mine asked me why it was ok for me to listen to my own radio at my desk. Why would his radio bother me so much...and not mine. The only thing I could think of was that I had the *power* to shut mine off when my brain was feeling overwhelmed. :confused:
I don't see this as an ADD issue but an office etiquette issue. It's one thing for regular office sounds...phones ringing, conversations, small meetings. It's another to subject anyone to something that can easily be avoided. Like you told your coworker, your radio is within your control. You're not making anyone else listen to it.

Musical tastes are very broad. What I like might not be your style. If someone was blasting country/western I'd freak out! So as a courtesy I keep my radio and iPod turned down. You'll only hear it when you're in my cube.

Pamela, I totally sympathize! There've been times where I resort to plugging in my headphones because the conversations become too much. It really bugs me when they're not work-related, grrrr.

I don't see this as an ADD issue but an office etiquette issue. It's one thing for regular office sounds...phones ringing, conversations, small meetings. It's another to subject anyone to something that can easily be avoided. Like you told your coworker, your radio is within your control. You're not making anyone else listen to it.
Anyone else would have been able to tune it out. Unfortunately, I can't seem to do that.

Same thing goes for my neighbors chronically barking dog. :mad: Seems like I am the only one that can not tune it out. So, I figured it was my ADHD.

Thank you all for makin' me feel normal. ;)

msam76, I like your avatar...very funnY!

Pam, if the music is loud enough to be heard outside cube walls then it's too loud. I'm amazed your coworkers can tune it out because I know I couldn't!

I had a similar problem yesterday. There was a 45 minute yakfest in the next cube. Nothing about work, just gabbing it up. Once that broke up the boss's husband (he works here too. he gives me the creeps) and another coworker camped out in her cube for a 20 minute soliloquy about wireless networks...loudly. I played the passive/agressive card by turning up my iPod loud. Didn't work. You mean I can't flush you guys out with Blink 182? crap.

I don't think this has anything to do with having, or not having ADD.. Just tell the guy nicely that the music is making it hard for you to work and does he want that? Or maybe tell him and ask him if he would mind using head phones, or playing it after work, or maybe you can bring ear plugs.. etc., etc.

I worked in an office a couple of years ago and did drawing of installations I designed. I have a bad habbit of whisteling while working and it was driving another girl crazy. Finally she told me and I completely understood and made a point of stopping, or catching my self. I didn't feel upset, it was obviously not a place to be whisteling or playing loud music, I just hadn't thought about the fact that it might irritate others.

Boy can I relate to your frustration. I have a writing job and really need to let my mind get quiet to focus and write . . . I was sharing an office with a woman who played heavy metal (at a spa!) and was very offended when I told her I needed the quiet. It just seems like good office etiquette to me. People who want music can use headphones, but once there's noise in the room you can't really escape it.

Fortunately I had a very understanding supervisor and found an office in a new location. Still, it's a small company and there's not much room for the quiet space needed to write. I'm really appreciating quiet companionship! I share my space with a couple of wonderful women, but one is particularly chatty. In a social setting, I'd enjoy long talks, but she's almost one of those think-out-loud folks...I feel mean for being critical in my head (if that makes sense) - thinking things such as "I don't care about every little detail of how you had to change your dentist appointment." Seems so mean-spirited, but when every comment interrupts the flow of writing and I'm still staring at the blank screen, I start gnashing my teeth. :faint: Guess I needed to vent. I work with very nice people but to get my work done feel like I have to tune them out a lot and keep my eyes on the computer as they come in and out. I don't want to be antisocial, but I'd really get very little done if I responded to everyone who came in and out. Working at home isn't an alternative because I know I'd feel way too isolated.