I came accross this when trying to find some information on my own sound sensitivity. It has caused me so much upset in my life and I've never been able to understand what is wrong with me. I've noticed that there are many posts on eating sounds etc (these are my worst). Anyway, have a read up on this, it's most fascinating:

Selective soft sound sensitivity (SSSS) syndrome......it's called 4S and was named by an audiologist who studies this problem. There's even a forum set up for people like us. At last there's a name for it.....makes me very sad as it's caused me years and years of difficulties and I've never told a soul as thought it was just me :(

There are others here with sensory issues.

Have you read up on "sensory diets"?

It is the idea that people do better when their sensory input is controlled. (e.g. some kids "behavior problems" and "stress problems" and such are the result of SENSORY OVERLOAD.)

Modulating and regulating input can help a person with sensory overload issues. (e.g. normal people cannot understand that for some folks, a light is 10-100x stronger for the Sensory-different person. It is not illuminating, it is *blinding*.

Some hyperactivity can be the result of a person being "irritated" in their nervous system. (This certainly is true in the lab with cells exposed to toxins and other smaller animals put under stress.)

Hyperactivity (or other ADD problems) may reduce when sensory toxicity is reduced.

We have a place here in Toronto called MUKIBAUM that teaches a lot about SID (sensory integration disorder), etc.


http://www.mukibaum.com/Programs/progsensory.html

Interesting post - quick question, are you sensitive to the noises of your own eating or of hearing others eat?

Looking for more information on SSSS led me to this site on hyperacusis - I can't believe there is a name for a problem I've had for as long as I can remember.
http://www.hyperacusis.net/hyperacusis/3+types+of+sound+sensitivity/default.asp

White noise machines work wonders I have two of them and I don't get startled by outside stimuli.

White noise machines work wonders I have two of them and I don't get startled by outside stimuli.
Even with white noise (or a fan going) I can't deal with the sound of a child whining or a baby crying or a dog yapping or a door slamming or a foot tapping or a vacumn cleaner or an alarm going off or a motorcycle driving by or children playing the same room I'm in ... it's not that they startle me (although some do), it's that they are just too loud an annoying - creating stress and tension and a sort of anxiety attack that can last for hours.

It's only when I don't get enough sleep that soft sounds (like someone else eating) really irritate me.

Thanks for the replies, to be honest I've only just started to look into it. I'm 45 and my dad always had this sensitivity too. My sister's the same as me and 2 (out my 4) kids are the same. I could name a number of things that I'm completely over sensitive to but eating noises are the worst. My poor mum...I just can't be around her when she eats. Some people bother me more than others but the feeling of irritation is so intense. It gets to the point where I have to leave the room and have perfected all sorts of avoidance techniques over the years so I don't have to be around people eating.

I do find myself sort of 'zooming in' on someone and once their eating sounds are upsetting me I do tend to focus entirely on that, with the extreme irritation building up inside. Then I'm stuck, I either have to leave the room or wait for them to finish the last mouthful and stop eating. Then I just carry on as normal. It's exhausting I must say. I'm now thinking that I sound really crazy:eek:

Funnily enough, I have never been irritated by my own eating!

I feel the same way but I have a room that I hide in and use those machines (I have to use two of them) and it block it out for awhile, crank them at their highest and I can say they become a lot less noticeable, it doesn't get rid of them but in the long run I am less anxious over it because it isn't as intense for me.

Another thing that makes me feel like that is when I type.