Inspired by a recent thread. This question might be triggering, so be careful. For me, even imagining these sounds is mildly upsetting.
Basically, which noises immediately ruin your day? For me it’s mostly sudden loud sounds, in order of most awful descending:
Tap for sounds
- Unmuffled compression brakes (when trucks or buses stop and go BANG)
- Smoke detector / emergency alarms
- Emergency services sirens
- Balloons popping
- Car horns / honking
- Angle grinders
- People practically smashing plates while violently washing dishes
- Vacuum cleaners or other power tools
- Yelling / screaming
- Alarm clocks
Surprisingly I don’t seem to hate “commonly hated” sounds like: nails on chalkboard, tinnitus, knife on plate, styrofoam rubbing, microphone feedback, babies crying, chewing, snoring, flies, repetitive tapping, dog barking.
Once, I went to a birthday party where the parents let their kid jump on the balloons and pop them one by one on purpose. I had to leave immediately.
If I wear earmuffs, it basically solves the issue. So I’m careful and on the lookout for situations that could make these sounds. I cover my ears with my hands if I don’t have them on me.
Any sound can be, if it’s played through in-ear earphones. It can even be made worse when played through low quality/cheap/older generation ones. It’s like getting stabbed in the ear by a screwdriver. It will automatically trigger fight or flight effect and i need to get those out.
I also cannot use in-ear earphones, but because it feels really unnatural. I hate earbuds and earplugs too. Nothing goes in my ear holes 👂 ❌
Yeah, earpuds as well. Though not earplugs, so just playing sound in or too close to the ear canal rather than something in it. Earplugs are just uncomfortable, but I’m wearing those only after night shift so tired enough not to notice it.