I've always thought I must be stupid... Later I found out that I'm not stupid however. I am distracted not only by noise, but by my own thoughts. I can be trying to listen to someone and begin thinking that they're clothes are nice, or their shoes are dirty... or that they look like someone else I knew long ago... My mind then will think of the person I knew long ago, and then I'll recall the situation/circumstances in which I knew them... I'll recall the season, perhaps it was winter and I was always bundled up in a coat.... Then I'm thinking of what kind of coat I want to buy.... Meanwhile I'm looking at this individual and they're talking away thinking I'm following them. I can't read with the tv on. I can't sleep with the radio on. I keep listeneng for the next song to come on hoping it is better than the last... etc. I have trouble multitasking..... But, if I can't try to move from one thing to another frequently rather than staying involved in one thing at a time, I get anxious because I feel the need to move on.

My mom used to watch tv and read paperback mystery novels at the same time. I thought she was brilliant. Thats just something I couldn't begin to do. Sometimes I read a paragraph and can't recall what I just read. Sometimes a song gets stuck in my head and I hear the melody over and over so that it drives me nuts. I'm not very hyper, though. I just seem to be easily distracted.

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I've always thought I must be stupid... Later I found out that I'm not stupid however. I am distracted not only by noise, but by my own thoughts. I can be trying to listen to someone and begin thinking that they're clothes are nice, or their shoes are dirty... or that they look like someone else I knew long ago... My mind then will think of the person I knew long ago, and then I'll recall the situation/circumstances in which I knew them... I'll recall the season, perhaps it was winter and I was always bundled up in a coat.... Then I'm thinking of what kind of coat I want to buy.... Meanwhile I'm looking at this individual and they're talking away thinking I'm following them. I can't read with the tv on. I can't sleep with the radio on. I keep listeneng for the next song to come on hoping it is better than the last... etc. I have trouble multitasking..... But, if I can't try to move from one thing to another frequently rather than staying involved in one thing at a time, I get anxious because I feel the need to move on.

My mom used to watch tv and read paperback mystery novels at the same time. I thought she was brilliant. Thats just something I couldn't begin to do. Sometimes I read a paragraph and can't recall what I just read. Sometimes a song gets stuck in my head and I hear the melody over and over so that it drives me nuts. I'm not very hyper, though. I just seem to be easily distracted.

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My 8 year old son is ADHD and he is bothered by loud noises....he used cry when the fire alarm at school would go off. I have not noticed the softer noises bothering him so much but I am also a teacher of special needs/behavior kids many of who have ADHD and I notice it with them. I encourage my students to listen to their IPods when we are working independently so that they are not distracted by others. It seems to help by keeping them in their own zone and they produce better quality work. I have heard that gum chewing also helps to remain foucsed.

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My wife just pointed this site out to me after we had a fight because she has insisted on playing the Tetris computer game next to me in bed. The constant, irregular tapping of the keys just raises my frustration levels through the roof. I sent her an apology text the next day telling her about how as a computer major in college I couldn't use the computer labs if there were other people there. I've been very hesitant about the idea of being ADD, my therapist only suggested it this summer after seeing me for 7 years and I don't like to think of myself as "having a problem". But reading some of what people are saying here I just go, "Oh My God, that's it exactly what I go through!" I used to hate my little brother when we were children because he would chew with his mouth open and I have trouble eating dinner if there is a mouth chewer at the table. If there is someone in a classroom who does that thing with their leg where they move it up and down real fast I have to sit so I can't see them and even then it bothers me just knowing it's happening. I love loud music, but can't stand hearing music that is muffled through a wall. If my daughter is watching TV while I am trying to sleep I have to make her turn it down so it is completely inaudible in my room. My wife will be laying beside me saying "I can't hear it at all, leave her alone" while I can't get to sleep because I can just barely hear it. Ear plugs are out of the question because I have so much trouble waking up in the morning that I just sleep through everything if I have them in. So thanks for starting this thread, it helped me come a little more to terms with having this issue and it also helped my wife get over being angry with me for being such an ass about her game.

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Noise irritation does not generally bother me unless it is high pitched. Certain ring tones just make me want to crawl away and hide from them.

My younger brother used to have such sensitivity to cap guns and firecrackers that he would go literally BOLT away from the scene of the noise. Once we lost him for a short period of time. Another time, he locked himself in the bathroom and started slamming and banging things.

The funny part with me and my brother is that it seems to be only CERTAIN noises that bother us. He could be around a loud motorcycle or racing car engine that was almost deafening and love it. But show him a firecracker and he would start hollering and crying.

The good news is that my brother did outgrow his sensitivity and my problem does is under control, just by will power. I may get irritated, but I can generally control my reactions.

Best of luck to you and yours.

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Noise irritation does not generally bother me unless it is high pitched. Certain ring tones just make me want to crawl away and hide from them.

My younger brother used to have such sensitivity to cap guns and firecrackers that he would go literally BOLT away from the scene of the noise. Once we lost him for a short period of time. Another time, he locked himself in the bathroom and started slamming and banging things.

The funny part with me and my brother is that it seems to be only CERTAIN noises that bother us. He could be around a loud motorcycle or racing car engine that was almost deafening and love it. But show him a firecracker and he would start hollering and crying.

The good news is that my brother did outgrow his sensitivity and my problem does is under control, just by will power. I may get irritated, but I can generally control my reactions.

Best of luck to you and yours.

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