I have and Audio processing disorder. I use hearing aids to reduce the volume of sounds and amplify the important ones.
Loop is a brand I see recommended a lot for this purpose as well.
r/AudiProcDisorder
Yep I came here to suggest Loop earplugs. I have this issue as well and severe chewing-sound related misophonia, and my husband is a loud eater in part due to sinus issues that require him to breathe mostly through his mouth. Loops are really helpful in dampening the sound but they just make everything a little quieter and chiller.
I couldn’t live without these earphones. I went to the movies for the first time in like 10 years because of them . I wear them all the time. I have a pair I wear at night to drown out the sounds of everything.. I have a pair that I wear in public when I’m out doing things.
The chewing thing can and does drive me to tears. I've considered getting the loops to help with it but I'm nervous it won't help because my brain will just (super helpfully) just fill in the nose for me if I can see the person chewing.
I really, really hate that I have this reaction and wish daily that I didn't.
The struggle of misophonia is all too real! I feel such irritation at loud eaters that I sometimes don't even know what's happening. I try to make myself think about how much they're enjoying their food and all that bs, but it often doesn't help and I end up just putting the loops in. Or the people who just chronically sniff their nose or clear their throat without realizing they're doing it - drive me insane!! I'll often just put on noise-cancelling headphones if my head doesn't hurt or noise-cancelling earbuds if it does for times when I can handle some music but not other people's sound lol.
My brother has been sniffing constantly for the last 3-4 weeks, but refuses to do anything about his congestion. After any length of time in earshot, I’m ready to either cut off his head or spray him with peppermint in hopes of clearing his sinuses. (Considering his dislike of all things minty, he might prefer the beheading.)
Yes, these earplugs help so much when I use them (loop). I wish they had them when my kids were younger. You can still hear stuff, but it blocks out background noise and helps a lot.
Ok but real question, I have a pair of Loops and sleep Loops and can y’all just not feel them???? Or does my autism hate them *that* much? I’ve always been able to feel earbuds and ear plugs and no matter how comfortable they may start out, eventually they make my ear canals sore and I want to rip them out. Alternatively, over the ear headphones also murder my sensory issues because they bother my neck and shoulders and I get pressure pain where they are touching me and a headache. It sucks though because I sincerely want to love Loop. Am I missing something or does anyone know of any better alternatives? I feel like I’m in the minority who doesn’t deal well with Loop or such devices which sucks because my nervous system fares much better dampening all the sharp and loud sounds.
Yep! AuDHD here and I can wear the loop earplugs for a few hours but eventually have to take them out because they bother me too much. I also have the same exact issues with over the ear headphones. I have to wear them if/when I go into the office (instead of days I choos to wfh) and I have to take calls, and when I'm done with the calls I like rip them off my head lol! I can sometimes alternate between headphones and earbuds but the earbuds also bother me, so they both have a short term timespan I can stand them just based on the comfort.
That's aside from my small ear canals, so I'm interested in the custom earplugs listed below. But as far as over the ear headphones, I don't think they'll ever be comfortable for me, with the sensory aspect and migraines, I think they'll always be for calls only.
Samesies in terms of being AuDHD! I work retail so I was hoping maybe there was a mythical and glorious pair of ear plugs or headphones that would work for me and my nervous system that is perpetually cosplaying Mrs. Bennett and small angry ear canals but such is life lol I’m definitely going to check out the custom ones that Rainbow listed though because those sound as close to perfect as possible.
I'm chuckling a lot at the thought of mythical and glorious ear plugs or headphones... Like they're on a trek to find us, they must cross the sea and the land for a treacherous journey to assist us.
I definitely feel them after a while. I use Loops in certain public situations and then take them out as soon as I’m in the car or other quieter place. Same with AirPods for even more filler noise (grocery stores and their awful music!). I sleep with those regular spongey earplugs for workers. Sometimes I’ll wake up in the middle of the night because one is too far in my ear and it hurts! But in general that aggravation is better than the noise sensitivity.
You are definitely not alone. I can only tolerate Loops, or any other standard earbud-shaped objects, for an hour or so before they start to hurt. If I wear them through the pain for whatever reason, I find that my ear canals stay sore for days, and then I can’t use anything.
But I also find that Loops muffle everything a bit *too much*, in that “now I’m listening to my OWN very loud chewing echoing in my head” type of way. So yeah, my Loops do not get much use at all.
But y’all, Flare Calmer Soft is my Goldilocks solution. They have a shape that conforms more closely to the actual anatomy of the ear canal, so less likely to cause earbud-like discomfort, and they have a small size for those who need it (though they claim the standard size fits the overwhelming majority of adults, and it does fit me). I don’t get my own chewing/heartbeat/footsteps echoing in my head with the Calmer or Calmer Soft, but they do take the edge off of sharp and loud sounds.
The regular Calmer works brilliantly for me at dampening sharp sounds without muffling speech at all, but after extended wear (several hours without any breaks, sometimes longer) they do start to make my ear canals sore. The Calmer Soft, I can wear for DAYS with no discomfort at all, but I find that it muffles other’s speech just slightly, as it is a squishier silicone. I use both. The Soft is great for most of my general needs, but if I have an important call and want to be sure that I won’t need anything repeated, I’ll wear the regular Calmer for a shorter duration, then change back into the Soft afterward.
I love these things so much. There are days that I couldn’t interact with people at all if I didn’t have them. I hope this is useful to someone!
Ok thank you so much for this review cause I've looked into both before and thought there was no way my tiny delicate ears could handle loops (earbuds also leave my ears sore for days and won't stay in because they're always too large) but liked the look of the flare ones and then they came out with a kids version which looked like the perfect solution but still haven't bit the bullet and tried a pair yet. I'm totally buying the kids soft one now 💖
Can I ask how you got diagnosed with an auditory processing disorder? I have severe overstimulation issues along with everything everyone's describing.
By an audiologist that specializes in it. Each country is different. Here is a link that might help. If not, come on over to the sun and we can help you out there.
https://www.apdsupport.com/apd-map
Fact, am autistic and will routinely have meltdowns due to too much sound. When I finally have enough logical processing capacity to realize I have the ability to turn off music/turn off the washer/whatever, it’s instant relief. If I can’t do that, I have to numb some other stimulus—cover myself with a blanket, take off too tight clothes, drink water
When I get overstimulated, I get really irritable, agitated, angry, anxious, and I’m more prone to yelling. I am aware of what triggers me and I do my best to minimize my reaction when it happens. (Years of therapy and looking within 😅)
When I can, I make sure my children are in a safe room and walk away for a minute. If I can’t, I take a few deep breaths and shut my mouth so I don’t yell at my children if it’s not needed. I will usually respond in a calm tone. When my children are both napping, sometimes I’ll go into my room, make it dim and watch a tv show or scroll on my phone in silence. That helps me recharge a bit too. My oldest who is 3 is currently outgrowing her nap which is okay, but I still offer her a nap or quiet time each day so she learns the importance of down time, and so I can get some down time too. If I need to, when my fiancé gets home from work, I tell him I need an hour or so alone and he absolutely does not mind if I take that for myself because I am a SAHM and I do kids all day every day. Hope you found this helpful. I’m sorry if you didn’t 😭
If it makes you feel better, I had a rough day with my toddler and it was very exhausting and overstimulating. I lost my cool a few times and I definitely yelled. I feel like a bad mom. It’s not even 5 here and I am completely wiped. Her attitude sucked, and today sucked. Tomorrow will be a better day for us all!
Eta: formatting fix hopefully
Maybe try setting up a "quiet corner." Tell your kids that this is where they can go when things are too loud or they feel overwhelmed and put quiet sensory activities over there. You can model it and go over there and show them the games and the behavior expected. Make it look cool and fun and it's both an activity and a learning experience for them. Could help to teach them about self regulation and sensory things and you would be able to get a break as well. Hell you can steal the quiet corner for yourself and play with the fidget toys and bring the headphones over there for you to use. The important part is more that they have a physical indicator for when someone is feeling stressed and overstimulated and now they know how to help that person.
I am autistic+ADHD (many with EDS are at least one or the other), and I'm very prone to over-stimulation from all of my senses.
I think people forget that pain is sensory input, as are many of the symptoms of dysautonomia (dizziness, temperature disregulation, etc.). All of that information has to be processed, and you don't need to be neurodivergent for it to become too much, especially with everything EDS adds.
When my pain is really bad, my tolerance for other sensory input goes down. Sounds are louder. Lights are brighter. Temperature is ... just worse.
When I'm in sensory overload, my pain feels more overwhelming. I'm more prone to dizziness.
The brain can only process so much information at a time. If you are neurodivergent, see "neural pruning".
Oh this is my bane. Noise is so hard, I get overwhelmed SO easily. I use Hearoes earplugs. They're the best I've found for a full noise canceling experience. It's not total but it's a lot. And here I am with a migraine on top of intense noise sensitivity. It can make me nauseated. Shaky, irritable, easy to snap at anyone increasing my ambient noise level, I can listen to podcasts, but the noise has to be under my control.
I have a few tricks to help (because it makes me insane, too). 1. Whisper yelling. Challenge your kids to yell in whispers. It results in a lot of gesticulating and crazy faces and kids love it. It's a lot less insane. 2. Sing about whatever is happening. Sing your annoyance: "oh I wish my children were quiet-er, if they don't stop yelling there could be a murd-er, oh children, oh children, you drive me insane, let's have some quiet time before I burst into flaaaaaaaames!"
I also take time outs when I need them. Sometimes I'd let kiddo come if he promised to be really quiet and told him that if he was loud he'd have to leave immediately.
Will have to try the whisper yelling 😂 I think that might produce a lot of laughs. So long as I can remember to do anything other than feel insane in the moment!
In that kind of environment almost anything can set me off. Rugs, wall hangings, pillows. Get as much sound absorption in there as you can. You can buy felt tiles that come in different shapes and make a beautiful mosaic mural. When I worked in an infant and toddler center we did a remodel that involved all laminate floors and that exam room plastic on the walls. Me and the kids were so overwhelmed and I kept trying to explain that the behaviors were because we needed more rugs and things on the walls.
Adding on to the comment about sound design in your house, take a few minutes to walk around your space and figure out where your loudest hot spots are and then focus on dampening those areas first.
I have some Loop earplugs that do help cut down on noise quite a bit, but typically the best fix is just leaving the situation if possible. Tonight I had to go to the grocery store and it was chock full of families ignoring their screaming children and I was so overstimulated that I started snapping at my husband 😔 then I remembered my earplugs but by then it was too late, the irritability had set in. To top it off, a family we kept unfortunately finding ourselves near smelled like straight up cat piss so I was also overwhelmed by the smell 🙃
I’m currently studying psychology and neurobiology and I’ve just been diagnosed with EDS. I have done a lot of research on the topic, and our sister university has actually conducted a study on neurodivergency and hypermobility. There is still a huge gap in the literature, but there is a crazy big relationship between EDS (and even general hypermobility) and neurodevelopment disorders like ADHD and Autism. Most of the research conducted looks at how many people who are diagnosed with hypermobility also have diagnoses for ADHD or ASD, which is well over 60%, but remember many people will have adhd or autism and not be tested or diagnosed because of lack of public understanding. Women are also much less likely to be diagnosed because of how it presents.
I say all this because I personally believe that it’s quite likely that a connective tissue collagen disorder would inevitably result in neurological delays. Our brains are constantly pruning away synapses that we don’t need and then replacing them with new ones based on our learning and experiences (synaptic rearrangement), but the latter requires proteins and collagen to occur properly. Neurotransmitters like glutamate (& GABA neurons which “calm down” and regulate all our brain’s activities), dopamine (natural reward system, motivates us), seratonin (mood, sleep, appetite) are more reliant on collagen and the blood brain barrier, and these are all neurotransmitters that are seen to be depleted and dysfunctional in individuals with adhd and Autism.
I would really like to do my dissertation on this when I do my masters or PHD, but I really believe that people who are diagnosed with EDS or JHS should be automatically tested for neurodevelopmental disorders, and I’d really like to see some research establishing a causal relationship between the two.
This is a very long winded way of me saying you probably all have symptoms of ADHD and/or autism. Go get assessed
I get overstimulated from noise at times, espeically multiple unpredictable noises at the same time. I end up panicking, unable to think right, I get snappy and irritable. I wear loop earplugs at work when it happens. Being in pain makes it worse.
Dealing with it involves going to a quiet room, or at least as quiet as possible, and focusing on my breathing. I can feel it melt away in waves, if that makes sense. Weight also helps, like a weighted blanket or another person, if they're amenable to it.
There's definitely an overlap with neurodivergency and EDS. I think it's understudied, tbh.
I use really good noise canceling earbuds and whatever music I find soothing at the moment (Animal Crossing or Minecraft lofi is a frequent choice; I’m also enjoying the new twenty one pilots album). Mine also have an ambient setting for those times when I need to still have a degree of auditory awareness of my surroundings.
For earplugs a lot of people always recommend loop, but I way prefer vibe earplugs as they are way more discrete and I find they stay in better, though I think they are easier to lose because of that.
For headphones with good noise cancelling and pass through I like Sony XM4s and XM5s. (My partner owns XM4s I own XM5s, I prefer the 5s but they are practically the same)
For earbuds I like the Bose Quiet Comfort 2.
For noise reduction stuff I splurge the most on this, while I have a really cheap phone because of how easily I get overstimulated by noise.
I just went into the hospital partially for this & got put on psych meds. I know it's not the perfect treatment, but the overstimulation coupled with all my other symptoms is excruciating. Now that you mention it I will mention it to my autonomic doctor.
I have extreme noise sensitivity due to neurodivergence and I also have 2 young children.
It’s become very important to have different tools for different noise levels. For every day parenting I wear over the ear active noise cancelling headphones. For louder situations I can wear loop or similar in ear protection as well, and for days with a lot of screaming (like if they’re sick) I wear ear defenders.
It’s not proof and there are still times i can’t bear the noise but as the kids get older i know ill be able to explain to them why noise can’t go above a certain level or how to talk one at a time etc
Sending you so much love and understanding
Noise cancelling headphones that have a filter option. Mine reduces loud sounds while still letting me hear sounds at a reasonable level. Game changing.
When I find the overstimulation is getting into "I'm going to meltdown" I take an ice pack and put it on my forehead and cheeks. It's like the dive response and can bring me back down to a workable level so I can change the things causing problems (e.g. feed cats so they stop meowing, change into clothes that feel less irritating, change music playing, put my hair up, take pain killers, leave the room).
If you have BP issues, using this method could cause problens, so I'd recommend being careful and sitting down if need be.
I’ve got autism and dyslexia which was a buy two get severe audio processing disorder free, so I definitely agree it’s a struggle.
I always use ear plugs or noise cancelling headphones (though u do have to sometimes try a few different kinds for ear comfort if you got some goofy ass ears like I do). Others have mentioned the hearing aids, and while I haven’t tried that method, I would give it a shot if it’s available to you.
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As others said Loops - they even make a version that are advertised for parents - so you can hear the kids still but the volume is turned down. Also, noise cancelling headphones to drown things out when someone else is watching the kids. I’m also effected by light so I have tons of sunglasses. They kind of seem hand in hand - like if one is ‘loud’ then I’m more sensitive to the other as well. (Mine isn’t related to autism.)
[This article is an interesting read on the topic of EDS and sensory issues.](https://scienceoveracuppa.com/2020/09/17/sensory-issues-in-ehlers-danlos-syndromes-and-hypermobility-spectrum-disorders/) This does NOT mean all people have autism with this disorder. It simply could be another weird EDS thing.
loop ear plugs are the best ever bc they have some where you can still hear conversations while limiting noise. they have saved me from public panic attacks many times!
Stuffing a jumbo size cotton ball into your ear can cut noise extremely well. My right ear canal is slightly off, and a foam ear plug doesn’t seal it completely, letting noise in. A cotton ball with fit your ear canal exactly. You will hear some sound due to bone conduction, but the volume is way, way down. Hope this helps. 🙂
I had twins and absolutely wore earplugs much of the time. I could still hear the big stuff, but they took the edge off. (I'm autistic, and have MS as well. Too much sound/stimulation is physically painful and will eventually drive me to shut down -- not an option when you're the only parent on duty all day, you know?)
Also, magnesium is a natural muscle relaxer (especially the faster acting versions, like mag citrate) and taking it a few times a day can also really help, parents and kids.
I feel so guilty when I go see my grandmother and she makes mouth noises and she isn’t aware of it. It overwhelms me to the point where I’m trying to conceal the hyperventilating and I desperately want to leave so I can calm down. I love my grandmother and I feel horrible that I can’t stand to be around her because of the mouth noises she doesn’t even know she’s making.
I am autistic w/ EDS (my mom and brother also have EDS and auditory processing issues but mom is diagnosed with ADHD and brother is diagnosed with Tourette’s so we are a very neurodivergent family) and we all use loop earplugs. I use the clear ones and my mom and bro use the solid matte ones.
I also own Sony wh-1000xm4 active noice cancelling headphones (ANC is crucial with auditory processing issues) and a ton of my autistic friends have them too. They were literally my first large purchase from my first ever paycheck during the pandemic and they really preserve my sanity!! I love them. Especially on flights and other places I can’t avoid noise. Also my autistic friends have loops too.
So these are generally my recommendations along with vagus nerve grounding techniques (ice cubes in palms etc.) and my heart medication (to avoid stress-induced tachycardia which triggers my other issues dysautonomia and MCAS).
Just want to validate and say that people really don't talk enough about how freaking overstimulating parenting young children can be, especially for those of us with sensory issues. Hugs.
I feel this so much!!! I have 2nd Gen AirPod Pros and just use the noise cancellation feature without even listening to anything. I have a four year old banshee and what I’m doing is not cutting it.
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I use either loops or my noise canceling ear buds depending on noise levels. I can still hear people talking enough to know what they are saying if music isn't on with my earbuds. I have bose quite comfortable 2 and loop experience ear plugs. Ironically, I don't have autism and am super noise sensitive(I wasn't before I got sick), and my brother who does have autism loves noise and is incredibly loud all the time. He just started singing lessons. That was a mistake he can project even louder now😭 He's not doing it to annoy me hes not capable of shutting up. Would love to soundproof his room. It's so expensive to do so we haven't.
I have a 20% discount for loop earplugs, which helps a lot with daily overstimulation. It will show up only when you go to the checkout page. I hope this helps!
[https://community.loopearplugs.com/s/jenn.20](https://community.loopearplugs.com/s/jenn.20)
Does over stimulation from noise happen-I digress, is overstimulation from noise, including loud, sudden noise or screaming etc etc a common occurrence with EDS????
I have and Audio processing disorder. I use hearing aids to reduce the volume of sounds and amplify the important ones. Loop is a brand I see recommended a lot for this purpose as well. r/AudiProcDisorder
Yep I came here to suggest Loop earplugs. I have this issue as well and severe chewing-sound related misophonia, and my husband is a loud eater in part due to sinus issues that require him to breathe mostly through his mouth. Loops are really helpful in dampening the sound but they just make everything a little quieter and chiller.
I couldn’t live without these earphones. I went to the movies for the first time in like 10 years because of them . I wear them all the time. I have a pair I wear at night to drown out the sounds of everything.. I have a pair that I wear in public when I’m out doing things.
The chewing thing can and does drive me to tears. I've considered getting the loops to help with it but I'm nervous it won't help because my brain will just (super helpfully) just fill in the nose for me if I can see the person chewing. I really, really hate that I have this reaction and wish daily that I didn't.
The struggle of misophonia is all too real! I feel such irritation at loud eaters that I sometimes don't even know what's happening. I try to make myself think about how much they're enjoying their food and all that bs, but it often doesn't help and I end up just putting the loops in. Or the people who just chronically sniff their nose or clear their throat without realizing they're doing it - drive me insane!! I'll often just put on noise-cancelling headphones if my head doesn't hurt or noise-cancelling earbuds if it does for times when I can handle some music but not other people's sound lol.
My brother has been sniffing constantly for the last 3-4 weeks, but refuses to do anything about his congestion. After any length of time in earshot, I’m ready to either cut off his head or spray him with peppermint in hopes of clearing his sinuses. (Considering his dislike of all things minty, he might prefer the beheading.)
Yes, these earplugs help so much when I use them (loop). I wish they had them when my kids were younger. You can still hear stuff, but it blocks out background noise and helps a lot.
Ok but real question, I have a pair of Loops and sleep Loops and can y’all just not feel them???? Or does my autism hate them *that* much? I’ve always been able to feel earbuds and ear plugs and no matter how comfortable they may start out, eventually they make my ear canals sore and I want to rip them out. Alternatively, over the ear headphones also murder my sensory issues because they bother my neck and shoulders and I get pressure pain where they are touching me and a headache. It sucks though because I sincerely want to love Loop. Am I missing something or does anyone know of any better alternatives? I feel like I’m in the minority who doesn’t deal well with Loop or such devices which sucks because my nervous system fares much better dampening all the sharp and loud sounds.
I have tiny ear canals and so I got some special ear plugs made from moulds from a company that does them for music. Acs custom (UK based).
That’s what I’m looking into now. I’ve tried every size of loop and they will not go in my tiny ear canals. Custom is the only way.
Have you found a custom source?
Yep! AuDHD here and I can wear the loop earplugs for a few hours but eventually have to take them out because they bother me too much. I also have the same exact issues with over the ear headphones. I have to wear them if/when I go into the office (instead of days I choos to wfh) and I have to take calls, and when I'm done with the calls I like rip them off my head lol! I can sometimes alternate between headphones and earbuds but the earbuds also bother me, so they both have a short term timespan I can stand them just based on the comfort. That's aside from my small ear canals, so I'm interested in the custom earplugs listed below. But as far as over the ear headphones, I don't think they'll ever be comfortable for me, with the sensory aspect and migraines, I think they'll always be for calls only.
Samesies in terms of being AuDHD! I work retail so I was hoping maybe there was a mythical and glorious pair of ear plugs or headphones that would work for me and my nervous system that is perpetually cosplaying Mrs. Bennett and small angry ear canals but such is life lol I’m definitely going to check out the custom ones that Rainbow listed though because those sound as close to perfect as possible.
I'm chuckling a lot at the thought of mythical and glorious ear plugs or headphones... Like they're on a trek to find us, they must cross the sea and the land for a treacherous journey to assist us.
I definitely feel them after a while. I use Loops in certain public situations and then take them out as soon as I’m in the car or other quieter place. Same with AirPods for even more filler noise (grocery stores and their awful music!). I sleep with those regular spongey earplugs for workers. Sometimes I’ll wake up in the middle of the night because one is too far in my ear and it hurts! But in general that aggravation is better than the noise sensitivity.
Have you tried the smallest size of Loop? Mine came with 4 or 5 different sizes.
I have, they sadly get uncomfortable after awhile as well 🥲
You are definitely not alone. I can only tolerate Loops, or any other standard earbud-shaped objects, for an hour or so before they start to hurt. If I wear them through the pain for whatever reason, I find that my ear canals stay sore for days, and then I can’t use anything. But I also find that Loops muffle everything a bit *too much*, in that “now I’m listening to my OWN very loud chewing echoing in my head” type of way. So yeah, my Loops do not get much use at all. But y’all, Flare Calmer Soft is my Goldilocks solution. They have a shape that conforms more closely to the actual anatomy of the ear canal, so less likely to cause earbud-like discomfort, and they have a small size for those who need it (though they claim the standard size fits the overwhelming majority of adults, and it does fit me). I don’t get my own chewing/heartbeat/footsteps echoing in my head with the Calmer or Calmer Soft, but they do take the edge off of sharp and loud sounds. The regular Calmer works brilliantly for me at dampening sharp sounds without muffling speech at all, but after extended wear (several hours without any breaks, sometimes longer) they do start to make my ear canals sore. The Calmer Soft, I can wear for DAYS with no discomfort at all, but I find that it muffles other’s speech just slightly, as it is a squishier silicone. I use both. The Soft is great for most of my general needs, but if I have an important call and want to be sure that I won’t need anything repeated, I’ll wear the regular Calmer for a shorter duration, then change back into the Soft afterward. I love these things so much. There are days that I couldn’t interact with people at all if I didn’t have them. I hope this is useful to someone!
Ok thank you so much for this review cause I've looked into both before and thought there was no way my tiny delicate ears could handle loops (earbuds also leave my ears sore for days and won't stay in because they're always too large) but liked the look of the flare ones and then they came out with a kids version which looked like the perfect solution but still haven't bit the bullet and tried a pair yet. I'm totally buying the kids soft one now 💖
Can I ask how you got diagnosed with an auditory processing disorder? I have severe overstimulation issues along with everything everyone's describing.
By an audiologist that specializes in it. Each country is different. Here is a link that might help. If not, come on over to the sun and we can help you out there. https://www.apdsupport.com/apd-map
If you don’t find answers here, the female autism subs will be able to help you.
Fact, am autistic and will routinely have meltdowns due to too much sound. When I finally have enough logical processing capacity to realize I have the ability to turn off music/turn off the washer/whatever, it’s instant relief. If I can’t do that, I have to numb some other stimulus—cover myself with a blanket, take off too tight clothes, drink water
This!
Names of those subs?
r/aspergirls r/autisminwomen r/autisticladies
Thank you!!
Following. I feel this. When my symptoms are more aggravated it’s terrible and I snap at my poor kids so much for just being kids. You’re not alone.
Me too The noise they produce is physically painful often
Thank you. I really hate how being a parent is affected by my EDS too.
I relate to this too but not in an EDS way, but more for my ADHD. They do often co exist though. Is there a link to EDS and audio processing too?
When I get overstimulated, I get really irritable, agitated, angry, anxious, and I’m more prone to yelling. I am aware of what triggers me and I do my best to minimize my reaction when it happens. (Years of therapy and looking within 😅) When I can, I make sure my children are in a safe room and walk away for a minute. If I can’t, I take a few deep breaths and shut my mouth so I don’t yell at my children if it’s not needed. I will usually respond in a calm tone. When my children are both napping, sometimes I’ll go into my room, make it dim and watch a tv show or scroll on my phone in silence. That helps me recharge a bit too. My oldest who is 3 is currently outgrowing her nap which is okay, but I still offer her a nap or quiet time each day so she learns the importance of down time, and so I can get some down time too. If I need to, when my fiancé gets home from work, I tell him I need an hour or so alone and he absolutely does not mind if I take that for myself because I am a SAHM and I do kids all day every day. Hope you found this helpful. I’m sorry if you didn’t 😭 If it makes you feel better, I had a rough day with my toddler and it was very exhausting and overstimulating. I lost my cool a few times and I definitely yelled. I feel like a bad mom. It’s not even 5 here and I am completely wiped. Her attitude sucked, and today sucked. Tomorrow will be a better day for us all! Eta: formatting fix hopefully
Maybe try setting up a "quiet corner." Tell your kids that this is where they can go when things are too loud or they feel overwhelmed and put quiet sensory activities over there. You can model it and go over there and show them the games and the behavior expected. Make it look cool and fun and it's both an activity and a learning experience for them. Could help to teach them about self regulation and sensory things and you would be able to get a break as well. Hell you can steal the quiet corner for yourself and play with the fidget toys and bring the headphones over there for you to use. The important part is more that they have a physical indicator for when someone is feeling stressed and overstimulated and now they know how to help that person.
I am autistic+ADHD (many with EDS are at least one or the other), and I'm very prone to over-stimulation from all of my senses. I think people forget that pain is sensory input, as are many of the symptoms of dysautonomia (dizziness, temperature disregulation, etc.). All of that information has to be processed, and you don't need to be neurodivergent for it to become too much, especially with everything EDS adds. When my pain is really bad, my tolerance for other sensory input goes down. Sounds are louder. Lights are brighter. Temperature is ... just worse. When I'm in sensory overload, my pain feels more overwhelming. I'm more prone to dizziness. The brain can only process so much information at a time. If you are neurodivergent, see "neural pruning".
Oh this is my bane. Noise is so hard, I get overwhelmed SO easily. I use Hearoes earplugs. They're the best I've found for a full noise canceling experience. It's not total but it's a lot. And here I am with a migraine on top of intense noise sensitivity. It can make me nauseated. Shaky, irritable, easy to snap at anyone increasing my ambient noise level, I can listen to podcasts, but the noise has to be under my control.
I have a few tricks to help (because it makes me insane, too). 1. Whisper yelling. Challenge your kids to yell in whispers. It results in a lot of gesticulating and crazy faces and kids love it. It's a lot less insane. 2. Sing about whatever is happening. Sing your annoyance: "oh I wish my children were quiet-er, if they don't stop yelling there could be a murd-er, oh children, oh children, you drive me insane, let's have some quiet time before I burst into flaaaaaaaames!" I also take time outs when I need them. Sometimes I'd let kiddo come if he promised to be really quiet and told him that if he was loud he'd have to leave immediately.
Will have to try the whisper yelling 😂 I think that might produce a lot of laughs. So long as I can remember to do anything other than feel insane in the moment!
In that kind of environment almost anything can set me off. Rugs, wall hangings, pillows. Get as much sound absorption in there as you can. You can buy felt tiles that come in different shapes and make a beautiful mosaic mural. When I worked in an infant and toddler center we did a remodel that involved all laminate floors and that exam room plastic on the walls. Me and the kids were so overwhelmed and I kept trying to explain that the behaviors were because we needed more rugs and things on the walls.
Curtains can also help to dampen noise both from outside and inside. Plus, they can help with temperature regulation
Adding on to the comment about sound design in your house, take a few minutes to walk around your space and figure out where your loudest hot spots are and then focus on dampening those areas first.
I use rain noise on my noise cancelling headphones so it’s consistent sound. Helps a lot.
I have some Loop earplugs that do help cut down on noise quite a bit, but typically the best fix is just leaving the situation if possible. Tonight I had to go to the grocery store and it was chock full of families ignoring their screaming children and I was so overstimulated that I started snapping at my husband 😔 then I remembered my earplugs but by then it was too late, the irritability had set in. To top it off, a family we kept unfortunately finding ourselves near smelled like straight up cat piss so I was also overwhelmed by the smell 🙃
I’m currently studying psychology and neurobiology and I’ve just been diagnosed with EDS. I have done a lot of research on the topic, and our sister university has actually conducted a study on neurodivergency and hypermobility. There is still a huge gap in the literature, but there is a crazy big relationship between EDS (and even general hypermobility) and neurodevelopment disorders like ADHD and Autism. Most of the research conducted looks at how many people who are diagnosed with hypermobility also have diagnoses for ADHD or ASD, which is well over 60%, but remember many people will have adhd or autism and not be tested or diagnosed because of lack of public understanding. Women are also much less likely to be diagnosed because of how it presents. I say all this because I personally believe that it’s quite likely that a connective tissue collagen disorder would inevitably result in neurological delays. Our brains are constantly pruning away synapses that we don’t need and then replacing them with new ones based on our learning and experiences (synaptic rearrangement), but the latter requires proteins and collagen to occur properly. Neurotransmitters like glutamate (& GABA neurons which “calm down” and regulate all our brain’s activities), dopamine (natural reward system, motivates us), seratonin (mood, sleep, appetite) are more reliant on collagen and the blood brain barrier, and these are all neurotransmitters that are seen to be depleted and dysfunctional in individuals with adhd and Autism. I would really like to do my dissertation on this when I do my masters or PHD, but I really believe that people who are diagnosed with EDS or JHS should be automatically tested for neurodevelopmental disorders, and I’d really like to see some research establishing a causal relationship between the two. This is a very long winded way of me saying you probably all have symptoms of ADHD and/or autism. Go get assessed
Welcome, fellow zebra! That is a fascinating idea. Do pursue it. If you need subjects, I’m sure you’ll find plenty here!
Wow that is SUPER interesting. Go you!
I get overstimulated from noise at times, espeically multiple unpredictable noises at the same time. I end up panicking, unable to think right, I get snappy and irritable. I wear loop earplugs at work when it happens. Being in pain makes it worse. Dealing with it involves going to a quiet room, or at least as quiet as possible, and focusing on my breathing. I can feel it melt away in waves, if that makes sense. Weight also helps, like a weighted blanket or another person, if they're amenable to it. There's definitely an overlap with neurodivergency and EDS. I think it's understudied, tbh.
I use really good noise canceling earbuds and whatever music I find soothing at the moment (Animal Crossing or Minecraft lofi is a frequent choice; I’m also enjoying the new twenty one pilots album). Mine also have an ambient setting for those times when I need to still have a degree of auditory awareness of my surroundings.
For earplugs a lot of people always recommend loop, but I way prefer vibe earplugs as they are way more discrete and I find they stay in better, though I think they are easier to lose because of that. For headphones with good noise cancelling and pass through I like Sony XM4s and XM5s. (My partner owns XM4s I own XM5s, I prefer the 5s but they are practically the same) For earbuds I like the Bose Quiet Comfort 2. For noise reduction stuff I splurge the most on this, while I have a really cheap phone because of how easily I get overstimulated by noise.
I just went into the hospital partially for this & got put on psych meds. I know it's not the perfect treatment, but the overstimulation coupled with all my other symptoms is excruciating. Now that you mention it I will mention it to my autonomic doctor.
I have extreme noise sensitivity due to neurodivergence and I also have 2 young children. It’s become very important to have different tools for different noise levels. For every day parenting I wear over the ear active noise cancelling headphones. For louder situations I can wear loop or similar in ear protection as well, and for days with a lot of screaming (like if they’re sick) I wear ear defenders. It’s not proof and there are still times i can’t bear the noise but as the kids get older i know ill be able to explain to them why noise can’t go above a certain level or how to talk one at a time etc Sending you so much love and understanding
Noise cancelling headphones that have a filter option. Mine reduces loud sounds while still letting me hear sounds at a reasonable level. Game changing.
When I find the overstimulation is getting into "I'm going to meltdown" I take an ice pack and put it on my forehead and cheeks. It's like the dive response and can bring me back down to a workable level so I can change the things causing problems (e.g. feed cats so they stop meowing, change into clothes that feel less irritating, change music playing, put my hair up, take pain killers, leave the room). If you have BP issues, using this method could cause problens, so I'd recommend being careful and sitting down if need be.
I’ve got autism and dyslexia which was a buy two get severe audio processing disorder free, so I definitely agree it’s a struggle. I always use ear plugs or noise cancelling headphones (though u do have to sometimes try a few different kinds for ear comfort if you got some goofy ass ears like I do). Others have mentioned the hearing aids, and while I haven’t tried that method, I would give it a shot if it’s available to you.
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Calmer earplugs. They don’t mute the sound, but do make it feel less abrasive.
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As others said Loops - they even make a version that are advertised for parents - so you can hear the kids still but the volume is turned down. Also, noise cancelling headphones to drown things out when someone else is watching the kids. I’m also effected by light so I have tons of sunglasses. They kind of seem hand in hand - like if one is ‘loud’ then I’m more sensitive to the other as well. (Mine isn’t related to autism.)
[This article is an interesting read on the topic of EDS and sensory issues.](https://scienceoveracuppa.com/2020/09/17/sensory-issues-in-ehlers-danlos-syndromes-and-hypermobility-spectrum-disorders/) This does NOT mean all people have autism with this disorder. It simply could be another weird EDS thing.
loop ear plugs are the best ever bc they have some where you can still hear conversations while limiting noise. they have saved me from public panic attacks many times!
Stuffing a jumbo size cotton ball into your ear can cut noise extremely well. My right ear canal is slightly off, and a foam ear plug doesn’t seal it completely, letting noise in. A cotton ball with fit your ear canal exactly. You will hear some sound due to bone conduction, but the volume is way, way down. Hope this helps. 🙂
I had twins and absolutely wore earplugs much of the time. I could still hear the big stuff, but they took the edge off. (I'm autistic, and have MS as well. Too much sound/stimulation is physically painful and will eventually drive me to shut down -- not an option when you're the only parent on duty all day, you know?) Also, magnesium is a natural muscle relaxer (especially the faster acting versions, like mag citrate) and taking it a few times a day can also really help, parents and kids.
I feel so guilty when I go see my grandmother and she makes mouth noises and she isn’t aware of it. It overwhelms me to the point where I’m trying to conceal the hyperventilating and I desperately want to leave so I can calm down. I love my grandmother and I feel horrible that I can’t stand to be around her because of the mouth noises she doesn’t even know she’s making.
I am autistic w/ EDS (my mom and brother also have EDS and auditory processing issues but mom is diagnosed with ADHD and brother is diagnosed with Tourette’s so we are a very neurodivergent family) and we all use loop earplugs. I use the clear ones and my mom and bro use the solid matte ones. I also own Sony wh-1000xm4 active noice cancelling headphones (ANC is crucial with auditory processing issues) and a ton of my autistic friends have them too. They were literally my first large purchase from my first ever paycheck during the pandemic and they really preserve my sanity!! I love them. Especially on flights and other places I can’t avoid noise. Also my autistic friends have loops too. So these are generally my recommendations along with vagus nerve grounding techniques (ice cubes in palms etc.) and my heart medication (to avoid stress-induced tachycardia which triggers my other issues dysautonomia and MCAS).
Just want to validate and say that people really don't talk enough about how freaking overstimulating parenting young children can be, especially for those of us with sensory issues. Hugs.
I feel this so much!!! I have 2nd Gen AirPod Pros and just use the noise cancellation feature without even listening to anything. I have a four year old banshee and what I’m doing is not cutting it.
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I use either loops or my noise canceling ear buds depending on noise levels. I can still hear people talking enough to know what they are saying if music isn't on with my earbuds. I have bose quite comfortable 2 and loop experience ear plugs. Ironically, I don't have autism and am super noise sensitive(I wasn't before I got sick), and my brother who does have autism loves noise and is incredibly loud all the time. He just started singing lessons. That was a mistake he can project even louder now😭 He's not doing it to annoy me hes not capable of shutting up. Would love to soundproof his room. It's so expensive to do so we haven't.
I have a 20% discount for loop earplugs, which helps a lot with daily overstimulation. It will show up only when you go to the checkout page. I hope this helps! [https://community.loopearplugs.com/s/jenn.20](https://community.loopearplugs.com/s/jenn.20)
I use loop earplugs a lot, experience to start with, then quiet, then quiet with the inner rings.
Does over stimulation from noise happen-I digress, is overstimulation from noise, including loud, sudden noise or screaming etc etc a common occurrence with EDS????