Loud noise; a love/hate relationship...

Post Reply New Topic

As I'm finding out slowly, there are several ironies among the attributes of Asperger's. One which I can't quite explain, is that in general, I'd rather be stabbed than have a sudden loud noise in my face. Sudden noises do a "Control-Alt-Delete) on my brain, and put my heart in an arrhythmia as if I were hit in the head by a bat. But the irony is that I love wild, violent, LOUD thunderstorms, and I love air raid (tornado) sirens. One of my hobbies is collecting and restoring air raid sirens. I have a 1200-lb, 130 decibel Federal Thunderbolt siren, for which I drove 6000 miles round trip to get, and then installed at our house in SoCal. I can't tolerate loud music, even if it's my favorite music. It becomes a physical and mental pain after a certain volume. But not true with sirens and thunder. The louder the better.

I was referred to the WP forum by another siren enthusiast, who is a member here. I confess that I haven't yet done much reading on this aspect, but does anyone have a theory on why this irony would exist? My logical side says loud noise is loud noise, and it doesn't make sense. Before I had an air raid siren of my own, I'd drive 200 miles to hear the monthly test.

Charles

I see what you mean. I love discos with loud thumping music that makes my chest vibrate, it's so exciting. But at the same time if someone eats something loudly or sings I'm like "OMG STFU!"

One word - control. I hate situations where I am out of control, some things I hate in general (like noise), I adore when I am in control of my exposure to it. It isn't about controlling the noise (or whatever), or controlling other people, but about being in control of myself and my immediate environment.

I think that control is probably the key. Sudden loud noises are extremely jarring to me, too - I hate people knocking or ringing my doorbell when I'm not expecting them, it sets my teeth on edge and nearly gives me a heart attack. As if an unexpected guest weren't annoying enough just by interrupting my routine. Loud music doesn't bother me as long as I'm the one in control of the volume.

Right now I live in a lower floor apartment under a trashy family with no consideration whatsoever for other people around them. It's like living underneath a barn full of moose (drunken, guffawing, arguing, clattering, furniture-dragging moose). I have fantasies of taking a Remington 12 gauge and just walking through the place, randomly blowing holes in the ceiling.

Autistic people hear sound with their bodies as well as with their ears. Different frequencies have different effects.

Certain types of vibration are good for getting your bosy and senses working properly again if you have a sensory processing disorder.

Sometimes I am horribly sensitive to miniscule sounds, such as the hum of computer fans in the office and the tinkling of the radio in the factory next door, or my cell phone -- but I can handle listening to Muse so loudly that the furniture vibrates. These are bass sounds -- not electro drum and bass, that tends to irritate my ears -- but rock bass. Last night I was in a night club and I went and flattened myself against the foozeball table for one song, so that I could feel the vibration. That night club also has a lovely big firm vinyl-covered couch, and I get onto it legs and all sometimes so that I can feel the sound.

Some of Beethoven and Wagner's music is also helpful.

I'm not a Goth or a Metalhead. I'm just an aspie!

I'm the same when it comes to thunderstorms, I love them! I get in trouble a lot at home for playing my hard rock too loud, but I love the feeling of the pounding bass beats, not to mention the music itself

Was that me? Who knows, there are a lot of us!

I think of it as an overactive startle reflex or an inability to readjust after being startled. My cell phone makes me physically jerk and it's not set loud or to a discordant ringtone. I hate phones but they are a necessary evil in my life. The good part is I can get by with a pay as you go plan because I use the phone so little.

I startle more easily than most and it takes me a while to recover.

I can relate. Sudden loud noises make me jump. Loud shouting startles and shocks me, my brain goes into "shut down mode", and I can't think properly as whatever was shouted gets stuck in my head and repeats itself. Ironically, I love playing headphones loud in my ears, and I like loud music.

I totally agree. Some loud noises are ok (I agree about the thunder storms... I love loud rain as well), but most loud noises just... ugh.
Your phrasing of "ctrl+alt+delete" reminds me of my own description of the "blue screen of death" brain lol.
I need to acclimate to noises. When my boyfriend suddenly turns the car radio all the way up I just want to scream and cry... I don't, but I shake like crazy and start yelling and pleading for him to turn it down. It's just....scary. Not the right word, but the closest I can get, I think.

What's weird is that I LOVE super loud music in headphones, and at concerts. I don't really understand where and how the distinction is/works... :\

Control is the key.

I love *my* loud music. I'm not an inconsiderate ass however, so I enjoy my loud music in my car or with headphones.

I hate neighbors loud music. I have no qualms about going over there and telling them to STFU. I just did that last week. Trouble is, that shuts them up for that night /only/. They pick up again in a few days as if I haven't even talked to them. And if I talk to them again they are more likely to ignore me, or they might even egg my house. (Such is human nature... Everyone pays more attention to new people, and tend to ignore people they know. Idiots. I'd rather listen to people I know than the people I don't. But that's a different topic.)

We can take back control by using ear plugs and leaving a fan running while sleeping. Both used together will pretty much kill any external noise.

I love to listen to my music at high volume, but environmental noises, even if soft, are usually irritating.

As with other factors, there is a big difference between what I choose to focus on and what intrudes on my senses.

Last edited by dyingofpoetry on 20 May 2010, 1:21 am, edited 1 time in total.

I love to play loud music when I have my headphones on - however, sometimes even that will make me jump if I hit a certain song on Shuffle. I don't know that it's coming.
The same applies to concerts as well.

Loud noises, such as bangs and thuds, scare me though. I jump in reaction. A good example would be people shutting their doors in the dorm* that I am in: Noises will bounce around floors, and the bedroom doors have no friction. This causes for loud slamming sounds at night, when people want to go in and out of their rooms past curfew. Even when they're not trying to slam their doors, the noise still happens, anyway.

* I go to a special arts high school with a dorm. I'm not in college yet, and I didn't want to confuse people.

Listening to loud music is wonderful as long as it is my music--like being wrapped in a comfortable blanket.

If it weren't for music, my ability to feel and understand emotion would be even more deranged. It's one of the few things that lets me connect with my species.

I love the sound of fireworks, but I can't stand the sound of saws.