Fear of the bell took over my school life

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I always had a phobia of being under a loud bell when it's going to ring at any second. It was always a massive fear of mine, and I spent my whole school life avoiding it - and it wasn't easy. Well, it was more easy at primary school but at secondary school it was a lot harder, because a) I became more self-aware meaning I didn't like to walk around with my fingers in my ears, especially if that encouraged bullies, and b) it was harder to avoid being under a bell because at secondary school you weren't in just one classroom, you were in 5 different classrooms a day, and so you switched around and the bell rang in between lessons. At least at the primary school you were only in one classroom, and I told the teachers about my fear and they understood. At secondary school I didn't like to tell anyone.

And it was terrible. I sometimes had no choice but to cover my ears to avoid jumping when it rang (because it's not the actual noise I was so worried about, it was more of a phobia of jumping), and the kids used to think I was just covering my ears because I was afraid of the noise of chattering, but it wasn't that at all. Although I was an Aspie, I was still able to block continuous chattering noise out. Also I alienated myself from the other kids, not because I didn't want to be social, but because they always seemed to stand near a bell and I had to always stand away so it doesn't make me jump so much, but it made it look like I was just being unfriendly. I did tell one friend that I didn't like the bell, but she didn't understand, and just thought I was being awkward. But it was true. I had to tell this friend because I spent a lot of time with her in school.

So really, my phobia of jumping from the bell actually brought out some of my traits. If it wasn't for the bell, I wouldn't be as ''Aspie'' as I was, if you know what I mean. It made me look more unsociable that I really was, and it also made me look like I have sensory overload when it was really just a fear of jumping out my skin from the sudden noise of a loud bell which I was just adament to avoid.
The bells were in the corridors by the way, not in the classrooms, except science classrooms, which was also a big pain because I always sat on edge in case the fire alarm might go off. I really don't know why the bells in science classrooms had to be so loud.

Did the bell take over anyone's life at school? There was another Aspie at school who was 2 or 3 years older than me, but he never seemed to avoid the bell.

Hi, Joe90. Just saw this. Yes, the school bell was something I learned to detest. And now, even after YEARS of being out of 'grade' school, I can't tolerate the idea of living near one cause I would still be able to hear it...every day...every year. <shudders> Conceptually, class-changing via bell-ringing disgusts me.

I remember this horror. Waiting for it to finally go off is like having some as*hole hold a balloon in front of your face and a needle right next to it.

I wore a watch, and the bell went on the same second within its scheduled minute each time, so I knew exactly when to expect it.

Yes, it's the reason why I bought my first watch. It's also probably the reason why I'm so obsessed with watches, because I kept looking at mine all the time.

And that's the story behind my avatar

Must be the same reason why I'm so obsessed with the time.
I did have a watch in school and I did adjust it to be exactly the right time of when the bell goes, but standing under one when it was about to go off still seemed scary to me, in a funny sort of way. I reckon it was more than just sensory issues and jumping out of my skin. I reckon it was true fear. Even when I knew it was going to go, I still jumped because my brain knew I hated it and so my nerves jumped even more. It was more like a mind over matter thing.

I still hate them now, and I think it was just always be one of those things what would stick with me for the rest of my life. I did get a job in a supermarket 2 years ago, but in the warehouse they had a loud bell what gave an ear-piercing ring when there were deliveries, and it could go off at any time of the day, sometimes once or twice, sometimes twenty times, sometimes none. So that was even more unpredictable, and because of my sensitivity to sudden loud noises, I was always afraid I would drop something when it went off (because sometimes my whole body spazzes out when my nerves are shattered). And I didn't want to walk around with earplugs.....you know how this society is built for NTs? And anyway I had to communicate with other people in this job.

I admit it: I would rather socialise than be somewhere where a loud sudden noise may occur!