I don't like loud noises - Is it a sensory thing?

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I've had this problem for years. I hate being shouted at, it always makes me cry. I also hate hearing shouting and screaming, and if it gets too much, I'll scream myself just to drown it out because the sounds I make sounds different in my own ears since it's coming from myself. I also used to not like appliances that made loud noises, and I used to be scared of streetsweepers. Even now, I still try not to walk too close to them. It doesn't help that they make a loud noise as well. The only loud noises I do like are music (Because I like to have it at a volume where I can enjoy it).

So I wanted to know if it's a sensory thing that other people with Aspergers have, so I know I'm not the only one.

Ditto.

I can tolerate a moderate level of sound because I've played in big orchestras, but there's absolutely no chaos there like there is at a loud club or party. Even so, I will wear ear plugs if the sound level is going to be above 100db. Really tones down my stress.

When there is too much sound, I shut down. It's like my brain stops working and I can't communicate anymore.

^^^^ I have to echo most of this. Sometimes loud unexpected sounds really do a number on my stress levels, even causing panic a few times when younger. Actual, get up and run panic. Hate chaotic noise of any DB level. Never liked clubs a lot of because I couldn't stand the noise or hear a conversation. But sound at levels in controlled situations (Music I like, drowning out the subway, etc.) can be tolerated. At home I prefer low levels. Depending on the day, I have to turn things up to hear them. Other days I can hear like a bat.

i chose sometimes. and i guess it all depends on where i am on my explanatory ASD ruler/scale.

I used to be bothered more than I am nowadays. My dad works in construction & sometimes needed my help doing projects around the house while he worked with powertools. I also had jobs working in noisy environments around machines. I kind of learned to tune loud noises out but they still bother me sometimes if I start focusing.

Usually loud noises don't bother me. I love loud music, no matter how loud it is. But it really bothers me when someone (usually my brother) suddenly yells. It is a sensory thing, and very common with Asperger's.

Disliking, fearing, or having other negative reactions to sudden loud noises like motorcycles suddenly passing is one of the commonest human fears like fear of falling.
Disliking people shouting/screaming is also very common.
I wouldn't say either is sensory issue, which are more like unusual reactions to stimuli that don't bother most people.

When I was a kid I had to be removed from a lot of auditorium assemblies because the noise was so bad I'd be reduced to a tearful wreck in the fetal position. Wasn't fun. Nowadays the only times it's really an issue for me is when someone else is cutting through metal or wood in a confined space with a reciprocating saw blade (a very common scenario with my job) or when dogs locked up in cages or behind gates start barking and keep barking for extended periods of time (also a very common scenario).

When these things happen I usually freeze on the spot regardless of what I was doing, duck my head down and shudder violently to the rhythm of whatever sound is causing me to lock up. It's quite painful.

"I don't like loud noises"

well no s**t they're loud and therefore uncomfortable. Even NT's don't like loud noises

LIST OF LOUD NOISES THAT NO ONE LIKES:
Dogs Barking
Babies Crying
Screaming
Car Horns
Air Horns
Justin Bieber
Airplanes
Nails on A Chalkboard
Loud engines
Feedback from a microphone
yelling & Shouting
Tire Screeching

its the reaction that makes a difference, such as meltdowns, shutdowns, or crying due to the noise is where the difference comes in. For me its the sound of cars on a busy street, they can cause some nasty meltdowns, i cant walk in the streets outside for too long. Dances are out of the questions because they cause shutdowns 100% of the time.

I really don't like them either, I tend to react strongly to loud noises. If they're expected I can just bear it. I had a lot of therapy for sensory issues when I was little and later on I pushed myself into situations where I could build a tolerance, but sudden loud noises in particular really throw me. If someone shouts behind me or a car honks I'll jump and take a moment to regain my bearings. I'm keenly aware "NT" people won't react nearly as strongly to these same sounds.

The human brain has a mechanism for this where it bypasses any thought and sends signals straight to the amygdala. No amount of therapy is going to change that reflexive response; the fact that sudden noises in particular have the same effect as always shows it is definitely a sensory thing where I'm reacting to something that most people would find a lot less of a shock.