jimmy m wrote:
Welcome to Wrong Planet.
You indicated one of your traits was Misophonia. I wasn't familiar with that word, so I looked it up. The internet said:
Misophonia is a relatively unexplored chronic condition in which a person experiences autonomic arousal (analogous to an involuntary “fight-or-flight” response) to certain innocuous or repetitive sounds such as chewing, pen clicking, and lip smacking.
The article then went on to say:
1. Problematic sounds are generally related to other people's behavior (pen clicking, chewing sounds). Misophonics are however not bothered when they produce these “trigger” sounds themselves, and some report mimicry as a coping strategy.
2. Misophonic individuals showed heightened ratings and skin conductance responses to auditory, but not visual stimuli.
This is an interesting problem to deal with. I am 75 years old and my hearing is shot. I have to use hearing aids to amplify the sound. There are special headsets to minimize audio stress. I looked on the internet and it read:
Calmer helps users with sensitive hearing conditions such as Misophonia, Hypersensitivity and Hyperacusis. Users have found that their audio world becomes more bearable when they wear Calmer, with irritating noises being reduced to a much more manageable level.
You got it spot on! I like to use loop earbuds (which are very similar to the Calmer ones you mentioned) and noise cancelling headphones to lessen sounds that trigger me, which is also why I listen to a lot of music.
I've also looked into experimental "hearing aids" that let sound in but play music or white noise to help integrate or block out noises, but it's a long process to get in contact with the people who make them.
Thank you for your welcome, I hope your hearing aids are working just how you like them