really sensitive to specific noise, anyone use earmuffs?

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I have this issue with other people's voices. If I'm ever trying to focus on something else (falling asleep, reading, writing, whatever), other people's voices unhinge me (I'm constantly fighting the urge to scream or punch things, it's almost like physical pain). I live in a small apartment with my 2 parents who are extremely talkative, so it's kind of a horrible situation for me. My dad's the type who will literally spend 2 hours inquiring about a cable bill. Srsly, the company would likely come out ahead if they just gave us free cable with how much time he wastes of customer support. I feel like a dick for this, but sometimes it takes all the self-restraint I have to tell my parents to not shut the f**k up. Sometimes it's an unconscious reaction, like saying ow when you stub your toe. Also, the lawnmower guys will sometimes cut the lawn up to 3 times a week. It's really excessive, and it kills me being on the first floor. Currently, to cope, I have to watch a movie/listen to music louder than I want to with earphones, sometimes I'll strum my guitar continuously (it seems to have a noise cancelling effect). I was thinking of trying some of those noise-deafening earmuffs, so I could do other stuff without losing my mind. It sounds like a lot of them don't block out voices, so it seems like it'll be worthless for my main purpose. Anyone try any and have recommendations?

I wouldn't mind living in a world of silence. My parents watch TV so loud, and I have sensitive ears. It frustrates me to the point that it stops me from enjoying anything. Whenever I have the house to myself I turn all the TVs off and enjoy the lack of sound for as long as I can. I particularly cannot handle the idea of canceling one noise with an even louder one. That just doubles my problems. I do sometimes wear ear plugs. I've been to a concert once find the volume runs through my body. Terrible experience.

Tv, I don't mind at all. it's not overly loud like a lawnmower, so it quickly just becomes white noise. However, when they watch tv and talk loudly (forgot to mention that my dad's talking voice is my shouting voice), at length about so-and-so reality tv person it is some kind of special hell.

I've had the lawnmower wake me up one day. It basically ruined my entire day. I got into a tantrum and ran out of the house. Loud conversations are annoying indeed. Especially when you can't avoid listening to them.

My dad watches old cowboy shows all day. Old-style sound effects, gunshots every scene, bar brawls. It disturbs me. Right now I can hear a fight with several different styles of gunshots going off at once and sound effects of people punching each other. That and he also likes to watch Jerry Springer. And he watches it in the main room of the house, so that forces me into my bedroom.

Foam or silicone earplugs help a lot. I hear that using noise-canceling headphones in addition to them is very effective.

I actually prefer earplugs.

I don't like background noise. I have a neighbour who has periods of mania when he plays loud music from a small radio. That could make me suicidal having it go on day and night!

I don't like using ear defenders as I live alone and worry about not hearing the smoke alarm or telephone.

I don't use earplugs, but noise does bother me a lot. If its loud and sudden, it can make me want to start crying, it just really upsets me for some reason. Like, actual emotional distress can happen.

I like having some background noise, but only if I'm not trying to work on something. If I'm just playing a game on my ds, or on my iPad, I definately want the tv on. But if I'm trying to do homework, I need absolute silence. This is a problem because my sister is extremely talkative.

When I am listening to human voices, it feels like a zing or some kind of electrical current goes through my head a few milliseconds after the noise. Louder is worse, and when I am in large groups of people I often feel the urge to tell them all to just be quiet for a minute while my brain rests! Listening to voices for an extended period of time exhausts me, and I tend to zone out. It feels like my brain has gone through electric shock therapy.

I've used ear plugs but they don't seem to help much.

I have very strange hearing, same with my sense of smell.

Sometimes my hearing is EXTREMELY sensitive, and something like my dad's voice when talking to me (he does have a booming voice) will make my ears hurt, but most of the time his voice doesn't.

Then sometimes I can hear someone whispering from a totally different floor from me and then other times I have trouble hearing someone sitting right next to me who's talking at a normal tone.
It honestly makes no sense.

Same with my smell. Sometimes I can detect smells that no one else can and then eventually as they either get closer to the source of the smell or time passes, everyone can smell it. And then other times, everyone can smell something and I can't.


I just don't get it. It confuses the crud out of me.

My worst sensory issue though is vision. Lights are a DISASTER for me. I often wish we lived in a world that still used candles for lights instead of these bulbs and crap.

Don't even get me STARTED on strobe lights...

I am exactly the same way with strobe lights. My family went to WonderWorks once (like an indoor blinking, moving, blacklight arcade) and I think I was having a continuous panic attack. The tunnel at the beginning was the worst (it was one of those dark tunnels with a walkway through the middle while a blinking tube spins around the walkway - makes you feel upside down) and I almost passed out.

I often study by candlelight, and when I am home alone there are NO bright lights on. I also like watching candle flame wave back and forth. It's calming.