4S

[Guest guest]

Dear Dr Brewer

I found your email address from a group of people who all suffer with 4S and we have all decided to contact you.

I live in the UK and have been 'suffering' with what is now called 4S for approximately 30 years. I have a particular sensitivity to certain sounds mainly from family or friends (when I was at school). Breathing, nose whistling, lip smacking, eating, chewing, crunching, keyboard tapping, televisions, radio or other people speaking in other rooms (low mumbling sounds). They make me feel like I am screaming in my head, like I need to escape somewhere and make me extremely irritated and sometimes depressed that I cannot spend time with my family without feeling like this. It is a horrible condition. I used cotton wool in my ears or ear plugs and have tried to discuss with my family. They try to understand but I don't think they really do because they always seem to change the subject.

I only found this fantastic group on Yahoo groups this year and always thought I was just wierd. Most people live in the US, but I think there are more people than we realise.

I have not spoken to a GP about this because I am worried they will think I am crazy. I have been recently told that I might have Menere's Disease because I have tinnitus and slight loss of hearing (but not to soft sounds).

Kind regards