What kind of earplugs work best?

[Guest guest]

Out of all the ones that I've tried, the Leight ones work best.

The only drawback is that they are bright orange... so often when I'm

having lunch with a group I get the question... why do you have

earplugs? or what's that orange thing in your ears? I wish they were

more discrete. I often come up with an excuse saying oh, my ears hurt

instead of telling the real reason...

Viv

[Guest guest]

Vicki... don't move to Iowa LOL. I find snakes in my basement each

spring when the water table rises and I think they come up my floor

drains. They are babies... only a foot long or so. I don't mind

snakes (here they are harmless) so I gladly rescue them and take them

outside. My husband won't go near them though. LOL. Last summer we

got flooded really bad and I found a HUGE snake in my backyard while

out with my dog. It was about 3.5 feet long and about 2 inches in

diameter and I had to catch that thing and move it to the alfalfa

field. I was amazed at how strong that thing was. I'm fine as long as

they are not poisonous. Then I'd probably freak out. Same with

spiders. I don't like them but as long as they aren't going to kill

me (or are not too big)I can deal with them. LOL.

>

> I love bees too.  I live in very rural North Dakota and there are

millions of honey bees in the area.  I even rescue them if one ends up

in the house by accident.  My kids are learning to do the same

thing...lol.

> Spiders do not bother me either and I rescue the ones that end up in

the tub and can't get out. 

> Now, my one and only huge fear is snakes.  I would never kill one

and where we live...they are all harmless, but I fear them anyways.  I

also have nightmares of them.  I am not sure what I would do if I ever

found one in

> my home.  Damn, I'd probably have to move!!  lol

>

> Thanks so much for the info on the bees and spiders.

>

> My girls watch Miss Spiders Sunnypatch.  What a cute spider cartoon

show!!!  It shows how important family is to even the smallest of

creatures.

>

[Guest guest]

Hey Lynn... do you live in Utah? I was just curious because that's

where I'm from (Bountiful). My family still lives there. I heard

from my mom about the " killer bee's " in Southern Utah. If people

would just leave them alone they won't bother them. We don't have

many bee's here in Iowa either. I think it's because of all the crop

fields they spray. Plus, many of the farms don't plant many bee

friendly things around their yards. But, since I work in greenhouses,

my yard is a haven for bee's, hummingbirds, butterflies, etc... I

totally love summer!

>

>

> That's great! A girl after my own heart. Same here for tubby

spidies. And bees in the house. And good for you for teaching your

kids! I'm sure glad you've got a lot of bees in North Dakota, because

Utah is seeing a major drop in bee population, and now killer bees are

reported in southern Utah, so I'm sure people will freak out and just

kill everything. Makes me cranky. As for snakes, also great for

ecosystem, but may want to call someone else to get it out. However,

under duress, you'd be surprised what you can handle when you have to.

I came home from work once and found a live baby hawk in the kitty

box that one of the little darlings had dragged in through the doggie

door. I got a box over him and managed to get him back outside no

worse for wear. But sure freaked out at the thought initially! Once

you dive in, things usually aren't as bad as you think. Unless it's a

boa constrictor!!

>

[Guest guest]

YIKES... I just googled it. I'm frightened for life and will most

likely have nightmares tonight. LOL. Holy crap those are scary

looking!! The scariest encounter I had with a spider was when I was

about 9 years old, put on my coat and a black widow crawled out of my

sleeve just after I put it on. I was very LUCKY I was not bit. I

also hate Hobo spiders... those things chase you. Ewwww. I don't

think I could last in Australia!

>

> This is making me smile - snakes don't bother me and I think here in

Australia we have some of the deadliest.  We often find a snake in the

backyard..  I just call out a guy who collects them, and takes them to

a local reptile park for milking.  He'll also do this for funnelweb

spiders, but there's no way I'm going to catch one of those

things!  He told me that they are always on the lookout for funnelwebs

to milk as it takes quite a few of them to produce enough antivenom

for a single bite victim.  A female funnelweb spider is deadly and a

big, fat, hairy, bulbous, ewww-to-gross-to-talk-about spider.  I was

about six feet from it when I saw it just slowly walking across the

grass obviously looking for someplace to get out of the sun.  At first

I thought it was a leaf that " looked like " a spider!!  Then the leaf

started walking........ The funnelwebs are terrifying to look at -

google it if you dare.  They are truly horrible.  I'm sorry, but

> there is no way on earth I could ever imagine of those things as a

loving mummy spider with her babies.  Ugh.  They probably eat their

babies.  And their mates!  We have too many deadly spiders and snakes

down here. It's the worst thing about Australia

>

> Adrienne

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Lynn, Yes I do miss some things about Bountiful. I miss the

mountains!! Iowa is just flat as a pancake. Well, a few rolling

hills but that's it. Utah's weather is nicer than Iowa's too... not

nearly as cold in winter and no humidity in summer! Hopefully we will

make it back west someday.

>

>

> Yes, I do live in Utah. Originally from northern Minnesota, but was

transferred here and just never left. Weather beats Minnesota by a

bunch. I too heard that if you leave the killer bees alone they won't

bother you. But people go crazy, don't they? I'm thinking pesticides

are a big part of the problem here also. Do you miss Bountiful? This

is beautiful country.

>

[Guest guest]

Moths. I think it is because of how quickly they move. The thought of

one on or near me, gives me the total creeps. Yet butterflies,

I love....go figure. Maybe it is because butterflies are more graceful

and only are out in the day, whereas moths are rather

phrenetic and are usually out at night, diving at light bulbs. Oh, and

I totally relate to the toilet thing.... *shivers*

>

> No worries )

>

> I'm so relieved, I thought I was the only nut that flinched and

gasped at things I catch moving/crawling out of the corner of my eye.

>

> I was thinking the same thing...what if these other fears we have

are tied to our 4s condition? Will it be as hard to overcome them as

it has been to overcome the 4s? With me the triggers and fears seem

to only increase...very rarely will they diminish, can't even think of

any that I used to have that I don't now.

>

> Anyone have any repulsions? Towards dirty places/things? I get

completely repulsed at toilets...even my toilet. I get so grossed out

by the thing and I can't bring myself to even think about cleaning it.

I won't even mention the effect of public bathrooms...

>

> Any other fears that anyone else has? I have a long standing fear

of the dark...which was much more understandable when I was 5 than now.

>

> Love,

>

> andra

>

>

>

>

> ________________________________

>

> To: Soundsensitivity

> Sent: Wednesday, February 25, 2009 5:22:02 AM

> Subject: Re: Re: What kind of earplugs work best?

>

>

> I just found your email tonight andra in the Spam folder!

>

> Apologies for not replying sooner. And yes, I am the same in that

any slight movement that catches my eye sends me into panic overload

expecting a spider.

>

> You have hit the nail on the head - I'm positive 4S stems from the

same phobic fear centre. It's irrational and powerful, yet we can't

do a thing about it.

>

> Lord help us, if overcoming 4S is on par with overcoming

aracnophobia, then I'm stuck with it for life.

>

> I never thought I'd say this, but thank goodness I am slowly going

deaf (at the ripe old age of 41). There may be some positives to this

diagnosis after all.

>

>

> Adrienne

>

>

>

>

> ________________________________

>

> To: Soundsensitivity

> Sent: Sunday, February 22, 2009 8:23:22 AM

> Subject: Re: Re: What kind of earplugs work best?

>

>

> Hi Adrienne,

>

> I also acquired a really bad spider/insect phobia when we were

living in Japan. The spiders and cockroaches there are huge and now I

jump when I see anything moving out of the corner of my eye. They

have snuck up at me while I have been on the computer and scared the

heck out of me so now I'm traumatized! Sometimes I jump or get

startled when I see something that resembles an insect or spider.

It's like being in a constant state of stress...probably the same

disorder that contributes to the 4s.

>

> Love,

>

> andra

>

>

>

>

> ________________________________

> From: A W <kimberlachyahoo (DOT) com>

> To: Soundsensitivity@ yahoogroups. com

> Sent: Friday, February 20, 2009 8:02:32 PM

> Subject: Re: Re: What kind of earplugs work best?

>

>

> Hi, I am curious - I will definitely be trying earplugs when/if I

ever am forced to eat a meal with my parents again, however for me

it's not just the sound of my father chewing that provokes me, it's

the sight of him too. All tht chewing and talking with his mouth wide

open, snapping his food off his fork, it just gets to me and I don't

think I can sit through a meal with him even with earplugs.

>

> Has anyone else here noticed that since you found this group, your

stress levels regarding enduring a certain sound are worse? In the

past month since I realised there was a name for this condition and I

wasn't alone, I have had several nightmares where I am forced to eat

with my father. They're quite bad dreams, even last night I was

panicing and anxious at a table with him eating. I have never had

these sorts of dreams before. I am now dreading even seeing my father

again, let alone eating with him. I already have a bad spider phobia,

where I have nightmares about spiders and in summer in Australia I

literally spend my whole day watching out for a giant spider to

pounce, so I'm concerned that I may be stressing myself into a phobia

about my father's eating also. I mean, it's not normal to have

nightmares about this condition is it?

>

> Thanks for any advice,

>

> Adrienne

>

[Guest guest]

Hi andra,

I am not bothered by dirt or germs to a certain extent. As far as

bathrooms go, my own bathroom never bothers me (it's sparkly clean)

and usually I have no problem with public restrooms (unless it's at a

gas station). I sometimes get grossed out but usually not repulsed.

I guess it's partly because I've become desensitized by it over the

years. I work in greenhouses... I'm around dirt all day LOL. Plus, I

have to clean 2 weekends a month at work and lets just say it's not

the funnest place to clean. Gross alert: 75 people using 7 bathrooms

for a week and many of the folks who work there come from a place in

Mexico where there is no sewer system, so they don't understand the

concept of being able to flush the T.P. Uh hu... now that's when I

will get grossed out to the point of repulsion. I would rather pee

behind a bush then use those bathrooms! Good thing they pay me very

good money to clean there! I get home and hit the shower and scrub,

scrub, scrub myself. LOL.

Fears: spiders although I wouldn't really classify it as a fear,

probably more like just something I don't like. The one fear I do

have is being in water. I love to swim as long as it's in a pool or

in a lake/ocean where I can touch/see the bottom. If I can't see or

touch the bottom I will freak out because I have a fear of what I

can't see beneath me. I am always afraid of something pulling me

under and drowning me. Yikes.

> > >Anyone have any repulsions? Towards dirty places/things? I get

> > completely repulsed at toilets...even my toilet. I get so grossed

> > out by the thing and I can't bring myself to even think about

> > cleaning it. I won't even mention the effect of public bathrooms...

> >

> > >Any other fears that anyone else has? I have a long standing fear

> > of the dark...which was much more understandable when I was 5 than

> > now.

> >

> > >Love,

> >

> > >andra

>