Re: New Here - and an explanation ...

[Guest guest]

I'm beginning to think that the problem rests with our need to focus on something and that the sounds somehow break our ability to keep this focus, which becomes an annoyance. Over time, this gathers steam! Then this becomes a mental affliction. So in large part, it a related to our inability to maintain our attention. Anyone else feel this way? For example, I am at work trying to focus on solving a software logic problem and someone opens a bag of chips at their desk close to me and begins rustling the bag as they reach in for their next chip. This breaks my ability to focus on my solution and makes me really angry! If this occurs on a regular basis, I almost get violent internally, which I really have to deal with.JRSent from my iPad

"Annoyance hyperacusis".

I could live with that term! Instant annoyance on steroids sometimes.

Of course, hyperacusis is an audiologist's term for something that OTs consider to be a part of a much wider phenomenon - sensory processing disorder (or sensory integration disorder). For instance, many of us have other sensory issues besides sound - e.g. reaction to seeing repetitive movements like jiggling legs, chomping jaws, etc.

There is a lot of dispute over the classification and naming of this whole phenomenon - not just 4S vs misophonia. It seems that different health professions have different ways of conceptualising the same material, not mention differences within professions.

Anyway. Welcome aboard.

>

> The University of Iowa is a highly regarded center. There they consider

> all sound sensitivity to be hyperacusis (which, incidentally, is totally

> consistent with the Greek origins of the word.) They then subdivide

> their sound sensitivity patients into folks with "loudness hyperacusis,"

> "fear hyperacusis," and "annoyance hyperacusis" - and they have

> developed some very nice treatment protocols based upon into which group

> or groups any given patient might fall.

[Guest guest]

I fully agree with you on this point! Just this morning I noticed that two persons entering the diner were shown to a table and the one man asked if they could sit in an isolated table instead. It was not a table in a better location particularly as it was next to the kitchen area, but it was separated from other peoples eating sounds! Somehow I could just see this in one of the persons mindset. I wish I would have thought of sitting at that table!JRSent from my iPad

It appears that 4s is far more common that first thought. I have met multiple people with this condition who just kept quiet for fear of being misunderstood, or not clearly understanding the problem themselves. I think once we start properly pushing forwards with public awareness we will see just how wide spread the condition is. From: Soundsensitivity [mailto:Soundsensitivity ] On Behalf Of SeriouslyConsiderTheCatSent: Thursday, February 03, 2011 1:59 PMTo: Soundsensitivity Subject: Re: New Here - and an explanation ... Hi Darlene -Thanks for the welcome.I don't know exactly who "the other one" is to whom you refer below. Ifigure one of me is quite enough, no? :-)In terms of getting the medical community to become more aware of 4S,Darlene, I suspect that will be a very slow process indeed. I thinkthat the H Network is best positioned to advocate for awareness of allforms of sound sensitivity, but just about every time in the past Isuggested an advocacy effort to the owner of that board ... I got bannedas a reward for my efforts. In fact, to be honest with you I amcurrently banned from there for having the unmitigated gall to suggestto somebody who insisted that all he had was "real real bad" hyperacusisthat maybe something else might be going on in addition to hishyperacusis ... or he might have been getting better a bit quicker. (Yea, banned for respectfully offering an opinion that differs from theowner's. Does that sound at all familiar?) So I really don't think theH Network is going to be a good advocate for 4S awareness, even thoughby numbers and history they are well positioned to do so. Then there'sATA. Marsha's on the Board of Directors there, but it seems that ATA istoo focused on its own mission to be very helpful in awareness advocacyfor tinnitus-related conditions like yours. That's not a criticism -just an observation.So it looks like if there is going to be any sort of 4S awarenessadvocacy, you are pretty-much on your own. Does anybody here have dataon just how common (or uncommon) 4S is in the general population?smn>> Dr. Nagler, Welcome to the hood. I had my suspicions as to whowas coming, and you were one of them. I'm glad it was you... and notthe other one. Ha ha! Thank you for your introduction, I think it willhelp a lot of people be less concerned. I also thank you for explainingthat you disagreed with what went down on the H Network concerning theuse of the term '4S'. The whole situation was sad, and drove almosteveryone away. I remained simply to try and help newbies who join therethat have our condition.>> It would be nice, if once and for all, the medical community couldbecome more aware of this condition, and put it into the books with adefinitive name that everyone would recognize whatever that name be. Ithink awareness is key with us, because so many of us have tried to seekhelp with a doctor only to receive scrunched up foreheads, big eyes, anda "I have no clue what you are talking about" look. Then we get writtenoff as "crazy" and given all sorts of drugs because certainly it must beOCD or we are just too high strung, etc... The fact remains thatdoctors just don't know that this is REAL.>> I believe you being here is a good thing. You have a strongconnection to the field and can be a voice where we cannot be. Thankyou for that.>> Darlene