Repetitive sounds - irritating - OCD? - Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Message Board

mikeb · 05-26-2005, 11:07 AM

Could this be related to OCD?

Why do certain "repetitive sounds" drive us to rage?

Why are certain sounds so irritating? Barking dogs, crying babies, dripping water, finger nails on a blackboard, incessive whistling, snoring ect.
Certain, repetitive sounds, bug the hell out of me! For example, barking dogs don't bother me at all, except this one dog. It's bark is extremely annoying. I love the sound of birds in the backyard, except this one type that is very repetitive. All snoring or heavy breathing bugs me. If you insist on whistling around me, good bye. The sound of people eating with open mouth... or chewing gum! It seems to be the rhythm more than the sound itself.

Do repetitive sounds irritate anyone else as much as they do I?

Is there a name for this condition? I only know to call it, being "thinned skinned". Its like these noises go to the front of the minds focus and remain there until we can get away from them or they stop on their own. But until they stop, they are the main focus of the mind, which interfers with all other thought.

If you suffer, like I, how do you deal with it? If your advice, is, "just ignore it", ... how? Are there mental techniques that people use to overcome this, that enable them to block out these sounds?

Thanks.

BostonGirl44 · 05-26-2005, 11:45 AM

As soon as I saw you mention people chewing with their mouths open or chewing gum, you got me. Stuff like that drives me crazy and I always assumed it was part of my ocd. I don't know anyone else who this bothers, except my sister, and she doesn't have ocd. So I'm not really sure where this falls in. I've tried ignoring the sounds that bothers me, but like you said, you just focus in on it until it's just completely overwhelming. I usually excuse myself from a situation where stuff like this is going on. My former best friend...I don't think I've seen her without a piece of gum in her mouth and she's nasty about it. I'd always ask her to please close her mouth and she never did because she said it didn't bother her. Anyway, we aren't friends anymore (not because of that lol), so that's one way to avoid the situation. Anyway, if anyone knows of any ways to not focus so much on these repetitive sounds, I'd love to know the answer too.

fisher13 · 06-16-2005, 10:48 AM

I'm with you on the repetitive sounds. The chewing with the mouth open kills me. I focus on it to the point where I'm waiting for the next open mouth crunch. It doesn't matter who it is, stranger, family, anyone, it bothers me terribly and isn't able to be ignored.
Same with ceiling fans that "click" repetitively, dripping faucets, etc. I also have to move a ticking clock out of my hearing range if I want to stay sane. Even at other people's houses I've taken clocks away to another room and hidden them so I could sleep.
I was just thinking of these noise problems today and wondering if they were part of OCD.

nevaeh · 08-24-2005, 10:38 PM

i agree with all of your thoughts. i find myself listening for sounds that i know irritate me. i avoided the family dinner table in high school and now avoid eating certain foods with my boyfriend in the living room. i find my whole thought process is filled with "should i tell him he is eating loud?" or "i've got to leave" then it is soon followed with "i am crazy. look at me." i have been told that it is OCD (i am a very organized person) but this is my only symptom. i remember when smacking gum was cool, but i also remember the day i told my sister to stop. any of your tips/suggestions would be appreciated!

Punkdizzle · 08-25-2005, 05:20 AM

i dont think this is really OCD related.. i know lots of people that dont have OCD and get annoyed by many of the things you mentioned..
its kind of hard for anyone to stop listening to an annoying sound once they hear it.. though i do think OCD-ers have a harder time with it..