People with ADHD can experience distress when sound is overwhelming and distracting, often leading to distress and anxiety.
ADHD Symptom Spotlight is a series that dives deep into a hallmark or overlooked symptom of ADHD each week.
Sound sensitivity manifests in three main ways: hyperacusis,misophonia, andhypersensitivity.
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You might experience just one or a combination of two or three.
People without ADHD or sensory issues tend not to notice these without prompting.
How Sound Sensitivity Affects Me
For me, the problem is hypersensitivity and misophonia.
Trying to suffer through it, though, is a monumental task.
How to Manage Sound Sensitivity
There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to dealing with sound sensitivity in ADHD.
Your best options will depend on whether you’re dealing with hypersensitivity, misophonia, or hyperacusis.
Below are a few suggestions that can help with either one or more of those conditions.
Watch TV (and crank up the volume) during meals to mask the sounds of chewing and swallowing.
Put on music in the car to drown out the sound of the car engine.
Put on headphones to listen to music or a podcast while vacuuming or mopping.
It’s like manually installing a filter to compensate for my brain’s inability to filter out sensory input.
Many designs can be selectively programmed to filter out background noises without blocking all sound.
Instead, I opt for Gregorian chants or medieval hymns.
It effectively masks other environmental sounds that distract or distress me.
For you, it might be classical music, rock ballads, or EDM.
Come back when the meal is over.
For hyperacusis, find quieter alternatives for daily necessities.
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