Noise! Noise! Noise! Why am I soooo sensitive to noise? From crickets in the summer to the fan of the heater in the winter. I fear that the noise will make me crazy. I have been going through a lot of stress. What is wrong with me?

Carmen

I can't say specifically what's going on with you without talking with you personally. But since you mention experiencing a lot of stress, that might be a possible culprit. (Of course, if you suspect your sensitivity to noise is related to any change in your hearing or a medical condition, you might want to see a physician.)

Stress can make us more vulnerable to irritation. When our resources are depleted by overwork, chronic conflict, life problems, etc., we have less energy available to cope with everyday hassles. At such times we might feel like hitting the roof over relatively minor things that normally wouldn't bother us at all, or that we'd easily dismiss.

One way to assess whether stress is a factor is to make an effort to reduce the amount of stress overall in your life, and incorporate strategies to better manage the remaining stress. Such efforts could include regular exercise (yoga is especially good for stress management), good nutrition, making sure you engage in pleasurable leisure activities regularly, etc. If you put such changes into action and find you are less sensitive to noise, you may have found both the problem and the answer.

One other possibility to mention, which may or may not apply to you: Some people who have experienced TRAUMATIC stress (abuse, assault, combat, car accidents, etc.) develop what's called an exaggerated startle response as a result. That means that when surprised or subjected to sudden noises, they are jumpier than the average person. The noise may trigger the adrenalin-fueled "fight-or-flight" response to danger associated with the past trauma. If that may be a factor in your sensitivity to noise, it may help to see a psychologist or other therapist who specializes in posttraumatic stress.