This should come with a health warn ing because I have been thinking again.
My thinking is that if guide dogs and police horses can and are trained to basically ignore irrelevant noise why can't we be trained too?
I am asking because I know that the physio expressly for vision and balance have helped me enormously and it seems, from the reading I have done on the forum, that many of us have issues around noise.
Any thoughts?
But each noise we hear we must first try to understand what it IS. And think that's what disrupts us = brain trying to do that = takes energy and working power. And at start couldn't tell difference between noises, loads better now but so many noises where I live strange to me/horrible and machines, not natural.
Hearing voices (right now) of people next door = OVERLOAD for me. When less tired can block out far more, when overtired ALL noises are louder. Same with odours, sometimes UNBEARABLY strong, varies like all the rest. Not at MY will! Haven't learned to control it. Made myself adapt SO much, about time I could use my energy for stuff I WANT to do and things I NEED to do, MY choices.
Trained myself to try adapt, fit in and put up with SO much (but 'lying' apparently) and PROUD (was). About time people stopped telling me the problem is ME and medicating ME, telling ME I MUST change. STOP.
Sorry, but it's how I FEEL.
Hi muddled
I hope you don't mind if I UE this reply as a reminder to myself but I am getting tired now.
I have just found what look like to they may be 2 useful pages/sites on the web.
understandingwilliamssyndrome.blogspot.com/p/ears
psychcentral.com/blog/archives/living-with -extreme- sound-sensitivity
Will read them when I can concentrate enough.
randomphantoms: thanks for those, zilch on psych site but loads interesting stuff on other.
I wondered with me (anyone else here?) = coz my eyes and vision damaged (both actual eyes plus understanding what I see) might a little bit of it to be with needing to use other senses to help compensate?
Coz my sensitivity to smells very heightened after my ABI, could that be at all related to hearing, rewiring of brain and compensatory strategies by brain?
No idea. Any experts with any real info please to decipher what we experience/feel?
I got weird and dramatic sound-vision synaesthesia after my ABI (anyone else had that/got it?) = crossing over of sound and vision, could that be related to extra noise intolerance/sensitivity?
But coz of sleep probs, over-tiredness = more sensitive, are 'normal' people generally more sensitive to noises when tired too?
Before ABI I slept so well, 8 hours through, but since my son was born loud noises would wake me = half an ear open to hear if he needed me, I think. My mum had to tiptoe into my room when I was little but could walk in and make noise in my brother's when he was sleeping = always more sensitive than him.
And after ABI = sleep much lighter, wake more = not deep sleep? And often brain still going, even when have slept a long time = I wake exhausted coz it's been busy all night, not stopped - trying sort probs and fretting, feels like. So more aware of noises when NEED quiet?
Very occasionally do sleep better sleep (SO rare now) and then wake up having thought well/sorted something in the night, brain did it = without me (! conscious thought) interfering. Think my conscious thought processes not always very good! Praps coz try to use brain as it was. Think that's why if can't think of word, name or something = do something else then it comes = left to itself brain 'knows' where to find it better than me/conscious direction?
All jolly interesting. Bet the experts know all this, but I didn't and nor do most people?
Definitely food for thought
Thanks for the links random I will look at them
Muddled, I understand , i feel the same... it is torture at times.........but police horses and dogs etc don't have head injury do they? Also police dogs are trained from a very early age and many don't make the grade.... sorry I don't know about horses.
I don't know if getting a squeaky ball as a reward would work for me........
Foggy: yes, it IS torture, even dripping tap very annoying now: put cloth hanging down from it at my place to stop the noise. Plus the loose TV aeriel. More recently at this place too (sounds bit like), oh what a coincidence.
Sometimes it feels like my head will explode when CRAVE silence and noises don't stop. I'm lucky: I don't often hit out or go yell at people (I cry mostly with overload) but many with ABI do when driven crazy by too much noise/lights/cognitive overload.
Criminal justice system (and society) needs to learn this. Prevention from understanding BEFORE.
Stuff like that from alcohol understood/known but not what we LIVE with = not a choice.
From experience I would say that hyper sensitivity of sensory systems is a symptom of inflammation of the brain and the nervous system, possibly the vagus nerve which runs the length of your main organs feeding them with information from the brain. Look up a picture of the vagus nerve to see how important it is and why it might be affected if the brain cant operate correctly.
It is less about training like guide dogs and horses in my humble opinion and more about giving the brain the supportive nutrients and chemicals it needs in terms of Vit A, B, C, D, iron, serotonin, melatonin. Also getting enough detoxification of the lymph through exercise to keep the body's cleaning pathways clear.
Reflecting, I believe it is this simple. Reduce inflammation, eat things to break down lumps in body, add in supportive chemicals and nutrients, get sleep, exercise and senses can regulate and respond to environment within suitable ranges.
If the senses continued to respond to the environment normally while your brain had lumps in it and wasn't operating properly, would your body be doing the right thing? NO. It is the body's way of telling us something is not right. Thank you lovely body for helping me to heal while I got out of the way and allowed you to do what you do best.
Best.
My 22 year old son who lives with me, doesn’t believe me… 
A question for carers/partners
Notes
Coping with a serious injury
