By Steve Chatfield
Founder, AuDHD Companion
5 min read
That experience is worth describing. You do not need to prove that a sound bothers everyone else before acknowledging how it feels to you. At the same time, noticing it when tired does not establish that tiredness is the cause. A useful starting point is to look more closely at the sound, your response and the circumstances around it.
What part of the noise feels difficult?
Noise sensitivity is not one identical experience. You might struggle with several conversations happening at once, an unexpected sound, a repetitive noise or the effort of following speech over background audio. Another person may describe everyday sounds as unusually loud or painful. These descriptions matter because they communicate different concerns.
Try moving beyond “everything was too loud” when you have the space to do so. Was it the volume, the number of competing sounds or the fact you could not choose when they stopped? Did you feel distracted, distressed or physically uncomfortable? You do not need technical terms. Your own words are useful information.
Put the setting and the day alongside each other
Think about what surrounded the moment. Had you been in a busy environment for hours? Were you trying to finish something while answering questions? Did you have somewhere comfortable to pause? How rested did you feel? These details can help describe the experience without deciding in advance what explains it.
You might also notice a situation where sound felt easier to manage. Perhaps you were listening to music you chose, spending time in a smaller group or able to turn background audio down. The difference may help you express a preference or request an adjustment. It does not mean the difficult experience was inconsistent or less real.
Sensory differences and health questions deserve room
Readers exploring autism or AuDHD may recognise aspects of their sensory experience here. Recognition can offer language, but noise sensitivity alone does not confirm a diagnosis. There are different forms of sound intolerance and different reasons someone might seek advice.
If ordinary sounds seem unusually loud or painful, speak with a GP or hearing professional. The NHS guide to hyperacusis describes this concern and available support. Do not expose yourself to painful sounds to test a theory. Constant sound avoidance or wearing hearing protection all the time is also not a substitute for professional advice about persistent sensitivity.
How AuDHD Companion can help you keep the details together
If sensory tracking is enabled, a check-in can capture how sensory demands felt alongside energy and sleep. Your journal can add the situation: “several videos playing during dinner” or “could follow the conversation once background audio stopped”. This separates the experience from a general judgement such as “I am always irritable at home”.
Looking back allows you to compare your own days. Insights can help you explore recorded measures, while you interpret the environmental details in your notes. The app does not measure noise levels, assess hearing or establish that a sleep change caused a sensory response. Its role is to preserve context you can use in reflection or a conversation about support.
Your Toolkit can also hold options you want available in difficult moments. Perhaps you want to ask for one audio source at a time, choose a quieter place for a conversation or communicate that you need a brief pause. These are examples of everyday adjustments to consider, not a treatment plan for a hearing condition.
A fictional example of a clearer request
Imagine someone who often says, “Everyone is too noisy.” Their notes show a more particular difficulty: trying to discuss tomorrow's plans while the television and a phone are both playing. They record that conversation felt easier on another occasion when the television was paused.
That observation cannot identify a cause or prove a diagnosis. It can support a clearer request: “Could we pause the background audio while we work this out?” A specific request may be easier to explain than trying to justify every aspect of your sensory experience. Other situations may still need different support.
One small observation to begin with
When a sound feels difficult, make a brief note later if you can: what the sound was, what you were trying to do and how it felt. Include whether there was discomfort or pain, as that is important to discuss with a professional. There is no need to remain in distress to make the record more complete.
For the immediate moment, consider whether an optional sound can be paused or the conversation moved somewhere comfortable. You do not have to solve your overall sensory experience at once. Persistent, changing or painful sensitivity deserves support even if you have only a few examples to bring.
Give your sensory experience useful language
AuDHD Companion helps you keep observations about your environment beside the rest of your day. It supports reflection and communication, rather than diagnosis, hearing assessment or treatment.
See how check-ins, journalling and Toolkit work, or start free. Record only what feels useful to you.