Shooting Enthusiasts in My Area

Hello. I'm new here. My name is Geoff.

I live in a suburb that is less than one kilometer outside the corporate limit of my city. There are still woods in the area, though it was developed decades ago. Target shooting in people's backyards is technically illegal here but unenforced. The same ordinances that apply within the city proper extend out for several kilometers. But I don't even call the authorities anymore. They couldn't care less.

I live in an old house with basically tissue-thin walls. Since all this shooting began in 2015, my tinnitus and hearing sensitivity have worsened significantly. For the first time in ten years (tinnitus first kept me awake all night in 2007, and chronic insomnia led to depression), I am again fighting depression. My ears feel raw and "burned" inside. I pop on my Peltors immediately upon hearing the first shot, and leave them on for a half hour and it has usually stopped by then. But my ears react to the one- or two-shot exposure that I get before I can get my muffs on. And I can't leave them on all the time, inside my own house. They get hot and start to hurt after a while. Not to mention that I love them and am grateful for them, but I also hate wearing them.

I've asked around and found out who was doing it, and simply gave them my number and asked them to phone me before shooting. And they did call me, and I put my muffs on. And these people eventually stopped shooting. Perhaps they decided to go to a range instead. But other people are still doing it, and word hasn't gotten round that a hyperacusic lives here. It still goes on, and I don't know who is doing it or I would contact them and ask them to warn me before they begin. One neighbor has said that these are probably people who drive up and shoot in the woods but don't live out here.

I have symptoms that point to TTTS. Distortion. Tickling within my ears. Thumping. Spasms. Tinnitus spikes and pressure. Internal ear pain. Sometimes even balance problems. To be uncomfortably frank, I sometimes think about dying and wish for it, and would do it if it were easy.

I know about Neuromod and wait. That sort of keeps me going, the fact that there may be something that may make this better. I am trying to be patient. I think they are progressing remarkably fast, but I am holding on by one finger and it is starting to slip.

There's nothing that can be done about my neighbors and I am not asking for advice. I've had it easy for a couple of months and developed a false sense of well-being. No shooting. But it started again out of nowhere this morning while I was making my coffee. I went from reasonably happy to shit within the space of a minute. In my weaker moments, I wish they would do me a favor and use their damned toys on themselves.

Thanks for listening. Having a bad day. Not feeling very strong today.

 

Sorry to hear about your situation. It sounds impossible and like a huge pain in the ass.
You may just have to move, even though that may be a difficult option.

 

Can you sound proof a room if possible?

 

@JohnAdams Thanks, John. I've thought about moving, but after 19 years, this place is home. I really, really don't want to move again. The last time I moved, I said, "This is it."

@GSC I've already tried it. In this tiny room (the one that used to be my home recording studio but is now just an office) I have asphalt impregnated board screwed into the window and Soundproof Cow Quiet Barrier composite stuck to the walls, after a big fall project (and lots of money spent) in 2017. I had high hopes, but it is still not enough. I have the same treatment on the window of my bedroom, though not the walls. It makes the nearby interstate highway quieter, but it's insufficient for gunshots, some of which sound like small bombs. And hyperacusis is pretty unforgiving anyway. These shots are far away enough that you would think they shouldn't do any harm. But I think some of what's going on with me physically is TTTS. This could be misophonia leading to reflexive TTTS. If that's the case, then it's possible that it's not permanent damage and it could be reversed if an effective treatment comes along. I keep my fingers crossed.

 

I'm so sorry to hear that. That really sucks. You're trying all that you have and are still being dealt with this hand. Now that you mention it though, my TTTS at first was very intact with my anxiety over sudden noises. They didn't even have to be loud, but just a hitch of deep breath would make my heart rate raise and my ear spasm. Now, not so much since I'm getting my anxiety under control. Acoustic shock disorder is very heavily linked to anxiety and sound trauma, so that could possibly be something happening here as well..

 

Do you live in the US?

I am surprised the police do nothing about this. If you are close enough that the shots are causing you issues, than that means they are happening very close to your house, which is very dangerous if a gun were to misfire in your direction.

I would keep track of the shooting with video evidence and a log. Call the police and if they don't respond you could bring a lawsuit against them eventually over time. The laws are there for a reason and if you are being harmed because the laws aren't being followed you can seek damages.

 

Bwahahahaha rly? You must live in a blue state? EmmIrite??

 

I've seen the term Acoustic Shock Disorder before but didn't pay a lot of attention to be honest. As I mentioned, these gunshots are far away enough (they have a long reverb decay which gives an impression of distance) that you wouldn't think they could be causing damage. My guess is a few hundred to a couple thousand feet away. One road over from mine, dead end, in the woods. And yet my hearing reacts as if I just had a plate shattered over my head. It takes three days for it to normalize. (That's happening right now after this morning's shots.) It gives me hope that this is not new noise damage but just my inner or middle ear shivering from my reaction to a sound phobia. That at least sounds more fixable.

 

I hope that is the case for you then. I really hope it is and your ears aren't suffering from damage. Try taking some nac and magnesium daily. Especially NAC so your ears, if they are being damaged, can hopefully be aided by these two supplements.

Read into it here: https://www.tinnitustalk.com/thread...ople-here-have-acoustic-shock-disorder.18989/

 

@Jack Straw If I lived in a sane country, this would not even be happening. Sadly, I do not. I'm slightly outside the city limits, so the authorities in my area are county sheriff's department. Some of them are probably the ones doing it.

I don't call anymore. Not only does it accomplish nothing, but I actually think it makes me less safe to complain, so I don't anymore.

 

Your raw ears sound like a chronic TTTS, being repeatedly exposed to gunshot noises. It really sounds like a terrible situation.

These sounds that come as a surprise are quite dangerous. Early into my T, my neighbor fired up his electric blower, and it is not super loud, but still scared me as I totally did not expect it as I did not see him behind the fence. I have no doubt the gunshots would be a lot worse.

I think I would get a comfortable pair of low profile ear muffs, and wear them a good chunk of the day to minimize the exposure. Without some protection, with repeated exposures, there is a good chance that healing of the ears won't occur and the symptoms are going to persist unfortunately.

https://www.amazon.com/Howard-Leigh...ile+ear+muffs&qid=1556504028&s=gateway&sr=8-4

I really hope this gets better for you really soon!