High Vigilance, High Sensitivity, Low Positivity...

Hi all,

I have tinnitus in my left ear, since mid last year. But both ears ache quite a lot when something startles me and is unusually loud.

I bought some custom made ear plugs, which, due to easyness, i use them all the time while i'm at work,
i work as an outdoor activity instructor and there are always doors being slammed, kids screaming, things being crashed around me at random times throughout the day.

I only got the ear plugs at the end of last year, and while living at home didn't need them,
as my ears had time to recover from sudden door slams (they are one of the biggest spikes i get).

I tried through march to do without these when i started work, and the last time i had a really bad
incident was towards the end of first aid training with the resusci annes, and we were filling out paperwork
and another instructor burst the airbag for the annies lungs close to me in the room. He'd taken the
old airbag out, and tied a knot in the end, and had been playing with it for a bit before popping it.
I am mad at myself still for overlooking this, and since have become extremely vigilant with whats going on around me, even when i have ear blockers in.

And so since April i've been wearing them all of the time at work.
The advantage is that i can hear voices with them in and do my job as i would pretty much..
But now when i take them off, i feel i've become over sensitive to loud noises.
My room is above a shower block which everybody here uses, and the doors are opened
and closed constantly through the evening.
Fortunately when the main door to the block opens i can hear this, and i instantly cover my ears with my fingers for protection.
If I hadn't been protecting my ears as much, then I am sure that they would be constantly aching
and causing me pain.

My problem now is, when can i take them off.. i feel that i've become so used to wearing silicone style ear blockers, or my 3M™ PELTOR™ Optime™ III Ear Defenders which are comfy enough to have on all of the time in my room.
SO used to this protection, that I wouldn't dream of going out of my room without something now.. I even watch things on the laptop sometimes with the volume up and ear defenders in because i know that the bathroom door is gonna be slammed at various times during my video film, episode etc
Actually following the plot of something i've started to find very hard to do, as i'm subcontiously on guard ready for the next person to enter the bathroom below, and I expect a loud door slam.. Which I HAVE to be ready for.. so entertainment comes second to all for me where i live at the moment in this staff accomodation..

But to try and move back to normal and face leaving my room without protection seems harder
than climbing a very steep mountain at the moment..

I'm worried and not sure about things, any of your thoughts would be really nice to hear,
even if they arn't kind, i really don't mind, Thanks, Jake


edit: something i forgot to add, i take daily magnesium calcium/zink, and gingko biloboa tablets which i think seem to help. After googling how to help ears repair/increase blood flow to them. I've been taking these since Jan and i think they help, but it might all be a placebo. Either way, it seems to be better than not i feel.

 

I've put up a few signs on the bathroom door below my room now. I know aswell the specific people that slam the door and have told them a few times politely that i have sensitive ears.

When they suddenly slam it catches me out in my room above sometimes and i feel raged and ready to go and confront them angrily. But i feel like i might lose my job if i do that.
Other than talking to management i'm not sure what to do, i don't think they would be able to do much. Moving rooms seems like a chance, as any other room might have a similar issue with people around.

 

Door slams can be bad...

You could try asking your employer to install door-closers


You could also attach gum (or stuff normally used to mount stuff on walls:

or
)
to the parts of the door that make the noise (which could be the lock).

There are also products like

that you can ask your employer to install. You could offer to pay for it.

Or try

 

Hi thanks for your reply
I have already bought and applied some sticky round rubber things from amazon, and they do help.

I have looked into the door stopper device (second picture up) which is something thats an anti slam device to try to stop finger entrapment. I have suggested this to my employer and raised the fact that the toilet door slamming is bad and that i've had enough.

They have hopefully passed the message onto staff, and any staff in particular which i mentioned who are the main slammers.