Kevin van Haaren @kvanh:
So terrible at social events. Once the background noise reaches a certain level I can no longer hear or concentrate. Have to hide or leave.

@kvanh Have you been tested for ADD? I have the same symptom, Ritalin helps.

Kevin van Haaren @kvanh:
@jeffporten no but been thinking about it

@kvanh recommended, especially if you are a regular user of nicotine, caffeine, or alcohol. Unconscious self-med strategies.

@kvanh Try reading _Driven to Distraction_, excellent intro and way to determine if this is a serious issue.

Kevin van Haaren @kvanh:
@jeffporten by hallowell?

@kvanh yeah, think so.

Andrew Laurence @atlauren:
@kvanh @jeffporten Hmm. I find excessive background noise to be painful. At parties I’m often looking for a quiet corner.

@atlauren @kvanh Loud environments cause constant task switching. This costs ADD brain more than healthy brains, making it very unpleasant.

Andrew Laurence @atlauren:
@jeffporten @kvanh This sounds familiar to me.

Kevin van Haaren @kvanh:
@atlauren @jeffporten I still have really good hearing and can hear all these conversations and it keeps me from focusing on anything.

@atlauren @kvanh If you can tolerate it for N amount of time, but eventually your mood deteriorates rapidly, that’s the exact symptom.

@atlauren @kvanh But panic disorders, agoraphobes, and people who don’t like noise will *immediately* have mood change.

Kevin van Haaren @kvanh:
@jeffporten @atlauren pretty much volume level + time for me. Definitely not agoraphobia.

@kvanh Yeah, you’re reporting classic symptoms. Go RTFM and schedule an eval.

@kvanh @atlauren Bottom line: evaluation is painless. Meds may have cognitive benefit regardless of diagnosis. & Ritalin is cheap.