Technological solutions to emotional problems

March 20, 2023 3:26 PM

I'm curious about your experiences with noise-reduction earplugs (for sound sensitivity) and fidget rings (for what I guess is now called "excoriation disorder"—metal!).

Now that some of what used to be Just Weird Stuff when I was young is now filed under "sensory processing problems" or what have you, there seem to be technological solutions on offer for some of my Weird Stuff. Do they work?

These are the ones that Instagram ads somehow know I need, due to dark magics:
- Earplugs that claim to prevent you from getting overwhelmed in noisy environments
- Rings with little balls to play with that claim to give you something to do with your hands besides destroy your own fingers

Have you used either or both of these? Did they work for you? Do you have specific brand recommendations to help keep a fellow weirdo from getting ripped off? Bonus points question: have you used a different Technological Weirdness Solution that actually worked? Help me throw some money at problems caused by my own brain!

posted by babelfish to Shopping (18 answers total)

I have Loops (“experience,” meant to filter sound not block it), they work OK in that they are more comfortable and stylish than simple foam earplugs. But it does amplify your own voice quite a bit so you sound incredibly loud to yourself, much like if you plugged your ears and started talking. It does work to block out background noise but it’s a pretty blunt instrument and I still prefer to pop one out if someone is trying to talk to me.

I use them for noisy chaotic environments where I can be “passive” and am not expected to talk much - for example at my kid’s swimming lesson where I sit on the bleachers in a very noisy pool area filled with shrieking splashing kids*. They wouldn’t work as well for me if I’m at a restaurant and expected to be “active,” talking to other adults, because they amplify my own voice in my ears so much it’s distracting.

*I eventually splurged on a higher end set of AirPods with noise cancellation and these work AMAZINGLY well for this type of environment where it’s loud but I don’t need to talk or really listen.
posted by castlebravo at 3:43 PM on March 20, 2023

Hearos ear plugs, the light blue Xtreme version for the sound blocking.
posted by Rash at 4:12 PM on March 20, 2023 [1 favorite]

I wear foam earplugs often, I even keep a pair in my wallet. I put in the full size ones to be able to concentrate, and I also cut them in half to wear more discreetly when I’m around loud people. I can still hear what’s being said to me, it just takes the edge off and makes it easier to ignore non-important sounds.
posted by nouvelle-personne at 4:31 PM on March 20, 2023

My husband has the AirPods with noise cancellation and when I borrow them it’s like someone poured peace in my brain.
posted by St. Peepsburg at 4:48 PM on March 20, 2023 [1 favorite]

I have bought various fidget toys over the years (that snake-y ... puzzle thing at Target, a fidget cube, spinners, spinny rings), but frankly, knitting and crocheting are PRODUCTIVE fidgets and thus have worked best of all for me.
posted by jenfullmoon at 4:53 PM on March 20, 2023 [1 favorite]

Fidget toys and jewelry do work if you find a good fit for your particular habits. For me, anything that simply spins or pops does not help (though popping like bubble wrap can be fun), but things that I can scrape and peel, or things that have a kind of articulated crunch can keep me from skin picking and nail tearing. So for example, when I have eczema elsewhere that I really need to not scratch, or an acne breakout, I can paint my nails and scrape the polish off to keep myself from picking and scratching. When I know I need to spend a long time being bored or wait somewhere being nervous (doctor’s office, train ride, etc) I can fuss with a posable toy (figma makes neat ones), do origami, or mess with a fidget toy that has buttons and switches. I have yet to find any grownup looking jewelry that works with my issues, although I realized a long time ago that my glasses serve this purpose, as I can adjust them, clean them, tap them, and so-on. I also like those spiral hair ties that are like phone cords to wear on my wrists for when my hands are itchy or I need to make phone calls.

The best thing for my personal sound control is my shmancy over ear noise cancelling headphones. Ear plugs have never been anything other than something I have to immediately remove. I’ve used ear defenders when working with power tools and kept them on afterwards, and they can be good (and way more reasonably priced) but the digital noise canceling in current tech is a lot better for longer periods like on a plane or in a mall.
posted by Mizu at 5:03 PM on March 20, 2023

The really annoying thing that Loops really amplify, beyond your own voice, is your own chewing. I think that's probably true for most/all earplugs, though.
posted by nebulawindphone at 5:53 PM on March 20, 2023

I have ADHD and enjoy having something in my hands to fidget with. I wear a regular old ring — not a fidget ring, a plain plastic ring similar to this — and fidget by pulling it off, rolling it around in my hands, and putting it on different fingers. It helps! I feel a lot calmer when I have my ring with me.

Big +1 to Mizu's comment: Fidget toys and jewelry do work if you find a good fit for your particular habits.

I've tried other fidgets in the past, including fidget rings and those popper toys, and none of them ever really clicked for me. But something about the very plain simple ring just works with my fidget needs. You might need to try several different fidget toys until you find one that works for you.
posted by mekily at 7:14 PM on March 20, 2023

I walked around a busy airport wearing Loop earplugs and felt like I'd discovered a secret superpower. I've also worn them to concerts, broken them out to tune out distracting coffee shop conversations, and put them on to muffle level 1 laboratory fire alarms (in our building, we get fire alarms for all floors with recurring announcements to "remain alert and await further instructions," and choices are either a) work through the noise or b) walk down 10 floors of stairs only to hear the all clear as soon as we hit ground level). I hate bulky keychains, but I keep them on mine now.
posted by deludingmyself at 7:32 PM on March 20, 2023

I really like these Etymotics earplugs. They take the subway noise from uncomfortably loud to quite tolerable. You can still have a conversation with someone standing next to you. The big advantage over the foam plugs is that they reduce all frequencies equally, so the world sounds pretty much the same. Not muffled, just quieter.
posted by hovey at 7:39 PM on March 20, 2023

I use custom-fitted earplugs when I'm out, for music, but I leave them in quite a bit in other noisy environments; music-specific earplugs are great because the change in what you hear is relatively flat – all frequencies more-or-less equally reduced, so you don't get the "muffled" experience you would with foam plugs. I don't know what specific things you're getting advertisements for, but there's a lot of ways to get quality earplugs, at various price points (custom fitted can be pricey!) and they're worth a shot!
posted by wemayfreeze at 7:53 PM on March 20, 2023

Where/how does one get custom fitted earplugs?
posted by eviemath at 1:37 AM on March 21, 2023

"Where/how does one get custom fitted earplugs?
posted by eviemath at 10:37 on March 21"

I ordered a pair the other day from a reseller of https://bellman.com/ I have gotten them yet do can't tell how well they work
posted by skaggig at 4:11 AM on March 21, 2023

Ah, to clarify: where or how does one get fitted for custom-fitted earplugs?
posted by eviemath at 6:38 AM on March 21, 2023

Any audiologist that does hearing aids and the like should be able to make custom earplugs. I got mine from a chain audiologist shop. I can't wear foam earplugs for more than about half an hour without significant pain, so the custom ones are absolute must-haves for concerts, airplanes, all kinds of things.
posted by Mournful Bagel Song at 9:02 AM on March 21, 2023 [2 favorites]

Not a ring, though technically a bracelet: My absolute favorite noise-free fidget are these under-$5 shiny coiled hair elastics from Target, though of course you can get Scunci brand stuff in any drug or discount store (just maybe not the shineeee ones). If you are GenX or older, you will recall the joy of playing with the phone cord; if you are too young for corded landlines all I can say is that it's deeply, deeply satisfying.

They also actually make really good cord-bundlers.

If you want to go full retro, jelly bracelets are still fun to twist/loop/configure/chain though not as satisfying in my opinion as the coils.
posted by Lyn Never at 10:07 AM on March 21, 2023 [1 favorite]

My husband has the AirPods with noise cancellation and when I borrow them it’s like someone poured peace in my brain.

This has REALLY helped my partner with things like navigating airports and the like. He has ADHD and is really distractible and they help him focus without blocking out noises he needs to hear.
posted by jessamyn at 10:14 AM on March 21, 2023

I was also diagnosed with "sensory issues" when I was younger, and I use noise cancelling earbuds for this very reason!

I was recently gifted Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II. They're noise cancelling, and the noise cancelling works very well.

Crucially, they stay in my ears no problem, whether I'm walking around, or jumping up and down, or dancing. (I have tried so many other earbuds in the past, and typically found them lacking in this department, so these have me really impressed.)

I think they are also less expensive than the AirPods.
posted by pearl228 at 3:40 PM on March 21, 2023