I don’t always know I’m stressed until everything starts sounding too sharp

Dear Delyara, That is one of my clearest signs. When the door closing feels too loud. When somebody speaking from another room feels intrusive. When the cutlery, the kettle, the question, the message tone, all of it starts arriving with edges. That’s when I usually realize the system has been carrying more than I admitted earlier. Stress doesn’t always appear as panic in me. Sometimes it appears as reduced tolerance for ordinary sound. I’m trying to learn that language better.