First Job! What About the Sound??

[glynis]

@Taylorslay ,
I would tell your new employer and they can do what they can to support you in your work place .
Love glynis x

Good luck !

 

[Starthrower]

As much as I love the encouragement, that "Go get em" attitude. I am just not willing to risk my ability to function as a human being to please somebody else. Therefore I need to talk to my employer.

Congrats on getting that first job! I think this is a wise decision. When you go to your employer express all your abilities and why you will help the company. You certainly have a great amount of courage and intelligence and you were at first so thrilled about the possibility.

No one likes it when a person talks endlessly about whatever illness they have.

Hyperacusis is different than tinnitus. Simply mention that the ear piece poses an issue with your hearing. But all your other qualities will far surpass that issue.

Here is a link with more information, including details about reasonable accommodations (or adjustments to help you do the job) and an explanation of what qualifies as a disability:
https://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/publications/adaqa1.cfm

I also see no reason to not tell your coworkers if you're comfortable doing so. The view that people will hurt you based on what they know is a cynical one. Instead, you may find helpful coworkers who take on the louder tasks, keep the workplace quieter, or just offer a bit of mental support.

Wish I could hit the like button an million times!!

You probably will not need to take that drastic of a measure but be assured you cannot be discriminated against.

 

[orbiter12]

If it's only a part time job while you're in education etc that pays next to no money ask yourself is it really worth it

 

[GregCA]

I'm just so anxious about that ear piece

Maybe you can find out a few things:
- can the volume be controlled?
- can the ear piece be swapped by a custom headset or custom headphones (such as noise cancelling headphones) that you could control the volume of?
- how busy is the sound/noise through the ear piece (is it sporadic, continuous, etc)?
- does the position you will hold require such ear piece or can you do without it?

 

[Taylorslay]

I can control the volume. I mentioned it to the employer and they said I can turn it down.

 

[GregCA]

I can control the volume. I mentioned it to the employer and they said I can turn it down.

Great! So you're in good shape then!

 

[Taylorslay]

I need some support though I'm so afraid of an H spike. I haven't had this bad of anxiety in such a long time.

 

[MBH]

Once you start your first day, you'll be good, you will know what to expect with sounds and you ears will adjust there after. And that will calm down your anxiety. Good luck with the job and get comfortable with it.

 

[PaulBe]

I need some support though I'm so afraid of an H spike. I haven't had this bad of anxiety in such a long time.

I returned to work amid all the noises and alarms. A few times I bolted out of the room when some ridiculously loud emergency alarms went off. As I pushed on though I became less focused on them as the work rekindled my interest. Eventually I realized that the fear of spikes is probably greater then the probability of actual spikes. Eventually I found that my sound tolerance improved just because I stopped noticing every sound around me (or it got better anyway with time, I don't really know). Its still shit compared with what it was pre-tinittus, but it's not the intense anxiety producing monster it once was and I got my freedom back (until now, but that's whole new story).

 

[glynis]

@Taylorslay ,
All our luck goes with you from TT...
Love glynis x