I find it difficult to concentrate on my work, or do anything productive.

Of course I've always been a peace and quiet type of guy anyway. Loud parties with lots of people talking, and crowds in general.

I'd much rather be by myself or a few loved ones, where you can communicate without shouting at each other.

When I go to any store, I always wear headphones, the kind that muffles sound. People let their kids shriek. This helps a lot.

I hate crowds, too. Pretty funny since I've lived in NYC for most of my life.

My reactions to crowds and noise aren't debilitating, thankfully. But I just don't like them.

It gets worse as I get older and my hearing is not as acute as it used to be. In a noisy room, I can't have a conversation because I can't understand what is being said. I appreciate the notion that silence is golden.

That's probably how I learned to turn off the noise in my head. It's almost like closing my eyes to what I'm seeing.

This ability has gotten me into a lot of trouble. People often think I'm deliberately ignoring them.

For very loud social experiences I can't avoid, for example rock concerts and certain amusement park rides, I wear foam earplugs.