I have a similar problem but it seems to be limited to sensitivity to soft eating sounds -> someone eating crackers in the room can be pretty unpleasant for me. I found some info about people using sound generators to increase their tollerance to certain sounds but there does not seem to be a nice simple solution: http://www.hyperacusis.net/hyperacusis/what+can+be+done/default.asp
Things get into DSM a little sooner if Big Pharma has a pill for it maybe.. Reardon, you've scored a direct hit on me once again, the endorphin deficiency syndrome is perfectly real to me, I'm dropping the D-Phenyl stuff 2x... Selegiline is a wonderful thing for aging hippies and it reduces what you described above a lot for me... I take 5mg 2x and I just become a lot friendlier... There is another level of hypersensitivity that is for real though... I had a guy sneak up on me with a garrote and try to kill me with it, somehow I knew he was there and somehow I made just the move that allowed me to prevail... I didn't know that was doable, but I went to a martial arts school after that happened and they fully understood. Japanese Sword is dedicated towards that end, some can do it in 30 days, some take 30 years... In some schools you learn progressively to fight by looking at an opponent, in a short time it's easy to learn to close your eyes once you are touching an opponent and control him, that last step to just being aware of things is a matter of getting in touch with your intelligence that is distributed through your digestive tract and maybe backbone.. it "dreams at you" a lot and can also completely take over when necessary and get your body moving in some incredible ways...
The top trader in our group at the last place I worked at was affected by the sound of other traders' keyboard typing. Eventually he turned to headphones. At first I thought it was just breaking his concentration, since he was a micro-scalper, rather than a syndrome of sorts as you describe it. I eventually came to think it was the latter.
Anything OTC for this? Like, not needing a script or a Dr. visit? On the fence on what causes my own issues.
I know exactly what you are talking about. I feel exhausted if I'm in a city for more than an hour or two due to overstimulation from sound, light and movement. I drink to dull my hypersensitivity, but it is destructive, of course (I drink enough to be semi drunk most evenings). Loud shouting and sounds of most kinds upset me, as does strong lighting (I'm now beginning to hear high pitched sound almost permanently-my ears playing tricks). I walk alot in natural environments which helps a great deal. I'm intensely visual which enables me to perceive fast moving price action very quickly- a payoff of sorts. I can smell a bonfire many miles away and people as they walk past.
I have Aspergers and all that nasty sensory stuff is a big part. However the doctor labels it .... Sensory Defensiveness, Aspergers or ADD, PDD, or Autism .... all just variations on a theme. It's caused by brain inflammation (caused by different kinds of bugs). http://www.marshallprotocol.com/forum37/4243.html PM me and I can tell you about my own experiences!
You should get a kick out of this film then, <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/92U6OnVZG3U&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/92U6OnVZG3U&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object> scroll to about 1:12