There are certain noises that are just annoying and uncomfortable. The sound of people chewing or whistling. The sound of the tapping of a pencil on the desk or heavy breathing while you're studying may get under your skin. Certain textures make you cringe.

Those are rational internal reactions.

However, becoming filled with anxiety or rage or having intrusive thoughts when exposed to these "uncomfortable" situations, are not, so to speak, rational.

This is known as Hypersensitivity, or being a "Highly Sensitive Person," and it is most often a side-effect of anxiety or OCD.

OCD, or Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, is not just being a neat-freak or germaphobe. OCD is built upon, as it names says, obsessions, which are fears that cause extreme stress or an uncontrollable thought. Then there's compulsions, a repeating action or ritual that is done to relieve that stress, but usually only for a short period of time.

So how does sensitivity to noises or textures relate to OCD? Sensitivity to certain textures, noises, and sometimes even smells in children often leads to ritualism; a defense-mechanism used in both children and adults in order to regain control or cope in an environment where they feel uncomfortable or attacked. In most children that experience this, they grow up to become adults with the same sensitivity issues.

For me, I didn't realize what was actually going on until I spoke about it with my therapist. For years, whenever I heard annoying noises (breathing, chewing, whistling, loud unexpected noises, "broken" noises like creaking, etc.) I would get so annoyed and frustrated, that it would turn into anger, and then I would have intrusive thoughts like, "Break the thing that's making the noise," or even, "Punch the person who's making the noise to make them stop," which is scary and harmful in and of itself.

When I would feel a certain texture, like an itchy sweater, cardboard, oil, or sunscreen lotion, my entire body would cringe, my fists would clench and I would dig my nails into my palm.

When I eat certain things, rice especially, I have intrusive thoughts and I gag and can't continue to eat it. With rice, my brain automatically tells me I'm eating maggots, even though I know very well it's just rice.

I would become so obsessively fixated on that noise or texture, that I couldn't stop thinking about it or distract myself from it. Even minutes after I've touched something, the texture still lingers on my fingertips until I get a chance to wash my hands or I rub my hands on my pants until I feel the feeling has finally gone away.

I'm not able to go study at my school's library because even on the "quiet" floor, there are still things like people writing, turning pages, and breathing. I'm teased whenever I say I don't like rice, and people think I'm a picky eater, but they don't know why.

It is not something that is usually discussed openly in society like other mental illnesses and their side-effects are, and perhaps that is why I thought for so many years that I was crazy or irrational.