I find myself extremely irritated (bordering angry) when I hear any car horns now on the street, whether I’m walking or driving. I have a bit of a startle response and it also seems so unnecessary much of the time. So maybe it’s as much as it is about the lack of civility than the noise itself…..because it’s not always the sound level, it’s any horn that’s close by. Emergency sirens definitely cause me to try and block my ears but they don’t seem to trigger me the same way an errant horn does…

I recently read that therapists with burnout/vicarious trauma can be more jumpy and sensitive to unpleasant sounds. I’m actually taking a month long medical leave to deal with my own mental health, primarily need to sleep and decompress from work (I work in an outpatient oncology setting).

Wondering if anyone else finds themselves really bothered by horns and if you think it’s somehow associated with the work. Maybe it’s just aging (I’m mid 40s).

Thoughts?