However, my roommate cannot hear this sound and my girlfriend can only hear it if she really strains to. I am beginning to envy people with hearing disorders. I'd be happy to be deaf. Dear Reader, You say your hearing is highly sensitive to certain sounds or noises that other people, such as your girlfriend and roommate, do not find loud, bothersome, irritating, or even audible. Alice cannot diagnose your symptoms for sure, but, contrary to what you state in your query, it does seem like you may have some kind of hearing impairment that's causing your sensitive hearing.
Sensitive hearing can develop from hyperacusis, phonophobia, or recruitment.
Hyperacusis, or hypersensitivity of hearing, is a rare hearing disorder in which tolerance to ordinary or everyday levels of sound or noises is lowered, so that they are heard as unusually and uncomfortably loud and intense. People with hyperacusis commonly have normal hearing otherwise, but may have tinnitus, or ringing in the ears. Phonophobia is a fear of hearing particular noises, usually common environmental ones or noises that have a personal connection or meaning attached to them, possibly out of concern that hearing ability will be harmed. Recruitment is a condition that involves hearing loss or an inability to hear soft sounds, yet, if any noises are heard at all, they are intense and loud, causing discomfort or pain. If you haven't done so already, see your primary health care provider first to make sure that your hearing impairment is not due to a disease or illness.