I've had this quirk since fifth grade and I think it's finally time to talk about it. I used to think that maybe I just had a lot of pet-peeves... and I still think I do, but mainly want to address my sound-related pet-peeves.
Recently, there has been increasing talk of something called "misophonia."
From the Wikipedia article:
Misophonia, literally “hatred of sound,” is a form of decreased sound tolerance. People who have misophonia are most commonly annoyed, or even enraged, by such ordinary sounds as other people eating, breathing, sniffing, or coughing; certain consonants; or repetitive sounds. Though a few sufferers are bothered by sounds they make themselves, most are not. The reactions are completely involuntary.
People who have misophonia may also be annoyed by other people's repetitive movements, such as leg-tapping, nail-biting, the rising and falling of the belly, and typing.
It is important to note that sensitivity to the offending sounds is often far more severe when the origin of the sound comes from a person emotionally connected to the sufferer.
From the ABC.com site:
Do you think you have misophonia? Here are the major symptoms of misophonia, also known as selective sound sensitivity, as explained by Dr. Marsha Johnson:
- Presence of “trigger sounds” which evoke strong emotional or physical reactions, generally limited to a few sounds. Most common are eating or breathing noises.
- Onset is often in childhood. Most common time is puberty.
- Preference for louder sounds or louder noise environments.
- Logic or reason does not change reactions to trigger sounds.
- Often misdiagnosed as psychological disorders, but has a physiological mechanism, in reality.
Sufferers often structure their lives in order to avoid trigger sounds, isolating themselves from society. There is no cure, but there are treatments. More information is available at www.misophonia-provider.com.
My main triggers since the onset of this condition have been a person eating with his or her mouth open (and the crunching or slurping that results), gum chewing/popping/smacking, and nail-biting.
It's interesting that I can now refer to it as a medical... thing. I think in this case 'condition' is a better word than 'disease.' I definitely relate to the feeling of isolation described... and the fact that when faced with the fight-0r-flight feeling, I fly to avoid a confrontation or a release of rage. I also relate to enjoying environments with louder noises, as they tend to cover up the little noises that threaten to turn me into The Hulk.
- It started with leaving the dinner table early to avoid dealing with the noises.
- I started wearing earplugs when I went to sleep so that I could fall asleep within a normal amount of time without being bothered by TV noises filtering up to the second floor.
- I dropped a class in college because a rude, gum-popper was in it who was also in a previous class of mine. Even though I really needed to take the class, my anxiety and stress-response won out. I was not sitting through that again.
- I also have an issue with bass noises, whether within a building or in a car outside. I'd be fine if I could hear the rest of the music. In college, outside of the dorms, I had a stereo war with a neighbor over this. Childish? Yes. I was so frustrated though and had already told him to turn it down multiple times by then.
- I carry earplugs with me when I go out, so that I can tune out noises if I need to. This means that movies aren't as full of an experience for me, and why I'd just rather not go. If I can still hear a person popping gum or whatever with the earplugs in, they are truly ridiculous, beyond help, and I exit whatever situation I'm in ASAP.
If I've never talked to you about this, it's because I didn't want to risk a friendship over something that I wish didn't bother me. There's only one person that I know that truly understands the depth and magnitude of misophonia, and I'm so glad we can at least vent to each other about this stuff. (Cheaper than therapy! *Pound it!* ;))
20/20 aired a segment recently that delved a bit deeper into misophonia. (Click the link -- I wasn't able to embed it in this post. Also, don't worry, the segment doesn't span the full episode.) The first girl they interview is probably the most severe case that I've seen. I'm just glad my ears aren't quite that sensitive. The man in the middle part of the segment is a pretty typical case. The full video that he created is shown below. They also interview Kelly Ripa who also suffers from misophonia.
I relate so well to the guy in the office setting. When these sounds are present, I feel like screaming or totally vacating the situation. It's not easy to cope with when you're at work though. I also appreciate Kelly Ripa putting herself out there regarding the condition.
I know this is frustrating. My mom and dad think I'm nuts and refuse to even watch the 20/20 clip. I think they'd rather just believe I'm crazy at this point....
To those of you who still feel like this is something I need to get over, think about something that angers, infuriates, enrages, or even frightens you and imagine someone telling you to "just get over it." It's a gut-response, and it's something that we become more sensitive to as the years go by. Like I've said, I wish this didn't bother me. Perhaps if you've made it this far in the post though, you've gained deeper insight to how much of an issue this can be and why having more people conscious of misophonia can be so helpful.
