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This may sound weird,
I get to the point of rage in my mind if I hear a repetive noise such as crunching on crisps or sniffling of the nose,
It gets so extreme this rage, that I feel myself tingle below in irritation, and I have actually had an orgasm out of rage .
One day at work in the office, a co-worker was eating a bag of Hula Hoops, the constant crunch , crunch , crunch, crunch...........CRUNCH CRUNCH.. I had no way of letting the rage out I was stuck there, I wanted to scream or smash her face in. My body starting boiling with anger, and I felt like I had just gotten off.
Weird I know but I felt a little better after, and the crunching finally stopped.
Has anyone else experienced this? Its like tight contractions causes by anger, irriation. The only way the body can release it, when there is no way of getting out of the situation.
SNIFFING
the worst most obnoxious noise
the winter is the worst season , everyone has colds, I cant go on a bus or train. I have even quit jobs because I would end up in tears from extreme rage that I have to hold in if someone has a sniffing problem.
WHY CANT PEOPLE JUST BLOW THEIR NOSE?? the noise is so annoying, so irritating.
If it was happening in front of me right now, I would be typing so furiously and angrily my words wouldnt even come out correctly. it would be more like AGHHH euuhgg hur URRRHG just want to die already ugggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
but usually I just glare at the person and somehow expect them to understand how annoying they are and stop , but them seem oblivious .
AGH
1. Eating noises, Smacking, crunching, slupring, gulping, chewing, swallowing, and even the site of eating. Someones lips opening and closing, and gobbling in their food. The obnoxious fools that sucks the bone dry on their chicken legs .
2. Ticking Noises, clocks, fingernail ticking , nail clippers, water heater that ticks , pen clicking, especially when someone does it repeatidly.
3. Breathing, light breathing, squeeking breathing , heavy breathing, snoring, someone breathing to close to me to the point that I can hear it , even if it is really quiet , if I can hear it i am enraged.
4. loud noises, when someone turns the stereo up really loud , or tv, its to loud for me it hurts my ears, and gives me an instant headache and severe irritation. People that talk to loud, annoyingly loud conversations .
Also when I hear a hammer hitting a nail , it makes my eyes blink hard each time, and hurts my ears, even though it doesnt seem to bother others around me.
5. The site of someone doing a repetative behavior; bouncing their leg, playing with something such as their hair , scratching themselves - the sound especially and the motion -
NAIL CLIPPERS UGH, I swear I can hear them from outside the house. Clinking of silverware on plates. Ive upgraded to PLASTIC EVERYTHING! but every so often that im stuck going out to eat I endure the horribleness of it all again and go crazy.
I complain about these noises to the point I drive others around me insane with the irriation , and complaints I constantly make. They say now its all in my head, and Im complaining about noises that arent even there. Such as when I say I can hear them breathing, and their nose is squeeking with each breath, I promise you I actually do hear it, I wish I didnt, but they say I am hearing things. I know I hear it, its annoying, every breath drives me insane. I wish I could fix this problem somehow. Its like I have supersonic hearing only to the most minute annoying noises. I can hear the faintest noise, and its amplified to my ears/brain. It causes irriation so bad, that ive slammed doors, ran out of the house crying , and had emotional breakdowns my whole life, wondering what the point of living is if everyday is hell . Ive tried killing myself about 5 times total in my life, ive been in and out of mental hospitals growing up. Its all linked to this , extreme irriation to the point there is no point in going on.
Please someone find a cure already. Ive been trying to find my own cure, Ive tried everything. I cant go on living this way. Ive come to the conclusion, Im not afraid of death, I dont mind it, at least there will be silence, and I can be alone.
OMG it's not just me then! Especially the clearing of throats! This irritates me to the point where I changed to soya milk to reduce the gunk in my own throat in case I started annoying other people!! Tapping, clicking, rustling & even rubbing all of which my other half does & drives me to distraction! And don't even get me started on the bleeping on tv programmes, you know when they bleep out swear words, how's that even a programme anyway?! I have to turn over or switch off I just can't bear it. I also can't abide the noise of motorbikes or children screaming, my teeth & fists clench & if really high pitched I block my ears & yes I've even done the mimicking bit & I have been known to make a hasty retreat to somewhere away from the source of irritation.
Out of interest does anyone else suffer from Tinnitus in addition to this?
I thought I was the ONLY person blighted by this until I read an article in a magazine just last week. I tore out the article and gave it to my husband and then my daughter to read and asked them 'who does this sound like'? Until now I had convinced myself that I was just being awkward or that there was something strange and odd about my reactions to certain noises, what a huge relief to find out that this a real condition with an actual name.
For me it is mostly cruncy food noises that are my trigger :- crisps, biscuits, popcorn, apples, coated nuts etc. Sometimes I have to leave the room where my family are eating as the noise makes me feel physically sick and so angry. Once when I was in the cinema with my husband he was eating coated nuts, after a few minutes of listening to him I had to (politely) tell him that if he didn't stop eating those nuts then I would - well I would not be held accountable for my actions lol. I think my family thought that I was just moaning, making a fuss about nothing or just being bl**dy awkward, they laughed at me and seemed to think it some joke.
To all fellow sufferers please know you're NOT alone and that there are many others out there whose lives are blighted by the same things, small comfort I know but it's a start.
Marina, Leicester.
My name is Derek. I have this condition also .. my trigger is people who talk too loudly, rub their feet together , cough too much, clear their throat, rub their hand together... I also have a couple kinetic triggers as well from vibration felt near or far such as metal sounds, plastic, or a nail pounding into wood, my brain just can't handle the force of the nails impact. I have a low tolerance for people who cannot mind their body or manners in front of others. I've grown to accept who I am & make the best of my condition by laughing & surrounding myself by the atmosphere I in-vision for myself.
I am 50 years old, and finally after all these years of thinking that I was the only one with this painful and life consuming disorder. I cried and prayed to be normal for years. I cannot describe the relief to hear that there is finally a name for this condition I've suffered for so many years, since the age of 11 I could not stand peoples actions. My triggers would fall under misophonia movements. My worst triggers are when people clear their throats, rubbing their eyes, rubbing their feet, coughing, stretching, scratching and rubbing of the hands. All through my childhood I remember rage against my parents every time they cleared their throats and rubbing their eyes, etc. I could not wait to move out. I was 17 right of high school and right into my own apt, but still very lonely and afraid of what could be wrong with me. I thank God everyday for my answer, I can only pray now that someone finds a cure. For all of you that suffer from misophonia, my heartfelt tears I hear your pain. Please feel free to email me. God Bless,
Honestly, I can't take the sound of my own children chomping on ice. It makes me so sad because I don't even want to be around my daughter who has that nasty habit. She thinks it's funny when I go through the roof and has never even tried to consider my feelings. I've tried to explain what it does to me, but she doesn't get it. I kind of resent her for that, so then I just feeling guilty. To a lesser degree, I can't take popcorn in movies or the hum of the TV when I'm trying to sleep. I can't understand how I can fall asleep in the same room with the TV on, but when it comes to a little back noise, it throws me over the edge. Didn't know there was a name for what I have, or there were others like me. I just thought I was weird.
Honestly, I can't take the sound of my own children chomping on ice. It makes me so sad because I don't even want to be around my daughter who has that nasty habit. She thinks it's funny when I go through the roof and has never even tried to consider my feelings. I've tried to explain what it does to me, but she doesn't get it. I kind of resent her for that, so then I just feeling guilty. To a lesser degree, I can't take popcorn in movies or the hum of the TV when I'm trying to sleep. I can't understand how I can fall asleep in the same room with the TV on, but when it comes to a little back noise, it throws me over the edge. Didn't know there was a name for what I have, or there were others like me. I just thought I was weird.
I hate the sound of people eating food. Especially wet foods so I can hear every detail of their saliva swishing in their mouth. Sometimes I just want to trow a pillow at someones head or knock the bowl of food out of their hands.
And when someone brushes their teeth while I'm trying to sleep... Even when their finished, it stays in my head for hours. Sometimes I cry myself to sleep because of it. I'm only 15, going to be 16 soon. I think I've had this since I was 13, but I can't entirely remember. My mum says she feels really tense every time she eats because I get irritated at her. My sister avoids having breakfast when I'm in the kitchen because she feels tense too [and she's a drama queen].
I'm starting to hate the sound of people clicking nails, cutting nails, picking nails, scratching, crunching cereal... Some people in the cinema devour popcorn like starving wolves that have never tasted those glorious things. Even the sight of them eating irritates me. Their eyes glued to the screen like an animal watching prey. It makes me sad.
Breathing isn't no bad for me so long as it's not too loud and it's steady.
Oh and I forgot to mention... My sisters braces and everytime she tries to take out food that's stuck in them with her tongue... THAT is one of THE MOST annoying things ever.
I think all of us with this problem should move into the middle of nowhere and have a secluded society where everyone is dead quiet with a house for each separate person. We don't have to put up with loud society and we don't have to feel too lonely either :3 Ok... Who wants to fund this project? :D
I'm 14 years old. I can't stand the constant sound of people coughing especially, sniffing and clearing their throat. Every time I hear those sounds I felt like I was in a shock and I either shake my head violently or feel aggraveted and intense rage. I feel like I hear other people cough like 4 billion times in a day and its so annoying and irritating me. Often, I imagine ways to stop them from coughing like sticking a pen in their throat. I really want to buy earphones but my mom won't let me because she thinks I'm going to wear it in school. I feel hopeless and I need some help. My sister clears her throat every minute whenever I get a chance to see her. I wake up by the sound of my dad coughing up mucus every morning at 6:30 am. My other sister coughs every time she goes to the bathroom and I would have to hold my ear and scream untill she's done. A lot of times I wish I was deaf. Every time I come back from school I have to go to sleep or I feel the urge to talk to someone about who annoyingly coughed at school. My family just don't understand why I feel hopelessely depressed and having different emotional reactions to those sounds. My other triggers are snoring, slurping, gulping loud, dishes clashing, lip smacking, and my Dad's voice.
I´m soooo glad I finally found an exact description of my problem. I became to think that I was the only one in the world feeling like this when hearing someone else breathing ( specially my brother). I´ve been talking with different doctor before and they said it was Obsesive compulsive disorder or anxiety..I´m from Argentina and would like to know if someone else nearby is suffering this fucking disorder....
As per everybody else comments, it is an amazing feeling to find out that actually I'm not just highly strung when it comes to this stuff! I too got told often not to 'cham' when eating when I was younger and wonder if that is what has triggered it. I can't believe somebody else said about cutting toe nails - i'd forgotten about that one but if drives me insane! Also chewing, heavy breathing, tv and music from a distance (so I can just hear bass, or a hum). I've moved into flats just recently and a new one for me is slamming doors. I genuinely lie in bed at night waiting to hear them. I wear ear plugs, but often take them out periodically because I 'think' I may have heard a sound and want to check!
Just knowing I'm not alone in this is a great comfort. Thanks to everyone for sharing their stories!
Em x
I'm 14 (female) and school is a place where my trigger sound, chewing, is common. I can't help not crying, or running from the room in a rage. Other students don't understand and when they see my reactions they either look at me like I'm crazy or scoot slowly away.
Additionally, I have always seen gum-chewing as disgusting. You chew on a piece of rubber that has sugar and artificial flavor in it, and yet teenagers do it every day. It has no point, and it drives me crazy.
Wow. Finding this website has changed my life. People crunching on chips is a killer for me. It makes me so angry I can't even describe it. My brother used to tell me to stop crunching on my food when we were little. So, I tried really hard not to crunch around him, and I wonder if that drives my hypersensitivity to others' eating. That I want to control them, make them eat quietly. My mother-in-law was popping her gum in the car while I was trying to concentrate driving, and I actually made her throw her gum out the window. I could not take it. Living in a cube farm at work is a problem for me. Going to theaters is also an issue. Restaurants do not seem to bother me as much. Specifically it's the crunching noise that bothers me, but sometimes my wife's breathing really heavy and she doesn't realize it. Just sitting there in her chair.
I wanted to cry reading this site. I thought I was crazy. I finally know what I been suffering from for over 10 years. I can't stand talking on radios or tv. It makes me want to go insane or cry. I can't concentrate and I try to put in ear plugs to block out the sound or go some place quiet. Snoring is another sound I hate, can't stay in a room with someone who snores. I'm so glad I'm not the only one suffering from a sound disorder. Also anything that's loud, annoying, and repetitive such as music, cracking nuckles, chewing loudly with your mouth open, cutting toenails, fire engines. Sometimes I would rather be deaf...
I am laughing a lot today because since so many years I was thinking that I am the only one who has this insane problem of reacting towards noises which others feel normal.
The comments and the site has given me relief and also taught some techniques to get rid of this.
Thank You So Much.
as everyone else has already said..
i am so happy i am not the only one with these feelings..
i am sixteen, and it is really hard eating as a family and family dinners have pretty much fallen apart in my family because my mom realizes how hard it is for me to listen to my dad eat.. i know the way he eats isnt his fault because he is paralyzed on one side of his mouth..
i dont go over to some of my friends' houses anymore because of their family dinners..
i glare, close people's mouths for them, tap on peoples shoulders, yell even sometimes..
i just get an intense feeling of rage and just want to hit the people chewing..
my boyfriend expessially hates it when i say something to him, or push his lips together..
he likes to chew on ice.. ugh, this is the worst..
sorry i keep rambling on, i just can't talk to anyone else about this or they get mad
Oh, I'm so relieved, I am abnormal, but not alone. I've had this for as long as I remember, mainly with eating noises, lip smacks, loud chewing, cutlery scraping to name just a few. Someone chewing gum makes me so angry, and verbally so, on strangers. Although the same goes with anyone eating or drinking anything, I visually tense around food and drink.
Tonight I researched 'depression noises' in google and happed upon this. My daughter's sparked it, one by cleaning out her nails,, the other by clicking a lighter. I realised then I have deep issues with noise. The biggest bugbear I ahve with my husband is his breathing, closely followed by the sound of his fidgetting.
People sniffing drives me mental, I can almost feel my blood boil even now, radio interferrance is as bad, a ticking clock, dripping tap, tapping keyboard.... The list just goes on and on.
I didn't know this was a real syndrome until yesterday. For me, the eating sounds do me in. I live in Asia, although I'm Canadian, and even my friends without this problem will agree that people here eat in a rude manner. I find it EXCRUCIATING. Chinese restaurants with noodle soup are my nightmare. I don't like flying on asian airlines anymore because I've had the worst reactions during meal services (I also get really nervous during the bumpy air during most meal services on airplanes, maybe that's why?)
My office is open plan, and there's always some cough going around. People coughing and not covering their mouths, clearing their throats... one of my colleagues occaisionally gulps down a huge amount of water and then exhales forcefully going "AAAHHHH". I can't stand it. I see him drinking and I'll preventively cover my ears with my headphones and turn up whatever music was playing softly before. Sticking to my office, people who mumble in a whiny voice on the phone makes me rage. My manager also loves bringing in macdonalds to eat at his desk, that soft sound of limp lettuce and gross wet cheese with all the horrible mouth sounds makes me literally gag sometimes.
I never confront my coworkers directly and tell them about the sounds bothering me, but I'll find myself occasionally glaring in disgust, or making comments like "hey are you ok? theres a pharmacy downstairs if you want me to go grab you some cough syrup".
By the end of the day I'm so pissed that sometimes I purposely bump into people or knock elbows on the super crowded street I have to walk down. (For those that have been to Bangkok, I'm talking about Silom Road). I've even shoved through people who were in line for escalators because of someone chewing gum behind me. argh!
To Natasha (who left a comment two weeks ago) I know exactly how you feel. My dad smokes and the way he breathes it in irritates me. But it's the way he sucks food out from his teeth that bothers me the most. It seems so obnoxious! I guess that's my trigger. It's been like this for years now. The noise 'offends' me so much that i've cried and cried. I've sat on my bed and literally pulled at my hair. I've stratched myself also. Anything to distract my mind from the noise. It stays with me too. I'll think of it when i'm out and it'll upset me so much. It also bothers me when he sniffs or burps or sometimes coughs. If i'm sat in my bedroom and he's upstairs too, i have to have the tv on loud, or have earphones in so i don't hear anything. I eat dinner alone, and don't have much of a relationship with him, which is sad because he's a good dad. I wouldn't dare bring it up as it would hurt him, and i honestly don't think he'd understand. It bothers me when other people do it, but i've only ever felt aggressive and violent when my dad does it.
Oh, it's reassuring to read all of your comments and to know I'm not a lone nut. Some have mentioned they find themselves thinking very negatively about the people around them who make irritating noises-me too! I sometimes feel rage at those (seemingly) thoughtless baboons who make crunching sounds in the cinema or shake their bag of popcorn or try to open a bag of foul-smelling taco chips and make a heck of racket in doing so - and then the deliberate crunching begins! Sometimes I have to plug my ears until the movie starts so that I am not tempted to turn around and bash the offending party behind me. Why does there need to be food available in so many public venues in the first place? I suppose even if snacks weren't around there will always be those cheap freaks who sneak home-baking in with them, hidden in a handbag or overcoat pocket, wrapped in noisy plastic or tin foil. I can just hear them sucking and slurping in with miserly relish on some revolting little snack that they didn't have to pay concession stand prices for. Ugh, I feel sick just writing about it.
And then I feel guilt at my rage toward others, those truly innocent and hapless boobs who go through life lip-smacking, sniffing and snorting without a thought about it. I can't bear to be with my old mother because she talks with food in her mouth. My brother, who I seldom see, is a disgustingly noisy eater. My sister, also a near stranger to me in adulthood, delights in noisily licking her knife. Okay, I am just now beginning to see where all this may have started for me!
Curious as to what type of career we tend to find ourselves in? Extrovert, introvert? I'm in I.T., and laughed when I saw someone else here who also makes "I.T. rounds" whenever their coworker starts eating. Mine is eating carrots right now. Crunching as fast as he can. Of all the folks I could end up working with, mine is an organic health nut who eats the crunchiest fruits, vegetables, and granola he can find at all times of day. All from wonderfully crinkly organic bags. He's not a bad guy otherwise, and has no idea I tend to disappear when he starts in. I do realize it's my problem, lol.
It's my Dad's coughing that's my main trigger. Also my Dad's smoking, the way the cigarette touches his mouth, the way he breathes it out, the way he taps it to get the ash off, the sound of him rolling a cigarette. My heart honestly feels tight talking about it.
Also, heavy breathing, any coughing, eating and lazy speech such as the way some people pronounce 't', 'k' and 'p' are massive triggers for me.
I've had headaches for around 5 years now and never knew what they were from until I came across the term 'misophonia'.
My dad gets up at 6 every morning and has a very loud and barking smoker's cough. I can't begin to explain to anyone how this sound makes me feel but I have thought very bad things towards him. I'm finding it hard to have any sort of relationship with him. I need some coping mechanisms/therapy/VALIUM! pronto.
Recently my body has been waking me up precisely at 6am on the dot and I have to listen to blaring music in my earphones which is hurting my ears but I would rather not have ears than listen to my Dad cough and I am far from exaggerating. I feel like a psychopath, help!
Also, I feel really guilty, as on a Sunday, my family has a roast dinner, and I have to sit there eating, with earplugs in my ears, listening to music from my phone! I feel so strange - but my dad knows how I feel, as when he was little, he couldn't stand the noise of his parents eating - in fact, he's the one who found this website for me.
I have two noises which trigger me - eating, and sniffing. I just can't stand it! Sometimes I just run upstairs, lie face-down on my bed, and sob. The only thing that can cheer me up is my cat!
We work in cubicles at work and you will not believe what I have to listen to on a day to day basis. I used to work next to a woman who would clear her throat every 20 seconds all day long. Sure I would use my ear plugs but could still hear her doing it. Then she moved to another location and I thought thank goodness but to my horror, the new person who moved next to me does the exact same thing. From the morning she arrived, one year ago, this was the first thing I noticed about her and she does it soooo loudly. Does everyone have a throat problem. It causes me such anxiety I just want to scream shut up shut up...urgh. Opposite to me the man seems to growl when clearing his throat and snifs constantly. Again every few seconds, 8 hours a day. Another man wispers to himself constantly. And another man snorts so loudly and belches. OMG it is a living hell. I work with 45 people in cube city. Again, it seems that only I notice it. The slightest one of these awful habits seem to go straight to my ears and I cannot concentrate because of these disgusting habits. My body has started to have this burning sensation at work which is the stress and anxiety these noises are causing me especially my hands. What can we do? there is no answer but I find it truely unbearable. It is allergy season and things are only getting worse. Some people do not even notice it and like you guys I wonder why it affects only me. I have always had a thing about noises when people eat and slurp but this is even worse listening to these repetitive sniffs and clearing off throats. How can someone not think they have a problem when they clear their throat constantly, all day long? I asked my friend if she notices anything and she doesn't. She says I am so funny. She does not realize the distress it causes us having this problem as I guess it is us that has the problem.
Yes, Melissa - I have such an aversion to eating noises that, while alone, I don't tend to have the reaction, I still wince... but around others... well, some people think it's just because Mama raised me with very good table manners.... I know that the rest of the story is I'm horrified of inflicting the same sounds on others that I find so mind-blowingly enraging.
I've seen some sites that state "de-sensitizing" has been successful in some people... me... I'd be catatonic after the first session!
Anyone feel bad when eating crunchy things around others? Although the sound of my own chewing does not bother me when alone, if I'm eating salad, sunflower seeds, croutons, anything crunchy and my boyfriend is not, I feel very awkward/uncomfortable, and think surely I must be driving him nuts. I ask if he'd like me to stop. "Stop what?" he asks in confusion. And then "oh no, go ahead, I didn't even notice." I'm like, really? How do you do that???
My late father had lost most of his high-frequency hearing in WWII, and, as such, couldn't hear himself eat... as he got older, it got worse, and mealtimes were a torture... smack! smack! smack!
I would beg my mother to please not offer the man chewing gum if we were all in the car... took years until she realized just how bad it affected me... Pop never did.
My 32-year-old daughter has inherited the same thing... she can't be around anyone eating, and prefers not to eat with other people, as it's intolerable.
My serious peeve, though, is the damned Cinnamon Toast Crunch commercial --- the music stops and the little animated character goes "crunch crunch smack smack" as the only sound in the ad... I seldom seem to be able to grab the mute button fast enough, and... well, there was one on last night just before bed. I've gotten up this morning, and still have the damned sound echoing in my head.
The toe-curling, muscle-tightening "auuuuughhhhh!" is rough. Fortunately, my wife is understanding, and knows that it isn't personal if I refuse to look at her when we're eating... she's not very noisy, but has a tendency to open the mouth occasionally while chewing, and my brain fills in the noise for me... such a helpful brain I have....
I'm a musician, and have been all my life, and it seems the only noise that sets me off and makes me want to break things is the smacking.... had a co-worker that constantly ate at her desk, and.... yep.... you guessed it. I found myself making IT desktop rounds whenever she ate... people must have thought they were in heaven for all the good service they got! (as long as they weren't eating when I got to their desk!)
I also found out there's actually a name for it on the Today Show... what a relief to know there's at least a name for it aside from "yerajerksoshutthehellup syndrome"
I had to laugh when I read about the person who likes hearing their dog crunch on food. I do too...I love hearing my dogs eat and drink water; I melt I think it's so cute. The louder, the funnier. It makes me feel happy and safe. I'll actually tell my boyfriend to stop talking so I can listen and laugh about how cute it is. But if I hear a human making almost the exact same noises while they eat? Rage, annoyance, anger, disgust. It just. Doesn't. Make. Sense. Like others, I go ballistic every time the Kit Kat commerical comes on and all the "mmms!" that go with it. That's what started me researching this condition on the web, because I couldn't believe it didn't bother my boyfriend in the least. He's also not enamoured in the least by the sounds of my dogs eating. ;)
Finally I know what I have. For years I have been wondering why some sounds drive me insane. Next to the general eating noises I cannot stand 'typing.' It is okay when I do it, but as soon as my boyfriend starts typing I try to leave the room as quick as possible. The inner rage I feel is difficult to describe but it almost makes me cry (in fact it did.) Also the sound of a spoon ticking in a bowl or pen clicking is too much to bare for me. My counseler at university always licks his lips every 10-20 seconds...I dont visit him anymore. Im so glad I know I'm not the only one..it's a relief!
Most noises bother me but the worst for me is others brushing their teeth. I cannot view t.v. unless I can pause it because it may have a commercial or two for a toothpaste or mouth wash in which someone is brushing their teeth. My family knows by now and gives me a warning and shuts the door when they are about to brush although I cannot escape the other sounds like those who bite down on cutlery, scrape their teeth against the silver and the crunching noises are so bad. I usually get up and leave but it's harder when it's a dinner out and it's all I can focus on. I noticed even when others are typing on their cell phones or computers it sends me in a rage.
i just thought it was me being hypersensitive till my brother ( who bore the bront of my rage) heard someone talkin on the radio and rang me about it.
i dont think im that bad but do know ive got super sensitive hearing for some things n i hate the way it makes me so angry. so glad to know im not just bein a bitch
one of the problems is that itts only the people that im close to that bothers me, maybe though thats because i work with family n dont really socialise too much!!
I'm 36. I can't believe I'm not the only one. I am feeling extreemly anxious even just reading other peoples phobias. I am scared of the level of rage I have towards mouth nioses, eating, chewing gum, nail biting, pen chewing etc, the list is long. I spent years working in a crowded office, it was so bad for me i was on high dosees of xanix in order to get through the day. eventually i couldn't work there. I now mostly work on my own. I tell people I'm clostraphopic which is a lie, as I never accept invites to the cinema, theatre, restaurants, etc (I want to go but just can't) One of my biggest fears is that i will be in a coma and will be able to hear everything, and my mother will sit by my bed side (on purpous), just chewing and nibbling and sucking and doing all the things she KNOWS drive me crazy, all the things that put me into a murderous rage, and I have to use every ounce of restraint and energy I have to contain myself. She has no sympathy for me, in fact she has openly jeerd me in front of people. When I was younger I tried to kill myself, and again a few years ago. Its my problem, not other peoples, every one needs to eats. I would love to be deaf, but sometimes I see people in the car next to me or behind me and although I can't hear them the look of what they are doing give me sweats, and I can't get away fast enough. I think i need tranquilisers again, but am pregnant so can't, I hope my baby is not like me in any way.
I, too, am glad to know that I'm not alone. I've dreamed of opening a movie theater that serves only soft foods -- cotton candy, pudding, ice cream, cottage cheese, yogurt, mashed potatoes, etc. -- so I wouldn't have to hear people eating popcorn. I don't understand why places that expect patrons to be quite serve their patrons one of the loudest foods.
People popping gum makes me want to punch them in the face and/or reach into their mouths and grab the gum out. It amazes me when I see and hear people eat in such disgusting ways, but their family members don't seem to mind at all. It seems like even people without misophonia would find it disgusting, but I guess they don't.
As much as I hate to hear people crunching on things, I love the sound of my dog crunching. It's okay to me, because there's no expectation of dogs having good table manners!
Eating noises do it for me. But the clicking and cracking noises in the Kit Kat commercials really irks me. Dogs licking and repetitive noises are also a problem. Lately many TV commercials are very annoying that I have to change the channel.
I thought it was just me.
Some one mentioned flip flops... I hate that noise! Sharp noises seem to be bad for me.
I wear ear plugs to bed. Once I focus on a noise (rain dripping, my wife's annoying breathing noises) I cannot get it out of my head.
I must be low on the scale because I haven't gotten violent or thought of it
When I was 9 years old my cousin used to harp on me at every meal that i chewed with my mouth open, it used to drive me absolutley insane i thought she was just picking on me. As I got older around 13-14 I started noticing how gross and disgusting other people were when they ate and I couldn't handle the way my brother would breathe when he was trying to go to sleep.( He got the worst part of my early Misophonia cuz i was young and didn't know how to control my anger so lashed out at him alot for just breathing the wrong way!) So as I got older it got worse for me eating in lunchrooms with all the unmannered kids. I would end dates early cuz they ate loud or disgustingly. I can not go to the movie theater because of the popcorn and soda slurping.
My kids and wife now share the brunt of my crazy as well as my dogs...I have never been violent or put hands on them because of my problem but their has been alot of anger and yelling.My wife quit eating salads and cereal around me and the dogs have to eat outside my kids are constantly scolded at dinner time for the slightest sound. One Thanksgiving a fews years ago after a few beers I told my mother in law "That if she didn't chew with her mouth closed I would stab her with my dinner knife!" I mean who says that to anyone ever?
This is just a small list and description of the rage and anger I feel when i hear eating, breathing, flip-flop sandals, certain audio book reading, etc... I hate that i feel this way and wish with all my heart that i could find something to help me in my head so I can enjoy normal activities with my family and not have to worry about when and who I am gonna flip out on!!!! It is good to see others with this problem but sad to see not alot of research into this.....looks like i have many more years of this torture ahead before real remedy is available.....
I've felt so bad about being so intolerant. I'm over 50 now, and have developed coping skills through the years. The worst sound ever was my dad, back when I was a teen. He wore dentures and would take them out of his mouth & clean them off by licking them. I would turn my head, but the sound was unbearable. I would think to myself, someday when he is gone, I will give anything just to have him around, and even have him "cleaning" his false teeth. Well, he died when I was in my 20's. I missed him, but not his gross sounds.
Tooth sucking can make me mental. I have to excuse myself, if possible.
I'm in a choir and one of the sopranos sniffs, about every 23, 24, 23...seconds, like freaking clockwork! Take some claritin, or just blow the stuff out once and for all. Blowing is OK, sniffling -- it is torture.
My coworker, librarian, hockers, yes HOCKERS while she walks around. Oh how I wish that the patrons would complain about her. It is just bad manners. I literally gag, especially when I see her spit the wad into the trash.
Ever hear anyone clip their nails in church? WHY, WHY, WHY???
When Bill Clinton used to address the nation, he had this habit with his mouth, between words, that was atrocious. Where were his handlers?
Like others, I can take the sounds of my grandchildren. It's grownups who gag me. I can take the sounds in nursing homes, too.
Thanks for the website. I thought I was alone in my intolerance.
So glad to discover I am not alone! I have the usual things that drive me crazy, i.e. coworker who frantically eats granola and the freshest apples he can find daily (he slurped on a peach yesterday...OMG it was bad), popcorn and wrappers at the movie theater. It's bad, but not so bad I avoid the movies or eating with others, but I do leave the office when I my coworker starts in. Oh god, he just started an apple as I'm typing this #(*&$@&$ Are you kidding me??? It's only 10am?? I am leaving the room now...
OK, he stopped, thank god. However, the one thing I don't see in other misophonia sufferers is a general dislike of music. Not just bass sounds, but most music, especially if it is just played as background noise for hours on end. I can handle one song ok. Does anyone else get annoyed by having to listen to music?? Most people who hate crunching sounds seem to get relief from it. When I read about misophones saying "I just put on my headphones and listen to music", my first reaction is "oh my god, just shoot me!" Music doesn't always bring on the instant rage (it can if I'm enjoying a quiet drive and someone just HAS to turn on the radio because they HAVE to have some sort of obnoxious stimulation in their head at all times), but is usually a slow budding annoyance and anger that escalates until I wonder why I'm so irritated, annoyed, and can't concentrate. It is not just a certain music or genre. I start hearing the repetitiveness of it, the same refrains, the whining of the singer, the stupid lyrics everyone thinks are soooo amazing and deep, and I start feeling fidgety and angry and need this noise to stop. I can't think with music in the background. Funny thing is, there's usually some song (that doesn't annoy me) playing inside my head at all times. There are a few songs/artists I really enjoy, normally things that I can associate with a story, such as the theme music to a show I like, musicals, movie soundtracks, and a few bands, both old and modern, and can listen to a single song or album over and over and get almost obsessive joy and exhileration out of it...but anything else seems to just fill up the empty spaces in my head with neverending noise and I can't think and I want to scream "SHUT UP! shut up shut up shut up!" Then someone inevitabley says, with great relish, "CRANK IT UP!" Arggghhh I want to punch them in the face! I get a fight or flight reaction, almost as if I'm afraid I won't hear a monster coming with all that loud music. I'm ok with background music in bars or restaurants, as long as I can talk over it, just not, say, while driving, at home, or especially when camping. :)
I get instant relief the moment the music is turned off. I am fine with background television for hours, even lame shows, movies, etc. I am not a cranky old person. I'm fun loving, adventurous, immature, like to do spontaneous things, party, etc....but for some reason, I can only handle music for so long before I want to start breaking things. Any misophona sufferers that also have problems with music? It's such a shameful thing to admit...I try to hide it as much as possible, because people really are deeply disturbed and baffled by someone who doesn't love music. They can understand crunching being annoying, but never music. It was almost a dealbreaker for my boyfriend when he realized it 3 months into our relationship, because like most people, he LOVES music. I pretend to like it a lot of the time around everyone so I'm not treated like a pariah, lol. At concerts, I just drink a lot of alcohol, and dig my fingernails into my palms, and count how many songs until it is over. But I LOVE musicals with a passion! Go figure. Wow, this is long. It's just the first time I've posted about this anywhere!
I dont think there is a worst there all about the same to me. But if I did have to pick something it would be the way my Wife and Mother and some other women say there "S's" that is what drives me crazy the most, Im not saying I can deal with the other stuff like Scraping a utin. on a plate, or smacking while you eat ( gum is the worst), or the bugs that live outside that like to make noise when Im trying to sleep ( sleep with earplugs now ). They are all bad to me and would just like to make it all go away.
I am still only a teenager, but i have noticed that i cant stand the sound of people eating or drinking. My friends always smack their lips or chew loudly, and i want to bust out and yell STOP! I have asked them before to stop nicely, or quit the smacking. I always cringe down at the noise and just want to run away! My mom also takes big gulps when she drinks, and i cant take it. I usually have to leave the room if both my parents are in the room with me eating. It drives me nuts. My friends take it as a joke, and make fun of me. I always just thought it was a pet peeve, and i'd grow out of it. I had never heard of misophonia. Now i am starting to rethink it, and maybe i do have some disorder and its not just a pet peeve!
A big trigger for me is yawning. I cannot bare it, the sight of it, or the sound. My mother yawns constantly, over and over again. Also when people catch their breath. I got an alarm clock for my birthday that ticks, and had to spend half an hour putting it under enough things until i coudnt hear it. I put it in another room and i could still hear it.
What a relief!! I just saw a story on the Today show on jumped on Google immediately! I'm 60 this year and I've been "crazy" since about 10 years old. It started with the smacking my father made at the dinner table and went on to forks scratching on th eplate, chewing gum, noises at the movies. We can also add repetitive click or tapping sounds if I have no control over the sound (a single cricket, loud clock). As a child, I gave up sitting at the dinner table and sat in front of the TV so I didn't "miss my favorite show" so I didn't have to explain anything more. White noise is very helpful, fortunately, since there is a lot of chaotic noise in most restaurants. I've always wondered why no one else was bother by the "gum popper" or the slurper. My husband's approach was "Get over it!" Never heard that before, right? There are quite a few commercials that really set me off and I can't change the channel or mute the TV fast enough!! (For example: KitKat candy playing their "theme song" by cracking the candy bar?? Stop!!)
I think I handle it better now because there seems to be so much white noise everywhere. I am an easy going person, but if I can't control an irritating sound/noise, I can totally lose it!
I thought I was the ONLY one. I thought I was "nuts." If it wasn't for a segment on the Today Show that my wife recorded for me, I would have NEVER thought anymore about there being more to this than me just being abnormal. I have had this "disease" my whole life. Now, let me float something out there to all of you, and NOT to frighten you. BUT, I just had an MRI and a cyst was found in the 3rd ventricle of my brain. This is a one in a million cyst, called a Colloid cyst. It is almost unheard of. As a matter of fact, when I saw a neurosurgeon, recently, about it, he was beside himself with excitement. It is almost always benign (99.999%) and can be treated (drained) IF you get symptoms (headaches, passing out, loss of balance), otherwise you live with it and don't even know you have it. It is ALWAYS found incidentally because so few people have it that doctors don't actively search for it no matter WHAT your symptoms and so few doctors know about it. JUST LIKE MISOPHONIA. Could there be a connection? The cyst is developed prenatally and from what I'm learning, many more people have this type cyst (just like our' noise' disease) than is realized. I am definately going to look into this more deeply. I just might get that article written about me in the New England Journal of Medicine, yet!!!!! The first thing I'm going to do is tell my therapist about Misopnia, THEN I'm telling my neurologist and my neurosurgeon. They get the big bucks, let them do the work.
I see an old friend of mine only once a year to celebrate birthdays, I never talk to her on the phone only in emails. WHY ? Because she talks so loud & constantly interrups what everyone is saying to the point you cannot get your train of thought back to finish your sentance.
She is a very nice person with a Master's degree & extremely intelligent but she has these habits that drive me crazy when I am with her. By the time we say good-bye for another year I am ready to collasp from the visit. It will take me at least 2-3 days to recover with my nerves are so frazzeled I cannot handle anything. I am seriously thinking of getting out of our birthday get together next year. I have tried to be polite & ask her gently, "please, wait, let me finish" but she keeps right on going, so loudly I want to put ear plugs in my ears.
oh fellow sufferers, how sad this condition is. I've had this as long as I can remember. I wish I could change. I very much relate to the violent thoughts. Many years ago when I was a young teen my sister and I had to share a bed. I put a pillow over her face and tried to suffocate her. Thank god I stopped. She lived. I eat alone, I sleep alone allthough I am married. I can't go anywhere without my earplugs. I stay in my bedroom anxious and afraid of sounds from the kitchen. This is no way to live. I take 3 different medications, anti-anxiety, anti-depressant, anti-physcotic. what I need is a doctor that is willing to make me deaf in one ear , the left one, for some reason this side is worse than the other. I feel so fucked up. Maybe one day all of us can live in our own community...we can call it "silent living"
I can't believe it...I'm 38 years old and have lived with this since I can remember. I always wished there was something that would just switch it off in my head...I would happily pay a lot of money for it! The triggers for me are eating noises, people with colds who can't breathe through their noses so "dalk like dis da whole dime" and, to a lesser extent, repetitive noises.
The worst thing is it makes me feel like an absolute miserable git when I eventually snap at people. I try not to say anything but eventually I am in such a rage that I have to say something and this usually leads to an argument. Also, the cruel thing is that my nearest and dearest are the ones that affect me the most. Like a lot of people on here I was brought up with strict table manners and listining to my Mum and Dad eat was absolute torture for me and I used to have to leave the table and eat in the kitchen. Now my wife gets a lot of colds and her nose is constantly blocked and it drives me crazy. It's ridiculous, my stomach tightens and I literally get hot headed...it makes me angry and sometimes I feel like crying. I never tell anybody this because the whole notion of getting angry at somebody else's cold is absurd! Now I have found this website and realised that I'm not alone I will try and explain what is happening to me...I'm hoping for some understanding.
Hi, my name's Chase, and I'm a misophoniac. There, I said it. Glad to have that off my chest. I've had this since I was about 10 or 11. Started with smacking of lips, moved on to all other mouth noises, swallowing, sniffing, any repetitive useless noises, etc. I have two siblings younger than me who also suffer from it. I always thought I made them that way, but since wiki says it's genetic, I don't feel bad anymore. :-)
I have dealt my entire life with this, starting around age 6. I remember eating lunch with my family and noticing how furious I was with the sound of my uncle Fred's eating, particularly his nasal breathing while eating. It has gotten worse since then. I have only said something to my grandmother once while she was crunching an apple, and I felt guilty afterwards. All of these years I have felt like I was a freak and so guilty for how mad I would get at people innocently living their lives. When someone chews gum next to me in class, I sometimes get to the point where I fantasize about slapping them. I clench my teeth so hard in rage they hurt. I feel rage, and then guilt, which makes the rage even worse.
The worst is ice chewing. It is so incredibly loud it makes me want to cry. I keep an external calm disposition, but in my mind I am literally falling apart and having a mental breakdown. I just lose my mind. It affects my test-taking abilities greatly when someone is chewing gum or tapping a pencil near me.
I hope one day I can overcome this.
I absolutely hate the sound of people eating, that is my worst trigger. It actually enrages me to the point of tears and the older I get the worse it seems to have got. I remember being really little 5 or 6 and first realising that I HATED the sounds of people eating, drinking (slurping!), people tapping and moving their feet and even the sounds of items being slammed and people running down stairs loudly! I have thought myself a freak for all this time, (I am 23) until coming across this website, reading all of these comments makes me feel so much better :)
I am finding it hard to cope with this "condition" and the more I think about the more it brings me down. Is there anything we can do to help/stop it? I am at the end of my tether :(
I am 19 yrs old and have suffered from this for about 8 years. Its horrible!! Unfortunately my worst trigger is my mothers voice. I cant stand it. We fight all the time because of it. My sister also has this so at least she understands me, but i feel sorry for my mom who has to put up with us complaining about her voice. Usually if I repeat a word my mom says, I will calm down a bit. But then she just gets mad and I totally understand why. I can imagine how annoying it is to have someone repeat a word you said all the time. Other family memebers know about this because when we are all together, I have to get away to not listen to my mom talk. If I cant get away I get VERY frustrated and try to control my anger and not to repeat anything, but its so hard I cant do it most of the time. Also, when i was 14 yrs old, I had to ask my teacher to let me sit somewhere else because the guy next to me would breathe so loud. I couldnt concentrate because I was too busy trying to control myself not to punch the poor guy. Keayboard sounds made by others also bother me unless im also typing. If I am not typing it bothers me, but even more when it is my sister typing! I have to tell her to get out of my room if shes in it. Eating, and chewing noises bother me if its all exagerated but everything is way worse when its either my mom, dad or sister doing it. The voice is just my mom. My sister cant stand people brushig their teeth. When Im about to brush mine and shes in my room, she asks me to wait till she gets out. Sometimes if she sleeps in my room she keeps me up all night telling me to stop breathing so loud. Not even snoring...just breathing. It annoys me but if she falls asleep first and im still awake listening to her breathe..ill also wake her. This is mainly with eachother. If it were my cousin or whoever else breathing loud, we can tolerate it. I always felt like there was something wrong with me because there are noises that bother me that i can tolerate like any other person, but with other noises/voices i feel SO angry I know its not normal. I found this information recently and showed it to my parents. I was happy to see it was actually something and thought it could help explain to them that I couldnt help doing everything I have been doing. They did for the first few days but now they keep saying I just need to be a little more tolerant blablabla...... and that its all in my head. They think that just because I found the information, I am holding on to it and creating something that really isnt. yeah ok... Well now I am trying to look for something that might help. Im going to try something and I will share it if I get anytihng positive from it.
I'm so shocked that I stumbled upon this condition called 'misophonia'. I can relate to almost everyone's post. Ever since I could remember, the sound of chewing and clanging silverware would fill me with rage, I'd want to bang my fists on the table. Just recently, within the past 2 years it's evolved into so many other things. Whistling, animals grooming themselves, snoring, high pitched sneezing, even sometimes the way people talk. I could go on forever. When I hear one of the sounds hat sets me off, I start grinding my teeth and I can't help but block my ears or storm out of the room. Sometimes they make me want to cry. I would do anything to not be so sensitive to sounds. I hate that I wanna punch my boyfriend/family/cat in the face for chewing loudly.
Oh, I just thought of some more things that bother me so I guess I'll just post them will I'm on here. I don't mean to be annoying by putting so many comments, it just feels good to write down every thing that bothers me.
Ok, so whistling annoys me, and my dads sound system, he has this giant sound sytem down stairs and all I hear is the beat of the drums, which is really annoying . I don't like that high pitched sound old tv s make either.
I don't like it when people scratch on certain materials, like seatbelts, thats the worst for me. When someone scratches their nails, paper, a book or other things on a seatbelt it makes me feel like throwing up. I used to ask people to stop but then they would just do it on purpose which would really make me sick.
Ugggg I hate noise so much I annoy my self sometimes.
If find this wierd but I can't stand ceiling fans, and they don't even make any noise, so I don't know whats up with that. But seriously cieling fans make me so angry, every time some one has one on I just want to immediately turn it off. So I was wondering does anyone else have a problem with ceiling fans or am I just crazy.
well it cut off the last word of my paragraph,
anyways the last word of that paragraph was noise
I just found out about misophonia today, and I can't even begin to express what a relief it is to know there is a name for what I have, because I was starting to think I was crazy. I am also glad to know I'm not the only one.
The first time I remember noises really bothering me is a few years ago when my brother had alergies. So, all the time his nose was stopped up and he had to breathe through his mouth. He would take these huge breaths and they would drive me crazy. After a while I couldn't take it anymore and I asked him if he could stop. I felt bad though because he had allergies and he couldn't help it. But this continued for a while, he would breath and I would ask him to stop, eventually I became very angry at him and started screaming at him to stop every time he took a deep breath. Well my mom thought I was crazy and I kinda did too. After that I started noticing how annoying other people breathing was and that would make me angry too.
Some time after I started noticing how my dad continuously cleared his through and I would ask him to stop or scream every time he did so. I felt so disrespectful and I spent a lot of time in trouble.
It was then that other everyday noises started to bother me or cause me to be angry. Like a someone opening a bottle of coke, or the noise a can of coke makes when it opens. Ice coming out of a fridge, or people chewing on ice. People chewing or eating drives me crazy now, so I stopped eating with my family and starting eating in my room or alone. I can't even stand to watch people eat, just the motion of their mouths as they chew is enough to drive me out of my mind. I turn the stove fan on now when I eat because I don't even like to hear myself chew. I hate the sound of silverware when it hits glass. I hate when people sniff or take huge breaths. I live upstairs in my house and I can't stand to hear people stomping or walking around downstairs more than anything else. I have also come to dislike the sound of certain peoples voices, like my parents for instance, which I fell very bad about. I don't like nail biting, gum chewing, or the popping of gum, which annoying teens at my school constantly do as they walk the halls. I don't like to hear people pop their knuckles. I had a kid in school who would pop every bone in his body every ten minutes. I cannot even begin to explain how much I hated him. He also would spit dip in a bottle during class and the teacher never caught him which made me hate him even more. So, I hate spitting , repetitive noises, people talking too loud, humming, singing, clicking pens, a pencil taping against a desk while someone is writing, birds chirping, people eating food at the movies, people laughing during movies, dogs chewing on themselves (ewwww!) doors slamming, clocks, and many many many other thinks. I also hate it when people in school especially preppy girls with long fingernails tap their nails on desks. It's so irritating, I just want to hurt them . I have come to hate most noises teens in highschool make during school so I have come to hate most people my age. So, now I have no social life at all, and I'm only 16, and now that summers here I stay in my room with headphones in and a loud airconditioner running 24-7.
I just can't stand so many noises, I don't know what to do about it anymore. It's worse with noises my family makes. I just want to hurt so many people because of the noises they make, so I usually respond with anger, screaming at these people, getting into many arguments, I'm just so angry all the ime. So, I spend a lot of time in my room watching movies or anything to try to drown out these irritating sounds.
But this all seems to get worse as I get older, I even have trouble conentrating in school now which hurts my grades- the one thing I really care about. I make all A's but I'm afraid I won't if noises start to bother me more. I just don't know what to do about this, I can't stand to do anyting or go anywhere because of
WHISTLING kills me. OMG!!! I want to cut someone's throat with each note. It's all I can do to keep myself from choking the offender. I also have issues with repetitive sounds. I have a cubemate at work that clicks her pen incessantly, coughs, sniffs, "eh hmm"s all day. When it cuts through in between songs on my iPod, I close my eyes and picture myself shooting staples at her eyes. I have to completely remove myself from the work area and go either to the break room or outside. I've been asked about my absences from my desk many times by my supervisor, to the point that I've been given a written reprimand. Now I have something to tell her, and now I have the information I need to be able to seek help from my doctor. I am so relieved to know that I'm not alone, it's not just ME that suffers with this. Thanks so much for giving me a quiet, calm light at the end of this noisy, irritating tunnel!!
I am so glad I'm not alone! The worst sound for me is when someone is biting their nails - specifically the teeth scraping over and clicking on nails. My father used to do this whenever he watched TV or sat at the computer, and I was going out of my mind living with my parents. These days when I hear that sound (and it's always when you least expect it), I have to leave the room or the vicinity of the person doing it before I flip out.
Hello,
I have only just found this site/diagnosis and I already feel a weight off my shoulders! I am so sorry for those who have it severely, but I am so glad to know I am not a freak.
I think my triggers are people scratching on non-stretch fabric (cotton, denim etc) as well as stretchy fabrics to a slightly lesser degree. I sometimes hate getting in cars for fear someone will touch the roof!! It gives me the most awful feeling and I am overwhelmed and feel so anxious, even if I just see it and don't hear it. If it is my friend/family I will push and shove them and hit them (not hard) because it makes me feel so terrible. When it is someone I don't really know I might ask them to stop and push down my nails. I am unable to go to bed without socks on for fear that my toenails might scratch the sheets.
I am so happy to find this, and would like to find a specialist doctor in my state,
I also feel so lucky, hearing here how some people have it so much worse. I am sorry for them, and also I feel lucky it is not food related for me, because social eating is important to me and I don't know how hard that must be.
Brittany
Misophonia has plagued me to different levels for around 34 years, I'm 40 this year.
My earliest memory of this was when I was about 5/6 years old - I had just been given a clock, the ticking used to drive me batty and I found getting to sleep with this in the room very hard, I used to relocat the clock out of my room, beneath clothes etc to muffle the sound, after a couple of days of having the clock and having particulary bad night, a neighbours cat starting meowing loudly beneath my window, after what seemed like hours of this, I promptly picked up the clock, opened the bedroom window and threw it in the direction of the cat, I've never had a ticking clock in my bedroom since.
Eating noises are a trigger for me - but only when people are eating with their mouths open, I cant eat near people like that it makes me feel so sickly, kissing noises - urggh.
Keyboards and mouse clicking sends me doolally.
Hearing the bass that comes from music is probally my worst trigger, this really triggers my fight or flight response to the extreme, especially when its from a source where you cannot hear the music but only the bass that travels through.
The same also goes for the hum of traffic.
Unfortunately we have just moved to an area that has more epsisodes of loud music travelling throught the community and the hum of the traffic is contant - at least in my ears (more so late evening). Unfortunately the house is a new build so we can hear more noises running through my house and the adjoining neighbours - I also hate hearing people walking heavily grrrrr, so my anxiety has risen considerably.
At some points it gets so bad I wish i was deaf, unfortunately I fear the problem has gotten worse as I have gotten older, I used to be able to become engrossed in things so heavily that all others noises would become drowned out - its been some time since I have been able to do this - apart from when I have headphones on that is.
I am however greatful for the existence to this site and for the content others have provided, it means I am not alone - I did think for a while it was just me, I havent sought any professional help but will do for sure now - Misoponia amongst other things has been the catylyst for bouts of depresion in recent years - theres a vicious circle here, although there does not seem that much can be done for the misophonia maybe Ican lessen its affects by dealing with the subsequent anxiety and depression
thank you and hugs to you all !!!!
I just learned that there is a name for this condition. I'm glad this website gives us a place where we share our similarities (quietly ;) ) and feel normal. I have always wondered why others don't even seem to notice the noises that send me into anger.
My housemate, who is my best friend, has a number of habits that are my triggers. When I know he will eating, sniffling, clearing his throat, I will go to the other floor of the house to avoid him. If he is loud enough, this doesn't even work. When I mention them to him, he often doesn't realize he is doing them.
My triggers are slurping, eating noises (not so much crunching, but open-mouth, lip-smacking, wet chewing noises). The biggest triggers though are sniffling and throat clearing Eh-Herrrm! I think because I always know that no matter how much eating noises bother me they will be over soon. Sniffling and throat clearing can go on and on forever. Cold season is the worst for me :( At work if it gets bad I have to leave the office and get away, use earphones, or shut my door.
I know exactly the candy bar commercials you are talking about. I've turned the channel because of it or made noise to drown it out until it is over. Oh to be normal.
I'm 15 and i'v been suffering with misophonia since i was about 7. i cannot believe there are actual living people going through the same thing as me! i cried of relief when i found this website. my triggers include heavy breathing, yawinmg, sniffing, eatting and repetitve movement and it drives me CRAZY!!
its really hard to have a noraml life with misophonia. christmas dinner is definitley the worst! everyone has to sit and eat together :(
i cry a lot when i have to leave the room beacuse my whole faimly is having fun and enjoying each others company, and im sitting alone crying in my room :'(
Im denfinitley a level 10. i dont hurt people in a violent way, just a push or a punch to get the to shut up, i self harm as well. i cant help it :'(
I find listening to really lound music always helps me.
does anyone know any tips to help me control my anger??
I can't believe there is so little for breathing noises... Breathing noises are the worst for me, they're made directly from the person and are repetitive. I'm pretty sure those that aren't triggered by breathing noises either just sleep too well to be effected, or sleep on their own.
reading the comments on this website make me want to cry. obviously i am also a sufferer. i think it's got to be heriditary because my father has it and is in denial about having it. the interesting thing is that he is the one who i believe triggered the condition for me because he has a tick where he sniffs and clears his throat every minute or so. it's so horrible.i don't know what to do, i'm still a teenager and my entire family is always calling me insane because the sounds (eating, sniffing, coughing etc) make me want to scream and cry and die. when i tell them to stop they only get more angry with me. i dont know what to do because i dont know if i can live the rest of my life like this. i want a cure, i want to know that it can get better. i dont have a relationship with my own father because of his tick. i get mad at sick people because of their noises, how horrible is that? i rarely ever recieve good grades in school because i can never concentrate due to the noises of someone in the class. the thing is, when people repeatedly tell you youre crazy you start to believe you are. i start to believe this condition isn't real and that i'm just overdramatic. but seriously noone understands and they never can unless they have it. i am so ashamed of wanting to die when i hear a sound. i wish this condition were legitamized
Hello everyone,
I found this site about a month ago, after reading it, it made me feel better because suddenly (yet sadly) there were others just like me.
I was always very embarrassed and would hide my fears for as long as it was humainly possible. The fact that there is such site made me feel brave enough to talk to my partner of two years about it. He is well aware breathing noises ennoy me, I wanted him to understand how it actually feels and perhaps I was hoping of some sort of approval that I'm not a complete fruit cake! It was hard to find the right approach, it turned out to be an awfull and embarrissing experience and did not really achieved anything. For now I assume that people not suffering with misophonia cannot relate or understand to the ones that do. I just purchased another box of ear plugs and got on with my day.
This is not to discourage anyone from discussing misophonia with their other half and I will attempt this again.
Take care all.
I can't stand eating noises, smacking lips, loud swallowing, etc. My brother is incapable of doing anything (speaking, eating, drinking, breathing) quietly and I find myself glaring at him very often at the dinner table. Lately, I can't even look at him and will wear earplugs to the family dinner. Despite being in college, I live with my family, and only my mother really understands and makes an effort to keep the noise down. My siblings all think I'm nuts and make fun of me by refusing to stop their many and varied noises and telling me "Something's wrong with you!" in the most condescending way possible. As if I'm not acutely aware of that...
I used to listen to guided relaxation tapes and the like to try to keep calm, but lately I haven't been able to unless the volume is low enough that I can't pick up on the inevitable smacking or saliva noises that never get edited out of such things. I also can't listen to tracks with intermittent clicking (like when people take unsteady home videos). I am beginning to wonder whether I've moved from having certain triggers to hating most or all noise.
It's relieving to know you aren't alone, but there's nothing that can really be done to help me anyway, so at the end of the day I've essentially resigned myself to moving out to the middle of nowhere and living as a hermit!
Chewing and mouth sounds are my main triggers. I can't go to movies or restaurants and often eat meals in my room away from my family. I flip out when someone eats behind me. If anyone is eating or drinking while talking to me on the phone, I find an excuse to end the call quickly.
Loud music, especially bass sounds are sheer torture. My husband is a door slammer and practically drives his heels into the wood when he walks on out hardwood floors. These sounds frustrate me to the point of tears. I have fantasized smashing his feet with a hammer to end the noise. I avoid the staff room at work and eat at my desk because I fear flying into a rage with all the crunching sounds. While in the ER waiting room I was in more agony because of a woman chomping and snapping her gum than from kidney stones. The older I get, the more these sounds affect me. There is no escape. There are even some commercials on tv that I have to mute because of eating sounds. (I'm looking at you KitKat!) Whew! It feels good to finally express this among other sufferers.
Big hug to all sufferers! This is an infuriating condition that separates us from our fellow humans for obviously petty reasons. Asking people to stop breathing, or drinking, or eating, is not really a friendly request! My entire family suffers because of my mysophonia, which can throw me from a good mood to a rage in the blink of an eye. That's not easy to live with!
What comes across strongly to me is sensitivity. There is painful sensitivity on display here, both to trigger-sounds (obviously), but to others' possible reactions to our 'madness.' We suffer inside ourselves, do our best to conceal our suffering, then explode. As hard as we try to keep it in, nothing seems to work, and the pressure grows and grows. This is in marked contrast to many who simply have no sensitivity at all, who'll forget to close their mouths when chewing, or won't blow their nose but suck up snot over and over, etc. Sensitivity in and of itself seems to characterise this condition, and I would guess introversion/shyness is part of that too.
There is something negatively controlling about the dynamic. Sufferers of mysophonia seem to feel themselves to be 'victims' of others' insensitivity/clumsiness/lack of decorum etc. Perhaps there is a buried need, for reasons of hidden feelings of impotence, to control the environment to the exact condition necessary for safety and comfort to be able to flourish. I wouldn't be surprised if some event or many events of our childhoods singly or cumulatively inhibited or blocked a sufficient/healthy sense of our own potency/creativity, and this impotence/fear of chaos, for whatever reason, becomes associated with some sounds, which end up as triggers leading to fight or flight reactions.
I suspect relief lies on the other side of addressing the repressed need to be totally in control, and confronting the fear of being out of control. The 'cure' may well arise naturally if we can revisited those elements of our emotional/psychological histories which could have contributed to our deep sense of our own impotence.
Just a thought from a layman.
Wow this is so reassuring to read! I stumbled upon this because the woman sitting next to me at work pulled out a bag of carrot sticks and the crinkle of her hand reaching into the plastic bag followed by the crunch crunch crunch sent me over the edge. Sweaty palms, increased heartrate, cheeks go red with a burning rage, jaw clenches, feel actually physically nauseous. Anyway I decided to google "rage at eating sounds" and think I have finally found the reason why I can't be around some people at meal times.
Dana - your comment about the cutlery hitting the plate, egads! I feel awful just reading it!
I answered "other" to the poll though because the worst sound in the world is the sound of someone clipping their finger/toe nails. It physically pains me. I can't imagine anything worse in the world, my skin is crawling just typing this.
And as with other commentators I can definitely see a genetic link here - my Dad used to yell at us when we were little for being disgusting with food. If our spoons hit the bottom of the plate and made the "clink" noise then we had to leave the table until we could learn to be civilised!
I'm looking forward to learning more about this funny old thing, but seriously I am so relieved that I am not alone!
It did it again...I don't know why, but it won't let me post the rest of that...its lost now; I'm going to stop trying! :/
This part of my first comment got chopped off when I posted it, though I thought I was under the character limit:
....I'd be able to "live and let live"
And then, there are strange exceptions. Dogs, especially puppies, crunching their food pass the "ok" test. (But dogs licking or chewing on themselves DO NOT...even though, of course, they are just trying to take care of their bodies in their natural way). Dogs lapping up their water is ok at first, but if it goes on for a long time, or if I'm otherwise distracted or irritated, I will find myself in that "god help me!" place.
Babies and most toddlers I can experience as beautiful and innocent as they loudly and messily partake of nourishment. Even someone new in my life, when I am in love with someone...it sometimes takes a period of time for the veneer of innocence to wear off...I try to stretch it as long as I can!
If someone is playfully, deliberately or in imitation, making loud eating sounds...that doesn't have the same adverse affect for my psyche...I can laugh and imitate, too.
My own eating sounds don't affect me to the degree that others' do. Partly, this is because I make every effort to accommodate my own triggers, chewing with my mouth closed, no suction, not slurping or smacking...when I do accidentally smack...I still wince and shiver.
I had a psychology class in college...at some point there was a distinction made between the definitions of "sound" and "noise". Noise was different from sound because there was a quality of being-out-of-control that came with it. The jackhammer on the street during construction was used as an example of something that is typically considered "noisy" by people. When you can't anticipate the start or end of a sound, the exact timing of it, it enters the "noise" definition. That's what I notice, and its the other reason that I understand my own eating sounds to be tolerable to me in a way that others' aren't. As I eat, I am psychologically prepared for each crunch, each swallow, because I'm in control of them. And it changes the way I experience the sound.
{{hugs to all you poor, crazy people like me}}
Really...when you look at our real experience, we are tough! We try so hard!
I'm crazy about eating sounds...but that is certainly not the extent of it. Isn't is so amazing how so many of us (and people all over the world) have the *same* triggers?? For me, chewing, chomping, slurping, gulping, smacking, finger sucking, the sound of the suction inside the mouth as the food is *unchewed* (between bites)...some people do this so passionately. Mouth-closed eating is much better for me...unless they employ that suction-action.
The sound of the spoon clicking or scraping the bowl. The sound of the silverware on the teeth when taking bites.
The sound of the lid being taken off and on a soda or water bottle. I so relate to the horror other's have shared about how certain people seem to always be making particular noises.
Crackly food packaging...chips bags being opened, taking forever...people putting their hands in for a loud crunchy chip one at a time...crinkling the bag over and over!
When I, in a polite, self responsible, apologetically request to sit in another room during the Christmas dinner, my family gives me the wilting "are you serious? how can you care so little about spending time with your family?!" looks or roll their eyes.
At a concert("classical music") or movie, I hear popcorn, coughs, sniffles. How can people associate popcorn with movie-watching is a horrific marvel to me. I sit on the edge of my seat, trying to focus on the movie, or ignore the sounds, or embrace the sounds, or imagine the joy that that person is going to feel at the taste of the peppermint in their mouth...once they finally do get that wrapper off. More and more, I resort to creating my own white noise, plugging my ears, leaving the room/event.
If I feel that people love me, that they want to understand me, I often try to explain my experience to them...sometimes people can relate or know someone else who suffers in the same way. Other times, they seem to take up the attitude that I am choosing this attachment to suffering. That if I really wanted to be free of this affliction, I could just step out of it and never look back. Or that if I weren't so selfish or careless, I'd be able to "live and let live"
Goodness, I cannot stand breathing noises. I have to constantly wear my earplugs in class, and I dread the winter- allergies and colds, so every breaths out their mouth, which is so loud! I feel like scratching out my ear drums and I accidently broke a cheap mechanical pencil one day I forgot my earplugs.
After years of what I called "allergy to snoring" I decided to research it. At first the search didn't bring any results, I doubted it would though. After altering the search words a few times Wikipedia came up with some results. Then I worked my way to this site and all of a sudden I am not allone!
I could not stand the sound of snoring since I was 7. My father was a heavy snorer, and as soon as I got to hear it I could not stop myself listening to it, I would try to block it out but it was impossible. Usually I pushed my fingers into my years as deep as I could, wriggled the digits to create a white noise, generally it was no use and I would get more and more ungry, crying, then hitting things to make enough noise to wake him up then hoping it would give me enough time to get back to sleep. I dreaded going to bed every night, school trips, camping, travelling on plane and bus, exam sitting, staying at relations simply anywhere where I couldn't escape the horrid noise. My mother put it down to very sensitive hearing and the GP told her I would grow out of it.
Now just the sound of heavy breathing irritates the hell out of me! I learnt to combat it slightly, but only the extend of providing me with enough time to find an escape rute.
I had never talked about it because it is quite embarrassing, also I can control most of the sutuations I could be expossed to it by avoiding it in the first place. Fortunately I havn't (yet)developed any other noise intolerance.
My worst trigger by far is somebody eating. There is a woman next to me at work that is CONSTANTLY chewing gum, crunching ice or eating apples, God help me if she ever starts eating carrot sticks or pickles. It makes me want to poke holes in my eardrums with a letter opener.
P.S. Marsha,
Wikipedia seems to think that misophonia could be hereditary, yes. If the problem is indeed a product of neurological quirks, it is in fact almost certainly genetic.
I've always been so terrified by my own violent rage at "eating sounds" -- mostly the clacking, smacking, snuffling, mush-mouthed, wet spit sounds my parents make. I love them so, so much, but when we eat together I feel revulsion, resentment, and wrath. Today I had heart enough to google, and look what I've found! I've been reading about misophonia all day, and like so many others, I am so excited to discover I am probably not a sociopath!
On the whole, other people's food-noises do not send me into the frenzy my parents' eating does, so I voted "other." Instead, I hate the sound of some people talking, especially broadcasters on podcasts and on public radio, but sometimes in television and real life, too. With the oversensitive microphones on podcasts, I swear I can hear the sounds of spittle, where little bubbles of saliva snap, crackle, and pop. Sometimes, in person, you can see the little wet spots in the corners of their mouths. It burns me right up, and I can feel my stomach roil just thinking about it. Oh, gosh, I think I sound insane.
I am the mother of the above commenter Julie. Yes, we orginally thought she was overreacting to noises, like her brother's eating noises. Finally we let her eat away from the table. We felt so bad for her. Even to this day we don't chew gum in front of her and are careful about crunchy food noises. The interesting thing is I also am hypersensitive to food chewing noises. When my husband eats crunchy things it sets me on edge. To me it sounds like his head is hollow and just echos the loud noise! I give him a glare and say....."Please not so loud". I get a sense of tremendous anxiety in my whole being, mainly in my chest.....like I need to scream and run. My x-husband's eating noises bothered me too. It wasn't the crunchy noises, rather he'd toss his food around in his mouth somehow that made this swishing type sounds that just drove me nuts! My son has a high pallet, so I think that was why his eating made a lot of noise. So, I centainly empathize with my daughter. She has it worse than I do. I am wondering if this can be herititary???
It is so reassuring to see that others are suffering as I am. At times I feel like I am losing my mind! For me, eating & gum chewing noises are the worst. I can remember having these feelings since I was a young child - being forced to sit at the kitchen table with my brother who chewed & swallowed loudly - crying because the sounds were amplified in my head while my parents thought I was just overreacting. Stress & anxiety seem to exaggerate my problem. There are times when I eat alone in my bedroom while the rest of my family (husband, children & father) eat at the table because I just can't tolerate the sounds. Chips...ice...nuts...anything crunchy sends me over the edge. Slurping of beverages & gum chewing/popping make me feel like I can rip the person's head off. I also suffer from OCD's and these seem to go hand-in-hand for me. I obsess over the sounds people are making to the point where that is all I can focus on. Lately I've been keeping headphones in my desk & work and whip them out whenever someone around me starts to eat. I also carry around ear plugs in my purse for other instances where my headphones are not suitable. The stress & anxiety I feel when being subjected to the noises is indescribable. It takes everything I have not to scream, overturn the table, run, etc... For several years I was taking Paxil & Trazadone for depression/anxiety & my OCD's. Though I still had my sound sensitivites, it seemed to somewhat help. I weaned myself off the medications 2 years ago (hell in itself) to have a baby and my sensitivities seemed to heighten. Though the medications seemed to help, I am reluctant to get myself dependent on medications again if I can help it. I hope someone/something can offer us some relief...
I have suffered with this for over 20 years...eating noises are the worst. I agree that finding a name for the condition and knowing it IS a condition that others share is a huge relief. I have two questions for you all....First, do any of you also suffer from restless leg syndrome? I know two other people at work with this conditiion...I was able to share the information and name I'd found. BOTH of them also have restless leg syndrome...as do I!
Second...what is the treatment? Is it taking an OCD or hypnotherapy approach? I'm going to spend more time on this website, but feel we are all sharing very similar stories and struggles....and I'm wondering if there's a solution.
Thanks for sharing your stories above....good to know I'm not the only one!
Music with DRUMBS bother me the most The longer I listen to the music, the more I hear the drumbs. I get very upset and have to get away.
The other is a loud motorcycle passing by. It sort of scares me and I get upset.
Chewing noises and "runny nose" noises have bothered me but it's usually not a problem.
I fear my "drumb music" noise is a social caused problem for me; Don't lots of people over 50 dislike modern music? But I've had this problem since I was in high school. Maybe I do have a namable disorder. Wish I did. It wouldn't hurt so much; being so different from my friends.
Finally! I can put a name on my condition. I thought I was just over sensitive and being dramatic but Misophonia a real condition.
Penny T, I can relate to you. I get really annoyed and angry at my husband because he breathes loudly and snores. No need to say, we don't sleep in the same bed anymore. I feel like it's destroying our marriage. I love him but can't stand being with him and I feel so bad about that. We are not intimate anymore, which of course is not very good for a couple. I don't know what to do. I also can't stand whistling. My dad used to whistle all the time when I was young. He also scrapes his bowl when he eats and that drives me crazy. I can't visit my parents for more than a few days at the time otherwise, we end up fighting. They just think I have a very bad temper and keep telling me to control myself. No one knows about Misophonia. That's sad. At least I see I'm not alone. Thanks all for sharing your experience with everyone.
As a 42 yr old man i found it amazing that MY condition ive had since childhood had an actual name! im in CBT at the moment and its hard to crack the annoyance and anger people suckin fingers,eating,slurping causes me. The NHS in the UK doesnt really cater for it and i think hypnotherapy could re-wire my brain effectively. The guy doing CBT with seems to link it to hypervigilance and PTSD over a personal event 12 yrs ago. Its all linked in with with my hatred of the sad drone like stereotypical society. I feel angry and violent to eaters etc. Ive tried to join misophonia uk but they dont let you on via the email system cause i think the admin staff dont log on often. I think i need to go to an audiologist.
Eating noises are my major trigger. Some people I am more sensitive to than others. My husband and eldest daughter for instance drive me batty but complete strangers can send me into a rage by eating or drinking/slurping too. Even the dog licking himself of smacking his lips makes me furious. I believe this phobia was triggered as a child by my father's appalling table manners and my mother's compulsive eating.
I voted for eating but my two hideous sounds are equally distressing. The eating sounds phobia came first though. My other major trigger is typing on computer keyboards. Especially if someone is typing fast. Low, dull repetitive tap tap tapping sounds. The quieter keyboards make me feel worse than louder ones. I could happily sit in a room with an old fashioned typewriter but a laptop computer sends me into a rage.
My husband is a computer programmer. He spends most evenings working at home. I can't watch TV because of his typing. All I can do is put on headphones and listen to music. I try and tolerate it as much as I can but it is destroying our marriage. I can't stand being around him.
It started around 1995. I worked in a research insititue and there was a computer suite there. I was trying to concentrate on my work but the sound of 6 or 7 other people typing interfered with my concentration. It somehow became a phobia and is as big a trigger as eating. The kids tapping the screens of their DSi's also sends me into a rage. It's a similar low, dull sound to tapping on a keyboard.
My worst trigger is the sound of food being swallowed. I can't even watch people swallow their food or drinks without becoming anxious and enraged. It all started when I was young when my aunt woke me up by drinking water. She had throat surgery years and years ago, and because of this she is forced to swallow loudly. I remember asking her kindly if she could try to be a little quieter because I was trying to sleep, and her response was "I'm sorry, I can't help it." Since THAT DAY I started noticing the sound people made when they ate and swallowed their food. It aggrivated me so much that as a child I would beg to have the dishwasher running or I would find excuse after excuse to get up and leave the table until I was the only one left eating. My mother smacks her lips and it has the same affect that swallowing does. The last few years I can't even handle the sound I make when I eat and swallow.
My parents finally had enough and told me I NEEDED to see somebody a few months ago. I started researching my strange "phobia" (as I eventually came to call it), and came across the term "Misophonia". I am SO happy that I am not alone, yet SO SAD that people suffer the same way I do. To make eating bearable I NEED background noise, or I lose it. I have cried, yelled, broke down and even on a few occasions hurt myself because the noise is SO hard for me to handle and I don't know how to channel my rage. I wish I could change, but I know I can't. :( It's embarassing for me and seems SO ridiculous to people who don't understand.
I've been going through this as long as i can remember, reading what everyone else wrote really helps because up until about a month ago, i had nooooooo IDEA what was wrong with me ... chewing, slurping, sucking your teeth, sniffing, crumpling of plastic, little mouth noises, DRIVE ME IN TO THE BIGGEST STATE OF RAGE AND ANGER.I can't honestly take it anymore! I can't get control over myself even my emotions go all over the place! To see that there are other people with this condition really does help, in a sense of not feeling all alone and that no matter how hard people try.. with out this problem ...they DO NOT understand. I've had to sit in school all these year ( just graduated ) with going through all this suffering. sometimes there will be like 7 people in my class room just chewing so loud, so annoying! I try to control it myself by not letting it get to me, i've been trying that forever it feels like... the noises never stop though. Even about 20 minutes ago my step-mom was chewing.... i guess i'm just venting now because i still feel irritated, annoyed,hot, and tird, not to much anger right now.
We tried to get the school board to agree no gum, they wouldn't... so they put me through psychological tests to see what was wrong with me because no one is aware of Minsophonia and they thought i was just a problem... but the real problem was that they screwed me over and said i had a learning disability.... wtf.
so i ran out of school ... a lot... got in trouble all the time...started taking drugs, getting high, drinking, anything to get the noises to stop putting me in the same state of mind. Actually, i found sometimes it helps a lot, sometimes it hurts a lot.. After running to my teacher crying my eyes out because of the stupid chewing noise.. finally after some time i was aloud to listen to my ipod in school : ) such a relief.
I suggest to anyone who can do this, just put in a headphone and let your favorite song clean out your head, ears, mind, emotions, everything.
I have read all the comments and whilst it is a relief to see that there are others out there who understand and share similar problems, I found myself laughing out loud at the fact that we all seem to have the sense of humour to go with it. I have a psychology background and currently work in research and information. I have self-diagnosed at the moment between hyperacousis and misophonia - some of you are right in that we probably know more than most GPs. It is better to see ENT/Rheumatologist consultants - there are other conditions that can be associated for example, Temporomandibular joint disorder and Fibromyalgia - I was diagnosed with both over the last couple of years. I also used to suffer from severe panic attacks after my boyfriend passed away from Sudden Adult Death Syndrome about 7 years ago. I healed myself through reading, hypnosis, but mainly doing yoga and meditation.... Back to sound, my worse triggers at moment are: office keyboards where people forget that they don't need to bang to type and of course some do 100 w/min so you can imagine - I use headphones/ear wax at times if I forget the headphones, but can still hear! And the scrolling of a mouse that needs oiling! How can people not hear that I think, or why can't they use the page up/down arrows - you can't tell peole not to bang on keyboards, or talk with a high pitch tone, etc. I have recently requested to work from home some of the week, got a medical note for support... I also hear people's footsteps (esp. flip flops, high heels..) wellies crunching in the snow even from few hundred yards away and the top of it all is I can hear two-way conversations at times when peole are on their mobile!! Sometimes when people eat loud and I'm upstairs, I can still hear them! Those nuts you have to split open with your teeth are SPECIAL!!!! But then again I have always been spiritual and highly sensitive to energy fields and psychic activity from a young age. So if anybody out there is doing any research in the field let me know. I hope my comments helped.
Just a correction to the link. I hope this works. Good luck!
I sympathise with everyone who has this condition whatever the trigger. I used to travel for work training people in the workplace, and the things I had to put up with drove me mad. Eating like animals, drinking like dockers and sucking on fags like there's no tomorrow. I suffered for years.the aweful feelings of absolute rage and hate were harming me on end and I feared what I could have done to the offender. But as a hypnotherapist I was determined to find relief, and it is only strong relief for the moment, not the full blown cure. I have come across several different techniques linked to phobias and abnormal responses (because we are abnormal:-0) and think I may have got quite far. I am always looking and will find the remedy but wow, do I feel better! Please visit my website if you are interested. Debbie he isn't a freak, its just something gone sllightly wrong which needs putting back into place. See my website on www.mindmattershypnotherapy.yolasite.com
I have spent the past 3 years living with someone who is suffering from misophonia. I beg for him to see a doctor but he feels he is a freak and will be seen as crazy by the doctors. Funny thing is I feel I am the one going crazy I don't get to sleep much as he is forever waking me as i snore. Hum funny that my snore drives him into a rage but his snoring is worse!!!! I am to afraid to sleep or eat any thing that crunches I think the logical thing to do is have seperate bedrooms but he won't agree.Do other suffers spend the night waking their partners or would they feel relief from getting a great nights sleep in another room.I feel I am the one living in hell to afraid to enjoy my food or sleep.... I am a wreck and don't know how much longer it can go on. He won't even look up your site to see their are other people with the same problems any suggestions please.
The worse and first sound that i got as a triger was people sucking teeth, as when trying to take food off from them, ans that sound they do when drinking alcohol, because those idiots can't just dry their lips before opening their mouths, they have to open them trying to make as much noise as possible. Sometimes 2 or 3 times after each bit of alcohol. Worse thing is, my father is heavy enough to stand tons of alcohol without getting drunk, so he drinks it... I can tell you that 3 glasses of beer is a living hell. I broke the plastic pen used to write on his phone by pressing it so hard against the screen (happily the screen got away with only a scratch), but most commonly i cause pain on myself to cope with the anger, scratching my left hand or face untill i bleed, and then i feel slightly calmer (untill i have to explan why i did it to myself). I tryed not using violence on me or objects once, and almost cryed. The worse is that sometimes i think about the sound when i'm alone and start feeling an urge to punch or kick something. The worse that ever happened to me was this triger trigering a fight with my mom (verbal fight) that ended with me breaking my hand against a door... But i felt good after, having a pretext to cry my accumulated stress and hatred against humans out.
It's been getting worse, and i'm only 14. I hope it will be recognized soon so i can get my father to shut up with his "you're just psychorigid" argument and so i can live without fear of having to lead a loner life...
I cannot deal with peoples mouth sounds at all. While speaking,people tend to smack or purse their lips. This irritates me so much. I can hear lips smacking in crowded places at times. I cant stand being in a quiet area while people eat or converse because it really makes me focus more on it. Basically,I have no social life anymore!
I have the same issue with someone at work. I am lucky to be able to plug in my earbuds, but I can only put one half in because I take calls. He "whisper sings" his heavy metal music and whistles and taps his feet and scrapes the bowl of anything he eats. It drives me nuts. There is also someone who cracks their gum right next to me, and she understand, so I have it worked out with her that I give a signal and she stops. It works great! I have asked the guy with the whisper singing to stop all the things he does, but he just starts it up again the next day. I don't know what to do. This is very aggrivating. Help!
At work, I am flanked by two people. The one on my right slurps her coffee so loudly that I cringe. She also has allergies and instead of blowing her nose, which actually would not bother me, she constantly sniffs and snorts - maddening!
The one on the left is constantly eating - granola, carrots... you get the picture. Loud crunching that drives me mad. This one also eats lots of yogurt and bananas, and smacks her lips like crazy. They both bounce their knees all the time as well, adding more dread to my day. It's all I can do to keep from yelling at them to STOP!
Thank God I can put in my ear buds and crank the music - that's all I have to help me keep my sanity. Thanks for listening, just posting this makes me feel a little better.
I can completely relate to your feelings, Ian - even if my trigger is totally different. My dislikes are careless and/or heavy-handed people who slam things (anything from doors to lids), slap things (ie including their knee), tap things. I also loathe thuds and clangs caused by people.
I avoid going into coffee bars, most cafes, going in or around cars, people's kitchens, most people's homes - anywhere where one has to sit round a table with people as I'm afraid of their gestures and impactive movements (ei table slapping and tapping).
I also go into supermarkets as LITTLE as possible, with all those ghastly necessary-evils such as checkout people slamming their tills, and shelf-stackers throwing crates around - give me robots any day!
Give me robots anyday anywhere. I am already a hermit.
As you say - AAAAAAGH!!!!
Sensitivity to drinking noises, like slurping tea or coffee, is quite common and is distinct from eating noises - so I voted for "other". I do react to both eating and drinking noises (and to other sounds too), but most of my daily troubles come from other people drinking noisily, including pouring water into cups, stirring cups (like they are ringing a bell), and (yuck) the slurping.
People drink at breakfast, on trains, at work, on trains again, at home after the evening meal, while watching TV, and even in the bedroom (gulping down water with tablets). Aaaaaagh. They bring hot drinks to meetings and seem to be tied to them by an umbilical chord. They approach you for conversation while holding a cup - they might as well be holding a bomb with the fuse lit. In discussion groups, with the inevitable hot drinks, they want you to sit in close with the other people and join in the conversation, when the only conversation you want to have is "get me out of here!"
The idea of being a hermit out in the desert sometimes looks SO inviting. Quiet. Peace. Bliss.