If you’re reading this article because you’re concerned that you might have misophonia, I’ve prepared a simple test based on my own personal experience and my experience talking to other sufferers.
This does not constitute medical advice and is only meant as a guide, but if after taking the test and doing your own research you feel like you identify with some, or all, of the symptoms please consult a medical professional.
Question 1: Do you experience a strong, overwhelming sense of panic accompanied by feelings of anger or fear or irritation when you hear certain, specific sounds?
A) Yes
B) Maybe
C) No
Question 2: Do the following sounds trigger a strong emotional reaction in you? Slurping, sniffing, chewing, crunching, rustling, coughing, tapping?
A) Most of the above
B) Some of the above
C) None of the above
If you’ve been answering C’s up to this point, please scroll to the results. Otherwise continue…
Question 3: How old were you when you first noticed having adverse reactions to certain sounds?
A) 0 – 16 years old
B) 17+
Question 4: Have you ever felt a strong, violent urge to lash out or escape (fight or flight) when exposed to the ‘trigger’ sounds mentioned in Question 2?
A) Yes
B) No
Question 5: Have you ever tried to avoid family dinners/make excuses to leave the table/worried about going to places where you’ll be exposed to these sounds?
A) Sometimes/Often
B) No
Question 6: Is the discomfort you experience of hearing certain ‘trigger’ sounds significantly worse when it comes from a close colleague, family member, friend or partner?
A) Yes
B) No/Not Sure
Question 7: Is the discomfort you experience of hearing certain ‘trigger’ sounds significantly heightened when you’re feeling stressed, anxious or tired (for example with school, work or family commitments)?
A) Yes
B) No/Not Sure
Results
- If you answered mostly A’s then you almost certainly suffer from misophonia
- If you answered mostly C’s then you don’t need to worry (and I’m guessing you’re probably visiting this page out of curiosity, or on behalf of a friend or relative)
- If you answered mostly B’s then it’s unlikely that you suffer from misphonia
- If you answered a mixture of A’s and B’s then it’s possible that you sit somewhere on the misophonia scale
We know relatively little about misophonia at this stage and we’re still desperately in need of more academic studies.
In the most extreme cases misophonia sufferers have resorted to actual physical violence against themselves (self harm) or others, but this is rare. Most of us sit somewhere lower on the scale and will oscillate up and down slightly according to our current environment and stress levels.
Bonus Question: Do you ever experience a strong aversion to certain psychical movements in others? Particularly involving hands. For example someone touching their face, biting their nails, sucking their thumb or jiggling their knee
If so, click here.
Now I’d love to hear from you. Do you think you have misophonia? What other questions would you like to see added here?
for years I have suffered with this and like the experiences I have read about, I thought it was just me. Only this morning I had to escape to the toilet as my colleague yawning was driving me mad. He does it every morning. Rustling crisp packets, eating apples, keyboard tapping are all things that cause me to feel rage – mostly in the office. At home, table time annoys and has done for years. I first noticed it when I was a young teenager and sitting at the table, my dad drove me mad so I always made sure the TV was on – and I do now. What has driven me to research this is my niece, who is 8, also shows strong signs of suffering, she complains when people eat, breathe and talk. Certain consonants wind he up like K or P and Sh. A couple of weeks back we were in a cafe and whilst I was buying she went to find a table and after a few minutes she came to me and was raged because two women were talking and the sh sh sh noise was annoying her. Well when she told me I picked it up and also became annoyed. I do see that it distresses my niece, and although I understand where she is coming from, I can also see the see the stress it causes her mother who gets the brunt of it. We all thought, me included as her triggers are difference to mine, that she was being a bit of a brat but now I understand the stress she feels but how do we manage this? We cannot avoid using words with p, k n sh?
I don’t like any noise at all. I even have my television set really low. My nerves be so bad and loud noise gives me the shakes. I be ready to snap????????
I hate noise as well, & some are particularly disturbing, such as gum cracking or loud chewing. I find noises almost painful. My DNA testing indicated that I probably have misophonia, & I am so glad to know this problem has a name.
Hi Babs, that’s really interesting! I had no idea they could find results indicating misophonia in DNA tests. What did it say?
Thanks for your response to my post. I had my DNA done with 23 & me. At the time they gave you a report with all obvious health risks, but the Fed. Government stopped them from sharing that information. So, I was really surprised when I looked at my account & they had posted a message to me that they had noted a variant/gene, related to brain development in some people with European ancestry. The more I read, the more I believe in nature vs nuture. Do you know if you have Eurpean ancestry? I see that Amazon has several promising books on misophonia…I think I’ll get one.
Is it normal if I was triggered by even reading the words on Question 2?
My brother and I both suffer from Misophonia. We both recall it began when my dad made clicking noises when he ate. He had upper and lower badly fitting dentures. I did not know the name of this disorder till recently. I would say the it’s in my DNA.
Hey all I suffer noise anxiety bad were I live ppl next door banging doors all time feel trap don’t belong I feel like running from noise
I’ve had misophonia since I was a little girl but I never understood what it was until today. So glad I’ve found this, when I was young I used to pull my hair out and scratch all down my arms when my mum ate things as she eats really loudly. I had to find the foods that made her eat the loudest and avoid her when she eats those. Still to this day she tells me that I’m mean and horrible for telling her to close her mouth when she eats. She says I make her feel really sad… I hope it gets better.
Literally all of my answers were A….. but with me it’s just worse because I have something with my ears that make it that all sounds are heightened and that my frequency levels are wider which is annoying on its own but with the sounds some people make it just makes me go crazy I can’t stand it. AT ALL!
I always thought I had a problem, because among my friends and family I’m the only one who feels super annoyed when they chew loudly. And I just found out I have to on the tv when I’m eating otherwise I am able to hear them chew. I was honestly so tempted to flip the table. So I ate quickly and left.
Good to know this isn’t a big problem.
omg…all my ancestors are European…i thought i was just going crazy…as it not ALL sounds, just some sounds make me go nuts!!thank you for the advice about the ancestry (DNA test)
Eating noises, clearing throat, sniffing, talking with mouth full, blowing nose enthusiastically or sneezing loudly, slurping water, shaking newspapers, my family habitually turn radio or TV on then talk loudly over it, clacking dentures, the whine of power tools, especially drills, rustling sweet wrappers, clicking pens, loud or raucous laughter, drum n bass music, pop off valves on turbo cars, modern jazz, licking fingers, the exaggerated mmmmm noise some people make when eating food they like, the tuneless singing out loud when someone has earphones in, chewing gum loudly or with mouth open, all cause various reactions from mild irritation to wishing to commit grievous bodily harm.
For years, I avoided eating meals with my parents as the assorted noises made me feel nauseous or angry (or both).
Some sounds make me cover my ears & I use noise cancelling headphones frequently.
However, other loud noises such as rock concerts or crowds at football matches don’t seem to have the same effect.
My reaction to some noises has become worse over the years whilst some have remained the same.
I became so concerned at one point that I had hearing tests to see if I had some physical damage to my ears.
One Audiologist, on checking my ears asked me how long I had been a competitive swimmer ? I asked how on earth did she know that. She said that swimmers who spent hours in the pool everyday for years had noticeable changes to the internal structure of the ear.
Now that I know there are lots of other people experiencing the same/similar symptoms, it can’t only be swimming.
In a perverse way, I’m glad it’s not only me, as my wife and children have become so angry with me at times.
Steve Roberts, I was a competitive swimmer too which is interesting. I have severe misophonia and it’s interesting to think the problem has something to do with the ears. I always thought it was the brain that was causing me to act like this.
Omg, I laughed at some of these because I relate to almost all of them. Yawning, chewing loudly, tongue clicking and talking while eating just drives me up the wall. Im not a violent person, but those sounds make me feel like an axe murderer about to just to go all Michael Meyers on some people. If I go out in public to eat or hangout with family or friends, I have to make sure the menu has alcohol on it or I will have an awful time.
Does it feel like one way you’re moving really fast and angered or mad but the other half of you knows that your actually moving normally and calmly but you thing or feel like other wise. And is there a silent scream in the back of your head but it only happens when every thing else is silent
Wowza i thought i was just sensitive or something who knew this was a thing! Chewing, swallowing, sniffing, and more have bothered me forever but it’s been getting worse and worse like today i was in the car with my mom and she was sniffing and i wanted to punch her. Don’t worry i didn’t i just clenched my fists but i think being around my family all the time in quarantine has made it worse. I don’t wanna say anything to them cause i don’t want to make anyone mad but it honestly pisses me off. Does being a teen now make it worse?? Also I like keep my headphones on 24/7 listening to music and most things don’t bother me except for specific noises from my family. It’s weird . I even try to avoid my dad when he’s eating (especially cereal) because i seriously wanna punch him so hard. Uuuuuggghhhh this sucks I’m glad I m at least not alone. I want to ask a doctor but that’s going to be hard in c Ovid times 🙁 I hope everyone that reads this is safe and please wear masks 🙂
I am so glad to be reading this. I picked my phone up because my husband was driving me mad eating (licking) his ice cream – I wanted to shoot him. I can relate to many of the comments, the slurping, the sniffing, mouth open eating, I can’t bear it and as a grown up have to pretend they not doing it. I am now 60 and feel as strong as I did when I was a child
What DNA test can i do to see if i have misophonia
Wasn’t enough room to tell my story so I’ll make it short. The shooshing sound people make to quite people. The smacking noise people make when kissing. Real life or on TV. Few more. But the kiss smacking pisses me off and makes me feel violent for real.Especially repeatedly smacking. Get mad thinking of it. Started around age 8 or 9. I mute tv when kiss smacking scenes come. In real life though I want to lash out.
I’ve always found it super weird how sometimes when someone was talking and I could hear the saliva in their mouth, it made me want to either scream, cry, or punch them in the face. Sometimes even all three. Though wet mouth sounds make me want to do that it’s also a lot of other sounds too. Sort of like when everything just gets louder or there’s too many things happening at once it makes me want to just get really violent or completely shut down and pass out.
Loud voices and loud sounds of any kind trigger me . I wish for just one minute with no sound what so ever .
Yes the kissing sound too – yuk
MY next door neighbor has been playing various noises to aggravate me for 3 and a half years.He also puts holes in my yard and has ruined some major appliances here that I paid to replace.For the last 8 MOS he’s been blasting WHITE NOISE from his screened in porch I was awakened 3 times last night.He even plays gun shots on a tape.His wife does this also when he’s not home.I stopped calling the police because if they see a police car they stop .They vandalized my yard and driveway and knocked down trees in my yard after a storm,I tried to report it as a hate crime to no avail NOW their house is bankowned and I hope they will move They had heinous intentions toward me and didn’t get what they wanted and are sour grapes.I bought sec cameras and solar outdoor pole lamps but they manage to do wrong to me anyway. Any solutions
I have had this,(although I didn’t know what it’s name was),since a small child. My mother told me that at family gatherings I would say…”too many people in this house”… Undoubtedly “social anxiety” ties in with the mesophonia.Weirdly,I have severe tinnitus as well…My family discounts the entire “Dad’s ears” thing”…”If you can’t hear,why do noises bother you so much?” I actually understand their frustration,however it doesn’t change the fact that my head feels like it’s going to explode 24/7…Another weird aspect of this is I was a musician/Free Form radio DJ for many years,although now retired and I CRANKED music,which I’m certain attributed to my problem,but at the time it really helped with anxiety.NOT a laughing matter!
Move out.
Find a lovely home in the country that’s affordable. Pray that you find one. Pray they stop. Wear ear plugs for now. Get noise cancelling machine if those exist.
Move out.
Find a lovely home in the country that’s affordable. Pray that you find one. Pray they stop. Wear ear plugs for now. Get a noise cancelling machine if those exist.
I’m still struggling with this and it’s very hard to deal with. I don’t know if it is but it’s very likely misophonia. Ever since a kid I hated people whistling. I would lash out at classmates because the noise bothered me so bad and all my friends were told by me to not whistle. Even teachers. I noticed it isn’t just that as time went on. It’s also birds. I hate the really high pitched chirps. But I also hate owls and mourning doves for some reason. They make me cringe the most. The sounds make me itch uncontrollably. My ears will tingle and make me itch them and then the itching will spread to my head and I’ll get goosebumps all over. I am so used to wearing headphones now because of this. I can’t even listen to songs that I like because of one part that has something similar. I can’t stand even the whistling noise from people breathing through their nose! If I’m listening to music and I slightly hear songs I can hear the very high frequencies cut through and I have to blast my headphones or tell them to turn it down. It’s very inconvenient and Im scratching my head as im typing this. It sucks so bad and im 18 years old. I can’t enjoy nature, I can’t go to the peach without headphone or go into the water cuz of the seagulls. It’s very annoying and I can’t get over how inconvenient and shitty it is for me. Enough rant now I guess lmao.
I have been suffering from this for a few years now, it didn’t start after some incident or anything, just started to happen. I do have anger issues but I can stop myself before getting angry and ask myself if it’s really worth fighting or getting mad about. But when it comes to tapping, crying, screaming and many other sounds it’s like I have no control over this, I either have to leave quickly or I’ll lash out and scream at whoever is making the sounds. Sometimes if I’m stressed enough, I’ll even get irritated at my friends LAUGHTER and it makes me feel terrible. I don’t know what exactly is wrong with me. It’s like noises flip a switch in my head.
I used to live in a flat where there was a fire alarm in each room and on occasion would all get triggered at random. One time they were all going off at once and I couldn’t figure out how to deactivate them which caused me to experience a panic attack with violent outbursts and crying down the due to the collective noise that was overwhelming. Also loud chewing and gulping sounds really irritate me as well as sniffing.
Where was the flat
i hate all noise, loud talking, and loud music with the bass, i feel like pulling my hair out, i also hate other sounds such as clicking the pen and and certain high pitch bird sounds many more. i hope i can get some help
Idk what it is or why, but i have specific hatred to knocking, like especially on the door, and when someone knocks on my door I get really angry and want to attack them, I also hate specific phrases in my dad’s mother tongue, and oh my god the sound of mosquitoes is enough to make me commit actual violence on myself
I be so ready to snap and now my daughter stay with me and she has a 2 and 4 year old and I have a 3 year old but I trained him well until they came.It’s over whelming and I just wanna jump off a freaken bridge !!!!!
I wear earplugs when around little ones (screaming, crying etc. especially high pitched noises) Give them a try:)
yeah, me too. I got a roommate with a loud sound of chewing, yawning and ugh. You know, I have to face it for almost three times every day. It’s stress me out. So I decided to buy a headphone or move out when she about to eat 😀
Yes, but I feel like lately I’ve been relying too much on head-cancelling headphones and I’ve heard that wearing them for long periods of time can likely cause you to get tinnitus
That sounds more like hyperacusis – which is a collapsed tolerance to everyday sound.
wrong, not “every day” sound. It is small, repetitive noises.
When my husband eats ice cream every time he puts the spoon down in the dish . It drives me crazy I tell him to hold the spoon he is being inefficient. I literally have to put my fingers in my ears whenever the spoon clicks against the dish.
I hate chewing and smacking. Sounds gross and makes me angry
Hi. Sadly, I can totally relate. I never used to me this sensitive but in my mid forties, I have to leave the room when i hear chewing sometimes, I haaaaate it. I feel bad it angers me the way it does and i pray about it. I am wondering how much of the hatred of the sound is some kind of an emotional association and not the sound itself. I used to caregive and the patient i took care of I couldn’t stand the sound she made when she chewed. There is something interesting that might possibly help. Magnesium. I hear people with magnesium deficiency have a lower tolerance to sound and it just like grates on their central nervous system causing it to be hypersensitive. Also, looking for possible emotional connectins because someone else can make the same noise and it may not bother me, its when i think people are engrossed in what they are eating and oblivious to the world aroudn them that angers me.
Interesting about magnesium. About how much do you take a day?
OH MY GOODNESS!! I am in high school and I get bullied so much for simply moving away and like I’ll quietly move away too and I’ve come so far from anger to now where I just walk away and it really sucks.
My Coworker I swear is an entire person made up of chewing noises. This woman can make anything from bananas and grapes, to rice the loudest food ever. She chews gum like a freaking camel. I have invested in Loop earplugs but it can only do so much. I love my job but I may go off the deep end before too long. I have had this since I was little and so far my Mother and my co-worker have been to two worst triggers. My spouse can sometimes trigger it but not as often.
Ialso suffer from misophonia..thing is I have a neighbour who moved in the back of our property into a house built recently. The only wall separating us is my bedroom wall.these people can get noisy and don’t seem to care or see others living around. I confronted him about other noises before and he was OK. Then a new noise, he sneezes so loud, One could hear him a mile away…he shouts loud as he sneezes, and it causes me to shudder, like someone just threw a loud cracker next to you. He sneezes like half a dozen times in a row. Sometimes 6 in the morning. I’ve been woken from my sleep a couple of times, and when I’m relaxing in the afternoon, the sudden shock. Or just as I’m going outside, it’s nearly the same as someone shouting loud as they can, ‘fuck you. I’ve felt like caving his head in with the annoyance…Nearly like thus dude has been planted here specifically to annoy me. I did confront him when I felt calm…he’s a very nice person, and tried to cover his mouth as I asked him, but every now and then the vulgar sneezing goes on to annoy me…donno what to do…i digress
seems alot of u are annoyed with specific sounds but i get nauses hearing sounds in the house. in public im fairly ok but im hyper sensitive when cat walks or somebody in the house shuts door etc. its hell
how u been doin ?
Aisha I’m right there with you..Certain peoples voices hurt my head. loud noices make me sick at my stomach.Cant go to concerts, can’t be around crowds hate parties..
Gayle, those are exactly like mine, and shaking goes with those. Someone coughing all day brings me to the brink, but some people I see on tv I can’t listen to their voice, or them eating, and breathing, I have to leave if someone is watching it too. I get a feeling of icepicks in my ears with some things i have to hear. I have also become very sensitive to hearing female voices that sound gravelly.
Was there anyone in your life as a child who ‘had’ this? Showed annoyance with sound etc?
For me, it started at like when I was 7 and it was easy to handle. Sometimes I would lash out at my siblings but that was it. The older I got the more stressed out and annoyed I became. I’m 13 right now, it’s a lot worse, I’m good all day and when it comes to dinner time I get angry. I know that whatever food Ill be eating that day, someones gonna have to make a noise. I can control myself a lot more now, but I still feel like hitting them or throwing my food at them. I wonder how it will be once I’m older.
A very similar thing happened to me. It wasn’t that bad but it seems to be getting worse. Like when I’m eating dinner with my family I try to finish as quickly as possible so that I don’t have to hear them chew. My sister has the same problem(we’re both 13). Slurping and chewing bother me the most, but other sounds, such as the little noise that my fan makes when it’s on really aggravate me too.
Hi All, my Son 11 has recently developed extreme reaction to the sound my dry hands make when rubbed together, hands on the steering wheel of car, hands on legs or pants. He says the feeling comes upwards from his stomach into his head. He has hit me, grabbed my arms, hands whilst driving generally has a angry reaction. It has caused so many arguments over the last 2-3 months I felt really distributed by what was happening. I thought it was some sort of puberty thing and that he was being a brat. We had a massive fight yesterday which really made me feel nuts cause he is so overbearing about it. Threw searching online Ive found out about misophonia and that what he has is actually not him being a punk but something he can’t control, something that overwhelms him.
Over the past months I have moisturising my hands and have been trying not rub, scrape or make a bad sound whilst driving but that is a very stressful thing it’s like waiting for a bomb to go off cause as much as I try to not make the sound I inadvertently do it’s tough being the one who bears the brunt of the reaction.
I’m going to buy some gloves for driving as much as I hate the idea it’s probably the best way to keep life peaceful.
I wonder whether misophonia is a modern thing due to living in high density areas, having to much input from technology, more stress and pressure in society. Like a sensory overload?
I love him and just want to get along and have a great time together.
Hi Neil, definitely! I think it’s unnatural that most humans now live in such densely populated areas. We’re evolved to be nomadic hunter gatherers who operate in small social groups… rather than creatures who stay fixed in one spot all day and live in armpit sniffing proximity with millions of strangers. As such I think the urban environment exacerbates sensitivities in all brains but especially in differently wired brains.
It obvious how much you love your son and want to share great times together and I’m sure that shines through, he sounds like a lucky chap. 11 – 13 is probably the most difficult time for miso (in my experience) as you’re at that awkward age anyway, hormones flying, and you’re also forming your own identity, working out your place in the world etc. Misophonia on top of all this can confuse things and it can take a while to realise that people aren’t making noises to ‘hurt’ you and that it’s a sensitivity (a neurological one) rather than the world ganging up. When that penny drops his life will feel so much lighter.
Yessss my dad and now most of his kids have it
For me when I hear the sound of fingernails scraping over bookbag material or over tight blue jeans it makes my skin crawl and if it’s my own hands that create the sound it almost feels like my ears start screaming and I break out in goosebumps all over my body and my fingers spasm recoil from the feeling while my head and ears seems to be shrieking “get away get away get away from us!!!” to this one particular sound and feeling combination.
To say my body has a natural aversion is an understatement.
Like I can deal with nails on a chalkboard but this is my brain’s version of nails on a chalkboard.
And it has to be that old school like Jansport bookbag type material that I can’t stand to touch because it makes my skin crawl to hear it or touch it.
I literally get nauseous with goosebumps everywhere and feel repulsed if I scratch my fingers across that type of material and the sound of it literally affects my ears so adversely that it feels like my brain squishes in inside my head to get away from the sound of it while my ears cringe inside as if my ear drums are trying to hide from the side they’re being subjected to.
Like if someone ever wanted to physically torture me with the least amount of effort they could just tie me to an old cheap bookbag because I wouldn’t be able to untie myself without torturing myself.
you be ready to snap?????? oh no 🙁
I hope you are still in school. Your English is atrocious (bad). Why are so many people forgetting how to speak or write English? Did they leave school too early? It’s sad. Blacks in general destroy the English language.
Omg I’m the same, I Didn’t know if you could get misophonia with loud sounds only quiet, but I wear I have it cos of banging sounds next door, just doors slamming and it like literally makes me jump then I feel so angry and start shaking and just get upset.. and my anxiety is sort of like just waiting for it to happen.. so I’m always on edge. Does this sound like misophonia? Only I’m not sure xx
I’m so happy to know this is not just me! I have a serious form of misphonia. I avoid the theatres and once there was a live band outside my apartment for an all day/night and the repetitive bass line made me lash out violently toward myself. I punched myself repeatedly and ended up yelling at my mom for help. That was 10 years ago. The only reason I sleep is because my fan creates white noise!
I can relate with you so much, Sarah. If I have to sit with my family for a meal I usually have to grit my teeth as all I can hear is all their loud chewing, I swear they chew like a cow chewing on grass! I usually have to either eat quickly or excuse myself or I’ll burst out in tears or a fit of rage. I also can only sleep with my fan on or I get the worst feeling of rage deep inside me. Sometimes I even have to have my fan on in the morning to block out noises such as: talking, people on the telephone, the TV, birds chirping, large chiller outside my room and much more… I’ve heard there is an app that can play white noises which would be handy as you can just listen to it in a situation when you start to panic.
omg meee tooo I memorised how they eat and when they do i either feel like knocking over the table or eating violently arghh i feel like speak of the devil i have to go to another long and horrible dinner wish me all luck
I also don’t like it when people eat like that and I find it very obnoxious that I just want to start crying. That is also the reason why I have the TV on when me and my family eat.
I have exactly the same problem… I can’t go to musicals or live bands because the bass hurts SO MUCH goes through my whole body and makes me want to scream, cry, and throw up. In my class, we have a speaker set that has to be turned on via a sound cable. Every time a teacher or a classmate turns the cable on I cover my ears in case a loud “Bzzzzzzz” occurs. That’s traumatising for me. I go to music class once a week in 90 minutes and practising with the live band sometimes makes me panic as the sound is way too loud. It isn’t a problem on stage, though, which is good as I love to perform! Any sudden sounds that are just remotely loud make me jump and my face get all crinkly -_- embarrassing. Ear plugs don’t work for me 🙁 I want to live a normal life with my sound hypersensitivity and I want to go to musicals and live bands. So frustrated!!!
I have a problem with loud noises; but at church they have the music amplifiers up really loud especially the bass. It makes me very angry, I just have to get out of there and lately it has made me cry hysterically.
I have been suffering since as long as I can remember. I am now well into my 60’s. Sniffling of other kids in class, popping or snapping gum, clearing of throats, or a kid who thought they would someday become a drummer with a pencil. Oddly, not all sounds bother me, but sometimes even those in another room or apartment which has made me the annoying neighbor who complains about the volume of your stereo or TV on the other side of a concrete wall. Recently, was diagnosed about 8 or 9 years ago with Celiac disease. Found that staying off gluten has me mostly feeling much better. I think it may have had some affect on the tolerance of misophonia but cannot be sure of it. This forum has helped as has the latest research and awareness of it not being my imagination or an illusion. Also, dismissing by others sometimes makes it worse. It is curious about the findings in some research of an emotional component. I scored high on the A’s of this test and being aware of it has helped me a lot. Also, caffeine or other stimulants invariably seems to make it worse sometimes. Alcohol, for me at least, seems to dampen it somewhat depending on the noises. Makes it hard to be in a relationship or have friends or get together in social circles. Of course, I still do have those things in my life, but have to suffer in silence sometimes too. I have worked mainly for the last 15 years at home in a separate quite bedroom. Lastly, Magnesium (500 mg) at night before I go to bed) has done world of good. Last year, when I was in the hospital, the doctor told me I was very low in magnesium. You can imagine, the terrain if you are a sufferer of misophonia at a city hospital. The alarms going off for other patients after the intravenous bag was empty or disconnected drove me crazy. One question: is there a place to register for any new research to participate in as a volunteer with this condition? I think it may be hard to find volunteers being a researcher myself. Any reply, responses or reaction to my posting is appreciated and welcomed. Are there any support groups in NYC?
Hi Chris, thank you for your comment, very interesting. I’d be fascinated to hear if anyone else who takes magnesium has found that it has helped them as well. From my own experience alcohol tends to dampen the misophonia at the time, but can worsen it the day after. If I hear of any US based research programmes I’ll let you know (I have a small list of Allergic to Sound readers who’ve asked which I’ve just added you to. I will email you if I hear of anything).
never thought of that before, but now that I read what you wrote, I agree. the gluten does increas my misophonia-reactions. I was diagnosed with non celiac gluten sensitivity in my infancy, but my mom was told that I can eat whole wheat products (long story short, there weren’t much knowledge on NCGS at the time + I was diagnosed by kinesiology + gluten was not the reason for the test, I’m also a lactose Intolerant). I think though I am able to explain the connection (or at least one of the reasons). it is known that gluten affects (gluten Intolerants) behavior, and cause bursts of anger, impulsivity, frustration, etc. as much as the misophonia discourse isn’t thriving – there is a talk on the influence of emotions…
Wow! I’m same way! I suffer from 4 undiagnosed major food intolerances which caused a huge precancerous tumor in colon depleted my body of EVERY vital vitamin/nutrient. My gut-brain axis was scrambled, my entire Central Nervous System was frayed & frazzled. Since childhood any crunch, chew, smack sounds sent me into frantic fight or flight mode & my sister constantly rocking back n forth on squeaky couch that literally had her full body indention in it def INFURIATED me. And chewing her fingers til her nails were nubs! I’m just in my 2nd yr of recovery. My CNS gets better with intermittent fasting. But it’s hard when I can only eat 10-12 items of fresh fruit and fresh boneless skinless chkn, fish or salmon. I’m also intolerant to Nightshade Foods. Tomato potatoes nd all peppers (except black) n all spices. Fresh garlic nd onion are my 2 seasonings. I’ve had a “jitter” or “vibration” inside my body my whole life. Only after eliminating allergens from diet, medications & drinks (only drinking water or Lactaid milk) and tackling Major Depressive Dis. has jittery vibrating sensation eased considerably. Also my misophonia is NOT as intense as used to be. Same with the myokenesis (sp) odd movements.
I feel like it’s a direct result of my damaged CNS. Healing slowly.
Hello, I am so happy to have come across this website. I am recent realizing that my spirit become annoyed at certain sounds. I roomed to a new apartment and my neighbors both overhead and next door to me. The children are constantly jumping and running on the floor next door which at times sounds like it’s coming from upstairs or visa versa. It got to the point of me reporting the issue to management which angered the tenant and the noise and activity increased and drives me crazy to the point of wanting to physically lash out. It really unnerves me to the point of anger. This week I wanted to really hurt someone. After speaking to a friend of mine to night I decided to see if this was a medical or mental condition. I am so please to see that there is information on this condition. I live in NYC as well and would love to attend find a was to find some level of resolve for myself when others don’t have consideration for me. Ear plugs, techniques or stress busters, whatever aides in me getting comfort. I really don’t wanna snap but I was almost there Wednesday, had to call the police to keep control of the matter. I’m looking for any form of assistance I can get. Thanks in advance.
I’m glad magnesium has helped you! It’s also great to alleviate foot spasms and restless legs at night. That almost never happens to me now.
I cannot stand the sounds of modern jazz,it drives me crazy.
According to this test I have Misophonia, but I never get triggered by chewing, yawning, coughing etc. As far as I know, my only trigger is gutiar sounds, specifically some melodies or just the bass. I get really angry and always hit something, or sometimes my self. Sometimes I even cry because the feeling of anger is so intense and I have no idea how to cope.
At church our music is extremely loud; but it is the bass that drives me to anger and I can get to crying and have a hard time stopping. It has become such a problem I don’t want to attend church and I love music!
Amazing that you mention crisp paper rattling and keyboard taping…both trigger me to the point of wanting to punch the offender in the face. There are others as well.
Wow, sympathy to you! Have just been learning about this as it affects some rlatives of mine. A propos p, sh, k sounds, couldn’t help thinking, whatever you do, don’t (wait for it) PuniSH the Kid! ( not that you would of course. Best of luck dealing with all this, we’re listening!
I get very annoyed and irritated to a point of almost raging anger at the following noises… dogs barking , motorbikes , sound of heavy traffic , trucks , engines running , even birds chirping in the morning. Ticking clocks , dripping taps, rain on the roof or rain dripping on pavement. Its gets particularly worse when I am stressed or anxious or depressed. I feel like I am going crazy. I cannot sleep with any of these sounds around me.
OMG! I have the same reaction to the sound of heavy machinery. My neighbors mowing, using chainsaws or just an idling truck engine makes me completely insane!
I also have the issue with loud chewing and when my dog incessantly licks herself.
Howdy, Annick – I thought I’d post what I wrote to someone else above – I don’t know how this works – if our replies only get seen by the person we’re posting to their comment? Anyway, maybe this will be helpful at least. I have Mysophonia and live with 2 parents who love to torture me with sound. I use 32 decible ear plugs – I think they’re 32. They were the highest ones I could get in WalMart. Maybe Amazon would have better ones? These are foam and squish, then expand in the ear canal. I use them all the time and they help at least. I also have Noise Cancelling Earphones that fit over the ear – Bose, which I would not recommend. The inside padding part came apart well after the warranty. I am the only person who wore them or touched them and hung them on my bed post for safekeeping. So they were cheap and extremely expensive. Not fun. There are other brands out there. Again, check Amazon. The product I REALLY recommend is a noise machine called LectroFan. It has a bunch of sounds and they are continuous, NON-looping so they do not have a section where they ‘stop then start’. I like a few of the fan settings and use it day and night depending on what mom and dad are doing. The LectroFan goes up pretty loud. LectroFan’s customer service is superb. Any problems with a machine after you buy it? Call the company and I believe they’ll take care of you. Got mine on Amazon. Maybe these things would help you. I feel your pain. I’m so sorry you’re going through this.
I have a similar reaction when hearing those sounds,especially when it comes to trucks birds and water dripping…and since im exposed to these noises almost everyday its truly driving me crazy,every single time i hear any of them i would get extremly angry then start shaking so bad, it would end up with a headache or crying (or both) i even noticed my temperature rises sometimes too , and yet i cant seem to find a soultion because covering my ears doesnt help at all,,i still can hear them
Hi all, I suffer really bad but not sure if I have this or hyperacusis.. what is the difference.. I could never work in an office. I feel like picking the keyboard up and breaking it over their heads. I hate women filing their nails, it makes my body hurt inside. I can’t take whispering, whispering is quiet obviously, but I have to put my hands over my ears. My body fills with overwhelming rage. People eating and slurping drinks, people swallowing ,even. When my ex wife would eat I would try my hardest to ignore it and then she would see I kept looking at her, even though I was trying not to let it affect me. With eating, It is worse when it’s my wife or mum I don’t know why. It’s not the noise cause I can lie listening to rain and thunder all night and be in heaven. The cinema is my worst nightmare, I can’t go. Doctors surgery’s I want to scream. Why is this?
I’m curious, do other people sometimes wish they were deaf? I do quite frequently.
I just discovered this site and have been reading through the comments. Yours particularly hit home for me. I have wished I was deaf multiple times and then feel a terrible sense of guilt. But I’ve even told my parents, I should have been born deaf.
yes! I do as well
you’re describing a really rare form of struggle, not many people have an issue with words and the only thing that you can do to make it easy on her is to use these words less around her.
it might help her if she will hear this sounds in certain music she loves then maybe the music will help her coap with the rage. ( i also have misophonia and I cannot stand breathing sounds, I’ve been able to hear them only in the background of classical music because it is always recorded live with the player breathing and you can hear it and it helped me a bit.)
What if this effects me only if I need to concentrate on something. Or if I just want to watch tv but I can’t because of these noises.
My dog drinking water , my brother making out with his girlfriend, my step father slurrping cerial my other brother talking with his mouthful the dogs excessively barking , water being poured in glass . Dogs licking eachother or themselfs , the sound of certain names and words the pitch of some people’s voice…ugg why does it make me crazy?
Yeah and you feel like you wanna beat them up…or at least scream into their face ‘please stoooop it otherwise I hit you hard’? Oh yeah, I’ve just found out I’ve misophoni. 🙁
I just want to ask and that is do u have misophonia if like for Example, some one makes farting noises and other weird noises with their mouth?
For me those mouth farting noises and the other noises feels like finger nails on a blackboard it starts to like hurt in my mouth and I get sometimes dizzy or my hears will beeping.
Loud people in general are very annoying.
Discussing personal matters in public, for all to hear, is basically classless and mainly useless. I suffer from noise aversion on every level and so should you. People with no class should generally be avoided. If this seems impossible, then a nice pair of earplugs will do. Im not sure why people think that loudness is equated with getting what you want, but to me its just annoying and shows a person with little ability to use rational judgment. Omg, the world is full of loudmouths.
Man i think i have this but idk it developed like a year ago and when ever i hear my dad cough i get very irritated and angry but only my dad
its not covid its another thing hes been coughing very often for years now only recently ive been getting mad at it (i am in my early teen years)
Can somebody tell me if i have it or not?
Some of these questions I had a definite yes to, but others I didn’t. I’m a 64 year old male and I’ve been noticing for several years now that I’ve become extremely sensitive to sound. If a loud traffic sound comes from outside my apartment, I suddenly become very angry. Loud music makes me extremely anxious and I feel like I’m going to jump out of my skin. I live in San Francisco and my neighborhood has a yearly, three-day outdoor concert called Outside Lands. I dread it, and the loud bass and thumping almost puts me into an anxious rage. I don’t know if this is a condition that happens to people as they get older, but it’s getting increasingly worse. I can’t say I’m particularly bothered by crunching, rustling, coughing or sniffing, but as a kid when my grandfather ate his jaw would consistently “pop” as he chewed, and it also make me incredibly angry. I’m glad I found this website, I never knew there was a condition like this until now. How does one get formally diagnosed with misphonia?
I can’t stand metal wind chimes, its not relaxing at all, its noise pollution. I live in a condo, if Someone else has a wind chime on their balcony I would nicely ask if they could take it down because it hurts my ears. Screaming babies, I don’t have children, children are wonderful. Being a parent is a hard thankless job. Children make other noises that are annoying as well. It takes a lot of patience to raise a child. I can’t handle pot lid tinging, I absolutely in my mind freak out, I grab the side of the lid so it STOPS!!!!! My husband likes to take his spoon and clink it on the edge of the bowl after he has finished his pudding, I tell him why do you have to do that, he says like to and I say It is annoying. The old-fashioned telephone ring is awful, I have to run to shut it off, its like I fear that sound. When people are ready to spit they make that noise to get mucous up. Disgusting, I have yelled gross and stop that, its disgusting then they swear at me if they have heard. Loud clapping in my ear will annoy me to the point I have to get up or turn my head. Balloons popping scares me.
i have always felt like the worst person on earth when i would yell at my family for eating to loudly, banging the plates, biting on metal forks, muffled voices etc. but when i am actually doing it, it feels really good. I try so hard to control it and i can kind of control it noiw but it takes all the strenght out of my body and makes me feel empty. my family dosen’t know what to do but won’t look into it because they think that i just want attention.
I just googled, why do I hate the noises other people make because my co worker is breathing so heavily it’s driving me nuts. Another was cracking gum earlier. I don’t eat in the lunch room with anyone cause they are so noisy haha. I responded A to all questions also. I’m not sure if it’s genetic or environmental. Sounds bother my brother also and I’m not sure if he taught me to be annoyed or if I would be on my own.
I have suffered from this since I was in school. I couldn’t take a test if someone on my line of sight was shaking their food or clocking a pen. Oh, gosh, please never eat chips, apple, carrots, ice, or popcorn around me! I want to instantly attack people for whistling, but I know that’s wrong, so I have to leave the situation. I don’t go to movies because of all the trigger noises from the audience (popcorn chewing, shaking ice in their cup, slurping) throughout the whole movie. My family is just not allowed to do any of these things. Oh, playing games at the table is very hard when someone is doing these things. I make excuses to leave. My whole life has been somewhat crippled by this. I’m 56 years old, and I just found out about misophonia tonight! My family has thought I was crazy or hypercritical, but it’s a real thing. I’ve quit jobs when co-workers did these things – trigger sounds. I look forward to reading your articles.
Correction: *shaking their foot (during a test).
Gum chewing is a no way! You’re not my friend, I’ll leave that situation every time.
Omg, I had no idea how I ended up on this website or that misophonia was a thing but the guy I’m seeing has it big time! Noise his dad made slurping coffee, eating, etc.haunts him still, decades after his childhood. I think he needs therapy to try and put it behind him because, to be honest, he’s driving me nuts always going on and on about it.
I’m happy to know it isn’t ‘just me’ who feels this way about eating noises, gum chewing, sniffing etc. At work, I often have to leave the lunchroom when others are chewing with their mouths open, licking their fingers etc. I avoid eating lunch when others are in there. To date, I’ve not found any solution. It’s quite stressful some days.
Welcome to the site Jan! Don’t worry, it’s definitely not just you.
There’s a sound my ex husband makes. A thing with his mouth..sounds like a bubble popping underwater. He thought my reaction was funny at first but when he finally saw it was all i could do not to punch him in the face… I think this was part of the reason we divorced.
I’m so happy i’m not the only one. People think I’m just going over the “teenage phase” but this noise has been irritating me since seven years old! I hate it when people use the letters “p” “K” or “T” and I feel like punching them so hard. When I eat with the family I can’t even breathe and stomp to the kitchen with my food. It’s very distressing.
MY DAUGHTER SUFFERS WITH THIS AND ITS VERY HARD TO SEE HER IN ANGUISH. I AM NOT ALLOWED TO MAKE ONE LITTLE SOUND WHEN I EAT OR SHE BECOMES UN-GLUED. SHE CANT LISTEN TO THE DOGS DRINKING WATER.
OMG! I seriously thought I was the only one, but now thank God I know I am not. I am 13 years old, and some sounds just drive me crazy! Whenever my little brother eats I just cant take it, or anyone at all! And burping, rustling, I just cant take any noises like those. And my mom thinks I’m acting stuck up. I really don’t know what to do becuase listening to these fills we with soooo much rage and no one understands it!!
Show your mother this link. Find other on this subject and share them with your family.
I grew up before the internet and this condition was completely unknown therefore I could only say “what you are doing is bothering me”, which usually resulted in little compassion and quite often caused others to go out of their way to increase the offending noise to me a lesson.
Don’t go through what us old farts went through. Make your family understand with evidence.
Hi, OMG I thought I was the only one but thank God I’m not. I’m 13 years old and I am pretty sure I am suffering misophonia. Whenever my little brother eats, or anyone at all, the noise ticks me off really bad. I just can’t take it, rage fills me and I just get really angry, It happens when others burp, chew, make random noises, or just any specific noise. My mom then thinks I’m acting stuck up and bratty, but I’m not, these noises actually really hurt me! I don’t know what to do!
Hi! Same age and everything for me I’m planning on showing my family the article, I think it will really help! If not I. recommend requesting to turn on the TV or some music, that is what really helps me get through dinner times without snapping.
Well,
this is the 1st time I have heard of misophonia and though I’m not sure if I suffer from it,
I am very sure that I am very sensitive to noise.
I became aware of this when I was around 8 or 9 and I would get really upset at the sound of my neighbors
running around and worse of all the sound of chairs being dragged across uncarpeted floors.
I’m now 53 and I still get so annoyed when my neighbor below pushes rather than lift her chair
and it makes that awful screeching sound that sends me into an absolute rage.
I have made numerous complaints about this to my landlord and I’m now waiting for them to do something about it.
In the meantime, my neighbor continues to make my home life an absolute nightmare which I have been enduring for the past 19 years
and I can honestly say that it is really horrible, frustrating and causes me to feel depressed almost every day because it is impossible to block out the noise.
I bought some earplugs but it doesn’t block out the noise and it feels unnatural to lay in bed with plugs in my ears.
I have come to realize that modern houses and apartments should be adequately soundproofed so that tenants don’t have to suffer from noise invading their own space.
I know that that will never happen but if I had my way, I’d make it happen because so many people are suffering
even if they don’t have the condition known as misophonia.
sounds like misophonia. I suffer from the same triggers as you. As a matter of fact, it was the sound of my neighbor dragging her chair on the floor that made me decide to do more thorough research and I came across this site. I just moved into a new apartment a week ago which is all hardwood and it blows my mind how the sound travels. Really bums me out because I thought this place would be quieter than my last. I bought myself a bluetooth headband, which works much better for me than earbuds, which never felt comfortable. I find I can connect it to the tv and this does help somewhat drown out the sound.
I always thought I was crazy until I read an article on the New York Times about this condition. Sigh of relief, at least there’s a name for it, and I’m not alone in this!
I went to two different psychologists, but I couldn’t bring up the topic because I was so ashamed of this. It definitely sounded very weird! Now I think if I do therapy, I will know what to say.
Any idea what kind of therapy works to relieve the discomfort?
Hi Carina, I’m only reading all of this now in an attempt to help my 6 year old who can’t eat with us or tolerate loud sounds.
I know how it feels and as an adult who has learned to deal with it I’m now training my little one to do the same . I was always put to shame when I got upset and angry. I was made to feel like I was an intolerant brat.
I’m teaching him some skills like to remove himself from the situation in a polite manner. I’m making it known to his teachers that misophonia is an actual condition and as silly as it sounds it is the reason for his behaviour.
Look at the positives of misophonia. It means that the person with this condition is very in tune with the world and look at it as a special gift.( I know it feels like a freaking curse)embrace the curse!!
My heart goes out to all of you.
Lets make this condition a house hold name and don’t let it get the better of you.x
Susie, Australia
It feels great to finally be understood! When I watched a few videos and read about the scientific research on this topic, and after reading so many testimonies, I began to feel less alone and crazy. It doesn’t help with the situation per se, but at least I don’t feel guilty any more.
I’m afraid to say my 8-year-old is already manifesting discomfort with certain sounds. Surprise, surprise. Snoring, eating… I hope he’s just imitating me or it’s a minor irritation, because it’s really hard to live with this. For me, it began to be a problem when I was around 12.
Omg yes gum chewing loud ppl, constant moving,I crave quietness.
It’s so difficult to keep coming up with ways to alleviate the distress, such as leaving the scene or sneaking off to put in earplugs. It’s hard because in order to help yourself you would need to publicly insult or embarrass another person. I have almost all of the triggers that were mentioned. The few times I was brave enough to speak up to a loved one, I was only criticized and mocked for it. It did not help at all.
I have experienced this for years and really didn’t realise it is a condition.
I just thought I was being a unreasonable.
I answered all a’s bar one I can sit there and not say anything but I actually feel like screaming at them!
I will definitely do my research now
Thank you!
Great to have you here Rachel!
From early childhood,I got highly agitated by my mother and grandmother sucking their teeth. Until today I cannot spend more than a few minutes around my gran whom I love dearly, the tooth sucking fills me with absolute rage. I forced my mother to stop when I was younger thank god, only she knew how it annoyed me. Lately I’ve been feeling overwhelmed with depression, frustrated and irritated, thinking I am a horrible and miserable person. I googled ‘noise irritability’, just for a laugh, and am so relieved to know that Im not alone! Working in a small, cramped office with colleagues talking loud, sucking teeth, snorting, burping, screeching with laughter and constantly distracting me to a point that i have a pounding headache every day, and feel uncontrolable rage, affecting my personal life after work where I just want to lock myself in my room and cry. Some days I feel I cannot take another day and could just as well die. So the problem now is, how do you convince family of this problem since there seems to be a ‘medical excuse’ for anything these days according to some? Ive been laughed at and today feeling run down and worthless again.
I’ve suffered from an aversion to a variety of sounds since childhood and it is only now, in my sixties, that I discover that I am not alone. Crunching, sloppy eating sounds, rustling, some speech patterns and many more drive me to utter distraction. I now live alone in an extremely peaceful part of the country but still I find myself turning off the radio when sounds invade my calm.
Yes, I believe I have this aversion too.
I’m not sure though if it’s just a knock-on effect from childhood, having had a (mentally) abusive Father who always seemed to be forever in a temper.
As a child, my “alarm call” most mornings would be a saucepan lid being struck aggressively against my bedroom door until I was up and out of bed.
The only place I could do my school homework was at the dining table which was also part of our lounge – where the television was. I’d have to struggle through my school work with the television on full-blast in the back ground.
I even had to do my O’level/CSE studies in front of grossly loud, “blah’ing” television as I had no desk or table in my bedroom to sit comfortably and quietly.
My Dad refused to buy anything like that for me.
…However, I don’t know how but I still managed to achieve reasonable grades in all my studies.
I was kinda scared of my Dad. He used come home late most nights well ‘n’truly drunk. The television volume would be turned up deliberately and he’d start shouting and slamming doors etc…
However, he NEVER physically hit me – it was always mental abuse. Easily undetectable!
I’d say I became very much aware of my irritation toward certain noises in my mid-twenties.
Television/radio volume, door slamming, neighbours who place an item heavily on a window ledge so that it echoes into my home.
Vehicles with engines left running. The “drone” of it makes me feel on edge.
I have to walk away from a “loud mouth”… and I hate it when people start to unwrap an item of food that’s got a rustling wrapper. It makes me just want to swipe it from them, take the wrapper off completely and then give it back to them.
Unnecessary high volume of a television and/or a radio is a big problem for me. I utterly detest door slamming – it grates on my nerves so badly it just makes me feel down-right ill with anger.
… I’m on medication which does help me greatly to “tolerate” such unbearable noises.
Thank you for reading my experiences and thank you to the owner of this website for bringing this little known illness to the fore.
Hi A, thanks for your kind words. I totally identify your triggers (and I’m sure a lot of other people on here will as well). I hope through shared experience we can come up with some effective coping mechanisms
Could you say what medication you say that helps with this condition.
A, I’ve also wondered if this feeling that loud or irritating noises are “violent” and “invasive” has something to do with my verbally abusive father. He didn’t have issues with alcohol, but he had an extremely terrible temper which could be triggered into horrible verbal abuse for very minor things such as misplaced scissors. It was his chewing that first began to get on my nerves, then my mother’s. I experienced extreme rejection of my parents because of misophonia, but this misophonia has deeper pyschological roots, I think.
But even before that, I remember very early in childhood I had an extreme aversion of my grandfather (whom I greatly loved) and couldn’t kiss him because his face and body were covered with many big, raised moles. My husband has the same kinds of moles on his back and I can’t touch those parts. 🙁
Oh my goodness! A very similar life experience to me and I can’t bear touching moles either. Quite difficult as my daughter has them on her back, but, as yet, they are flat, thank god!
This is a complete revelation to me, I just though I was weird & have been criticised all my life for being ‘too sensitive / easily irritated / intolerant’ of others’ sounds. I work in special needs in a secondary school & sometimes feel like hitting a child for clicking a pen on& off, tapping a ruler or sniffing all lesson. It makes my working day very stressful but have always felt like this & never made the connection. Thank you so much for drawing attention to it! ?
More research needs to be done as I had a similar experience. I also had a verbally abusive and critical father who had so many triggers that it may cover every one that has been mentioned on this message board. For those who may read this and are psychologist’s or psychiatrists, I am aware of the current neurological studies, which I am not questioning. What I am questioning is: Is it possible in our development as children that because of nature, we have developed sensory connections to the fight or flight response because of early abuse issues? Once formed, these may be impossible to rewire or change and continue to affect the way we as adults perceive our environment? I am a social science researcher and am intrigued, although this is a small sample, to read each day, the commonalities of early childhood experiences. Additionally, the commonalities of being affected by those close to you, and who are intimate. I am still observing and have much to learn. I think studies need to be done to see if a relationship or association that is present in childhood and adult experiences of misophonia individuals. Finally, the brain scans may now be similar for some, but the reason for the differences have not been found.
I agree, though I’m not an expert. Neurology and psychology seem to be quite interconnected, and I have no doubt that early experiences, especially if traumatic, can affect how your brain is wired.
I believe, though, that there is probably a physical root of oversensitivity. Perhaps this is more frequent among those Elaine Aron has called “highly sensitive people”. A few examples: I have a problem with clothes labels. My skin itches all the time. Certain textures make me cringe when I touch them (cardboard, for example). I also have a serious allergy problem. Could there be a connection?
I am hunting for what I have seen in my daughter and now her daughter. my daughter frequently comments that if so and so “says one more word I swear I will kill them. NIW I habe custody of my granddaughter and she says exactly the same things. usually about her teachers. both of them I talk to much even when I only say something once. it’s the severity of their anger judging by their violent comments that concerns me.
I would really like to know what medication you are taking. I need some relief from this horrible disorder. I have had this problem since about 7 or 8 years of age, and now I am in my 50’s and it’s worse than ever. it’s getting worse and worse as I get older.
I feel so relieved that I am not the only one with misophonia. There are some sounds that cause terrible panic attacks and I spend most of my time in the bathroom with the fan on to block out the noise (but now that is bothering me.) Ever since I was a child, I hated sounds- thunder, gunshots, people eating, etc. And this has helped me so much, but does anybody know how to help with it?
Yes, you’re not the only one Jasmine! I want to dedicate a large part of this site to focus on coping mechanisms (so watch this space) but something that really helps me is simply pre-planning for potentially miso-stressful situations. So for example wearing earphones on public transport… making sure there’s background noise when you’re eating a meal with someone (a telly or a fan on in the background)… and having easy ways of leaving the room if it gets too much (e.g. say you’re going to the bathroom). I’ve found after a while it becomes second nature and with a bit of practice you feel like you can control how the miso impacts your life, rather than the other way around.
I am 14 years old and I’ve suffered with misophonia for a few years now. I hate the sounds of people eating,drinking,gulping,coughing,nail clippers and throat clearing to the point it makes me cry. When I here these sounds it startes to make my heart rate faster, I become very agitated and I feel an inner anger , I have to leave the situation ,which results in sometimes not being able to eat with my family. Also to help me deal with the situation I carry earphone around with me for public places.
Hey Molly, welcome to the site. That’s a great idea carrying earphones around with you. They can be a total life saver!
I’m glad I’ve found out this is a real issue. I answered mostly A’s.
– I hate when my husband has allergic reactions to cats. The sneezing and the wheezing are so dramatic and annoying.
-I hate when people are sick and have dry coughs. It sounds so fake and the noise is just irritating.
-My dad whistles all the time and that is frustrating as all hell. So glad I moved out at 21.
-constant yawning when people are talking.
-listening to lectures when I was at colleges was often agonizing if the person was over pronouncing the “S” sound.
-humming noises, distant sounds of a running engine, white noise (fans, noise machines, static) irritate me so bad I want to scream.
Of course I usually stay calm. But my anxiety is thru the roof. I give my husband and family dirty looks. It’s really bad and I feel terrible for it but it’s uncontrollable feelings.
I think my sister is worse tho. She actually screams at people irrationally. At least I’m not that bad. I usually suffer internally bc I know I’m being rediculous and it’s embarassing.
Hi,
For me, it’s industrial hums, my spouse’s chewing, and most of all, yawns where people follow with a sound! Ah, it makes so angry!! I start fuming and edge onto nuclear outrage the longer I have to hear it! The “eyoooooshhhh” sound some people dois the worst…makes me want to shout at them to stop!!! At night, industrial hums from local businesses and my neighbors’s heating/cool unit make it impossible to sleep, even with earplugs. I listen to a sleep app every night so that I can get some rest.
Oh, thank goodness I found you ! For YEARS I have suffered with this and thought I was just an intolerant witch. I can relate to everything you all have said. I can’t go to the movies with all the popcorn eating, I want to strangle my stepdaughter when she eats. every afternoon I have to leave my desk when my coworker eats her crunchy snack. The other day my friends and I were talking about this and they were accusing me of just being bitchy. So I took a plastic fork and rubbed it on the window to make a screeching sound ( which does not bother me for some reason ) They were all cringing and yelling at me to stop it. I said ” this is how I feel everytime you eat chips or snap your gum, etc.. I think they got the point but I’m sure they’ll still do it. Why is it OK for other people to cringe and yell at you if you scratch your nails on a chalk board but if I ask someone to stop chomping their food they look at me like I’m crazy and keep eating ?
Thank you all so much for helping me feel less alone with this.
I love this comment. You have inspired me to tell the world about Misophonia.
I can really relate to everything sue is saying I just cannot stand that noise at all! When people say “P” “K” or “T” I want to slap them over and over again. I’ve had this since 6 years old and thought I was just being fussy. Everyone around me told me so. I can’t even breathe when some one makes that stupid noise!
Ever since i was a child i cant stand the sound of styrofoad and whistling.I hate it when i hear these sounds, it make’s me mad, i get goosebumps i get all itchy, irritated till the point that i panic and shout at the person who make the noise. At first, i thought i was being dramatic and over-reacting so i tried to calm down and bear the sound, but thats when i realize my fear of these sounds just could nt go away as easy as it seems. Felt relief to find people similar with my condition.
Sorry for my bad english, Happy New year from Mizoram, India.
I can definitely relate to some of the comments here. Doors slamming, trains screeching, people talking or laughing loudly, people on mobile phones! It can be very distracting. I’ve found that meditating has helped ease my reactions, doing 10 minutes daily has been beneficial.
I’m not sure if it is related or the cause but growing up my dad could be very reactive and agressive, loud sometimes too. I’ve had counselling and definitely moaned about him quite a bit! Ha.
I’d recommend exercise, meditation and also listening to people like Clare Weekes, Jim Rohn, and Eckhart Tolle. They all have great advice on life and ways to cope with life. There should be quite a few videos on YouTube. I guess acceptance is the main thing, accept that you’re not a fan of loud noises but accept that most are unfortunately out of our control. I believe it can be conquered and being patient and kind to yourself is the best thing.
‘Unexpressed emotions don’t go away, they get buried alive and rear their head in uglier ways’ bit of a deep quote but it’s one that made me realise you have to let the past go! I think some of my anger towards loud noise was actually built up anger from the past. Obviously every one is different but I think that was an issue for me.
All the best
I’m so glad that this is real. I would lash out at my mom with mean words for no reason. Its not that I want to but sometimes I want to hurt me or someone else when I hear certain sounds. Does anyone know a good way to calm down before I do something ill regret? They dont know how I feel so they just presume that I’m a control freak.
When anyone randomly shouts something outs I get upset and chewing really gets in my nerves but everyone thinks I’m being dramatic
I’ve read articles on Misophonia, and can relate to the trigger noises, which sends me into a quiet rage. Or I end up snapping at the person if I can’t take it much longer. But I do have a trigger noise that I’m not sure would be included in Misophonia definition (mostly eating noises). I HATE the sound of birds chirping, no matter the time or place, If a bird chirps I have to either put headphone on or leave the immediate area. When I looked it up, the articles I could find were how people hate it in the “morning” because they are not morning people. And while I’m not a morning person either, I don’t just dislike the noise in the morning, but hate it no matter the time. Is this misophonia or something else, like if I’m to sound oriented? (For years I thought I was just hyper sound oriented)
Hi Vanessa, misophonia doesn’t just relate to eating noises – it can often be triggered by repetitive noises as well (for example dog barking can make me loopy) – so it does sound likely you have misophonia given that you suffer from a multitude of triggers.
Hello Vanessa, I have the same problem with birds. It started with one type of bird 2 years ago and has now spread to lots of them. I can’t go out during the day. If I do I wear earplugs and headphones with sounds to help cove, but the loudest one still get through :0( I have misophonia. I don’t know if the birds fall within misophonia, or it is because my limbic system has become hyperactive. I have problems with medication and food supplements. If you’d like to chat more about my experience with birds (they are almost everywhere!!!) feel free to write. Hopefully I’ll follow up comments by email.
You’re not alone, I absolutely HATE the sound of birds chirping no matter what! I have to either put my fan on high to block out the sound or put my music up so high that I can’t hear anything at all. I’m also majorly triggered by people on the phone, people talking from other rooms, the TV, people and animals snoring, people typing on keyboards and mouse clicking. and the list goes on! I’ve found that it most annoys me if these sounds are coming from my immediate family, do you get that at all?
Hi Jasmine, your description is very similar to what I experience, type of triggers and intensity of symptoms. When I go out, I go at night, when birds are silent.
I am right there with you! Not so much birds, but the sound of chipmunks chirping will ruin my day to the point i leave my windows closed year round. I have to avoid doing yard work or any out side activity that doesn’t include white noise.
I have always had a ‘dislike’ to certain sounds but in the last 8 years or so the ‘dislike’ is turning to complete and utter hatred and i feel so angry inside. I have only come accross misophonia in the last few weeks as i started researching. I knew what i was experiencing wasnt normal. When i get angry and frustrated my mum tells me to stop being stupid, get on with it, its life, just ignore it. Which drives me even more insane!! For me i have a few sounds that boil my blood. The sound of people eating/chewing/crunching, eating with their mouths open, i have a new colleague who has a whistly nose when she is breathing and it distracts me from work. I bite the inside of my cheek, sigh, pinch myself, start slamming files down on the table and i feel myself getting narky with her. I sit with my elbow on the desk with my finger pushing my left ear closed. When it gets to the point i cant take anymore i look for an excuse to leave the room to calm down a bit. Another sound that puts an extreme anger/shiver/teeth clenching feeling right through my body and head (dont know how else to describe it) is when you open a freezer drawer and theres that scrapy icy sound. Even the thought it making my stomach churn. I feel stupid and wierd for the way i am at times but i really cant help it. I was so glad when i found out that there is other people that feel the way i feel. I dont know what to do though especially when there isnt a cure to stop it and it doesnt seem to be well known of. I feel like i just need to bite my cheek and get on with it, as hard as it is at times.
I’m 25 years old and I’ve seem to have just recently fallen under with this issue……I never had this before but thanks to my mother…with her constant mumbling ( which sounds worse when she’s in the bathroom because it’s amplified 10 fold ) her constant stomping around the house and her constant slamming/banging of doors, cupboards, ect…..Iam completely losing all sense of humanity. Im at the point where I literally want to just rip her apart like a wild animal.
And whats worse is…..she KNOWS that it’s driving me insane…but she’s too f**king selfish to care. My sister even tore into her about it because I had to just flee the house at one point. All I got was a very half-a**ed “apology” and a sop-story on how she just wasn’t feeling good.
Not just ten minutes ago she came into my room “demanding” that I take her out to get new glasses….meanwhile I’m curled up on my bed crying because she spent all morning stomping and slamming around the house. Was one crap even given?….haha cute thought but no.
Im in a very stressed out and depressing state of mind as it is…I’ve been struggling with unemployment for 2 years now so don’t even bother with the “oh just move out” line.
I swear….if I die before this woman….Im gonna use every bit of power I have to drag this woman down to hell with me.
Hi Layla. I’m so sorry it’s got so bad at home. It’s such a cruel disorder because as frustrating/maddening as it is for us, at the same time the people making the sounds aren’t actually doing anything wrong. We should definitely promote understanding in others, but in reality the most effective coping mechanism is ultimately to separate yourself from the triggers – whether that’s finding a quiet room, or using headphones from time to time, or heading to a library. Stress makes the misophonia so much worse, so if you don’t have quiet places you can escape to (even if it is just wearing headphones) it becomes a vicious cycle. I really wish you all the best and hope things improve for you.
I never liked. Cracking of knuckles Loud Sounds oh I reach for my ears spitting sunflower seeds I just later in life really jump make faces and shake complain progression of the anxiety
I’m not alone! For me, it’s mostly random noises and I want to cry or run away. Someone scratching or a bell jingling. Can’t the world just be silent?
how would I take part in research about
misophonia,i have aspergrers
mark
Hi Mark, if you put yourself down on the email list (see the sign up below articles or in the sidebar) I’ll let you know if any come up.
My co-worker is driving me nuts and I am not sure what to do about it. We recently moved desks around and though she is on the other side of a cubicle wall she is not 5 feet from me. She sighs, sighs sighs, whispers to herself and I hear, sss ss sss, drums her fingers on the desk, taps her feet and pounds her keyboard like she is angry all the time. I put my headphones on but I can still hear the tap tap, drum drum because she is so close. Do I say something? HELP, I am going bananas!
Hi Paula, can you get yourself a pair of noise cancelling headphones? These are special headphones which can block out the most fervent of taps and finger drums. Failing that, would switching desks be an option?
I think I’ve had this all my life or as long as I remember anyway, I can’t stand the sound of lip smacking, chewing, tapping, pen-clicking, repetitive noises and even certain movements irritate the sh*t out of me; I get so angry and snap or have to remove myself quickly before I lose it. Sometimes that is not possible and I feel like I’m going to explode. I thought I was just an impatient, intolerant b*tch and it is quite liberating to know that it is actually a condition even though there is no cure, and I’m not alone!
So nice to know I’m not alone in feeling like a bitch. At times
I want to sew peoples mouths shut or scream out loud. If I take trouble in not trying to make a noise then why can’t others……..aaaaaaahhhhhh.
Hello. I am 34 years old and I have suffered from misophonia as long as I can remember. I discovered the term a few years ago and I was so relieved to find out that I was not the only person with this. I find it a very cruel disorder and it can make everyday situations sometimes unbearable. My worst triggers are mainly chewing, lip/mouth-smacking, throat noises and sniffling, which make it difficult for me to be around my family. There are more, such as typing, beeping noises and loud conversations.
It was particularly bad when I was young and had to eat with my parents and my brother. Especially my father and my brother made really horrible eating noises. Even today, their noises make me want to punch them bloody, but instead I swallow the triggers, I tense up and if possible find ways to avoid their sounds (like going to the bathroom). However, all people except for my wife and my best friend are unaware of my problem. Not even my parents or brother know about this because I really don’t want to make it a problem. I feel embarrassed for having such a weird disorder. I have a good relationship with them but it feels sometimes a little distant and superficial.
Today I live with my wife and 2 boys who also repeatedly make trigger sounds. I sometimes feel resentful to my wife because she knows about it and I feel she could make more efforts to avoid triggering me. Furthermore, time the number of triggers seems to have increased during the last years and I feel that I really cannot keep telling her about every trigger because I don’t want her to feel like a prisoner in her house and feeling like she needs to tip-toe around me, especially when I am busy with something. Her sister and one friend in particular always set me off with their chewing and throat noises. I then feel very trapped in my own house and I feel very anxious and tense, even before they arrive.
I am also triggered by beeping sounds (microwave, AAAHHHH!!) and typing (on a computer/phone). Typing also bothers me at work and makes me want to close my door. Luckily I have a room to myself.
In terms of coping, I use brown, pink or white noise, fans, extractor in the kitchen (I switch on the extractor at breakfast when my son is munching his cereal; he is good boy because he really tries to chew more quietly 🙂 and I feel guilty for having snapped at him before because of this – it must be weird to him).
I also just simply walk away from the source, but all misophonia sufferers know how bad it becomes when you cannot walk away. This feeling of being trapped when you want to just run away is absolute torture and it envelops every thought. I just want to stab my ears and scream at the top of my lungs or just seriously harm the person. But I cannot and I will not.
Headphones really help me cancel out a lot of triggers. For me certain activities that reduce my stress level, like walking, playing video games, watch TV, listen to music or a good workout make you feel better and better able to cope. Keeping oneself busy can help.
Even though I have been struggling with misophonia for 30 years, I have never been able to figure out a really effective way to deal with it, except for avoiding any trigger exposure which usually results in solitude, or coming off as an antisocial jerk.
What bothers me the most about misophonia are not even the triggers, but much more the fact that triggers bother me in the first place, they shouldn’t bother me and make my heart race or tense up my muscles. It just shouldn’t matter but these completely trivial and simple sounds, especially when caused by people I love, makes life sooooo unnecessarily difficult.
Moreover, I suffer from a very rare and strong disease of my immunity system, which forces me to take medication, such as cortisone which makes more irritable. I also have been suffering from chronic muscle pain, especially in my lower back. Even though I have learned to live with the pain by working out in the gym, stretching, foam rolling etc. the pain is still there. I think that the continuous exposure to my misophonia triggers, which make us tense has partially contributed to my chronic pain. I therefore encourage every misophonia victim to get physically active and enjoy the results of it.
I recently found a letter that my cousin wrote to God when she was little to ask him to help her with her irritation and rage. It was heart-breaking. We hate that we feel like this. It’s so difficult to explain to people. They end up going around the room closing doors, dropping things and chewing various objects going “does this irritate you? How about this?”.
I have actually made a list of things that irritate me. SCARY.
Popcorn crunching in the movies (I watch the movie with closed ears), my mom’s canary chirping (is it terrible that I’m glad he didn’t live longer than 2 years?) foot tapping, knee jiggling, chewing (the worst is the saliva mixing while you eat with your mouth open), bubblegum popping and chewing, the beep of a microwave, sniffing, over pronouncing the letter ‘S’, dogs licking themselves, cracking knuckles/fingers (AAAAAAHHHH!!!!), the sound of peeing – men don’t know how to close a door!, slurping, breathing loudly, snoring, dripping taps and the sound of the extractor fan when it’s not being used.
My cousin has learnt to deal with it better as she got older. When she was younger, she would lash out at every meal until eventually she just didn’t sit with us anymore. I keep my earphones with me permanently. I avoid any situation where I might be put in a position in which I sound or look rude. It it so stressful! I have only told a few people about this as you don’t want to feel like a weirdo.
Going to the gym doesn’t even seem to get rid of the stress. The only thing that helps is music in my ears. I feel calmer, although a bit closed off from the world.
I was actually crying when I was reading this.My mum had just given me a chat about how I had been acting since I was three and maybe I was in need of help (psychologically & emotionally)
When people say words and they drag a certain letter (maybe r/p),I feel tense. Then when someone whistles,I feel itchyness all over my body and I start to squirm alot to stop it.
Humming is my second worst cause insects actually triggered this . Bees and flies and any insect that gives that humming sound is what has made the hum noise unbearable. Every sound that is very loud (even my voice ) makes me angry or frustrated. I have also hit a few people (like slapped them or a punch) but to me its reflex…to others its overeation.
Chewing ,slurping, coughing,talking,music,footsteps,sounds that are far away,my voice,eating (even when I eat) and the list goes on. Do I have very sensitive ears cause when the sound triggers, its like it travels down my ear into my hops and starts to make me squirm or wiggle.
Im only thirteen and I dont want my life to be a mess. Now I hate going outside cause of the noise the world makes and insects so please how can I stop this?
Oh Mi God. This is so me. Except with the noise of babies, certain vowels. It travels through my body like an itching blade and I squirm or wiggle in irritation and disgust as well. It’s horrible
I have suffered with this since I was a child. It’s very hard day by day. I go to school in the evenings and I dread when people go to the vending machine. I can’t focus or think straight when someone is crunching so loud it’s like that’s the only noise I hear. I’ve gotten in very bad fights with my husband over this like bad !! He thinks I’m crazy and over reacting but I’m not ! I can’t help it I try to explain to people and they don’t understand what I go through day by day. My mom is the worlds worst like I picture myself going insane on her but I don’t I just say “really mom really?? Why do u eat so loud!l and she laughs like its a joke ! Some people just don’t get it and never will unless they live this life . I wish I didn’t have this problem I wish I could live normally and be able to be okay but I’m not . The enrage and aggravation I feel is a 10 on a scale to 0-10.: maybe one day there will be something that can help but I don’t know if there ever will be .:
I an triggered by the sounds of newspapers, magazines and shuffling of papers since childhood and I’m 59 yrs old. Its HORRIBLE, esp in dr office waiting rooms. Also if someone has not bathed & they smell or if they small like smoke, it bothers me profusely. I often wish I wasnt there & freak out on the inside. it shoots up my blood pressure. Has anyone heard of this? i prefer to stay anonymous for now.
Hi
I suffer from both misophobia and misokenisia. I will often put my fingers in my ears and close my eyes as I means for escape. I have cried, got angry, feel so stressed at noises, repetitive movements, the works. I find public transport difficult to deal with and noises and movement distracting to the point where I lose what I’m saying or concentrating on and have to leave the area.
I am 15 years old and I answered all As. my parents don’t believe me that I have misophonia they just think I’m being attention seeking. My grandparents are the worst. I love them both but when they eat lollies or dinner or even when they drink or open their mouth all I can hear is the squelch of the spit in their mouths and it makes me want to scream and lash out I have cried before and left the room and I get really mad and whenever they eat all I can hear is that noise I can’t block it out no matter how quiet it is I don’t know what to do!
I’m 17 and My parents don’t believe me either. I pick up sounds almost no one else hears. It started with my dad’s breathing when he would drop me off in the mornings. Then it was chewing and swallowing. Then sniffing and tapping. All these noises drive me insane. I feel really aggravated and like pulling my hair. I had to stop eating dinner with my family, which makes me really sad
Clicking of buttons on games controllers.
Chewing.
Anyone with a stuffy nose.
Someone touching or adjusting a video camera microphone!!!
GoPro underwater.
Digging through a pencil case.
Nasal talkers.
Overpronouncing T, S, P
This stuff drives me up the walk. I get nausea, anger, fight or flight type reactions, I used to punch stuff when I was a kid. Also I’d spend hours trying to recreate the sounds for some reason- and never could. Latest hate is the sound of a GoPro microphone underwater, and the voice of Jane in Eastenders- nose noises are terrible with this one!
I’m trying to cope.., recently had an operation on my ears (unrelated), and appreciated the temporary deafness, result of op has dulled my hearing somewhat, I think I’m slightly less irritated by stuff.
I agree with you about Jane in Eastenders. High pitched or squeaky voices, like East Indian females singing. I tell my roommate when we are watching the show that I’d like to bang their head against the wall. I’m not a violent person and feel ashamed even saying that.
Also Sharon on Eastenders who always whispers instead of speaking normal. Really bugs me.
I answered all A’s (except Question 6) but its not just the chewing (incl seeing people chewing gum) type noises I also have a big problem with any noises like music (especially loud base but anytime I can hear someone else music it annoys me), TV, noisy vehicles, barking dogs, even people laughing and talking (unless I know what the finish time is, in which case I can tolerate it). I get fixated and can’t think about anything else as well as super-irritated and angry. Oddly enough I’m OK with the train that is about 300m from my house (so not too loud), lawnmowers during reasonable times etc
Even though I don’t spend that much of my day actually being irritated by noises, I do spend most of my day (if not all of my day), scared of being irritated by noises. I try to avoid going outside in case I hear noise (as then I will be fixated by it even if I can’t really hear it inside), I go to sleep with music on to mask any noise that might be happening, and spend much of the day with music or TV on to mask most outside noises which I play louder than I like in order to mask noises.
I had been starting to think I had a condition as I don’t notice other people being like me, so was happy to come across only today misophonia. Nice to know I’m not the only one!
I have misophonia and hate it when people chew, slurp, or talk with their mouth full. People tell me to “get over it”, but it’s not easy. I feel like punching something or breaking things when this happens. I Do my best to avoid eating with people and I absolutely hate sitting next to a loud chewer in the cinema.
I’m just a teen but I’m pretty sure I have Misophonia, although I haven’t been formally diagnosed.
I share a room with a family member, and whenever I hear them breathing while I’m trying to sleep I tense up. I can’t help but focus on the sound of their breathing, and I get irrationally angry at them. The anger causes my heart to beat faster and thud in my ears.
I also have the same problem when another, different family member laughs. I don’t know why, but I just hate hearing them laugh. It makes me angry for some reason.
It’s always those two specific sounds coming from those two specific people, and when I’m stressed out the anger is a lot more intense.
This all makes me sound like a horrible person, but I’m not trying to be. Those sounds just set off something in my brain.
Oh my God. Thanks for this article. I thought it was just me feeling this way because I have never seen anyone else with this condition. I am allergic to baby noises and my some sounds my sister makes and chewing gums up to the extent that I tell them to shutup and borderline get violent. Is there any cure?
I can’t stand it when people eat. When my husband eats, I will try and tolerate it for as long as possible, which is usually just a few seconds, and then I snap! The sound is so disgusting and I end up yelling at him to stop! I just feel like I want to punch him in the face and I will tighten my jaw. I can tune him out when he talks but I cannot tune out his eating. It’s so annoying!!! I also hate it when people chew gum.
At last more people who share the same feeling.
I thought it was just me !
Its a relief to read about this. Eating noises do really affect me and i’m hypersensitive to them, but its other noises too. For example I cant stand clicking/expansion noises in the central heating pipes so ive had the builders in to channel in the walls and change pipes to plastic and put padding in as well. I always thought my reactions to certain noise was not ‘normal’ or measured and ive struggled with guilt feeling bad about people and how i’ve responded.
I also have bad reactions to people jiggling there knees or feet. All of them cause me real anxiety.
Well, count me in on this. I have been bothered by sounds for as long as I can remember, but I think my sensitivity is getting worse as I age soon to be 65. My trigger sounds are all the eating sounds, tapping, loud breathing, repetitive sounds and my worst trigger is the sound of a basketball. We built a new house this past year and it was glorious until our neighbor moved in and put up a basketball hoop 20 feet from the side of our house. Each night around 5-7 pm which is our dinner time, he plays basketball with his friends for 1-2 hours and all I hear is the constant sound of that ball. The amount of anger I feel is alarming to me. It escalated to the point that I began having panic/anxiety attacks shaking uncontrollably and went to the urgent care center. I was given a prescription for a couple of pills and told to go to my family doctor which I didn’t do because I want to try to learn how to control this myself. I meditate and pray each day to help me through this and it seems to help. I won’t know how effective it really is since it is winter where I live and he’s not been playing for several months, but I know in the near future I will have to deal with this once again. I hope I can make it through because when I think about it beginning again, I can feel my body begin to tense up. Wish me luck!!
Yes, it has been a long time. I am to be 66, and this condition was tolerated by me as long back as I can remember. Usually, I express my intolerance, but other times, suffer in silence. My partner of 20 years always would dismiss my concerns about sounds in adjacent apartments especially late at night as something he was not aqare of, or conscious of happening. It only made me more furious and aggravated. If your partner, is doing things purposely to annoy or torture you, I would stop and seriously re-evaluate your relationship. Two can play that game well, and to me it sounds as if at that point, the relationship is taking a nose dive. I am sure if he or she could not walk, see, or hear, you doing things to spite them, it would also not be so easily dismissed. By tolerating it, you are passively agreeing with others that it is your imagination, not really that bad, or you are being overly sensitive. It is up to those who suffer to stop others from ridiculing them, or making matters worse. Anyway, I do wish you luck and success.
I am very fortunate because my spouse has accepted my problem with sound after my meltdown when I started shaking uncontrollably. That’s when he suggested going to the urgent care center. As he watched me in the waiting room, out of control of my body as it shook is when it really hit home for him. When we came home he started to think of ways to try and help me including moving out of our new house. He started checking the web for possible new houses and said he was willing to take a loss on our newly built house if it would help me. We’re staying put for now, but I don’t know what this summer will do to me once the basketball playing starts again. So I know I am very blessed to have a partner that understands my sensitivity. He said now it all makes sense. I hope the rest of you have the same good fortune to help others around you understand what we all go through.
You are very blessed but there are limitations of another person to understand this condition. White noise machines may be helpful in some cases. Finally, moving way from playgrounds and sports fields is another.
Fight or flight… The wife doesn’t get it. She is aware of my issue and I feel she makes sounds that bother me just for spite. Off to another room for me. Ain’t this fun?
This is my problem but in reverse. I’m always being accused of doing it on purpose to annoy him. But I love him so it makes no sense to me to purposely do things that annoys the person you love! I actually get really stressed about ensuring that I dont so something that triggers him. And if I’ve already triggered him once that day, I’m walking on eggshells. I try so hard!
The problem is that I cannot always be thinking about exactly what I am doing right down to the minutest little detail and wondering whether its ok to do this that or the other in the same room as him. You just do things without thinking half the time! It took a year of him yelling at me to stop knuckle cracking because I’d do it without even thinking or even realising I’d done it half the time.
Hey, my fiance has just told me that he thinks he has this and after reading about it, I would agree. Sometimes his rage has lead me to wondering why I’m with him and I’ve nearly walked away. Its not always a noise issue though – he has trouble controlling himself in other situations too. He is never violent just to be clear, but he can be very verbally abusive when he is having a moment and he often makes me cry.
Obviously I love him dearly (or I would have left along time ago) and would so love to be able to learn more to help him to avoid triggers (ie I produce less triggers lol)
My main issue is laughter. I mean, how can I not laugh when I’m about him? It stresses me out because I know he cant stand it but laughter is often an automated response and I cant always help myself, its out before I even realise it. Cue my Fiance being in a rage for the rest of the day.
His other triggers are:
Knuckle clicking (or neck clicking)
Cupboard doors being closed – I have to do it softly
My singing
My laughter
Repetitive sounds such as pen clicking and nail tapping
Nail biting
Crushing plastic bottles down
Texting sounds
I have learned to avoid most of them mainly because I wanted to avoid the rage, but now that I see why it causes such rage, I want to avoid them because I love him and dont want to cause him anxiety.
Something else I noticed is that he always has the TV on SO loud!! I assume to block out background noises.
Could anyone recommend any online forums etc
Hi there Anon. Violence in a relationship is not just overt physical violence. It is a pattern of behavior designed to control and subjugate you, and I see significant warning signs in your post it breaks my heart to say. He may have you convinced he has no control over himself but violence (in all its forms) is a choice, and if you have children together it is a parenting choice. It is also very difficult to recognize when you are in it. And if you are in an abusive relationship please, please know it is not your fault. Could I please urge you to look at the Power and Control wheel (http://www.loveisrespect.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Power_And_Control.png) and if it resonates with you, try to talk to a domestic violence expert about your options. In the meantime look after yourself.
I know he has misophonia but you too are a person in the relationship and must also have your needs fulfilled. Although, you seem to have accommodated him, I suspect you have issues in your relationship that go beyond his condition. There is no need for you to be walking on pins an needles all the time afraid you may accidentally do something and get hurt.
Scraping your teeth on a fork, the spoon hitting the side of a bowl or Scraping the inside of a yogurt cup. Save me from ever hearing it. I absolutely have to grit my teeth to bare it. Just don’t know why.
Kmh, those are exactly my biggest issues. I have recently moved into an open plan office and hate it when people choose to have their breakfasts at their desks. It interferes with my work and I always resort to slapping on my headphones but as my job involves a lot of phone work I cannot always do this. I would love to tell the people making the noise what it does to me but I worry they will think I am fussy and being anti-social. I do so wish I could ignore it.
Hi it’s a relief to see I’m not on my own! There are many noises that irritate me to the point of wanting to cause the offender harm. Not that I’d do it I like to add and luckily the irrational urge disappears as soon as the noise stops. Worst for me is rustling crisp packets, hearing anyone eating the crisps in close proximity. Sweets being unwrapped etc. My dog licking her paws and anyone eating food that crunches. I have to turn up the TV. My worst nightmare is weekly food shopping in the biscuit and crisp aisle. (Yes I do still purchase such items for the family) Why do people have to pull the bags taught! Don’t they know what the contents are! I want to scream and shout just put them in your basket if your buying them! Cinemas are a no no. You can guarantee even when empty there will be someone directly in front of me rustling backs and crunching sweeties, to these offenders I want to ask why??? Do you eat continuously when watching a movie at home???
I’ve noticed a drop in my intensify towards triggers after taking a Tumeric supplement. Apparently it’s a great aid to reduce inflammation in the body/brain. I’ve no idea whether all of this is related but I haven’t felt the urge to scream at someone who is talking on their mobile phone on public transport for quite a while. Does anyone else get annoyed by loud/overly loud people?
I definitely suffer from this especially because it has come to the point where I harm myself by clawing myself with my nails or just pinching myself in order to not lash out on the person making the annoying sound. I really don’t want this and have tried to cope with it but nothing is working for me except for hurting myself.
Hi Sana, I’m so sorry to hear that. I recently posted an article on some alternative coping strategies you could try. I hope it helps:
http://allergictosound.com/articles/misophonia-coping-strategies/
I thought I was just crazy or just bitchy! I have chronic migraines so I am already sensitive to lights, sounds and smells. But with sounds it different, it’s more than just sensitivity. I get incredibly angry…enraged! Chewing sounds, swallowing, whistling, attempting to talk while doing any of these, tapping noises,mumbling, omg the mumbling, stereo bass and so many more. I do isolate myself because of the migraines, anxiety and noises. Now MRI indicates white matter lesions. My best feature is turning against me.
May I please comment. I am aged 40 years old. And I have been having this very problem since around age of 7/8 years old. I didn’t know anything relating to this being any type of condition. Only till my youngest daughter now aged 18 years who has also suffered with this condition,, which she had found this out herself. She gets very frustrated when hearing slurping sounds when drinking hot cold drinks. Slurping noises when others eat. Which is an issue on myself. With this I am going to try speak to my doctor on all this. This has been an issue through out my life. And at times feels as though it takes full control over you. I don’t like having this. As with the frustration and needing to leave room when it’s badly affecting you. Thank you.
Thank you! My husband thought I was just crazy! Last night I was reading a book and he plopped down next to me eating a bowl of cereal. I was like “really? It soundslike you’re eating a bowl of rocks!” I had to leave the room. He said he just doesn’t understand why I find eating so annoying. I told him the first time I could recall was when I was little (about5), my grandma would eat Doritos while watching tv… it drove me crazy! I remember wondering why she would want to make so much noise?! I just look at my kids and they know that they are eating too close to me. They even tell their friends” you can’t eat that around my mom”. My mother used to call me in the mornings while having her breakfast or brushing her teeth,not any more. I would just cut her off and say call me back when you’re done. They all think I m just nuts. After the cereal incident last night, I got up and “googled” my condition and went running back in to my husband saying look,read this, it’s a condition I have, I m not crazy!! So, thank you,thank you,thank you!
Your comments made me smile, welcome to the club we aren’t nuts just sensitive ? My kids tell their friends too and they are terrified to eat in my company. I wouldn’t go mad at them, it’s worse when its family members, they should no better. My husband sits with not one but two bags of crisps and rustles and crunches for what seems like an eternity. I turn up the TV and that’s normally enough for him to quickly finish!
I have a very specific trigger. The one thing that really bothers me is when people chew with their mouth open or smack…..I want to scream!
I’m so glad to read this, I thought I was being unreasonable. I learnt to be in tune with my hearing after a string of burglaries. I got in sinc with my hearing so good people tell me I’m better guard than thier dogs, in saying that I’m also very aware n take note of my surroundings, so I can pin point noises to the tee. In saying this, it’s gotten to the point I have to remove my self from rooms of my children playing I can handle when say a tv , childeren , an a radio are all playing quietly then someone comes in or a dog barks, I get so angry I have to remove myself. I feel Ive been unreasonable but nosies really erk me. My relationship suffers beause some days I can suffer in silence n I snap, I can hear chewing, sniffing, bodies fidgeting, or useless information being ranted. Am I really being unreasonable please help???
Note I’m never angry at my kids from this just find myself sometimes moving or being snappy
For me I have a severe case of this, I am actually scared that I will snap. The anger is so intense. I truly need some help with this. I tell my Dr. About this and she looks at me like I’m crazy. Who can I turn to for help?
I would recommed counsellig to anyone who suffers. It definitely helped lessen my anger… also helps if you can try and be aware of the anger rather than actually be the anger. Maybe have a go at meditation?
I answered “A” to all the questions. It has even gotten so bad that I hit one of my siblings (not very hard). And while I was reading the questions I kept cringing because my mind kept playing the disgusting chewing sound. I also get frustrated and annoyed by kissing noises.
My trigger sounds seem to be when my wife runs the blender to make her protein drink. When she does I get a warning so I can leave the room or when the lawman uses that blower outside my office. I feel rage when I hear that. Yet I have no problem with people chewing or eating.
I have burst into tears many times due to feeling intense rage at the sound of people slurping, loud crunching, chewing sounds, rolling their tongue around inside their mouth etc.) Especially hate listening to people eat CEREAL: it is a horrible combination of slurping, crunching and scraping of the bowl.
I absolutely depise eating with my family and never sit at the dinner table for longer than 5-10 minutes. I have also found that even seeing someone chewing with their mouth open greatly annoys me, because I can just imagine the sounds that they are making. I really don’t understand people… is it really that hard to just chew with your mouth closed????????? I don’t know what to do because if I say something about it, everyone thinks I’m being moody/overly sensitive.
Well I can listen to some noise however for example after about five minutes I am just about to go crazy based on the tone of someones voice. I hate the sound of anyone chewing with their mouth open. I just dont get it noise drives me nuts then I cant focus on what I am doing. Most folks do not understand what I am going through. They just thing that I am being rude from the look on my face or if I were to say how I feel about the noise around me. I say to myself why do some folks talks so much. Gees!.Smh. CJ
I’ve been affected by Misophonia for about 5 years it had been slowly developed as I heard my brother eat VERY obnoxiously! It’s been getting worse and worse over time where I burst into tears and run out the room. My mom use to think it was just me being a teen but now she knows it’s called Misophonia and tries to be more understanding. But whenever she turns on the TV to block it out it still bothers me. She tries to tell me to focus on that instead but I can’t, I wish I could. I found that when my family talks and we enjoy ourselves I don’t even notice anymore. Though, we don’t have talks every time because it jumps straight into the chewing and then the TV. I’ve also developed this annoyance of whispering, spoon or fork scraping and snifling and probably more… sadly. I’m glad there’s people that understand! 🙂
I also have this problem to a point that I cry I lose my mind I don’t know what to do. I want to kill myself that’s how much all kind of noises bothers me. I know I can’t stop the whole world from making all these noises so that means I have to change myself. I have tried everything to help me to ignore and not to pay attention to these noises but still. Someone please suggest of what else I should do. Thanks.
How do I politely tell a co-worker that if he chews his gum any louder it will cause me to quit? Ive never heard any chew gum like this before, snapping doesnt bother me as much as his gum chewing does its OBNOXIOUS. Otherwise, I like him ,nice guy but ahhhh i want to crawl out of my skin. I can’t concentrate because its so distracting and I am getting so stressed its giving me daily anxiety and I dont know what to do.
Correction: I’ve never heard anyone* chew gum like this before…. see, i cant concentrate!
I’m interested to know how many people with misophonia or misokinesia grew up in verbally or physically abusive homes? I’m not asking for personal details, just a yes or no will do. I’ve had this condition for years and like everyone else thought I was alone in feeling this way.
Hi L. No from me.
Hi there! … I was one of the first few to post on this website. My initial posting left in 2015, explains my situation in more detail.
… The answer to your question is:
“Yes – I did experience a verbally abusive childhood”.
Hi, I really appreciate everything that was said here. I would love to be included if any future tests can be done,because I have a bad case of Misophonia. I am awake most nights due to sounds outside, like wind chimes from the neighbors house, dogs barking, etc.
I cannot stand it when people chew loudly, even When hey eat grapes or bananas, I can hear it and it drives me insane. I would appreciate any help there is. My personal and work life suffers due to my constant tiredness.
You are not alone! I am exhausted all the time too because of my sensitivity to noises outside (dogs barking, birds chirping, etc.) It’s put a lot of stress on my physically and emotionally. I try to take as many naps as possible to catch up on sleep and have a white noise machine that I have on a timer (the noises usually start early in the morning). So sorry you’re having a difficult time and I know how miserable it can be to go through the day with little to no sleep:(
For as long as i remember i have suffered with Misophonia, No other member of my family suffers the same…And i mean the word “Suffer” my reaction to sound of people eating, Coughing, swallowing, drinking and sometimes people breathing!!Blowing or puffing sound is “Suffering”…I usually cant stay at the table with others…i will if i have to and can only sit beside people who i know will eat and drink quietly.I also hate people tapping there fingers repeatedly on a surface, or moving there feel continually…my reaction is usually one of anger if i cant escape the situation….Family and friends all know my condition and some have tortured me with sound as a joke but my reaction has never been good…I get angry and will lash out and / or cry.
No way!! I’m 58 and have had this problem even in elementary school. Have a very hard time in movie theaters or listening to others eating. My new one is when people say “where you at” poor English and everyone does it. Errggg
For years, I have suffered from this without knowing it had a name. I can remember sitting across the table from my high school boyfriend on our very first date with an irrational amount of rage at the sound of him eating. I remember wanting to physically hurt him. My girlfriend’s picked on me at the time because I wanted to dump him because of the sounds he made when he chewed. Now I am married with 3 kids and the sound of my children smacking their food still makes me irrationally angry and my husband sniffling makes me want to pull my hair out but I am managing. I have learned if I turn on music or tv or focus on something else, it helps. Thank you for posting this.
Wow, I identify! Does anyone also not like the sound of certain words? My first experience I can recall was in first grade, and cringing at the word “put” and “make” as kids tried to pronounce. To this day I still get highly irritated with some word pronounciations! Odd.
The voice on Panera Bread commercials makes me want to implode with anger! I can’t stand! Commercials in general are horrible. Kit Kat anyone? ?
I can’t stand repetitive noises of any kind. It makes my skin crawl and I do get angry. I have to put headphones on or block out the sound somehow. I can’t even listen to most female singer’s songs because the sound of their voice is too repetitive. This doesn’t seem to happen with male voices. I’m not aware of any other particular sounds that bother me. Do you think these are symptoms? Or am I just easily annoyed?
I am 14 years old an I have suffered from Misophonia since I was ten. It is extremely difficult for me to be around people that are eating. Chewing (especially gum) drives me insane. It makes me want to leave the room, lash out of just burst into tears. People tapping their feet, slurping, sniffing, breathing (even softly) and the rustling of papers are some of my main triggers. Could you recommend me to a clinic or if I should consider a white noise hearing aid… Regards, Eden M.
I have this for sure. I’m sick of feeling like other people at work are going out of their way to wind me up with their behaviour, when I’m rationally aware that it’s completely innocent and socially acceptable, that I’m the odd one.
My coping strategy is to put a Youtube stream up in the background of a train journey or a stormy ocean, and work with headphones on. I find that sounds which are unconnected to human behaviour or intention are the most effective distractor.
I am a classis case of both misophonia and misokinetics..As I have read your artical, done the test….I answered A to all questions!!! For years my family and friends thought I was acting crazy…myself included…glad to know I am not alone…I have isolated myself a lot..quit going places I used to enjoy…thank you for your info and now I can know its not just me…
Wow, mind blown. First heard about this today. Nice to know I am not alone and it is an actual “thing”. Can’t remember how young I was when I first noticed this but probably grade school. something I recently realized that gave me great relief is that I HATE sneezes. Now I know it is this, but I would just get incensed! and I felt so guilty, but when I just came to grips with it -sort of like “it is what it is”, I somehow felt better. but of course it’s not just sneezes. eating sounds are my worst. my daughter’s jaw pops and I go crazy. my husband gets irritated with me, but I can’t help it. if he sits and eats chips while watching TV I have the rustling of the bag AND the smacking of eating. and I knew it was not because I could not hear the TV, (he just turns it up) its the NOISE. BTW I am a 56 yr old women. glad there is this site. thank you!
Certain sounds have bothered me most of my life. I honestly can’t remember a time where they didn’t. My brother was a drummer and practiced all the time at home, and tapped on tables and everywhere else. Everyone in my home snored at night or taking a nap. It would wake me up from a deep sleep. I would throw shoes at the wall and yell for them to wake up and stop snoring. Through my 30 plus years of life I have struggled with the hatred of certain sounds. I have been diagnosed with panic disorder, and depression with a very mild case of bi-polar disorder. I am coming to a revelation reading about Misophonia. I work in an office that can be very quiet sometimes. The sound of typing, whispering, or just the sounds of “s,sh,p,etc.” can drive me to a full on panic attack. I want to run or feel I might turn green like the Hulk. Humming and whistling or any repetitive sounds can be enraging. I had no idea there was a valid disorder or name for this and I literally thought I was going crazy. Any advice that you may have on where to go from here would be great. I do use headphones and try to have background noise as well but it’s not always possible. I plan to speak with my doctor at my next appointment.
Omg, finally I have found this place and feel I am not a crazy person. I don’t like noises at all, but there are certain noises like when my husband cuts his nails that make me want to jump out of the window. When he cut his nails even in another room, I have to cover my ears with pillows, otherwise I’d kill myself. That happens also when people are chatting non stop close to me. It irritates me beyond any limits. I have left many places because i could not stand certain noises. It affects me psychologically So much.
Goodness, I nail trimming! I once snapped at a student because of it! I won’t even cut my own until after I shower so that they’re a little softer. My wife has started doing it at least a room away.
Oh my God, you are my secret family!(Sorry for my english, I am from Europe). I remember my first clear shocking memory about eating noises, when is was 3! In my kindergarden one of the helper or teacher was drinking – loud- noodle soup out of a glass on a very discusting way! And my lovely and cutest grandmother with bad teethfix was eating with a special sound that annoyed me so much, that I kept asking – Isn’t someone knocking on the door? I hate apple eating, fast eating – when you can hear the water running around the chewed foot. All my family member eats unbearable loud – with closed mouth. To me it is not enough to close the mouth while eating, this slobbery sound behind makes me grab the table. Some people think that eating is ok while talking on phone. No it is not, all the noises are enhanced – even smoking. I was laughing and crying at the same time reading you! I have 3 kids, it is possible that being a mum makes you to be more allert of sounds… Hold on, hopefully when we get older our hearing might go wrong…
I’m even triggered when I hear people eating in movies!!! Don’t you hate dining room scenes? You can’t fast forward because you’d miss the dialog, but it’s a torture to watch! Thank God when subtitles are available and you can mute!
Yikes. I am so relieved. I even laughed a lot reading people’s descriptions, because I relate so much. I’m seventy years old and have been concerned about this since I was very young, probably around 7 yrs. old. The eating sounds my father made at dinner drove me crazy. I would make a deep throated sound while he ate. I don’t know why I did that, I’m sure my parents could hear it, and had to wonder what the heck I was doing. Eventually, he somehow figured out my sound was connected to his eating and he really tried to be quiet. (We never talked about it. Isn’t that strange?) Even then, the memory or threat that he might make noice made it impossible for me to be in his company. My mother smacked her lips and licked them and it about drove me nuts.
When I was married, my husband used to scratch his beard all the time. Couldn’t handle it. But the absolute worst thing, he would scratch. Scratch his head, his beard, his arms, his knees. I would put my hand so I couldn’t see him, but usually had to leave the room. It was hell.
When I hear gum snapping in a public place, it almost panics me. Seeing people chewing gum, especially with mouth open, oh my god. I want to confront them and say ” take a selfie. see how you look doing that!!!” Crazy, huh?
As a teenager, my daughter ate cold cereal with her mouth open. Had to leave the room every time. People shaking their legs, clipping nails in public, running hands through their hair, a million examples that I relate to.
Well, thank you so much. What a relief to know I’m not just a nut. I’ve been seeing a counselor and was tempted to tell him about this but didn’t. I was sure it was just me, that he wouldn’t know what I was talking about.
I look forward to getting some helpful tips to control this. Hard way to live. I hope addressing this makes it better, not worse.
Hi, I’m not sure if it’s what I have, I always thought it was stress. When I’m stressed some noises are worse, like the sound of my childrens voices especially if it’s loud, I almost want to shout “shutup”(i dont but internalise the irritation) at intense times even people touching me is like it’s so irritating it hasn’t a word, maybe intolerable would work. I want to scream. My worst is when my husband or children chew a carrot, it drives me crazy, crunch crunch crunch, it’s like they are doing it on purpose, or seems that my husband is eating it slow on purpose (he isn’t) also when my mother coughes, i used to want to block my ears. Also when she would tap her nail on the chair, and my husband snoring drives me insane, I get so angry, I know he isn’t doing it on purpose. Also the sound of a vacuum cleaner, if I’m doing it it’s ok, if someone else is, it can irritate me, but not as intense as the carrots and snoring. My husband twirling his thumbs around each other or shaking his foot, irritates me. I don’t know. Stress? I took my child to the pediatrician and there was this high pitch noise, eventually I asked him what that noise was, he said that not alot of people hear that noise, maybe I just have sensitive ears. I don’t know? What do you think?
I get so agitated.
It is definitely worse when you’re under stress, but this is a fight-or-flight reaction generated when certain sounds reach your brain. So it’s like… Imagine you’re very quietly watching Netflix when all of a sudden you hear noises and you notice a burglar is attempting to break into your home. There was no previous stress situation, but your fight-or-flight reaction will still get triggered. This is the same. The noise automatically triggers you, even if there was no previous stressful environment.
I ticked A to all of these. It’s strange because I’ve always thought there was something wrong with me until I thought I could search to see if I had some sort of named disorder. I never even realised it was an actual scientific disorder until today and I feel so shocked at the moment.
The sound of chewing doesn’t bother me, but there are many many that do. I sit across the hall from the large format printer at work, and the “reeeeee-whrrrrrr” of it running is like a razorblade across my brain. Fluorescent lights, HVAC Registers that whistle, people who talk, whistle, or sing loudly, the cat scratching in the litter, a man rubbing the stubble on his face, creaky rocking chairs…anything meaningless and repetetive! Reeee-whrrrrr reeee-whrrrrrr reeee-whrrrrr *gets up and shuts office door*…
I absolutly hate abrupt sounds especially loud ones. Sometimes it feels as it actually hurts to hear them. I’ve always hated other people whispering. My friends growing up always thought i was crazy and laughed at it. I can’t stand when you can hear every syllable and spit swap on a audio book.
I have a severe adversion for all sounds related to eating. Especially by my partner, he is the loudest eater. He also makes some annoying breathing sounds, bites his nails and smacks his mouth when he sleeps. I feel so bad for him but these sounds really make me crazy. I usually leave the room if I can, to avoid lashing out on him.
I do not get the reaction for everyone, I don’t even notice some people making any sounds. It’s just the certain sounds by certain people that really just make me go from 0 to 100 and become very anxious, irritated and uncomfortable. I usually want to leave the situation (mostly I just want to block my ears but unfortunately that is considered childish overreaction from someone who’s almost thirty).
It is not only human sounds that trigger me, I also hate for example the squeaking of frosty snow.
You must really love him – i dont kno if i could cope with that. I am okay with my partner snoring and my dog snoring but cannot at all abide repeative sounds, Fosset – tap driping water, someone sniffling, eating is the worst for me and i feel my tolerence is getting worse with time, repeatinve tapping fingers or moving foot or leg, playing with coins in your pocket, sound of someone swallowing, i dont think i can work where i currently work as i must be close to having a stroke – i cannot cope with this at all..is there any role that suits someone like me….
I wonder if you’ve known that this is an actual disorder shared by many people, or are you just finding out you’re not alone. My worst triggers are food noises, gum chewing and repetitive body movements like leg shaking. You reminded me of how hellish it was to be with the president of a company I used to work for. He constantly played with coins in his pockets, lots of coins, lots of jingling. The memory now makes me feel tight and uncomfortable. At the time, it put me in a state of total panic. Just awful.
After reading many of these stories, I notice that people with this issue often are very detail oriented. I used to joke that I see things in everything, the way that people see images in clouds, though I see images in many many things, almost everything. If you don’t already do something creative and visual, I suggest you try it out. Painting, drawing, maybe investigate different media and try one that appeals to you. It seems like there should be some balance for us, having to live with these tortures. Maybe we have an extra dose of creativity.
yeah – i think i might try do something creative, i am relieved to hear that some of my examples you could understand…i knew i had this for some time – in past few years i realized there was a name for it…But its something i was aware of all my life….i am struggling alot these days,,(Really bad) with new role,,The office ladies feel the need to feed continually and the sounds of eating, drinking, crunching , slurping etc is just torture for me.. I would love to find a role that suits me..I can see myself walk out of here as the stress is too much…
Your examples jumped out at me, Elaine, but they are not the only triggers I deal with. I too realize I’ve had this since I was a young teen, but I only found out very recently that it’s a disorder shared by many. It has been some relief to no longer think I’m crazy. Remembering that man jiggling change ( a constant habit with him ) brought me back to it, as though I was there with him again, along with the extreme agony of it. My work at the time was in the garment industry in NY, which collapsed. Since my background is in art and design, I started a small business in decorative residential painting. Like most businesses, it’s male dominated, so it was no walk in the park to survive. What I realize now, is that I do my work mostly alone. It has been a financial struggle, but I get satisfaction from doing beautiful projects, rarely in situations where I have to deal with the most aggressive triggers. I’ve often regretted the choice because of the financial and physical stress, but this communication between us makes me realize that the choice may have been partially instinctual. Maybe I unconsciously realized that a more solitary occupation might shield me from constant triggers. While I have to meet and greet strangers all the time, at least I don’t have to listen to them eat. You might give some thought to work you can do with less constant contact with the same people. I’m a designer, not a therapist, so my words come from empathy rather than any authority to advise. I share the pain with you and all of us who struggle with this.
For years I have been thinking I was crazy and my intense aversion associated with certain sounds was just anxiety. Everyone I’ve lived with, whether it was family or roommates thought I was being overly sensitive or dramatic but it’s so comforting to know that misphonia is a real disorder and that I can put a name to what I’ve been feeling most of my life. I can’t stand repetitive noises, especially from my brother – for some reason it puts me over the edge specifically with him. During college, I would hear the repetitive bass coming from music at parties and cars off in the distance and I wouldn’t be able to sleep all night. It became so overwhelming at times that I would have panic attacks. I also can’t sleep with dogs barking, birds chirping, or the tv on even if it’s in another room completely. I wake up almost in tears every morning from the repetitious noise of the chirping and barking. I’ve tried a white noise machine, but it doesn’t help most of the time because I can’t stop focusing on the triggering noises (even when they are faint) when the white noise machine is all the way up. I’ve recently started taking anxiety medicine, so I’m hoping it helps somewhat with how I react. I read that misphonia is often associated with anxiety which makes even more sense now.
Has anyone had similar experiences with the same triggers or suggestions on how they cope?
With nosies at night, i also suggest ear plugs can help a lot on the foam ones but the putty sort ones. And the reason you have more anger with your brother is because you know him better and this will sound stupid but it is true. so you would rather take it out on him because you know him well than a stranger who you don’t know. Also i suggest maybe some therapy could help as well because facing it can help. I know it seems like a long road ahead but you will get through it.
That definitely makes a lot of sense. It’s much easier to react honestly with a relative rather than a stranger. I’ve thought about going to therapy, but I’ve had some bad experiences in the past and every time I’ve mentioned the sensitivity to certain noises, doctors have always immediately associated it woth anxiety. I’d specifically like to see a psychologist who has experience with misophonia. Thanks for the response and your thoughts!
Omg every anwer I got was an A that worries me deeply.
I’ve had an aversion to eating sounds, particularly loud crunching, since my teens. It is so weird. I have just forced myself to sit in the same room (usually I’d leave) as my son, who is the person I love most in the world, and made myself tolerate the crunching as he ate his dinner. I consider myself a laid-back, easy-going person, but … I nearly cried. I had to hold my ears and grimace and bite my tongue! What is going on??? I can’t stand hearing people crunch, especially close family members. Why is that?
I suggest you go to the research section. Watching a few videos and reading some articles on this condition will explain a lot.
Though there is possibly some psychological basis for this condition, most researchers believe this is a neurological disorder. Basically, your brain receives certain sound inputs and, because of certain synapses that shouldn’t be there, sends the info to the lymbic system, which involves emotions, including fear. The lymbic system interprets the sound as something dangerous, thus causing a fight-or-flight reaction. You get stressed, angry and anxious, as if you were under attack. It is worse with family members because your brain already prepares for the “aggression” even before it happens.
The term “allergy”, though metaphoric, is a perfect description of what goes on in your brain. Just like allergies are physical overreactions to non-harmful substances, this sound allergy makes your brain go crazy over a non-issue.
I have had misaphonia since i was in my early teens. Today i have found out it runs in our family generations because all the girls have it. Misaphonia has cause so much pain in my life from, anger, aggression and so many more things. My parents didnt use to understand it. My mum always use to say the best way to get over it is to face it. But there is no way i am capable of doing that. Overtime i hear peoples wet mouths move or food bouncing around in there mouth i want to gag and scream. From Misaphonia i can’t eat with anyone anymore. This has caused me so my pain with my family who don’t understand but i think i am willing to seek help now.
I have slept with ear muffs or ear plugs and quite often both since I was a kid, I’m 55 years old.
My father loved his gum while watching TV ? and after I couldn’t take it anymore I would be raging inside but try to calmly ask if he could take his gum out and he would, but he rolled it into a ball and put it in the rim of his coffee cup. After awhile, he would be so engrossed in the tv program he would absentmindedly pop it back in his mouth.
I would lay on the floor watching TV and a brother would be right next to me and he was a heavy nose breather. I would snap at him and say “MUST YOU BREATH!” My brother got a kick out of bothering me once he knew he could.
At work, radios would irritate the crap out of me. A guy in an entirely different department, at least 300 feet from me would whistle! I was in a factory setting and I could hear this twat whistling through the hum of factory noises and with ear plugs on!
I unfortunately complained and it made it worse. I would be sitting at my production desk and I would hear this whistle and I would look up and see these guys laughing a couple hundred feet away. They got a kick out of it because they said I looked like a deer happily eating in the Forrest with my head down and then it suddenly pops up and looks around when it hears a noise.
To this day I tell people, whether it is my life partner or anyone else, when we go to a movie theater, I don’t care how good of a seat we may have, I am moving if ANYONE behind me or anyone else bothers me.
Screeching neighbor kids, barking dogs, loud music, it all drives me crazy. Watching TV with my partner I have to block my peripheral vision so that I don’t see the visual cues of him rubing his leg or fidgeting with his hands.
As I write this I am listing to my favorite songs on my iPhone with the sound blasting. We recently bought a house with more road noise than I anticipated so my stress level goes through the roof when I start thinking about the cars driving by. Loud music that I love helps.
Is it so wrong that I sometimes fantasize that loud music will dull my hearing? After 55 years I am tired of having such acute hearing I can practically hear an ant breath!
I am also tired of others telling me to not let it bother me.
The same with my brother. When I was young the sound of my brother breating woudl really irrtate me and when my brother found this out, i would something think his breathing in that way just to irritate me but i font know if he was purposefully doing that after he found out. Just an assumption that I made
I thought that I was a freak. I know for my part it’s tied to childhood trauma and rage reactions. If you had to grow up with a mom who was early for everything except your events (school, etc) and then would routinely be late because she had to slurp her coffee as slowly as possible and swish each sip through her mouth for five minutes, noisily…you’d want to put YOUR fist through a wall every time someone *especially older women* slurp their drink. Or dogs. Good grief nothing is as headache inducing as a dumb canine who won’t shut up; this is why cats are so SO much better. QUIET.
Since I was young, around 8 years of age I have had problems with certain sounds such as breathing, clock ticking. If there was an analog clock in the room, I just could not fall asleep hearing the tik tok clock sound. The sound of dishes would set me off. Sounds of people close to me would set me off more than those made by strangers like my Mother, Brother, etc.. At one stage in my life when I was in my teenage years, I could not bear the sound of birds chipping in the morning but that sound no longer irritates me.
When someone has dry hands and they fold an envelope or paper then swipes there fingers (with paper in between fingers) across the paper, I just can’t bear that sound. The sound does not irritate me but its a sound my ears can not take. Until I read these posts I did not consider myself having a problem. Now I think there is something seriously wrong with the way my brains are wired.
the folding of paper. I am the same way. I feel what I can only explain as anxiety under my fingernails when I hear the folding accompanied by chills and goosebumps. And me yelling at the person doing it to stop
Yeah I have this. My dad has this cough where he brings in a bunch of air like he is going to cough his head off, then just lets out a small cough. Say’s he is clearing his throat but sometimes his cough will sound like a whisper. He knows it irriates me and he even admitted he does it on purpose sometimes to see me get pissed off. I never knew there was a name for it though. I also have the other one where people touch there face. Thats a thing my mom does, when she smokes she has to keep her thumb rested under her nose or keep rubbing it and a finger on her lip. Now that she knows it irriates me she does it and waits for me to comment about it. Then when I do she starts screaming.
I really don’t know where to start. I can not hear the sounds of eating without getting violent.
I am 53. I am embarrassed to say that I have dealt with this condition for as long as I can remember. So, almost a half of a century!
I have literally pulled out hand fulls of my own hair leaving my scalp bleeding. I have pushed my fingers so far into my ears that I damaged my hearing. I have grabbed my legs so roughly that my husband thought I had developed gangrene.
I graduated to leaving the room to avoid the noises. It helped.
Now my parents are unable to care for themselves, they are bringing it back, not that it ever left. Every bite they take is sucked into their mouths. EVERY ONE! Even their drinks. There is no reason it takes a person 3 seconds to PUT a single bite of food/drink into your mouth! So I tell myself, it is 30 minutes of hell, I am bigger than this…
The bloody scalp and bruises are back AND so are the painful nights of tears.
I love my parents!
Could I have misophonia if loud noises scare me? I’m really afraid of loud sounds. I’m 13 and started noticing it about 2 years ago. When I hear sounds like things falling on the floor, crashing, banging, clanging, loud sighing, yelling, or even slightly raised voices, I get fearful. For example, if a laundry basket drops on the floor and bangs, I panic, flinch, and get anxious. My family says I’m making things up to get attention.
Hi Rachel, it sounds like you might have hyperacusis. This is definitely something you GP can get you a referral for as it’s a recognised disorder.
You mean “your GP” not “you GP” … not a big mistake, lots of people write you or your incorrectly.
You house should be, your house
You friend shold be your friend
They bad, should be stead of they are or they’re bad.
Somehow text got mixed up. Maybe auto-correct.
It’s bother me when someone is eating & chirping, it’s bothering me when someone moving their finger, it’s bothering me when someone is drinking or eating food with sound,
Totally I heated when someone is chirping, I don’t know how to solve this problem & all my family , friends are not comfortable with me at the time of eating & drinking
I have recently found out that I believe I have misophonia. Ever since I was little, I have always been so enraged, irritated, and simply want to scream and cry by certain trigger noises. However, mine are different than the majority of people I see. Mine are very strange, as none are oral. My triggers are poorly played acoustic guitar (I know, my sister started learning guitar and I had to go across the house and blast my headphones because it drove me NUTS.), bells, wind chimes, and the sound of touching/hitting balloons. Other things that can annoy me are cups in cup holders in the car, mostly glass cups clinking over and over. I’m not sure if many other people are the same, but I have all of the symptoms when I hear these noises. I try my best to make it stop, and with the guitar problem, I politely asked her to stop playing the guitar. I felt rude, but I told her I was going to bed. I don’t get violent with others, but I feel like a crazy person when I hear these noises! I remember being little around Christmas, my parents would hang bells on the tree. I would take the balls out of them so they’d stop ringing, and hide them! Once, I also got balloons for my birthday and hid them under my bed so I wouldn’t have to hear them. I really wish there was a remedy, as I always feel like I have to escape and when I do, I feel like I can still hear the noise and it keeps replaying, even if I can’t hear it. It gives me a lot of anxiety, sometimes I even start shaking. Is anyone else similar?
Oh my god, are you me? Guitar, bells, wind chimes, glasses clinking, heavy bass, anything metal getting hitting wire shelving in the pantry or dishwasher. All of these things make me feel like I’m completely crazy, and almost like I have vertigo. I have to wear noise canceling headphones while doing dishes so I don’t hear all the bowls hitting each other and the wire rack vibrating. I also feel like I can still hear it after it stops and it gives me panic attacks. Even just thinking about it or talking about it is enough to trigger an episode for me (I read your comment yesterday but couldn’t reply right away because reading it made me feel panicked and like I wanted to throw up). Have you found any relief? Have you ever been diagnosed with this officially?
My other half talks a lot. On-going that I get stressed.Even when we watch TV,she keeps on talking and I get frustrated although I have told her several times,it has not changed.What do you suggest?
For me it’s the sound of basketballs dribbling. I never really had a problem until we got new neighbors about a year and a half ago. Their kids would take over our yard and do what they wanted, and the parents didn’t care. I’m wondering if my misophonia got triggered because I was so frustrated by the kids and their parents in the first place. Then they got a basketball hoop and played all the time, sometimes till 10:30 at night. Then it was the neighbor kids joining in. We finally got them to move the hoop out of their driveway right by our window to the front of their yard. And now we have a regular game going on a lot of the time. And it’s not just the sound of multiple basketballs, but the kids block the street. And every time it starts my adrenaline starts. I’m to the point now where I’m depressed and have lost interest in other things. I just sit there waiting for the dribbling to start and dreading it. Every other renter who has lived there has moved after a year, of course it would be them who stayed.
I am in Lake Tahoe and live feet away from where the Rober Plant concert was being performed. I could hear it from my house, and it sounded classic and so awesome. Some Led Zeppelin songs! And then the end of the concert happened. I was outside and the beginning of the last song came on and it had a very long introduction. A very long introduction with some tones and effects that affected me greatly. I started crying. I was very thankful to be with a friend as I have a history of seizures. I most highly definitely believe magnesium helps me. I take the kind that tapers off gradually during a six to eight hour period. I am finally learning how to control this condition with diet, quality of food, CBD oil, magnesium, and vitamin d. All others I should be getting from foods. I try to drink Smart water (for the electrolytes) or the tap water here. The tap water here is some of the best water in the world. This lake was carved from a glacier. So the water is extra filtered to begin with, and because of that, the water that comes out of the tap is perfectly alkaline. It makes all the difference. The elevation does not help I don’t feel. I agree with others that mentioned strange thoughts. And when I say strange I mean, not themselves. When the body is off the mind goes off sometimes too. I had an intense loss in my family about 3 years ago and the pain still hurts. Not to mention personal heartbreak and day to day loses. It’s hard to push through and be normal through all of it.
And then a certain song comes on with a certain pitch, but you are with friends having a good time….and then all you can do is cry and you have no idea on earth why either, and you feel stupid and embarrassing. I get (understand) mysphonia a lot
I suffer from misophonia. No doubt. I want to cry, I feel guilty asking someone to stop popping their gum, chewing ice cubes, snoring, to name my top 3. The guilt, shame, and embarrassment I can feel (if I let it), especially if I stuff it, and say nothing, adds to my anger and helplessness. I really am glad I’ve identified that this is a disorder of some type. I feel more OK. I’m available if my disorder can assist w your studies.
Ice! Ice maker at home. Ice machines in restaurants and hotels. Scooping ice from a cooler. Dropping ice cubes into a glass. Crushing ice. Aaahhhhh!!
I thought this was what I have but it’s not the sounds if people eating, tapping, chewing, sneezing etc. Those don’t bother me. It’s loud sounds such as motorcycles, diesel engines, music-I can not go to concerts- honking horns, public toilets and doorbells are some examples of the sounds that throw me into utter rage. I feel my face get hot and I have actually physically lashed out at people. I’ve had to pull over on the road to call myself because a motorcycle drives by. It’s tough having whatever condition causes me to feel this way. I can be in a great mood happy smiling laughing and if I hear one of those sounds my mood instantly turns to absolute ANGER AND RAGE! What is this I have that causes me too react this way. My husband says he can see my mood change in seconds. It’s very disruptive living this way.
Whistling, humming singing, tapping and low repetitive sounds enrage me and ruin social and work activities for me. My wife says “get a grip”. I explain if I didn’t have a “grip” there would be have been blood spilled by now.
When I hear people chewing smacking coughing sniffing/snorting it makes me irrated and really uncomfortable. Not only that but it grosses me out so much to the point where I physically gag and I have to either leave the room or tell the person to stop which makes me seem insane.
My trigger is open-mouthed gum chewing or gum popping. It’s definitely worse when I know the person…or maybe I’m just more brave to confront the person when I know them. I also hate when someone chews on & plays with a pen top in his/her mouth. I noticed that part of my irritation stems from the fact that I think this is low-class behavior. So, I’m not just bothered by the sound, I’m also pissed off at how trashy the person is being by performing this action. My 8th grade English teacher was English and told us that to chew gum is “common.” This has kind of stuck with me. Bird chirping in the morning also annoys me. Finally, I hate to see someone brush their teeth. Especially, if they come out of the bathroom and try to hold a conversation at the same time. I even hate seeing this on tv. I really dislike toothpaste and the smell of mint toothpaste or gum (though i like the smell of mint leaves).
Strangely, some of the sounds that seem to trigger you all actually make me feel really good. I like the sound of whispering. It makes my whole body tingle and feels amazing. I’ll stop focusing on what I’m doing and indulge in the sound/feeling of people having a whispered conversation.
I have just been diagnosed with seizures. I wonder if there is a connection.
Hi all, I suffer really bad but not sure if I have this or hyperacusis.. what is the difference.. I could never work in an office. I feel like picking the keyboard up and breaking it over their heads. I hate women filing their nails, it makes my body hurt inside. I can’t take whispering, whispering is quiet obviously, but I have to put my hands over my ears. My body fills with overwhelming rage. People eating and slurping drinks, people swallowing ,even. When my ex wife would eat I would try my hardest to ignore it and then she would see I kept looking at her, even though I was trying not to let it affect me. With eating, It is worse when it’s my wife or mum I don’t know why. It’s not the noise cause I can lie listening to rain and thunder all night and be in heaven. The cinema is my worst nightmare, I can’t go. Doctors surgery’s I want to scream, people shuffling around n handbags arghhhhhh. Why is this?
As far back as I can remember I couldn’t stand to hear my Mom talk because she made a whistling sound when she used the letter “s”. I had an equally strong aversion to hearing someone with a nose whistle. One of my co-workers snorts constantly instead of blowing her nose. I want to get up and shake her. Smacking your lips, chewing gum (the smell, the look, the sound), popping and snapping gum….all of these make me very, very uncomfortable and angry. I always felt I must have some nervous condition or be a very intolerant and critical person. I hate that I am like this but I simply can’t help it. I try to use ear plugs but people look at me strangely when I have to remove them to answer questions. It is so frustrating and upsetting.
I used to think that was an intolerance to people with bad eating habits. However I withdraw and eat elsewhere in the house to avoid listening to people eating… (wife, and father in law in particular, as they talk with their mouths full). When by myself I need some background noise or I annoy myself with my own eating noise. Over recent years I have found that my 26 year old son is more intolerant than me, also hating crisp packets being crunched up etc. I could go on….
I am certain that I have it, there is a girl in my office that chews on ice all day long, and I honestly want to walk over and dump the cup over her head. Two other employees here pop their knuckles constantly throughout the day, and it makes me cringe every time. There are only 7 of us that work here and we are all in 1 large area together, and they all eat at their desks all day long also, so the constant crunching & chewing sounds drive me crazy. I had to start putting headphones in and listening to music all day long to keep from getting so angry.
I just came across this and now I think I have this.. But I have problems with my other senses.. Like touch.. Certain materials give me goose bumps out of disgust and make me really angry.. Does anyone else have that kind of issue too?
Yes! You are not alone! For example, trying to scratch/run my fingers across soft materials like bed sheets and pillow cases drives me insane!!
I just found out I have Fibromyalgia and have been convinced I have had Misophonia all of my life. One of the symptoms of Fibromyalgia is a deep sensitivity to sound. I’m wondering if they are two separate issues now or if they are interrelated because I’ve been dealing with both since I was a child and am finally able to put a name to what I’ve been feeling for over 20 years.
I have had this for 35 years. I have an aunt that also has it. Since the advent of the internet, I searched for something to explain what was wrong with us. Most people are like, “Everyone has sounds that bother them”. Even after I try to explain that the sounds that “bother” me create an extreme physical and mental reaction. Pure rage that I can’t control. My aunt and I were the only 2 in the family that understood what we were talking about. Do you know how relieved and vindicated I felt when suddenly, several years ago I found a name for it?? At the time it was called 4-S, or Selective Sound Sensitivity Syndrome, then it morphed into Sound Rage, then finally… misophonia. I bought the first book I had ever found about it and gave a copy to my aunt and we both cried. I am so happy people are finally taking us seriously. We aren’t just sissies who are exaggerating being “bothered” by noises that bother everyone. I hope they continue to try and figure out what causes it, so we can be cured of it.
I have read most if these replies and my bad noises are a bit different. Snoring, repetitive tapping or repetitive quiet high pitch noises spoken and a telephone ringing without being answered. Would this be classed as misphonia??
My work colleague just informed me of this condition, I really thought it was me being intolerant all these years.
My mother used to point out my dad’s noisy eating at every meal, and I though it must have been that that made me so sensitive.
I identify with all the cases in question 2, but would add people breathing too noisily. It always feels really unreasonable, I mean, you can’t ask people to stop breathing.
I though I would grow out of it, but it’s been getting worse, or i’ve been getting less tolerant, with age.
I can trace the start of my problem with sounds back to the dinner table when I was eight or nine, my brother would make a real event of eating and the noise would anger me so much I would have to leave the table getting me in trouble because I didn’t want to make him feel bad. As I have aged (42 now) the trigger noises have increased massively 0-furious triggers are again noisy eating, pen clicking, chewing gum chewing, loud bubble gum popping,Noise filtering through walls and ceilings, mobile phones playing videos loudly, people speaking loudly on phones and the word Crisps when spoken. I know this sounds ridiculous but it is on the finishing of the word, the “sss” sound like air leaving a puncture absolutely enrages me. When usin gthe word myself I pronounce crisp and drop the s as even if I say it myself it grates me. This all makes me sound like a miserable beggar and it is only very recently that I discovered that its a condition and has a name, I can only hope that help becomes widely available as there are only so many times you can be stuck in close to someone chewing eating an apple or slurping cherry tomatoes without going into total meltdown..its going to happen
This is beyond incredible i’ve had this condition for so many years and never knew what it was.
It started with noises my brother made.
Iwould get incredible anxiety At the sound newspaper pages turning, eating and later on even his voice!!! For me I could relieve the anxiety by imitating the sound has anyone ever had that experience.
Oh my gosh! That is the same as me! I am only 13 but i have severe misophonia and
for as long as i can remember. I have a little brother who makes SUCH annoying noises (chewing, coughing, talking, clicking). I always cant help but do the thing that annyoys me back at him. For some reason it makes me feel better! I can never focus in class. You are not alone!!!
Thank you so much for sharing with me. Yes it’s not easy but I am a lot older than you and have made it this far in life and it’s been a great life despite everything we have to go through it and yes it’s hard being a kid with that I also had trouble in school. Be the best you you can be the best you can be that’s the most important thing.
My situation seems to be a little different. My issues have to do with the sound frequency and sharp loud sounds. Cannot go to concerts , music has to be low. Certain people’s voices are painful. certain loud sharp sounds can even cause mild hallucinations. When I was a child my parents and grandparents thought I was just being dramatic when I would put my hands over my ears and run away when my cousin would talk. She was loud and had a high pitch voice. I’m in my 70’s now and I still cannot be around that person. Her voice makes me sick to my stomach. Also I have other sensitivities. Not sure if they are connected. I see my numbers in color and I smell things that aren’t there.
Thank you so much for sharing your experience with me. From what I’m hearing everybody has a little bit of a different situation with this condition. For me it’s specific sounds and also the person who makes them. When my wife plays games on her cell phone this sounds really bother me. My brother was a big trigger. My parents thought I was just resenting my brother and that’s why I acted the way I did. I’m 58 it made it this far dealing with everything we got to just learn to except and live the best Wife that we can.
My daughter is a screamer that does bother me but it seems like a different kind of bother LOL
Thank you so much for this site. For years I was told that I was being unreasonable and hysterical and that the sounds I was reacting too (certain eating noises and recently heavy rattling) were all in my head and I just needed to get over it. It’s so good to know that this is a real thing and I’m not crazy.
Now I just need to figure out how to get my family to understand and how to tell my co-worker that their OCD rattling of their cabinet is setting off my misophonia. I honestly have no idea how to approach that and feel genuinely bad since their problem is just as real as mine.