Hey Lindsey,
I’m 17 years old as well, and I also have misophonia, but only to the sounds of silverware – specifically forks and spoons. There wasn’t really a specific age when I remember the sound of silverware triggering me, but I know that I didn’t have it as a kid. Luckily, I have a very supportive family, but it did take them a long time to really understand what was going on with me. Misophonia is not something that’s very common and most people don’t know anything about it. My parents didn’t really believe that it was a big deal at first. A therapist was the one who told me about it really, I thought I was the only one who had this sensitivity. I like to compare my trigger sounds to nails on a chalkboard – a sound no one likes – to kind of help them understand what I feel when I hear a sound. It took my dad the longest to understand, but I kept on explaining and explaining and it helped a little. My mom was actually the one who got too annoyed with me always complaining so she just switched to plasticware. I also sent lots of links to my parents that explain what misophonia is, and that seems to work pretty well really. I used to avoid the sound, or ask anyone to stop as soon as I heard the squeaking sound from a fork or spoon. I now go to exposure therapy to help deal with it, but that isn’t the only way to cope with misophonia. Even though I’ve been doing this therapy, there is no way I can go to a hibachi restaurant anytime soon lol. I’ve done a lot of research online (that’s actually what I was doing up until I saw your post), and I found a coping method where someone puts in only one earplug (like one of the foam ones), so if they hear their trigger sound, all they have to do is cover the other ear, but it still keeps them present in the conversation – maybe that will help. Please know that you are not alone in this and that there are people feeling the same way, don’t lose hope. I hope this helped with anything! Here are a few links if you want to check them out: https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/misophonia-sounds-really-make-crazy-2017042111534 (everyone trusts harvard right haha), http://www.misophonia.com/symptoms-triggers/
Nicole