I actually find that taking a deep breath and trying to focus on my own breathing helps. I also try to bear in mind that they’re not doing it on purpose to annoy me (although it feels that way!)
If it’s very intense I leave a scenario. I get so inwardly frustrated I may implode before I get a chance to explode.
I notice I shake my leg as a habit in situations I am trying to cope with, to the point I get on other peoples nerves. When people are eating, I will stick fingers in my ear, hum a tune out loud and sing a song in my head, I will also avert my gaze from the person who is making the noises directions.
I also cope by glaring at people making the noises, whilst they are not looking. This has not yet produced a successful solution.
Like Kat I try to have mindfulness but I even struggle with the sounds of children eating. And who is more innocent?
I am currently finding this very amusing to admit these things out loud as I seem altogether ridiculous and unforgiving.
Hi there everyone, I’m 21 and for as long as I can remember I haven’t been able to stand tapping noises (get quite angry and frustrated when somebody won’t stop) swallowing drink, eating sounds and I find myself eating more when I’m already full to help mask any sounds from others eating or drinking, leaving the room and making excuses to go anywhere but the room I’m in. Any tips on how to cope?
Hi Hannah! I’ve just merged your post into here – hope that’s ok.
For me the leaving the room technique is my number one strategy. I also find (and someone on Twitter reminded me of this today) that having ambient sounds in the background can really help.
There’s nothing worse than hearing trigger sounds, like someone eating or gulping in a silent room, so if you can have some music on in the background during a meal or even the tele, it can really help.
Hey, I am not sure how useful this will be to other people but I figured I would contribute it anyway.
I have to say that I am new to this and am not sure if it is better or worse in the long run to use many of the coping mechanisms that I use, but I do have one more that is not up here yet.
Mimicking the noise being made, e.g. Also eating chips if they are or tapping on the table or even your leg where it can’t be heard, can make a significant difference sometimes. I hope this helps.
Hi Cara, that’s great you’ve found mimicking has helped you. I’ve found that helpful with eating as well, using that sound/action on myself to drown out the other.
The only trouble I’ve found is that it can lead to some slightly awkward/comedy moments if someone notices that you’re mirroring them, which is why I don’t tend to use it as much myself. One potential workaround might be to make a different noise yourself – one that distracts and drowns at the sounds of the trigger.
I’m a senior in high school and often find myself dealing with other students eating in classes around me. Just today I had the boy sitting next to me chew gum with his mouth slightly open while the kid on my other side ate an orange.
My mom and I decided to invest in one small ear plugs from surefire, a firearm protection company. They muffle small noise that is occurring around me but make it so I can still hear conversation, and take notes. It’s only slightly visible but most people assume I have hearing problems and that they are hearing aids. It’s a great coping mechanism that only cost 15 dollars.
I have a wierd problem.. My ears have become sensitive to words that sound with ‘S’ .when people speak to me and some word that starts with ‘S’ comes up my ears feel irritated. I have to also mention that due to loud sound exposure i have got a very mild form of tinnitus for the past 2 to 3 months.. But this ‘s’ sound peoblem has recently occurred. What can i do to stop it? Help me please… Is it misophonia??
Hi!
well first of all, i’m dutch so there can be any grammar mistakes.
One of my triggers is people whispering. If i hear that, i have to hold myself back from doing any violence. But i think i’ve found something that helps. I sort of sing a song in my head and concentrate fully on that song. That helps me to not concentrating on the whispering anymore. I hope it helps someone else too
When I first started experiencing Misophonia, I would flip out and leave the room. This typically only happens at work. There are a few VERY loud keyers that I cannot stand. Gradually, I realized that leaving the room would decreased my productivity, so I began to search deeper in my brain. I’ve tried a lot of things. I’ve tried saying “no” in my head, like “no, no, no” and “focus, focus.” I’ve tried ear plugs AND earphones. I am now trying Buspirone to see if it will treat the fight or flight I feel when I hear this particularly terrifying sound, since it is used to treat anxiety. So far I am able to tolerate it a tad bit more than I could before.
Over all, I try staying completely engrossed in whatever it is I am doing to avoid the distraction and fleeing. That is all I have for a tip. Misophonia is just – I hate it, as everyone else who has it surely does.
I’m allergic to ppl ratting sounds ..well any. kind of mouth noise except for breathing.
Every meal me n my parents would sit at the table together they had horrable “mouth” table manners. But I would tell them they sounded gross or to chew with their mouths closed n stop talking with their mouths full. After telling them so many times I actually taught them to never make a noise while eatting. It was great. But from telling them about all the noice they make they now notice it all the time with other ppl. They think it sounds like a cow but it doesn’t bother them like it does me. Sometimes it gets so bad for me I cry n feel like actually rippling out my hair. My husband is a hog n gets posses if i say anything to him anymore so I can’t say anything at night when I’m sleeping I’ll get woken up by him sucking on a popsicle which he makes the most annoying weirdest noices I have to cover my head with the blanket so he doesn’t see me hold my ears shut until I fall back to sleep. He will even go get more. He’s addicted to popsicles. N he addicted to cereal n will get this big ass bowl n eat like he’s starving he will even make these little moan noises while ratting like wtf you starving n when he gulps sounds like he didn’t even chew his food sounds weird as shit. I hate it soooooo much I wanna kill him especially since I have to keep my mouth shut about it. Ps I woiuldnt ever really kill him but ya I know what I mean. When he eats I don’t even like him he disgusts me I don’t want to even touch him. But then I’m fine n like him when he’s not eating lol. I have to remove myself or cover my ears but I can still hear it when I close my ears so I have to push in and out on my ears so I can block some of it out. Ugh fml right. Why do we have to have this. My sister had it to so might run in the family. I don’t think there will ever b a cure to something like this.
My issues have grown stronger within the last year and after multiple noise cancelling headphones and partial loss of hearing from wearing them 10 hrs at work, I finally mentioned to my manager that a particular person near me was driving me up the way and I could not contain my aggravation any longer. While this person or myself could be moved to another location in the office, my manager instead decided to just tell them to try and keep it down. This made things worse as not only does she know I’m the one who complained but she still makes these horrible annoying keyboard and mouse noises as she cannot control them, just like I cannot control wanting to jump over the cube and smash the computer so she can’t use it.